Vancouver Poetry House

Vancouver Poetry Slam feat. Brittney Smaila
2025-10-06 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Vancouver) | El Torito, 139 Keefer Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Van Slam will return to El Torito (139B Keefer St.) on October 6th!
Doors: 7 pm
Sign up: 7:30 pm
Slam: 8 pm
$8 in advance at Zeffy.com
$10-15 @ the door
No one turned away for lack of funds
El Torito is a wheelchair accessible venue.
A warm thank you to the management for keeping their doors open once a month for our slam! 🎉❤️💯
The Slam features an open mic, a feature poetry set presented by a notable poet, and a slam. Slam wins get you into the running to represent Vancouver in the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam at Verses Festival in April 2026. See more about Poetry Slam and Code of Conduct on our Website.
ABOUT OUR FEATURE:
Brittney Smaila
Brittney is a neuroscientist, poet, and educator who uses language to crack open complex ideas until they’re felt. Drawn to the heaviest light, she works in the space between science and story, giving form to the abstract without flattening it. On stage, her work mixes wit with vulnerability, pressing on the edges of power, memory, and human connection.

Vancouver Poetry Slam ft. Charlie Petch
2025-11-03 19:00 - 22:00 | El Torito, 139 Keefer Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Van Slam will return to El Torito (139B Keefer St.) on November 3rd with the inimitable CHARLIE PETCH as our feature!
Doors: 7 pm
Sign up: 7:30 pm
Slam: 8 pm
$8 in advance at Zeffy.com
$10-15 @ the door
No one turned away for lack of funds
A note on Accessibility:
El Torito is a wheelchair accessible venue with a ramp.
Masks are encouraged when not seated and eating. Masks will be provided at the door. As we enter cold and flu season, and COVID has not ended, we encourage you to consider adding a layer of protection for the immunocompromised members of our community.
A warm thank you to the management for keeping their doors open once a month for our slam! 🎉❤️💯

ABOUT THE SLAM:
The Slam features an open mic, a feature poetry set presented by a notable poet, and a slam. Slam wins get you into the running to represent Vancouver in the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam at Verses Festival in April 2026. See more about Poetry Slam and Code of Conduct on our Website.
ABOUT OUR FEATURE:
Charlie Petch (they/he) is a disabled & transmasculine multidisciplinary artist. Their debut poetry collection, Why I Was Late (Brick Books), won the 2022 ReLit Award, and was named “Best of 2021” by The Walrus. Their next poetry book “Infinite Audition”, is launched in Fall 2025 with Brick Books. Petch received a Golden Beret Spoken Word Prize from the League of Canadian Poets. Their play “No one’s special at the hot dog cart” debuted in 2024 with “Theatre Passe Muraille and Public Energy”. They write plays, librettos, poems, and music and perform their work for audiences all over Turtle Island.

Vancouver Poetry Slam ft. JoeMac
2025-12-01 19:00 - 22:00 | Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 West 64th Avenue, Vancouver, Canada
UPDATE

Hey folks,

Venue CHANGE for Dec 1 feat. JoeMac

El Torito is unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances.

We will be moving the slam to Historic Joy Kogawa House at 1450 W 64th Ave.

Unfortunately Historic Joy Kogawa House is not wheelchair accessible so the event will by hybrid for those who need to join online via this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86331864069
Meeting ID: 863 3186 4069

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Van Slam Team.

Featuring San Diego’s JoeMac, the December Van Slam includes a short, 3-person open mic and a 2-round poetry slam. Sign up for open mic and slam spots will be first-come, first-served. The show opens with the open mic and the feature performance. Following a short break, we slam!
Doors: 7 pm
Sign up: 7:30 pm
Slam: 8 pm
Advance Ticket link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/van-slam-ft-joemac
$10-15 @ the door
No one turned away for lack of funds.
The slam offers poets an opportunity to qualify for the April 2026 Van Slam Finals. All poets in the slam will compete in the first round. The four highest-scoring poets after this round will perform again in the second round, earning points towards Finals qualification based on their second-round ranking.
Notes on Accessibility:

Historic Joy Kogawa House is not a wheelchair accessible venue. There are 4 stairs to a small landing at the entrance, and 3 to 4 shallow stone stairs from the sidewalk to the front courtyard.
Masks are strongly encouraged. As we enter cold and flu season, and COVID has not ended, we encourage you to consider adding a layer of protection for the immunocompromised members of our community.
We ask that attendees avoid the use of fragrances (inc. scented products) out of respect for other attendees who may experience chemical sensitivities and/or respiratory challenges associated with these products.

********
ABOUT THE FEATURE
Residing in San Diego, California, and originally from East Chicago, Indiana, JoeMac is a multi-talented force. Aside from being a 13x author, with two best sellers on Amazon, he is a multiple time slam champ. He is a 2x member of the San Diego Slam Team, who won the 2024 Bigfoot Regional Poetry Slam in Portland, Oregon, and finished 2nd in 2025. He is the San Diego Slam, Grand Slam runner up for 2023 & 24, with narrow losses to international great Rudy Francisco. He placed second at the inaugural 2024 Chicharra Poetry Slam festival in New Mexico. Currently, he is the #7 ranked poet in the United States, after competing at the 2025 Blackberry Peach tournament. He has been featured on All Def Poetry and Button Poetry, two of the biggest poetry platforms in the world. He has featured at prominent United States universities, to include Thee Ohio State University. All in all, Mr. Unpredictable as he is known, still has a lot left to give, and is just getting started.

Vancouver Poetry Slam ft. Miel Enage
2026-01-05 19:00 - 22:00 | Enabling Arts, 343 Railway Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1A4, Canada
Van Slam is back in January with a new look and feature, Miel Enage!
Location: Enabling Arts (343 Railway Street, Vancouver)
Doors: 7 pm
Sign up: 7:30 pm
Slam: 8 pm
$8 in advance at https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/van-slam-ft-miel-enage
$10-15 @ the door
No one turned away for lack of funds.
A note on accessibility
ENABLING ARTS is a wheelchair accessible space with an open floor plan and gentle lighting. *Masks are encouraged to protect our immune compromised and elderly community.*
Vancouver Poetry Slam has been running a slam in Vancouver since the late 80’s. Slam is a sport, but poetry is the point. That being said, the slam offers poets an opportunity to qualify for the April 2026 Van Slam Finals. All poets in the slam will compete in the first round. The four highest-scoring poets after this round will perform again in the second round, earning points towards Finals qualification based on their second-round ranking. We are excited to announce we are partnering in January with our friends at Enabling Arts!

Enabling Arts is a multidisciplinary arts space focused on wellness through the arts hosting community events and workshops for sustainable creative practices in addition to selling books, local/ curated art, natural products, and more.

About the feature Miel Enage
Miel is a second-generation Filipina poet and spoken word artist based in Vancouver. Writing and performing since 2009, her work explores the intersections of healing,identity, womanhood, ancestral memory, and self-reclamation. Through her poetry, Miel traces how love, loss, and lineage shape the ways we learn to soften and survive.
Her first self-published book, Heal & Conquer (2017), reflected on the lessons of leaving an unhealthy relationship and rediscovering her sense of self. She is currently working on her second collection — a deeper exploration of growth, tenderness, nuance and the cycles we break to become whole

Vancouver Poetry Slam feat. Magpie Ulysses
2026-02-02 19:00 - 22:00 | BC
Location: Enabling Arts (343 Railway Street, Vancouver)
Doors: 7 pm
Sign up: 7:30 pm
Slam: 8 pm
$8 in advance at https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/van-slam-ftmagpie-ulysses
$10-15 @ the door
No one turned away for lack of funds.
VOLUNTEERS welcome! [1 scorekeeper and 1 timekeeper]
UPDATE: Volunteer spots *1 remaining*
Please email: inclusion@vancouverpoetryhouse.com to claim a volunteer spot for Monday Feb. 2nd, or register as a volunteer if it’s your first time, here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUPFM5DwPd2_cKMLI3B2I4UUMpYBQgx5GmyhUn36jPwsBq_A/viewform?usp=dialog
A note on accessibility
We are excited to be venue partners with our friends at Enabling Arts!
ENABLING ARTS is a wheelchair accessible space with an open floor plan and gentle lighting.
Enabling Arts is a multidisciplinary arts space focused on wellness through the arts hosting community events and workshops for sustainable creative practices in addition to selling books, local/ curated art, natural products, and more.
*Masks are encouraged to protect our immune compromised and elderly community. Reduced scents are also encouraged for the comfort of everyone*
About the Slam
Vancouver Poetry Slam has been running a slam in Vancouver since the late 80’s. Slam is a sport, but poetry is the point.
The slam offers poets an opportunity to qualify for the April 2026 Van Slam Finals. The feature’s calibre is a testament to the strength of the poetry that is to come.
Sign up for the slam begins promptly at 7:30 pm and there will be a draw for spaces after the 12th spot is filled.
All poets entered in the slam will compete in the first round. The four highest-scoring poets after this round will perform again in the second round, earning points towards ‘Finals’ qualification based on their second-round ranking.

Van Slam February’s feature is Magpie Ulysses!
About the feature, Magpie Ulysses
Magpie is a neurodivergent, queer, nature nerd, garden witch who started performing poems more than 25 years ago. Magpie has performed poems and told stories across North America and is a multiple award winning spoken word artist and beloved veteran of the national and Vancouver poetry slam communities.
Magpie’s latest works seek questions surrounding genetic memory, placemaking, grief, aging, our place in the natural world, survival, rebellion, late stage capitalist nightmares and the imminent undoing of our species. http://www.magpieulysses.ca

Vancouver Poetry Slam feat. Lucia De Luca
2026-03-02 19:00 - 22:00 | Enabling Arts, 343 Railway Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1A4, Canada
March 2nd | Enabling Arts
Doors: 7 pm | Sign up: 7:30 pm | Slam: 8 pm
$8 in advance | $10 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
About the Slam
Vancouver Poetry Slam has been running a slam in Vancouver since the late 80’s. Slam is a sport, but poetry is the point. The slam offers poets an opportunity to qualify for the April 2026 Van Slam Finals. The feature’s calibre is a testament to the strength of the poetry that is to come.
Sign up for the slam begins promptly at 7:30 pm and there will be a draw for spaces after the 12th spot is filled.
All poets entered in the slam will compete in the first round. The four highest-scoring poets after this round will perform again in the second round, earning points towards ‘Finals’ qualification based on their second-round ranking.
This is the last slam (aka. Last Chance Slam) before our April Finals to choose the Van Slam Champion of 2025/2026!
Our Van Slam March feature is Lucia De Luca
About the feature
As an English teacher and spoken word poet, Lucia (Lu-CHEE-a) De Luca plays with stories in the classroom and at the mic. She is a community and self-taught narrative poet who aims to turn unenjoyable life events into empowering performances. Lucia is the first two-time recipient of QWF’s Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize. She performed at the 1st Accenti Magazine International Festival of the Arts in Italy and has shared her craft in cities across Canada and Australia. Her self-published chapbook, Chronically Healing cradles tales of her past self, family, Italian heritage, chronic illness, and love.
Volunteer Opportunity
Volunteer Spots x2
Please email: inclusion@vancouverpoetryhouse.com to claim a volunteer spot for Monday, Feb. 2nd,
or register as a volunteer if it’s your first time, here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUPFM5DwPd2_cKMLI3B2I4UUMpYBQgx5GmyhUn36jPwsBq_A/viewform?usp=dialog

Vancouver Poetry Slam FINALS ft. GC Vasquez
2026-04-06 20:00 - 22:00 | Enabling Arts, 343 Railway Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1A4, Canada
Van Slam Finals ft. GC Vasquez
April 6 | Enabling Arts
Doors 7:30 | Show 8pm
$8 Advance | $10-15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/van-slam-finals-ft-gc-vasquez
Van Slam Finals! This invitational slam will feature 8 poets who have competed all season, collecting points towards their chance to be the Vancouver Poetry Slam Champion! The winner goes on compete at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam as part of Verses Festival of Words April 23-May 2, 2026.
Van Slam Finals will follow this format:

3 slot Open Mic
Feature Poetry Performance
Slam – 3 rounds: 3 min. × 1min. x 3min. poems*

*only the top 4 scoring poets move on to the third round, which is winner-take-all
ASL Interpreters will be on hand for this event
About the Feature: GC Vasquez
Christian is the son of Salvadoran immigrants whose courage to leave El Salvador and build a new life in the United States shaped his journey. Born in Los Angeles, California during the time
of the Rodney King unrest, his family later moved to Seattle, Washington before eventually settling in British Columbia, Canada.
He graduated from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. with a Bachelor of Arts in American Sign Language and is widely recognized as an ASL storytelling champion and performer within
the Deaf community. Christian is also the founder of ASLCart.com and creator of the acclaimed ABC Luck! card game, which promotes storytelling through play. His recent work includes translating Native American myths for the Lower Elwha Tribal
community and leading a Sign Language Arts Workshop at Riksteatern Crea in Stockholm, Sweden. He has directed Artistic Sign Language for the plays Gaslight and Cloud Tectonics at
Sound Theatre Company in Seattle, delivered Visual Vernacular workshops across Canada and the U.S., and served as Production Manager for the Visual Vernacular Festival in Washington, D.C. and Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Christian also continues to produce creative content through his series, CV World- https://www.facebook.com/thecvworld

Vancouver Poetry Slam feat. Khaleefa Apollo the Child
2026-04-16 08:00 - 17:00 | BC
Van Slam ft. Khaleefa, Apollo the Child
May 4 👏
Enabling Arts (343 Railway St., Vancouver)
Open Mic + Slam Sign-Up 7:30pm 🎤
Show 8pm
$8 Advance | $10-15 at the door
(no one turned away for lack of funds)
About the feature:
Khaleefa ‘Apollo the Child’ Hamdan is a spoken word poet, hip hop artist, and former radio host, known for his commitment to youth empowerment through the arts. As a former co-director of the Urban Legends Poetry Collective, he pioneered the Youth Speak program in collaboration with the Ottawa Public Library, providing free after-school writing opportunities for young people.
Apollo’s impactful work includes his celebrated cinepoem, “My Hero Drives a Cab,” which has been featured on Button Poetry, as well as his participation in the CBC documentary “In Their Words.” A seasoned representative of Ottawa, he has showcased his talent on nine national stages.
🎉

Hullabaloo Finals 2026
2026-04-21 08:00 - 17:00 | BC
Hullabaloo Finals
730pm | Vancouver Acting School (#210, 112 East 3rd Ave.)
FREE | Register here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/hullabaloo-finals-ft-khaleefa-apollo-the-child
About the Feature:
Khaleefa ‘Apollo the Child’ Hamdan is a spoken word poet, hip hop artist, and former radio host, known for his commitment to youth empowerment through the arts. As a former co-director of the Urban Legends Poetry Collective, he pioneered the Youth Speak program in collaboration with the Ottawa Public Library, providing free after-school writing opportunities for young people.
Apollo’s impactful work includes his celebrated cinepoem, “My Hero Drives a Cab,” which has been featured on Button Poetry, as well as his participation in the CBC documentary “In Their Words.” A seasoned representative of Ottawa, he has showcased his talent on nine national stages.

Oral Traditions 2026: International Indigenous Poetry Slam
2026-04-27 20:00 - 21:30 | Chill-X Studio, 2270 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, Canada
Oral Traditions 2026: (Inaugural) International Indigenous Poetry Slam
April 27 | Chill-X Studio
Doors: 7pm | Sign-up 7:30pm | Show: 8pm
Adv. $10 | $15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets from Zeffy here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/oral-traditions-at-verses–2026
Buy a Verses Festival pass HERE
Co-produced with Derek Edenshaw, Native Hip Hop Society, and Franz Seachel, Enabling Arts Society. The Oral Traditions 2026 Inaugural International Indigenous Poetry Slam recognizes decolonizing efforts globally, amplifying human rights, and celebrating Indigenous voices.
Feature performance by: Spin El Poeta
Eligibility: This slam is open to individuals who identify as Indigeneous.
Prizes include:
1st place $250,
2nd place $150,
3rd place $100
To enter the slam: Sign up at 7:30pm in the venue.
About the feature:
SPIN El Poeta is a Guatemalan-born, poet, cultural strategist, and educator whose work has moved stages across Turtle Island and Latin America for over twenty years. Known for performances that fuse political clarity with deep emotional intelligence, SPIN’s poetry explores migration, masculinity, healing and Immigrant–Indigenous friendship with precision and urgency.He has represented Canada internationally at the 2025 World Poetry Slam, 2024 Abya Yala Slam in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Painted By Poets in Atlanta, and he was a member of the Growhouse Tampa Slam Poetry team in 2024.
Beyond the stage, SPIN has executive produced the LA Raza BIPOC Access Podcast and co-founded One Mic Educators and LA Raza Open Mic, platforms dedicated to uplift Black, Indigenous, Latin American, and Palestinian artists.

Famous Last Words: Verses 2026 Edition
2026-04-28 18:30 - 20:30 | Chill-X Studio, 2270 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, Canada
Famous Last Words from Death Rides A Unicorn
April 28 | Chill-X Studio
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Adv. $10 | $15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Buy Advance Tickets for this event here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/famous-last-words-verses-2026-edition
Buy a Verses Festival pass HERE
A hilarious evening of poetry games, featuring some of Spoken Word’s favourite personalities: Apollo the Child in from Ottawa, Marie Metaphor over from Victoria, Skylar Kay in from Calgary, joining Vancouver’s RC Weslowski, Dina Del Bucchia and Uni the Unicorn.
Sean McGarragle (DRU Salonnière) is a poet, storyteller, teacher, performer and event producer from the Republic of East Vancouver. He is the founder of Death Rides a Unicorn, The Vancouver Story Slam, The Canadian Individual Poetry Slam and the Vancouver International Poetry Festival (now entitled Verses). He has performed and read his work from Dublin to Denver, from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan to Madison Wisconsin. He is super excited to host this show and to showcase some great poetic talents.
Death Rides a Unicorn is an arts non-profit that focuses on silly literary and spoken word events such as Famous Last Words, Liars of Orpheus, The Seventeen Syllable Poetry Slam and Under the Rooftops of Vancouver. It stems from a want to produce accessible fun arts events that are either no cost to audience members or low cost to audiences. Our salonnière (artistic producer) Sean McGarragle created Death Rides a Unicorn as away to fight back against the melancholy that the Covid and Fentanyl Pandemics instilled upon all of us. We find it even more important to spread joy, silliness and a little bit of chocolate now, given the state of the world.

Un-Closing Captions: possibilities for descriptive text
2026-04-29 15:00 - 17:00 | Chill-X Studio, 2270 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, Canada
Un-Closing Captions: possibilities for descriptive text
April 29 | Chill-X Studio
3 pm to 5pm
Adv. $10 or by donation | $10 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets for this event here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/captioning-and-scoring-poems-workshop
Buy a Verses Festival pass HERE
Led by Vancouver Poet Laureate Elee Kraljii Gardiner, Elana Brief and Dani Rodriguez
Closed captions are an important accessibility feature for many viewers. But, as artist Christine Sun Kim points out, descriptive subtitles for the musical soundtrack in videos often default to something unspecific such as [MUSIC PLAYING]. How can we, as poets, explode the form of the subtitle and open meaning for people who rely on captions? In this participatory, creative, and generative workshop facilitated by Vancouver Poet Laureate Elee Kraljii Gardiner and Citizen Poets Elana Brief and Dani Rodriguez, we will experiment with creating closed captions that transmit mood and flavour and perhaps open new pathways into poetic practice. We will play with associative language, surrealism, and other tactics as we respond to samples of live acoustic fiddle and recorded sound. This playful and positive workshop is for anyone curious and willing to share knowledge.
Elee Kraljii Gardiner is the author of two poetry collections (Trauma Head, serpentine loop) and the editor of two essay collections (Against Death: 35 Essays on Living and V6A: Writing from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside). A frequent collaborator with choreographers, musicians, sound and visual artists, Elee is currently collaborating with nature via a series of durational art installations that investigate cultural ideas regarding the passing of time. She directs Vancouver Manuscript Intensive and is the seventh poet laureate of Vancouver, learning in community via the sound-based legacy project Here, Hearing. Her new book, sometimes, forest, is just out from Talonbooks.
Elana Brief weaves together a life of poetry, music, motherhood, scientific research and community engagement. She relies on her synesthesia to bring words to the experience of sound. Elana was named one of the 2025 Citizen Poets as part of Elee Kraljii Gardiner’s Here, Hearing Project. In that role, she tumbled into a world of creativity, expertise and generosity. Elana wishes to share this joyful experience of togetherness in sound and word at Verses 2026
Born and raised in Mexico, Dani Rodríguez Chevalier writes and translates from unceded Coast Salish territories (Vancouver, BC). Her work has appeared in PRISM International, Volume and carte blanche. Her co-translation of JAWS is forthcoming with Cardboard House Press (2026). She is part of eclectic artist collectives mim and El Mashup, a programmer at the Vancouver Latin American Film Fest, and co-host of Vivaporú on CiTR 101.9FM. She believes engaging in accessibility as a creative practice can unlock worlds of wonder and unexpected poetry. Named Citizen Poet in 2025, Dani is eternally lured by food, sound, water, and the archive.

Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Preliminaries Night 1
2026-04-29 19:30 - 22:30 | BC
Wednesday, April 29th, at Chill X Studio
Doors: 6:30 PM | Bout 1: 7:30 PM | Bout 2: 9:00 PM
$10 Advance | $15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/canadian-individual-poetry-slam-preliminaries-night–1
BUY A FESTIVAL PASS HERE
The first round of competition features back-to-back slams as 24 of the best poets across Canada begin the tournament that will determine the 2026 Canadian Poetry Slam Champion!
During Round 1, competing poets will perform 2-minute and 3-minute poems. This event will also stream live on the POETV YouTube channel.

Writing Workshop led by Skylar Kay
2026-04-30 14:00 - 16:00 | Chill-X Studio, 2270 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, Canada
Writing Workshop led by Skylar Kay
April 30 | Chill-X Studio
2pm to 4pm
Adv. $10 | $15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/verses-festival-writing-workshop-with-skylar-kay
BUY A FESTIVAL PASS HERE

Skylar Kay is an Alberta-based poet and grad school dropout. Since releasing her debut collection, Transcribing Moonlight (Frontenac House 2022), she has moved back home to Calgary where she looks for the magic in everyday life. Her debut collection was well-received, earning a shortlist nod for the League of Canadian Poets’ Gerald Lampert Memorial Award for Poetry, and won the Book Publishers Association of Alberta’s Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry. Her second collection, There’s Magic Here Too (Frontenac House) released in fall 2025.

Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Preliminaries Night 2
2026-04-30 19:30 - 22:30 | Chill-X Studio, 2270 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, Canada
April 30th | Chill X Studio
Doors: 6:30 PM | Bout 1: 7:30 PM | Bout 2: 9:00 PM
Adv. $10 | $15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/canadian-individual-poetry-slam-preliminaries-night–2
BUY A FESTIVAL PASS HERE
The second night of competition features back-to-back slams as 24 of the best poets across Canada compete to see who will make CIPS FINALS!
During Round 2, competing poets will perform 4-minute and 1-minute poems. This event will also stream live on the POETV YouTube channel.

Masterclass with Clifton Joseph
2026-05-01 11:00 - 13:00 | Chill-X Studio, 2270 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, Canada
Masterclass with Clifton Joseph, hosted by Johnny D Trinh and presented by Historic Joy Kogawa House AT CHILL-X STUDIO
Friday, May 1, 2026 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
LOCATION: CHILL-X Studio 2270 Manitoba St
Cost: $15 or PWYC
Buy tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/masterclass-with-clifton-joseph
Buy a Festival PASS here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/verses-2026-festival-pass
Poets are invited to a masterclass with Dub Poet legend Clifton Joseph. Clifton will open the masterclass with insights into career, process, creation, and performance. During the masterclass, participants will be invited to share work and receive feedback from Clifton, with the opportunity to workshop and try out various techniques. The masterclass will close with a facilitated dialogue to field questions from participants.

Poetry Jam | A Historic Joy Kogawa House Partnership
2026-05-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Chill-X Studio, 2270 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, Canada
May 1st | Chill-X Studio
2pm to 4pm
Adv. $8 | $10 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/verses-festival-poetry-jam–2026
BUY A FESTIVAL PASS HERE
This open workshop will invite all who are interested in spoken word to participate in a facilitated workshop that includes writing, performance, sharing, and receiving feedback

Mashed Poetics: Verses 2026 Edition
2026-05-01 20:00 - 22:00 | Chill-X Studio, 2270 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, Canada
May 1 | Chill-X Studio
8pm to 10pm
Adv. $10 | $15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/mashed-poetics-verses-2026-edition
BUY A FESTIVAL PASS HERE
Mashed Poetics is one of Vancouver’s longest-running poetry showcases– an all-star line-up of poets is invited to write poems in response to curated songs by the Mashed Poetics Band, who play covers of amazing hits for a live, in-person concert that brings loud music and deep poetry into a fun-filled night of fun featuring the music of Tegan and Sara.
Featured Artists include: Anjalica Solomon, Skylar Kay, Isabella Wang, Nevaeh North, Allie Cristoffanini, Amber Dawn, Sonnet L’Abbé, Wilhelmina Salmi, Shauna Paull, Kay Fraser
This event will feature the music of Tegan and Sara as performed by “The Con” as well as 10 poets writing and performing new work inspired by this duo who once featured at the Vancouver Poetry Slam (according to Al Mader)

Side A
Stop Desire–Anjalica Solomon
The Con–Skylar Kay
I Bet It Stung–Isabella Wang
Call It Off–Nevaeh North
Hell–Allie Cristoffanini

Side B
My Number–Amber Dawn
Where Did the Good Go–Sonnet L’Abbé
Back in Your Head–Wilhelmina Salmi
Living Room–Shauna Paull
Closer–Kay Fraser

Projected Poems: The Practice and Evolution of Poetry in Film and Video with Sheri-D Wilson, Fiona Tinwei Lam, Brandon Wint, and Heather Haley
2026-05-02 11:30 - 13:30 | BC
Projected Poems: The Practice and Evolution of Poetry in Film and Video with Sheri-D Wilson, Fiona Tinwei Lam, Brandon Wint, and Heather Haley
Date: May 2, 2026
Time: 11:30 am (2 hours with Q&A)
Location: Chill-X Studio with live audience, and filmed for streaming in future, likely with Sanderson Productions
Tickets $10 https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/projected-poems-the-practice-and-evolution-of-poetry-in-film-and-video-with-sheri-d-wilson-fiona-tinwei-lam-brandon-wint-and-heather-haley
Spoken Word continues to evolve, reflect, and shape the world around it. Poetry meant to be shared in performance, heard, and experienced through media has become an interdisciplinary practice all its own. Come hear from artists, Sheri-D Wilson, Fiona Tinwei Lam, Brandon Wint, and Heather Haley discuss the art form and share highlights of their work in media poems and poetry on film. This panel will discuss the history, and evolution of the work, and also showcase screenings of artists’ work. Artists will also share insights on best practices for engaging in film, collaborating with production teams, and navigating the various components of production and distribution.
A question-and-answer period will follow the talk, moderated by Johnny D Trinh.

Stage to Page Showcase: Intimate Dialogues
2026-05-02 15:00 - 17:00 | Chill-X Studio, 2270 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, Canada
May 2 | Chill-X Studio
3pm to 5pm
Adv. $10 | $15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/stage-to-page-showcase-intimate-dialogues
BUY A FESTIVAL PASS HERE
Stage to Page Showcase: Intimate Dialogues brings poets Abdulsalam, Jeremy Loveday, Skylar Kay, Amber Dawn, and Clifton Joseph together for a night of craft and performance you won’t want to miss by Stage to Page Performance Society.
About the poets:
Jeremy Loveday is a poet, arts educator, and community builder from Victoria, BC, on the territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən People. He co-founded and served as the longtime artistic director of the Victorious Voices youth poetry festival. Jeremy’s dynamic performances earned him the title of Victoria Poetry Slam Grand Champion three times. In 2020, he was honoured with the Zaccheus Jackson Nyce Memorial Award. His work has been published in reputable platforms such as Huffington Post, CV2, Funicular Magazine, National Observer, CBC, Claudia, and Best Canadian Poetry 2023. Jeremy’s first full-length book Maybe the Starling, is now available through Write Bloody North.
Abdulsalam is a Syrian-Palestinian spoken word poet and photographer. His work explores themes of home, memory, and sometimes love. He has performed across Turtle Island, reached the finals of CIPS 2023, and featured at the Saskatchewan Festival of Words. He is grateful to live, work, and play on the unceded Coast Salish Territories.
Skylar Kay is an Alberta-based poet and grad school dropout. Since releasing her debut collection, Transcribing Moonlight (Frontenac House 2022), she has moved back home to Calgary where she looks for the magic in everyday life. Her debut collection was well-received, earning a shortlist nod for the League of Canadian Poets’ Gerald Lampert Memorial Award for Poetry, and won the Book Publishers Association of Alberta’s Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry. Her second collection, There’s Magic Here Too (Frontenac House) released in fall 2025.
Amber Dawn is the author of six books and editor of three anthologies. Her body-of-work largely explores queerness, trauma-informed cultural production and madness. Her newest poetry collection Buzzkill Clamshell (2025) flaunts the chronically pained body as a source of lewd feminine power.
Dubzz/poet/at/large Clifton Joseph is a poet and journalist who has written for television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the internet.
A founding member of the dub poetry movement in Canada, he has published a book of poems “Metropolitan Blues”, “Oral Trans/Missions” an album of poetry and music, the videos “Pimps” and “(Survival) In the City, as well as a numerous single dub poetry releases including “A Chant For Monk”, “That Night In Tunisia” and “Shots On Eglinton”.
He has performed widely across Canada, the U.S., U.K. and the Caribbean and his poems have been included in a number of written and audio anthologies including “Poetry Nation” and “Word Up”, Virgin Records compilation of North American performance poets.
Among Joseph’s Awards are two Gemini Awards for Best Writing in an Information Program or Series; a Time-Warner “Freddies” Award for excellence in health reporting; a Silver Fleece Award from the Chicago International Film Festival; and the Best Dub Poet Award and the Peter Tosh Memorial Award from the Canadian Reggae Music Awards.
His latest album of poetry and music is “Shots On Eglinton”

Canadian Individual Poetry Slam FINALS featuring Spin El Poeta
2026-05-02 20:00 - 22:00 | Chill-X Studio, 2270 Manitoba Street, Vancouver, Canada
May 2, | Chill-X Studio
Doors: 7pm | Show: 8pm
Adv. Tix: $10 | $15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/canadian-individual-poetry-slam-finals-ft-spin-el-poeta
BUY FESTIVAL PASS HERE
Join us for the final night of the national competition to determine the 2026 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Champion

About the Feature:
SPIN El Poeta is a Guatemalan-born, poet, cultural strategist, and educator whose work has moved stages across Turtle Island and Latin America for over twenty years. Known for performances that fuse political clarity with deep emotional intelligence, SPIN’s poetry explores migration, masculinity, healing and Immigrant–Indigenous friendship with precision and urgency.
He has represented Canada internationally at the 2025 World Poetry Slam, 2024 Abya Yala Slam in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Painted By Poets in Atlanta, and he was a member of the Growhouse Tampa Slam Poetry team in 2024.
Beyond the stage, SPIN has executive produced the LA Raza BIPOC Access Podcast and co-founded One Mic Educators and LA Raza Open Mic, platforms dedicated to uplift Black, Indigenous, Latin American, and Palestinian artists.

Vancouver Poetry Slam ft. Khaleefa, Apollo the Child
2026-05-04 19:00 - 22:00 | Enabling Arts, 343 Railway Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1A4, Canada
Van Slam ft. Khaleefa, Apollo the Child
May 4 👏
Enabling Arts (343 Railway St., Vancouver)
Open Mic + Slam Sign-Up 7:30pm 🎤
Show 8pm
$8 Advance | $10-15 at the door
(no one turned away for lack of funds)
About the feature:
Khaleefa ‘Apollo the Child’ Hamdan is a spoken word poet, hip hop artist, and former radio host, known for his commitment to youth empowerment through the arts. As a former co-director of the Urban Legends Poetry Collective, he pioneered the Youth Speak program in collaboration with the Ottawa Public Library, providing free after-school writing opportunities for young people.
Apollo’s impactful work includes his celebrated cinepoem, “My Hero Drives a Cab,” which has been featured on Button Poetry, as well as his participation in the CBC documentary “In Their Words.” A seasoned representative of Ottawa, he has showcased his talent on nine national stages.

Vancouver Poetry Slam ft. Lindi Nolte
2026-06-01 19:00 - 22:30 | BC
Vancouver Poetry Slam returns for the Summer Season on June 1st
Enabling Arts (343 Railway Street, Unit #104)
Doors: 7pm | Sign-up: 7:30 | Show: 8pm
$8 Advance | $10-15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/vancouver-poetry-slam-ft-lindi-nolte
About the feature Lindi Nolte:

Lindi Nolte is a South African-Canadian spoken word poet, educator, and TEDx speaker based in Vancouver. Her work explores themes of love, nature, resilience, and self-discovery, often weaving personal narrative with social insight. A former Grand Slam Champion, Lindi is an active member of the spoken word community and facilitates creative writing workshops that help others connect with their expressive voice. Her debut poetry collection, Barefoot and Awestruck, invites readers into moments of wonder, longing, and transformation.

Vancouver Poetry Slam ft. Jeremy Loveday
2026-07-06 19:00 - 22:00 | Enabling Arts, 343 Railway Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1A4, Canada
Vancouver Poetry Slam Summer Season continues on July 6th
Enabling Arts (343 Railway Street, Unit #104)
Doors: 7pm | Sign-up: 7:30 | Show: 8pm
$8 Advance | $10-15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/vancouver-poetry-slam-ft-jeremy-loveday
About the feature Jeremy Loveday:
Jeremy Loveday is a poet, arts educator, and community builder from Victoria, BC, on the territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən People. He co-founded and served as the longtime artistic director of the Victorious Voices youth poetry festival. Jeremy’s dynamic performances earned him the title of Victoria Poetry Slam Grand Champion three times. In 2020, he was honoured with the Zaccheus Jackson Nyce Memorial Award. His work has been published in reputable platforms such as Huffington Post, CV2, Funicular Magazine, National Observer, CBC, Claudia, and Best Canadian Poetry 2023. Jeremy’s first full-length book Maybe the Starling, is now available through Write Bloody North.

Vancouver Poetry Slam ft. Marlo Browne
2026-08-03 19:00 - 22:00 | Enabling Arts, 343 Railway Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1A4, Canada
Vancouver Poetry Slam August Edition featuring Marlo Browne
Enabling Arts (343 Railway Street, Unit #104)
Doors: 7pm | Sign-up: 7:30 | Show: 8pm
$8 Advance | $10-15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Advance ticket: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/vancouver-poetry-slam-ft-marlo-browne
About the feature Marlo Browne:
Marlo Browne is a Barbadian poet, spoken word artist, hosted, film-maker and self-published author of 4 poetry books, currently residing in Langley City. Marlo is a very versatile poet and has been featured and performed at many events from galas to open mics at restaurants across BC. His first, second and 4th books, published in 2019, 2021 and 2023 respectively, all received 5 star reviews on Amazon. All of his books can be found on Amazon as well as several bookstores across BC including the Creative Bookworm in Langley, Wildfire Books in New Westminster, the UEL marketplace at the Loft on Granville Island and Massy Books, just to name a few. His second and fourth books can also be found in Surrey Libraries. As a curator, Marlo was the curator for poets at the Vancouver Black Independent Film Festival as well as one of the curators for the inaugural Da Luv James Book Festival. Prior to that, he won the second iteration of the Da Luv Jones Poetry slam and is still the reigning champion.
As a film-maker, Marlo’s first short film placed second in the short film category of the Langley City Film Festival.
As a host, he is one of the co-hosts of Wordsmith- a poetry event whose goal is not only put poetry at the forefront and to give more of a voice, but to create a space where BIPOC artists can perform more frequently. On top of that, he has collaborated with several non-profit organizations in order to bring awareness to these organizations. His recent collaborations include New Vision Music Society, the JrBAA, Hogan’s Alley, BC Community Alliance, Afiya Care Collective, Umoja Operations, Black Women Connect Vancouver, Raphael House, Foundry Langley and Tri-Cities, just to name a few.
Currently, Marlo is working on his second short film and his 5th poetry collection.
