Such an impression constellation coming out at Versefest this week.
It starts tonight at 7pm with Paul Tyler, Suzanne Buffam, Dennis Lee, then at 9pm Shauntay Grant and Afua Cooper. Both events will be hosted by CBC Radio’s All In a Day host Alan Neal. (Catch his interview with Dennis on the program between 4:30 and 5:00).
The following day it’s those ladies I blogged about, Sepideh, D-Lightfull, Festrell and Elle P, then Helen Humphreys, Christian McPherson, Gregory Scofield and Rachael Simpson.
On Friday I’ll be reading with Bruce Taylor and Susan McMaster hosted by Steve Z.
4 days of almost 3 dozen more performances come after that. Even for Ottawa, that’s dense feeding.
Each reading is sponsored by one of the reading series in town who participated with the planning. The festival closes with The Summit Reading with the Ottawa International Writers Festival on Sunday night with support from the embassies of México and the United States. It’ll have 3 of North America’s big poets: United States’ Philip Levine, Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet and National Book Award-winner, México’s Pura López-Colomé, winner of the Xavier Villurrutia Prize and Canada’s Phil Hall, winner of the Governor General’s Award for Poetry.
That’s set to start at 8pm on Sunday March 4th at the National Arts Centre (Panorama Room). (Do watch the listings. Most are at Arts Court but some shift venues.) Details are here.
Tickets? At the door, online, or from Collected Works and the Manx Pub.
Wondering what to see?
Amanda’s written a primer on performers with links to interviews and videos.
$50 for a festival pass.
Do it all.
(Bring your own popcorn.)