Poets are coming though town March 24-30th. Ottawa’s VERSeFest has lectures, readings, workshops, and a slam at various venues around the city.
A bunch of subgenres are represented from Sanita Fejzic to Robyn Sarah on opening night. Gwen Aube with a first chapbook to Daniel Lockhart with his heaps of books Wednesday. An invitational slam and an open mic happen Thursday.
The new Common House university magazine gets a showcase Friday along with a VF feature night with Hajer Mirwal, Jérôme Melançon and Paul Vermeersch. Paul also offers a workshop the next day. Another workshop is offered Saturday by Sheri-D in hybridity. Plan 99 brings in some big names that day as well.
Sunday has a lion’s share of events with a haiku event starting at 1:30, then Factory Lectures Series, one my my fav events each year. The Hall of Honour returns to unveil an honorary award to a poet. Early show has Jumoke Verissimo, Lydia Unsworth from the UK and Nada Gordon. Late show has the much lauded Karen Solie, French poet, Alexandre Yergeau and Polish poet, Kacper Bartczak. Past the closing ceremony is a special Q&A on Monday at Carleton University with Karen Solie.