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Carolyn Smart Carolyn Smart is the author of five volumes of poetry. She is the founder of the Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers, teaches Creative Writing at Queen's University, and lives in the country north of Kingston. She will be celebrating her latest poetry book, Hooked (Brick Books) which is a collection of seven poems about seven famous or infamous women. Nic Labriola Nic Labriola is an actor, playwright, poet and teacher. He is a graduate from the University of Toronto. He will be celebrating his first collection of poems Naming the Mannequins (Insomniac Press). Barbara Landry Barbara Landry studied piano and English literature at McGill University. Following that she spent ten years in Mexico where she taught music and English. Since returning to Canada she has been teaching ESL in Toronto. She is the author of two chapbooks and one trade volume of poetry, This is How I Love You (Quattro Books).
Katerina Fretwell Katerina Fretwell, born in wartime New York City, has published five collections of poetry, most recently Samsara: Canadian in Asia, has poems appearing or forthcoming in The Antigonish Review, Rampike, The Windsor ReView, The Fiddlehead and Jones Av, edited two anthologies for the League of Canadian Poets in 2005 and 2007and chaired the Lowther Jury Prize, 2006. Her art and poetry reside in Canada, Denmark, Japan and The United States and she sang choral tenor in Maia Vimboule's Spring Fantasy featuring works by Antonio Vivaldi and Henry Purcell. Francine P. Lewis Francine P. Lewis has had poems published in local magazines and short stories in science fiction anthologies. She has also written articles for the opera magazine, ARIAS. She is the author of one science fiction novel - which is still searching for a home - and is currently working on her second novel, a novella and a collection of poetry. Eurydice Dreams (Conch Pearl Press) is her first chapbook. Jem Rolls "Jem Rolls is a British performance poet who is a combination of Dr. Seuss, T.S. Eliot, David Byrne and a madman. You know all the words that aren't in Cam and Legs? They're in How I Stopped Worrying and Learnt to Love the Mall. This is Rolls' Odyssey, his epic 8500 word poem about the search for the meaning of the mall, and how he finds it in line at a mall supermarket as Coward of the County plays over the speakers. Rolls starts out at high energy and ends at about Defcon 9. He's the hardest-working poet in the fringe business, and says so many thoughtful, interesting things, he just might change the way you look at life." Bio by Stephen Hunt
Lauren Carter Lauren Carter lives in Orillia, Ontario, where she writes fiction, poetry and the occasional freelance assignment for magazines and newspapers. She is currently engaged in the MFA Ð Creative Writing program at the University of Guelph-Humber and is working on a novel with the mentorship of Susan Swan. Her first collection of poetry, Lichen Bright, was published by Sudbury's Your Scrivener Press in 2005. Paulos Ioannou Paulos Ioannou was born on the island of Cyprus of Greek ancestry. He immigrated to Canada in 1969. He started writing poetry at a very young age and his work has been published in Greek literary magazines and periodicals. He is the author of four full-length collections written in Greek and is featured in the Anthology of Cypriot Poets . His Greek poetry is greatly influenced by the tragic events in Cyprus and the inter-communal strife between Greek and Turkish Cypriots which was masterfully orchestrated by our esteemed democratic Western powers for their military and geopolitical interest in the area. He started writing in English about four years ago. The Age of Hydra is his first full-length poetry collection in English. Desi Di Nardo Desi Di Nardo is a poet and author in Toronto whose work has been published in numerous North American and international journals and anthologies including the Literary Review of Canada, Globe and Mail, Grain, and Descant. Her poetry has been performed at the National Arts Centre, featured in Poetry on the Way on the TTC, displayed in the Official Residences of Canada, and printed on Starbucks cups. She has also worked as an English professor and Writer-in-Residence. Desi's book of poetry, The Plural of Some Things, was recently published by Guernica Editions. Visit www.desidinardo.com
Souvankham Thammavongsa Souvankham Thammavongsa is the author of two poetry books from Pedlar Press, Found and Small Arguments, which won a ReLit award in 2004. She has presented her poems at Emily Carr in Vancouver, the International Festival of Authors in Toronto, and the Scream in High Park. Her most recent poetry book, Found, was awarded a Bravo!FACT grant and is now a short film. Nashira Dernesch Nashira grew up in the village of St. Jacobs, Ontario, and studied at the University of Toronto before being accepted into York University's Creative Writing Program. She was co-editor of the literary journal Existere for three years and won the Art Bar Poetry Series' annual Discovery Night in 2006. Her first chap book, It's No Secret YouÕll Feel Better (believe your own press), sold out within 2 days of its publication and is now in its second printing. Her second chap book, This Snowing Under, was recently published by The Emergency Response Unit. She is currently working on a full-length collection. Sandra Kasturi Sandra Kasturi is a poet, writer and editor. In 2005 she won ARC magazine's annual Poem of the Year award. She is the poetry editor of ChiZine and the Senior Editor of ChiZine Publications. Sandra has written three poetry chapbooks and has edited the poetry anthology, The Stars As Seen from this Particular Angle of Night. Her work has appeared in various magazines and anthologies, including Prairie Fire, Contemporary Verse 2, TransVersions, On Spec, several of the Tesseracts series, 2001: A Science Fiction Poetry Anthology, and Northern Frights 4. Her cultural essay, ÒDivine Secrets of the Yaga SisterhoodÓ appeared in the anthology Girls Who Bite Back: Witches, Slayers, Mutants and Freaks. Sandra is a founding member of the Algonquin Square Table poetry workshop and runs her own imprint, Kelp Queen Press. She managed to snag an introduction from Neil Gaiman for her first full-length poetry collection, The Animal Bridegroom (Tightrope Books). She is currently working on two novels: Medusa Gorgon, Lady Detective, and a steampunk epic involving the British East India Company, the Pinkerton Agency, Harry Houdini and zombies.
Catherine Graham Catherine Graham is the author of three poetry collections: The Watch, Pupa and The Red Element. She teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto, the Haliburton School of the Arts and Diaspora Dialogues. Her writing has appeared in such journals as The New Quarterly, The Fiddlehead, Taddle Creek, The Literary Review of Canada and Poetry Ireland Review. She is Vice President of Project Bookmark Canada and Marketing Coordinator for the Rowers Pub Reading Series. Visit: www.catherinegraham.com Christopher Doda Christopher Doda is a poet, editor and critic living in Toronto. He is the author of two collections of poetry from the Mansfield Press, Among Ruins and Aesthetics Lesson. He is an editor for Exile: The Literary Quarterly and Exile Editions. He is also the book review editor for Studio an online poetry journal. Duncan Armstrong From 1991 to 1999 Duncan was the force behind Bushwack Theatre. In 2002 he jumped back into the poetry/spoken scene - he's had work published in CV2, Labor of Love, Jackknife Express, Renaissance Conspiracy anthologies; been featured on HOWL, as well as Cryptic Chatter, Hot-Sauced Words, Poetic Justice, George Harvey High School & Word Jam. He has performed at Word on the Street 2008 (& invited back again for 2009), Pride 2005 & 2009. He has published several chap books including Lament for Anna Nicole & Shooting off Sparks. http://www.youtube.com/user/TOpoet He also hosts the occasional 'Oral Stage' at Paddy's Playhouse in Wildside Studios, 161 Gerrard St. E.
Corrado Paina Corrado Paina's collections of poetry have been published by Mansfield Press: Hoarse Legend (2000), The dowry of education (2004), The alphabet of the traveler (2006), Souls in plain clothes (2008). In Italia he has published a collection of short stories entitled di corsa (Monteleone/Mapograph - Vibo Valentia), the collections of poetry entitled tempo rubato ( Atelier 14 - Milano) and darsena inquinata (Moderata durant - Latina), the novel tra Rothko e tre finestre (Ibiskos) and the new collection of poetry, l'alfabeto del viaggiatore by Silvia Editrice. Corrado Paina has published many plaquettes with "Il pulcino e l'elefante" of Alberto Casiraghi, "i quaderni d'Orfeo" of Roberto Dossi and Luciano Ragozzino and "il ragazzo innocuo" of Dario Borso. A new collection of poetry entitled toponomastica e dintorni will be published in Italian in the month of June by Nava editore. Corrado Paina has also edited two publications: Made in Canada, the Italian Way ( partners ) and the book College street - Little Italy - The Renaissance strip (Mansfield Press ), finalist of the Toronto Heritage Award. Gillian Sze Gillian Sze was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her poetry has appeared in such venues as CV2, Prairie Fire, pax americana(U.S.), Crann—g (Ireland), Cha: An Asian Literary Journal (Hong Kong), and as a featured ÒParliamentary Poem of The WeekÓ selection. She is also the author of two chapbooks, This is the Colour I Love You Best (2007) and A Tender Invention (2008). She has an MA in Creative Writing from Concordia and resides in Toronto. Fish Bones, published this spring in the DC Books Punchy Poetry series, is her first full collection of poems. Josh Stewart Josh Stewart is a University of Toronto graduate, an assistant editor with Inscribed - A Magazine for Writers, and an editorial intern at Descant. He likes hats, Tuesdays, and sushi. His first chapbook, Invention of the Curveball, was released with Cactus Press in 2008.
Ian Pople Ian Pople's poetry has been published in Times Literary Supplement, London Review of Books, The Independent and poetry journals in UK, Australia, Eire and New Zealand. In Canada, his poems have appeared in Fiddlehead and The Antigonish Review. His first collection, The Glass Enclosure (Arc, 1996) was short listed for two national prizes in the UK. His second, An Occasional Lean-to, was published by Arc in 2004; a chapbook, My Foolish Heart, was published in 2006. Ian teaches at the University of Manchester, where, in 2007, he was Faculty of Humanities Teacher of the Year. Andreas Gripp Andreas Gripp is the author of 11 books of poetry, his most recent being Anathema: Poems Selected & New (Harmonia Press, 2009), which will be hot off the press just in time for the Art Bar. Some of his individual poems have appeared in Van Gogh's Ear (France), Sketchbook (USA), Carousel, Literary Review of Canada, and Ascent Aspirations. He lives in London, Ontario.
Poetry Hoedown In previous years we've explored "Sex, Drugs, & Rockin' Poetry" and "Poetry Blues". Stay tuned for details on this Poetry & Country Music night!
Rob Gee The UK's verbal dynamo. Rob has clocked up over two thousand shows, and performed with acts such as Jimmy Carr and Harold Pinter. Appearances at festivals include the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Sydney International Poetry Festival, Berlin's Blauer Montag, the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word and the Austin International Poetry Festival. Rob's is the only performance ever to have instigated a fight at Leamington Spa Peace Festival. He recently won BBC2's first ever poetry slam and is sometimes sent into schools as a warning to children. Chris Banks Banks' works include a chapbook, Form Letters (2002). His first full-length collection, Bonfires, was awarded the Jack Chalmers Award for poetry by the Canadian Authors' Association in 2004. Bonfires was also a finalist for the Gerald Lampert Award for best first book of poetry in Canada. Another chapbook entitled Sparrows and Arrows was published by Biblioasis Press in the spring of 2006. His second full-length collection entitled The Cold Panes of Surfaces appeared in the fall of 2006. His work has received positive reviews both in Canada and in the United States. He lives in Waterloo, Ontario, where he writes, and teaches at Bluevale Collegiate Institute. He is currently at work on his third manuscript Winter Cranes.
Paul Zemokhol I was born in Egypt and came to Canada when I was six years old. I grew up in Montreal and then in various parts of Ontario. My book is about my mother's life in Egypt and my own memories of it. It is also about various other concerns that poets have with writing, other poets, and other people. I am currently a teacher in the alternative school system in Toronto.
Luciano Iacobelli Luciano Iacobelli was born in 1956 in Toronto. While earning a degree in Education from York University, he studied English Literature and attended writing courses taught by Frank Davey and Don Coles. In 1986 his first play The Porch was staged in Toronto, followed in 1988 by a one-man show entitled Byrdbrain. Throughout the 1990's he focused on art and painting and was involved in a number of group shows featuring Italian-Canadian artists. In 1999 he founded Lyricalmyrical Press, a grass-roots publishing company specializing in handcrafted chapbooks, and he continues to be its chief editor and designer. Luciano is one of the organizers of the Toronto Wordstage reading series, and a partner in Quattro Books. He lives in Toronto with his son Julian, and teaches at SEED, Toronto's oldest public alternative school. The author of six chapbooks, The Angel Notebook is his first full-length publication. He is currently working on a collection entitled The Gambler's Notebooks. Mónica Rosas LA LOBA is an educator/agitator/artist whose work aims to challenge and provoke community discussion on gender, the environment and the visible minority experience. A first-generation Colombian-Peruvian, Canadian she grew up in Ontario's city of steel, Hamilton. She has since travelled and worked in Colombia, Cuba, Peru,Venezuela, Brazil and Toronto writing and teaching English and Drama. mónica is the author of Inside Out a collection of poetry published by Lyrical Myrical and is also the curator of Cha Cha, a yearly women's reading event on the topic of sexuality
Steve Venright Steve Venright's books include Straunge Wunder (Tortoiseshell & Black, 1996), Spiral Agitator (Coach House Books, 2000) and Floors of Enduring Beauty (Mansfield Press, 2007). As well as being an author, he has released several remarkable recordings through his Torpor Vigil Industries record label, such as Songs of Elsewhere by Samuel Andreyev and The Further Somniloquies of Dion McGregor: More Outrageous Recordings of the WorldÕs Most Renowned Sleeptalker. As a visual artist, he has created and exhibited digitally modified paintings he calls "variegraphs" and "tryptiles". Samples of this abstract art can be found online at the Torpor Vigil Industries website. Steve was born in Sarnia, Canada in 1961. At the age of twenty he crossed the plains of Southwestern Ontario and has resided in Toronto ever since.
Sonja Greckol Sonja Greckol's first book, Gravity and Flight, has recently launched from Inanna Press, April 15, 2009. Her work has appeared in Literary Review of Canada, Canadian Literature, Dalhousie Review, CV2, Canadian WomenÕs Studies, Fiddlehead and Matrix. She coordinates poetry for Women and Environments International Magazine and served on the National Council of the League of Canadian Poets. She has taught college and university, studied order and disorder in jokes, done human rights and gender-based research and consulting, and does local activism while she writes. Her long poem, Emilie Explains Newton to Voltaire, was short-listed for the CBC Poetry Prize in 2008. Her next poetry project, entitled, Skin of the Day, uses newspaper headlines. |
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