Verses Festival of Words

10/05/2026

Hi everyone. Due to illness the slam tonight is postponed. There is NO Slam tonight. More info will follow. Tickets can be deferred or refunded.

09/06/2026

Sorry the typo :(

But not sorry for the poetry that’s about to drop on y’all tomorrow night at enabling arts from the mindful house of Christopher

7:30 sign up
8:00 Open Mic | Feature | Slam

Let’s bring in the Fall with Poetry.

09/06/2026

Tomorrow night! Breaking in the fall season with powerhouse Christopher Enabling Arts 8 pm! Sign up at 7:30pm. See you there! Hear you then!

08/02/2026

07/15/2026

Our friends at are featuring so many friends and legends tomorrow at Waterfront Theatre! Worth the visit so make it happen folks!

05/21/2026

Thank you all for joining us for the 2026 Verses Festival of Words!

Whether you were a participating artist, performer, or an audience member, we are grateful for your presence as it is a reminder of the importance of sharing moments of joy and creativity together. This year’s theme “Intimate Dialogues” marks the culmination of a four year vision of Executive Artistic Director, Johnny D Trinh. Upon the return of in-person programming, the focus of the festival has been centred around gathering, community, shared learning, amplifying voices in solidarity, and being in space together. Intimate Dialogues examines the ways in which we share connections, consume content, and whisper resilience in the face of global silencing and genocide.

We look forward to staying connected with you throughout the year, so stay tuned to what’s coming next!

05/01/2026

REMINDER: The Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Final is tomorrow! 📢

Don’t miss out as 12 of the best poets from across the country come together to determine this year’s champion 🏆

Headliner poet SPIN El Poeta () will also be performing a feature set as we close out this year’s Verses Festival of Words.

Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Finals featuring SPIN El Poeta
🗓️ May 2 (Sat) 8–10pm
🎟️ Advance $10 or by donation | At the door $15 or pay what you can

04/30/2026

We may be heading into the last stretch of this year’s Verses Festival of Words, but there’s still several exciting events to look forward to!

Projected Poems features Sheri-D Wilson (), Fiona Tinwei Lam (), Brandon Wint (), and Heather Haley () discussing the artform of spoken word and sharing highlights of their work. The artists will also provide insights on best practices when engaging in film, collaborating with production teams, and various components of production and distribution, followed by a Q&A session.

The Stage to Page Showcase brings together poets Abdulsalam (.ash), Jeremy Loveday (.jeremy), Skylar Kay (.yyc), Amber Dawn (), and Clifton Joseph (). Come out for a session filled with craft and performance you won’t want to miss by Stage to Page Performance Society.

Projected Poems: The Practice and Evolution of Poetry in Film and Video
🗓️ May 2 (Sat) 11:30am–1:30pm
🎟️ Advance $10 or by donation | At the door $10 or pay what you can

Stage to Page Showcase: Intimate Dialogues
🗓️ May 2 (Sat) 3–4:30pm
🎟️ Advance $10 or by donation | At the door $15 or pay what you can

04/29/2026

This year’s Mashed Poetics featured artists are Tegan and Sara — join us for a fun-filled night of loud music and deep poetry as poets share new work inspired by 10 of the iconic duo’s songs, performed live by “The Con.” Check out this year’s lineup:

Side A
Stop Desire – Anjalica Solomon ()
The Con – Skylar Kay (.yyc)
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 (.roots)

Mashed Poetics: Verses 2026 Edition
🗓️ May 1 (Fri) 8–10:30pm
🎟️ Advance $10 | At the door $15 or pay what you can

04/29/2026

Join award-winning Alberta-based poet Skylar Kay (.yyc) for a special writing workshop, presented as part of Verses 2026 programming. This is a great opportunity to share your work and receive feedback from Skylar and fellow poets in a supportive environment.

More about Skylar:
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.

Writing Workshop led by Skylar Kay
🗓️ Apr 30 (Thurs) 2–4pm
📍 Chill X Studio (.jpg) at 2270 Manitoba St.
🎟️ Advance $10 | At the door $15 or pay what you can