Sixteen-year-old Ana Monfared has been reading her slam poems at Café Deux Soleils for over a year. Her poetry puts her in touch with her emotions, she says, giving her a space to vent and share her thoughts about things like experiencing racism and why she hates Archie comics. “It’s very therapeutic,” says the Grade 11 student. “This is a place where I can speak and be heard, especially with a lot of political issues.”
Politics and world events may well be nudging more people toward poetry as an immediate and accessible outlet for sharing their views with others.
“Because of Trump, because of pipelines, because of what’s going on in this world right now, a lot of folks are turning to poetry to express themselves,” says Billeh Nickerson, a faculty member in Creative Writing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Nickerson was one of the artists who presented at last year’s annual Verses Festival of Words, which is scheduled to take place during national poetry month this year, from April 20-30, and will feature 40 events, including performances from local poets.
“I think it’s very telling that there’s a rise in this form of self-expression,” says Verses artistic director and Vancouver Poetry Slam coordinator Jillian Christmas. “I think people find it fun to commune with people, share stories and learn about others… We are in a time where we’re hungry for this kind of engagement.”
A key ingredient in the rise in poetry’s popularity is fun. Many poetry and literary events, such as launch parties for issues of the magazine Poetry is Dead, also feature music, art, comedic performances and beer. “The other nice thing is that there are so many events, that now I am becoming out of touch,” says Poetry is Dead founder Daniel Zomparelli, who added that he’s pleased to now be able to “discover new things and… be a participant instead of always an organizer.”
Increased participation from youth in high school and university writing programs is adding fuel to Vancouver’s poetic flame. The Vancouver Youth Slam and WordPlay, run through the Vancouver Poetry House, are likewise doing a lot to engage youth in spoken-word activities.
RC Weslowski, who coordinates the Vancouver Youth Slam, said he’s seen first-hand the positive impact of youth events like the slam competition at Café Deux Soleils and the Hullabaloo youth stream within the Verses festival. “I didn’t really have that outlet when I was their age, and I can see that it’s a great thing to have for our youth,” he says. “It gives young poets a chance to get up and say what’s on their minds and speak for themselves without censorship.”
Monfared, who was in this year’s Youth Poetry Slam Finals on March 27, says she plans on continuing to perform and will be leading her high-school poetry team next year with two friends. She also has ambitions to publish a chapbook of poetry soon. “Poetry has done only good things for me,” she says. “It’s given me a place to be seen and heard.”
