So many of the writers featured in previous Twisted Poets Literary Salons are poised to publish new works that the next edition of the twice-monthly event will highlight five authors, in addition to those who sign up for the open mic, instead of just two.
The June 27 event at Cottage Bistro will feature Catherine Owen, the award-winning author of nine collections of poetry, Susan McCaslin, an award-winning author of 10 volumes of poetry, Bernice Lever, also the author of 10 books of poetry, Jude Neale, who will read from her new collection, A Quiet Coming of Light, and Kevin Spenst.
"He could read the back of a telephone book and have everyone mesmerized," Bonnie Nish said of Spenst.
Nish moved to Vancouver after living in California for six years, joined the West End Writers group and started open mic Twisted Poets nights at the defunct El Cocal on Commercial Drive with another West End Writers member in 2002.
Now a typical Twisted Poets night features one established and one emerging poet with three five-minute open mic spots sandwiching the readings.
"A lot of it's very strong," Nish said. "It's quite pleasantly surprising."
When West End Writers took a summer break, Nish, a writer of poetry, prose and book reviews, and poet Sita Carboni started the Kitsilano Writers Group, then the non-profit Pandora's Collective and the Word Whips Writing Series, which runs at Britannia Library, in White Rock and on the North Shore.
The monthly Word Whips workshops are free and open to anyone. They start with a writing prompt, participants write for 10 minutes and then can choose to share what they've penned.
"It's just a way to get people thinking and writing and then to connect with community, as well," said Nish, executive director of Pandora's Collective. "And then if they want to, they can come to Twisted Poets and read at the open mic."
For art openings at the Jewish Community Centre, Nish calls upon half a dozen individuals to write to the art. After a live band, readings and a break, she invites audience members to write to the art and then hosts an open mic.
The motto of the Pandora's Collective is "Promoting the arts that inspire the world to take notice of itself."
"We really believe that writing is a very powerful tool that can give people voice, especially people who don't have a voice," Nish said. "It can help heal, it can help with literacy, it can help with so many things," she said.
Nish adds the collective, which presents Twisted Poets and Word Whips, has taken great pains to create a safe atmosphere for performers.
"Because, especially if you're getting up to read, you make yourself very vulnerable if you've never done it before and you're a new writer, so feeling like you can get up without ridicule or without judgment and just be there is really important for somebody who's going to continue."
Nish previously worked supporting school children with disabilities. She has a masters in arts education from Simon Fraser University and is pursuing a doctorate in expressive arts therapy at the European Graduate School.
The busy Nish has committed much time to fostering fledgling writers at venues that include inner city schools, a drug and alcohol treatment centre and festivals in Metro Vancouver because she gets so much out of it.
"We got into a drug rehab centre once a month to do workshops. And I remember walking down the street at Christmastime and somebody calling my name and I turned around it was a girl who had been in one of our workshops. And she told me, 'You know, I've been straight and writing ever since I took your workshop,'" Nish said. "So what greater gift than that?"
Pandora's Collective organizes a annual Summer Dreams Literary Arts Festival. The 10th anniversary edition happens at Trout Lake, for the second summer, Aug. 24.
For more information about upcoming workshops and events, see pandorascollective.com.
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