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Poet Laureate Pop Up

Poems and casual conversation presented with the help of Halifax Regional Municipality.

A new poet pairing each day, featuring Halifax Poet Laureate Anna Quon and Nanci Lee, former HPL Sue Goyette and Safia Haq, former Youth Poet Laureate Asiah Sparks and Kay Macdonald, and former Poet Laureate Rebecca Thomas and former Youth Poet Laureate Dáminí Awóyigà.
Monday November 4 to Thursday November 7, daily
3:30pm to 4pm
AfterWords Little Free Library, corner of Spring Garden Road and Carleton, behind the Glitter Bean Cafe

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Description

Get your recommended daily dose of poetry in a casual setting at our daily Poet Laureate Pop Up. We’ll gather at the AfterWords Little Free Library on Carlton Street at Spring Garden Road, right behind the Glitter Bean Cafe, rain or shine, for a half hour of poetry and casual conversation, with Halifax poets laureate past and present, including Anna Quon, Sue Goyette, Asiah Sparks, and Rebecca Thomas. There’s a new poet pairing each day, as Anna welcomes Nanci Lee, Sue welcomes Safia Haq, Asiah welcomes Kay Macdonald, and Rebecca welcomes former Youth Poet Laureate Dáminí Awóyigà. We’ll use the Glitter Bean’s outdoor space, just around the corner on Spring Garden, so we can sit and relax while we hear these poets read poems and chat with each other.

This is a free event, and all are welcome to attend. It will happen rain or shine.

Monday November 4, 3:30-4pm: Rebecca Thomas and Dáminí Awóyigà

Tuesday November 5, 3:30-4pm: Anna Quon and Nanci Lee

Wednesday November 6, 3:30-4pm: Asiah Sparks and Kay Macdonald

Thursday November 7, 3:30-4pm: Sue Goyette and Safia Haq

 

 

Speakers

  • Rebecca Thomas is an award winning Mi'kmaw writer of things. Sometimes they are poems, sometimes they are childrens’ books and sometimes they are love notes for family and friends. But they are always done with purpose and intention. She is a registered band member of Lennox Island First Nation in Epekwitk. Her ultimate goal is to take up space as an Indigenous woman in a world where they aren’t as valued or worthy as other groups of people. Rebecca dares you to tell her to be smaller and see what happens. She has been the Poet Laureate of Halifax and caregiver to her father who is a survivor of the Shubenacadie Residential School. She has performed with the Halluci Nation, Symphony Nova Scotia, and has spoken and lectured at conferences and coffee houses from coast to coast. Her first book I'm Finding My Talk has been shortlisted for the First Nations Community Reads Award. Her most recent collection of poetry called "I place you into the fire" was listed as one of CBC's top 20 books of 2020. Her book "Swift Fox All Along" was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General's Award for children's literature. She has an upcoming children's book called "Grampy’s Chair" is set to be released in September of 2024. She pays her bills by helping students who are overwhelmed with life and studies as a Student Services Advisor at the Nova Scotia Community College.

  • Writer and emerging filmmaker Anna Quon has worked in the not-for-profit sector for more than two decades, except for several years as a freelance journalist. Mad, mixed-race and middle-aged, Anna has loved writing since she was a child, but depression, psychosis and perfectionism blocked her way for many years. In her mid 30’s Anna began to create poetry again, which she self-published in a number of small chapbooks before writing a novel, a dream since her high school days. Her first traditionally-published poetry chapbook, Body Parts was released in 2021 by Gaspereau Press and her latest novel Where the Silver River Ends found a home with Invisible Publishing in 2022, making a trilogy with her first two novels Low (2013) and Migration Songs (2009). Anna is the current Poet Laureate for Halifax.

  • Nanci Lee (she/her) is a poet and facilitator living and playing Mi'kmaki, homeland of the Mi'kmaq. Her first trade-book of poetry "Hsin," an exploration of identity, desire and silence, won the J. M Abraham Atlantic poetry award in 2022. Nanci cares about the stories that connect and heal us, and reparative land justice. She facilitates strategy, equity and governance, and volunteers with Tatamagouche Centre and Down the Marsh Community Land Trust.

  • Asiah Sparks is a writer, storyteller, facilitator , spoken word artist and advocate . Through her work, Asiah aims to cultivate a sense of community and inclusion. Asiah is an African Nova Scotian creative stemming from the historically Black community of Lake Loon/Cherry Brook. In addition to being Halifax’s first Youth Poet Laureate, her past accomplishments include Provincial Volunteer of the Year Award, HRM Volunteer of the year Award in 2022, and Founder of art of soul.

  • Kay Macdonald is an African Nova Scotian, Queer, Trans community facilitator, educator, artist, activist, facilitator and curator born and raised in Kjipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki. Kay has had integral roles in founding The Magic Project and The Game Changers - both initiatives centred around marginalised voices and experiences. Currently, Kay is working at The Youth Project. As well as, developing a multi disciplinary piece of work entitled Unicorn with support from The Bus Stop Theatre’s Writers Circle. Most recently, Kay has accepted the role as Co-Artistic Director at Kinetic Dance. Kay also sits on the boards for Halifax Pride and The Khyber Centre for the Arts.

  • Sue Goyette has published nine books of poems and a novel. Her collections include Monoculture, The Brief Reincarnation of a Girl, and Ocean (for which she was awarded the 2015 Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award). She is the editor of Resistance: Righteous Rage in the Age of #MeToo (University of Regina Press, 2021), The 2017 Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology (Anansi, 2017) and The Best Canadian Poetry in English 2013 (Tightrope Books, 2013). Her work has been translated into French, Spanish and German and has been featured in films, subways, buses, spray painted on a sidewalk and tattooed. She was nominated for the 2014 Griffin Poetry Prize and the Governor General’s Award and has won several national awards. She lives in Halifax (K'jipuktuk) and teaches in the Creative Writing Program at Dalhousie University.