April 17/09--Deadline approaching to cast your vote!

On April 17th, 2009, all votes will be tallied for the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants award! Simply cast your vote, in three simple steps, at www.canadianimmigrant.ca/top25.

And for ALL YOU WORLD POETS out there:
Take special note of the "M" section, where Alejandro Mujinga-Olea is one of the 75 finalists! So what are you waiting for? — vote Vote VOTE!

From the publishers of Canadian Immigrant Magazine (a division of Toronto Star newspapers):

Hundreds of nominations from across Canada have been received, and 75 worthy finalists have been chosen for the first national people's choice awards for Canada's Top 25 Immigrants. The 75 finalists — all of whom are inspirational immigrants — have made their Canadian dreams a reality! Now it's up to you, the Canadian public, to decide who will be shortlisted as the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2009!

Thank you for voting, which is quick, easy, and automatically enters you to win a $500 Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) VISA gift card! (All winners will be announced in May.)

 

March 30/09--March World Poetry Reading Series at VPL

At 7:30 PM on Monday March 30th, the World Poetry Reading Series presents poetry and music, multilingually, from around the world.

Hosts: Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Mujica-Olea.

Featured Poets:

• Tanya Evanson, Antiguan-Quebecoise, spoken word and dancer. Her new spoken word, world music CD is The Memorists.
  
• Ibrahim Honjo, Yugoslavia. Canada, and in Vancouver 1995. Author of Do Not Write This Down and Roots in the Stone. Host of Poetry Planet.
  
• Katrina Pavlovsky, a poet, dancer and photographer on tour from Victoria BC.
  
• Roger Blenman, Barbados, a published poet, playwright, director, and educator.
  
• Kersti Cull, multilingual Estonian poet is the author of Thorns in the Wind.
  

Featured Musician: Andy Vine!

7:30 PM at the Vancouver Public Library
Alma Van Dusen Room, Lower Level
350 West Georgia Street (Central Branch)
Vancouver BC
Admission: FREE!
Contact: 604-331-3603
 

March 21/09--Voice: From Inside Out in any Language!

At 3:00 PM on Saturday, March 21st, join preeminent poet Addena Sumter-Freitag, who will facilitate another inspiring World Poetry workshop, at:
The Alliance for Arts and Culture
Suite 100 – 938 Howe Street
Vancouver BC

Q: What is Voice?
A: In this eagerly anticipated workshop, Addena Sumter-Freitag invites participants to look at, listen to, and feel:
•   Inspiration — The catalyst; the moment.
•   Timing — How was your piece written?
•   Language — Translating the words from your head to the page.
•   Breathing LIFE into the words.
•   Readings — Participants are kindly asked to please bring a short completed poem or a sample of a piece you are working on.
•   Re-reading — Finding the music.

Fee: $20 / $25 (World Poetry members / Non-members)
Seating is limited. Please register early:
Email: ariadnes@uniserve.com
Telephone: 604-526-4729

Addena Sumter-Freitag is a familiar face and voice in Vancouver’s poetry and storytelling community. She loves to challenge "form" in order to bring her stories, characters, and worlds alive; and invites her audiences to love them, hate them, and wonder at them — but especially to identify with them.

"Addena does not merely read words; she breathes LIFE into them, in all its passion, anger, and laughter. She makes us actually touch, taste, and deeply feel the essence of human existence."
— Prof. Diego Bastianutti

“I love to make my audience laugh, and encourage them to cry. Whatever emotions the musical and composition of the language compels them to feel, I encourage them to honour their feelings.”
— Addena Sumter-Freitag

Prepare to be inspired!
(And don't forget to bring one of your samples!)