Edmonton Poetry Festival

05/27/2026

Why does poet Jun-long Lee like writing in cemeteries? And what does he turn to when he isn't feeling creative or inspired?🤔

Read Jun's responses in the Five Answers interview in the June issue of the Magpie, coming soon. Subscribe before May 31 to get it delivered straight to your inbox!📫

Jun-long Lee is a poet, visual artist, and filmmaker. He is the author of the poetry collection Abode, published by Athabasca Press in 2025.

05/25/2026

05/19/2026

After the amazing festival we had last month, we want to take a moment to thank everyone involved with the Edmonton Poetry Festival.

To all our artists, performers, volunteers, board members, performance venues, food and beverage workers, loved ones, friends, and of course, YOU, the wonderful attendees. 🥳 Without you we would not have a festival.

We are so grateful to be able to champion poetry, spoken word, and community in Edmonton, and hope to continue to do so.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you💙

04/28/2026

Today is the LAST day of The Edmonton Poetry Festival 😢 we're going out with a bang with two wonderful celebrations of poetry and books. Make sure to check them out!

What: Voices from The Wards Poetry Reading
Where: McMullen Gallery (U of A Hospital), 8440-112 St NW
When: Tuesday April 28, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Come out and listen to the heartbeat of the quiet, powerful stories unfolding within the University Hospital’s walls. Eight selected poetry contest winners will share their poems of challenge, resilience and hope, hosted by Tyler Sherard (Associate Director of Arts in Health) and Janis Dow Durnin (Literary Artist on the Ward).

Situated in the University of Alberta Hospital, McMullen Gallery aims to inspire, educate, and engage its audience – including patients, medical staff, hospital visitors and members of the general public. McMullen Gallery exhibits artwork in all media that is soothing, uplifting, humorous, and/or thought-provoking including but not limited to health-related subject matter. This event is part of the University Hospital Foundation’s Arts in Health programming.

Free | No RSVP Required
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What: Literary Editions: U of A Press
When: Tuesday April 28, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Where: Henderson Hall (1-17 Rutherford Library South, U of A Campus)

University of Alberta Press is pleased to announce its annual event Literary Editions. This poetry event will feature readings from University of Alberta Press’ newest collections: "Sublunary" by Lisa Richter, "Nighthawks" by Lisa Martin, and "Evacuations" by Kevin Irie. This event will be hosted by Uche Umezurike, author of "there’s more".

This hybrid event is co-hosted by the Edmonton Poetry Festival. There will be a listening party in Henderson Hall (1-17 Rutherford Library South, University of Alberta campus) and there will also be audience members joining via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent out the day before the event and again one hour before the start. For those joining in Edmonton, there will be refreshments as well as an opportunity to visit. After the online readings, the Zoom session will end. Everyone is welcome.

04/27/2026

What: Haven Reading Series
When: Monday April 27, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Where: Upper Crust, 10909 86 Ave NW

Founded in 1991, Edmonton’s Stroll of Poets is a membership-oriented organization that regularly hosts events — and no event is more regular than The Haven Reading Series! Taking place at the Upper Crust Café, this bi-monthly series includes features of 4x Stroll members followed by an open-mic.

The featured readers for this event will be Douglas Elves, Deborah Lawson, Loren Marsden, and Louise Fairley.

Snacks, coffee, and tea are provided.

$5 Cash at the door

04/26/2026

What: Kill the Critic: Getting Out of Your Own Way and Back to the Page
When: Sunday April 26, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Where: Jasper Place Library, 9010-156 St

Brought to you in partnership with LitFest. Through guided prompts, discussion, and generative exercises, participants will explore practical ways to quiet the inner critic and generate new work. The session focuses on shifting perspective, loosening habitual thinking, and discovering unexpected paths into language. Writers of all levels and genres are welcome (no critics will be harmed). This event will be facilitated by Ellen Kartz and Lisa Mulrooney.

Donations will be accepted for Parkland Poets Society & Stroll of Poets Society.
Free | RSVP Required!
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What: YouthWrite's Spoken Word Youth Choir
When: Sunday April 26, 7:00
Where: The Roxy Theatre, 10708-124 St

Celebrate YouthWrite's 30th Anniversary with a performance by SWYC!

The Spoken Word Youth Choir (SWYC) was born at YouthWrite 2007 and had its world premiere at Axis Cafe in Edmonton in 2007 and has been performing ever since. Three choirs (junior, senior and adult) will astound you with poetry, movement, and performance!

SWYC is a professional spoken word troupe: part Greek chorus, part improvisers, and part poets. They are unique to Canada and happy to be back at the Edmonton Poetry Festival!

04/25/2026

Echoes & Roots is a powerful, dynamic hour-long showcase that blends poetry with a theatrical approach featuring Timiro Mohamed, Kija Lado, Charlee Queen XO, Latifat Busari, Yusi Hunter, and Kijo Gatama.

The Black Femme Poetry Collective is a group of Black femme poets, artists, and storytellers creating ritual-rooted, music-driven poetic performances. Activated in 2024 by Jabulani Festival’s Spoken Word Curator, Timiro Mohamed, they have captivated audiences through poetry, theatre, and collective creation. Their mission is to uplift Black femme voices, honour ancestral lineage, and transform their lived experience into art as liberation.
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Step into an afternoon of bold words, powerful storytelling, and unforgettable performances at Brave Young Voices: A Gen Z Poetry Showcase presented as part of the 2026 Edmonton Poetry Festival and featuring readings by the winners of the Centre For Literatures In Canada Student Poetry Prize. This event celebrates the creativity and courage of the next generation of storytellers and poets sharing original work on stage in both English and French.

The showcase highlights emerging poets from Edmonton and surrounding area, including past participants from Poetry In Voice / Les Voix de la Poésie and EDICA’s artistic oral storytelling competition. This event offers young poets the opportunity to share their voice, connect with fellow artists, and be part of Edmonton’s vibrant poetry community, Featuring poets ages 9–22 and is hosted by Edmonton’s Poet Laureate, Medgine Mathurin.
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EPF is excited to highlight the launch of The Polyglot’s 17th Issue, HILOM, co-edited by Candice Joy Oliva and April Angeles. In collaboration with the Philippine Edmonton Events and Arts Society, this special edition explores collective intercultural expressions of Grief, Gratitude, and Glory.

This gathering will feature artists from this latest issue, as they share poetry, prose, and art that transform solitary grief into shared celebrations of life and community: Khin Ohiman, Sandy Lubuguin, Eunju Park, Renato Gandia, Jesiebelle Salcedo, Adrienne Adams, and Alex Carreon. It will be hosted by April Angeles and Candice Joy Olivia.

04/24/2026

Join us to share a reading and conversation about Uche Umezurike’s new poetry collection, We survived until we could live. These powerful poems examines the aftermath of war asking, who survives war? What does survival mean? And at what cost? Yes, the sirens and bombs have ceased. Yes, peace has settled over the rubble. But even in moments of laughter, ghosts chafe. Blood still smells in the air. The present is as fraught as the past, filled with shadows and fumes. Old wounds sting the body and the mind, rekindling nightmares and memory.

Uche Umezurike is a Nigerian author and academic currently teaching English at the University of Calgary and writing both poetry and fiction who has garnered numerous awards for his work. He’ll be in conversation with Peter Midgley, writer and editor whose own recent collection Let us not think of them as barbarians won Alberta’s top award for poetry.
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Le RAFA, en collaboration avec le Edmonton Poetry Festival, présente la 11e édition du French Twist. Animée par Josée Thibeault, la soirée réunira 6 artistes professionnelles: Pierrette Requier, Sophie Gareau-Brennan, Robert Suraki Watum, Naomi Kash, Medgine Mathurin et Josée Thibeault ainsi que 2 artistes de la relève issus du Slam ma muse.

Au programme: lectures de textes, compositions originales d'un DJ de musique électronique ambiante, et une installation interactive intitulée Ode à Edmonton à laquelle le public est invité à contribuer.

Une vitrine par excellence des voix artistiques francophones de l'Alberta, dans les deux langues officielles.

RAFA, in collaboration with the Edmonton Poetry Festival, presents the 11th edition of French Twist. Hosted by Josée Thibeault, the evening will feature six professional artists: Pierrette Requier, Sophie Gareau-Brennan, Robert Suraki Watum, Naomi Kash, Medgine Mathurin, and Josée Thibeault, as well as two emerging artists from Slam ma muse.

On the program: readings, original compositions by an ambient electronic music DJ, and an interactive installation titled Ode to Edmonton, to which the audience is invited to contribute.

This event is a premier showcase of Alberta’s Francophone artistic voices, in both official languages.

04/23/2026

What: Parkland Poets In-Person Reading Series
When: Thursday Aril 23, 7:00 pm
Where: Shelley's Kitchen, 26821-100 Ave, Acheson

If you are a poet or an appreciator of poetry, the Parkland Poets’ Society Readings are for you! Each meeting features three poets who have signed up in advance to deliver an 8 to 10 minute reading. The featured readers for this event are Saraswoti Lamichhane, Dan Poitras, and Kiyoko May Healey, with Jo Sanders hosting.

Following the featured readers, there will be an open mic session, where audience members can sign up (on the night itself, no need to register in advance) to deliver a brief 2 to 4-minute reading.

This event is in person at Shelley’s Kitchen in the Glowing Embers RV Park. Poetry begins at 7:00pm, early arrival is encouraged.

Free | No RSVP Required