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Death Rides a Unicorn Society

Death Rides a Unicorn Society promotes creativity and community through spoken word poetry events, fostering artistic expression and social dialogue while supporting marginalized voices in the literary arts.

Famous Last Words is a spoken word poetry comedy show where poets participate in six rounds of a faux competition. They &lsquo;compete&#39; in a series of poetry-related events that are in turn, &#39;judged&#39; by our host (with input from Uni the Unicorn and our audience). There will be free chocolate, unicorn bubble guns and lots of silly poems. This episode will be hosted by Sean McGarragle and feature Mike McGee, Nisha Patel, Preeti Kaur Dhaliwal, RC Weslowski&nbsp;and Uni the Unicorn. Famous Last Words: Heart of the City gathers writers, performers, and mischief‑makers for an evening of poetry that refuse to behave. Expect sharp twists, tender moments, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Death Rides a Unicorn is all about unicorns, chocolate, bubbles, rainbows, humour, and joy 🦄🍫. By signing up here, you save your spot, help us plan the mayhem, and keep local, delightfully odd storytelling thriving. This event would not be possible without the support of the League of Canadian Poets, The Writers Union of Canada, The Lookout Society, Event Magazine and of course, The DTES Heart of the City Festival. Bios:Mighty Mike McGee&nbsp;stands as a distinctive voice in the world of spoken word poetry, weaving together humor, storytelling, and education with the threads of his rich life experiences. Born in the vibrant city of San Jos&eacute;, California, Mike entered the world facing the challenges of Spina bifida, a neural tube defect that has undeniably shaped his life&rsquo;s trajectory. This condition, far from slowing him down, has propelled him into becoming an ardent advocate for pursuing passions fervently and without delay. McGee&rsquo;s journey through the realms of poetry and performance began to gather significant momentum in the early 2000s, marked by his groundbreaking victories in the competitive poetry slam scene. In 2003, he clinched the National Poetry Slam Individual Grand Championship, a feat he complemented with the Individual World Poetry Slam Grand Championship in 2006, making him the first ever to hold both titles. These victories were not just personal triumphs but milestones that placed him firmly on the global poetry map. Beyond the competitive stage, McGee has been a relentless traveler, sharing his unique blend of poetry and humor across the United States, Canada, and Europe. His performances, characterized by their heartfelt sincerity and infectious laughter, have spanned several hundred thousand miles since 2002. McGee&rsquo;s talents have been showcased on prestigious platforms such as HBO&rsquo;s Def Poetry Jam, CBC Radio and Television, and NPR&rsquo;s Snap Judgment, underlining his appeal to a broad audience. His historical performance at the University of Paris, la Sorbonne, in 2005 marked him as one of the first Americans to bring spoken word to the iconic institution, further cementing his role as a pioneer in the field. McGee&rsquo;s literary contributions are encapsulated in his first collection of humor and poetry, &ldquo;In Search of Midnight,&rdquo; published by Write Bloody Publishing. His involvement with Poetry Center San Jos&eacute; since 2016, including a stint on its board of directors, showcases his commitment to nurturing the poetic community in his hometown. Nisha Patel&nbsp;is a former Poet Laureate of the City of Edmonton and a Canadian Poetry Slam Champion. She is a disabled culture worker with a passion for local arts and disability advocacy. Nisha holds an MA from Queen&rsquo;s University and an MFA from UBC. Her works (Coconut, A Fate Worse Than Death) are available where books are sold. She is a recipient of the Queen&rsquo;s Platinum Jubilee Medal and the Edmonton Artists&rsquo; Trust Fund. Her third collection, For the Record,&nbsp;will be out in the fall of 2026 with Arsenal Pulp Press.&nbsp; Nisha was a finalist for the Vallum Chapbook Award and has been published across Canada. She has works with Gap Riot, GUTS, filling Station, and This Magazine, among others, and in the anthologies The City Series, COVID Collections, and Hush No More: Poetry and Art to End Rape Culture. She was a semifinalist of the World Poetry Slam Championship and a finalist of the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. She is also a seasoned host, curator, and organizer. Nisha has performed and taught workshops, with over three hundred and fifty performances and to date. She lives and writes with her partner, fellow author Matthew James Weigel (Whitemud Walking). Her website is <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.nishapatel.ca/" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">nishapatel.ca</a>, and you can find her online @anothernisha. Preeti Kaur Dhaliwal, BA, BCL, LLB, LLM, MFA (she/her) is a writer, facilitator, former lawyer and critical race feminist who grew up in an immigrant household on the traditional, present, and future territories of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen, Qayqayt, Tsawwassen and Musqueam First Nations (Surrey and North Delta, BC). She has spent over two decades using arts-based methodologies to explore justice, healing, community-building and transformation, offering creative workshops across communities and institutions on Turtle Island.&nbsp; Preeti firmly believes stories change the world by altering our ways of seeing, feeling and being with one another and the planet.&nbsp;Her work asks how language so often used to colonize, flatten and desensitize might instead bring us back to ourselves, oneness and each other. RC Weslowski&nbsp;is an award-winning spoken word poet and radio broadcaster. He has featured at such distinguished events as the Nuyorican Caf&eacute; Poetry Slam, The Bowery Poetry Club, The Toronto Poetry Slam, The Art Bar Reading Series, Planet Poetry, The Poets Corner, The Otoba Poetry Slam, Song and Bird Reading Series, the Verses Festival of Words and now the Edmonton Poetry Festival. RC has led poetry &ldquo;wordshops&rdquo; with Word Travels Australia, The Banff Centre for the Arts, The Tuscon Poetry Festival, The Victoria Spoken Word Festival and many more. RC&rsquo;s first book of poetry, &ldquo;My Soft Response to the Wars&rdquo; is out on Write Bloody North Publishing. <a fr-original-style="" href="http://www.writebloodynorth.ca" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">www.writebloodynorth.ca</a> Sean McGarragle&nbsp;is a poet, storyteller, teacher, performer and event producer from the republic of East Vancouver. He is the founder of Death Rides a Unicorn, The Vancouver Story Slam, The Canadian Individual Poetry Slam and the Vancouver International Poetry Festival (now entitled Verses). He has performed and read his work from Dublin to Denver, from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan to Madison Wisconsin. He is super excited to host this show and to showcase these great talents. Uni the Unicorn is the antithesis of Death. Uni is joy and love, buoyant and distracting. Most of the time, Uni has chocolate and bubbles to share.&nbsp;

Famous Last Words Heart of the City

Liars of Orpheus: Comedians and Clowns&nbsp; Liars of Orpheus is a kids show for adults where writers produce small faux lectures on strange topics. This month, writers will be creating fun fictitious work on their favorite comedians.&nbsp; Featuring at Liars of Orpheus Comedians and Clowns will be Katie Ellen Humpries, Mike McGee,&nbsp;Simon King&nbsp;and&nbsp;Yumi Nagashima. Katie-Ellen Humphries is a standup comedian, writer and sketch performer currently based in Vancouver, B.C. Whether sharing comedic confessions or disappearing into uproarious and dramatic characters, Katie-Ellen&rsquo;s remarkable point-of-view resonates on the stage, page and screen. Her sensibility (that falls somewhere between the library and the locker-room) and sharp wit make her a favourite of audiences of all kinds. &nbsp;A founding member of The Lady Show and veteran of award-winning comedy cabaret Atomic Vaudeville, Katie-Ellen is a regular on CBC Radio&rsquo;s The Debaters&nbsp;where she has worked as a writer and Associate Producer. Katie-Ellen is also a 3-time Canadian National Champion for the 5 Kilometer Open Water Swim. That&rsquo;s unrelated to comedy, but it explains the shoulders. Mighty Mike McGee&nbsp;is a funny stand-up poet from San Jos&eacute;, California. He&rsquo;s performed his comedic storytelling and poetry in thousands of cities and towns for millions of ears throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. McGee won all of the most coveted U.S. poetry slam titles and is one of the best known and liked people in the world of chatty writers. He was appointed Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley) for 2018 &amp; 2019. He&rsquo;s been featured on CBC, NPR and HBO multiple times and takes pride in making people laugh and cry from the stage. An absolute force of nature on stage, Simon King is the kind of dynamic, energetic and intelligent comedian that comes along perhaps once in a generation.With credits including: HBO, Just For Laughs, The Winnipeg Comedy Festival CBC, CTV, TBS, The Comedy Network and numerous television and radio appearances, Simon is a veteran comedian with experience performing around the world.A relentless energy, whip smart material and lightning quick wit that moves him seamlessly from written material to improvisation will win you over but his intelligent humour and incredible performance will show you why Robin Williams has called him a &quot;Truly gifted comedian&quot;. Yumi Nagashima is a Tokyo-born actress, writer, and international stand-up comedian known for her magnetic stage presence and sharp, globally informed perspective. Blending cultural insight with playful elegance and bold timing, she captivates audiences worldwide. Her work has been featured at Just For Laughs Montreal, Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Halifax Comedy Festival, CBC Gem&rsquo;s New Wave of Stand-Up,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Comedy Central Asia. Her viral comedy clips across social media and YouTube continue to reach a rapidly growing global audience.

Liars of Orpheus: Comedians and Clowns

Famous Last Words: is a spoken word poetry comedy show that involves poets participating in six rounds of a faux competition where they &lsquo;compete&#39; in a series of poetry related events that are in turn, &#39;judged&#39; by our host (with input from Uni the Unicorn and our audience).&nbsp; This episode entitled Sunlight will be Sun themed and will be hosted by our resident solar eclipsetist, Sunny McGarragle and will feature Aiden Chafe, Aaron Hunter, Kay Fraser, Sonya Littlejohn, Steve Miller&nbsp;and Uni the Unicorn. Winner of the ONLY POEMS 2025 Poet of the Year Prize, Aidan Chafe is the author of three collections of poetry, including Soft Wolf, forthcoming from Gordon Hill Press in 2027. His poems have appeared in Contemporary Verse 2, The Ex-Puritan, EVENT, The Fiddlehead&nbsp;and&nbsp;PRISM international. He lives on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples (Vancouver, BC). Aaron Hunter is a poet, performer and visual artist He is an indigenous, transgender man, who explores his identity through art. He is the Artistic Director of Tri Cities Poetry, an arts organization that runs poetry open mics and other performing arts themed events. He has published 2 books one being a collection of local poets called &quot;Brave Voices&quot; (May 2025) and a collection of his poetry titled the &quot;Archives&quot; (December 2024). Winner of the ONLY POEMS 2025 Poet of the Year Prize, Aidan Chafe is the author of three collections of poetry, including Soft Wolf, forthcoming from Gordon Hill Press in 2027. His poems have appeared in Contemporary Verse 2, The Ex-Puritan, EVENT, The Fiddlehead&nbsp;and&nbsp;PRISM international. He lives on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples (Vancouver, BC). Kay Fraser is an award winning spoken word poet, published writer, educator and wellness practitioner. With a commitment to healing, liberation and decolonization, her works strikes a balance between individual musings and social commentary; navigating the experiences that make, shape and break us as individuals and as a whole. Kay marries her passion for wellness, movement and play with inquiry and creativity, and offers performances and integrative programs through a holistic, trauma-informed lens. Since 2008, she has had the opportunity to teach and perform across Turtle Island, representing both Toronto and Burlington at national competitions, and has shared the stage with artists including: d&#39;bi young, Carlos Andr&eacute;s G&oacute;mez and Theresa tha Songbird.&nbsp; Sonya Littlejohn recently graduated from Simon Fraser University with a certificate in Community Capacity Building. She holds a bachelor of arts from UBC, a career in poetry performance and facilitation, and communication building. She is a community engagement facilitator, a cultural worker, community coordinator, mad artist and poet. Steve Miller&nbsp;is a spoken word artist, slam poet, storyteller, performer, workshop creator/facilitator, singer(he thinks), musician (nope but I still try), renaissance handy person(who identifies as a man-kinda). He currently lives and works on theunceded and ancestral territories of the Qayqayt First Nation, the first people of this land, and the shared traditional territories of other Coast Salish peoples, including the Musqueam, Kwantlen, Kwikwetlem, Tsleil-Waututh, and Katzie nations. Sunny McGarragle&nbsp;is a poet, storyteller, teacher, performer and event producer from the republic of East Vancouver. He is the founder of Death Rides a Unicorn, The Vancouver Story Slam, The Canadian Individual Poetry Slam and the Vancouver International Poetry Festival (now entitled Verses). He has performed and read his work from Dublin to Denver, from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan to Madison Wisconsin. He is super excited to host this show and to showcase these great talents. Uni the Unicorn is the antithesis of Death. Uni is joy and love, buoyant and distracting. Most of the time, Uni has chocolate and bubbles to share.&nbsp; Hosted by Death Rides a Unicorn Society, this event leans into our love of unicorns, chocolate, bubbles, rainbows, and laughter.&nbsp;

Famous Last Words New Westminster

Famous Last Words is a spoken word poetry comedy show that involves poets participating in six rounds of a faux competition where they &lsquo;compete&#39; in a series of poetry related events that are in turn, &#39;judged&#39; by our host (with input from Uni the Unicorn and our audience).&nbsp; Hosted by the&nbsp;Death Rides a Unicorn Society and Slam UBC, this event leans into unicorns, chocolate, bubbles, rainbows, humour, and joy&mdash;because if the end is inevitable, we might as well make it entertaining. This episode entitled Moonlight will be Moon themed and will be hosted by our resident astrologist Moonie McGarragle and feature Aaron Hunter, Icy Gaze, Johnny McRae, Lindi Nolte, Samantha Kennedy&nbsp;and Uni the Unicorn. Aaron Hunter has been writing poetry for as long as he can remember, scribbling in the margins in class and memorizing stanzas on bus rides. He is inspired by life&#39;s occasions from the mundane to the momentous, the silliness to the sorrows. He is a poet, performer, writer and visual artist. His work explores topics such as mental health, healing, and his identity as a queer transgender man. He is the founder and Artistic Director of &quot;Brave Voices,&quot; a weekly poetry open mic in Port Moody. His debut chapbook &quot;The Archives&quot; was released at the end of 2024. Icy Gaze is a poet whose work dances on a line between fooling and striking. They will invite you to frolic like an eager friend drunk off good spirit, and like a biting mother they will offer you a truth that will bleed you before it loves you. Is such not the work of a nationally competitive slam poet and clown school graduate? Born in Indonesia and practicing on Turtle Island, ICY&#39;s poetry continues an oral tradition teeming with legacies of spiritual exchange, one which adjoins the past to the present and weds the delightfully illusory to the deliciously material. A self-proclaimed mouthy poet and the Vancouver Poetry House Youth Coordinator, Johnny MacRae lives and works on the the unceded ancestral territories of the xʷmə&theta;kʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-waututh), and sḵwx̱w&uacute;7mesh (Squamish) nations. Since first hitting the slam stage in 2009, he has won regional and national slam titles, featured at poetry series and arts festivals across the country, and led 400+ workshops in BC schools. Johnny&rsquo;s passion for collaborative spoken word has led him to perform and tour with acts such as 2 Dope Boys in a Cadillac (inc. musical spinoff, Cadillac Mountain Orchestra), The Dambassadors, and Travelin&rsquo; Word Circus. In 2014, he placed 2nd on the CBC reality show, Canada&rsquo;s Smartest Person, but if you bring it up he&rsquo;ll roll his eyes and mutter with embarrassment about how ridiculous the whole thing was. Lindi Nolte is a South African-Canadian spoken word poet, writer, Tedx speaker, educator, and mother. As a poet, Lindi is deeply motivated by nature as nurturer and the connection we forge with ourselves and each other as we navigate the challenges of the human experience. Through personal stories, melodic imagery, and raw emotional expression, Lindi delivers inspiration and strength to those who need it. She lives in Vancouver, facilitates creative writing and spoken word workshops, and works as a secondary school teacher. Lindi&rsquo;s debut poetry collection &ldquo;Barefoot and Awestruck&rdquo; explores the complexity of relationships, the healing power of nature, love and self-discovery. She has a bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and a bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of British Columbia.&nbsp; Sam Kennedy&nbsp;was born in New Westminster, British Columbia. After pursuing education, she graduated from Douglas College and her creative journey took flight in 2021, when she rediscovered her passion for writing and performing poetry. With dedication and perseverance, she published her first ever poetry collection book &lsquo;With Every Beating Heart&rsquo; officially becoming an author. Her poetic influences include Sappho, Margaret Atwood, and Shane Koyczan. She performed her first poem &ldquo;Boa Constrictor&rdquo; by Shel Silverstein at a school assembly at age six, is a massive Shakespeare enthusiast, and believes Tolkien is the greatest fantasy writer of all time. Sean McGarragle&nbsp;is a poet, storyteller, teacher, performer and event producer from the republic of East Vancouver. He is the founder of Death Rides a Unicorn, The Vancouver Story Slam, The Canadian Individual Poetry Slam and the Vancouver International Poetry Festival (now entitled Verses). He has performed and read his work from Dublin to Denver, from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan to Madison Wisconsin. He is super excited to host this show and to showcase these great talents. Uni the Unicorn is the antithesis of Death. Uni is joy and love, buoyant and distracting. Most of the time, Uni has chocolate and bubbles to share.&nbsp;

Famous Last Words UBC

Liars of Orpheus is a kids show for adults where writers produce small lectures on strange topics. This month, with Liars of Orpheus: Shakespeare and Company,&nbsp;writers will be creating fun work on their previous experience with Shakespeare and his life, plays and poetry. 🦄📚 The writers/performers for this show are Meghan Kemp-Gee, Sam Kennedy, Jenny Garcha, Paul Budra&nbsp;along with our host Sean McGarragle. Jenny Garcha humbly learnt to accept the generosity of Penticton&rsquo;s diverse immigrant community. These people who were from all the different corners of the globe. Who were here in Canada, trying to make a name for themselves and provide for their families, just like her mother. Her childhood was multicultural; different languages, tongues and mouths speaking, often hollering over one another as if she had landed in the middle of the tower of Babel. This loving community that surrounded Jenny in her early years, is the positive influence she has with her through every adventure she partakes in. She carries her Canadian family with her everywhere. Meghan Kemp-Gee is the author of the poetry collections The Animal in the Room&nbsp;(Coach House 2023) and Nebulas&nbsp;(forthcoming May 2026), as well as five chapbooks. She also co-authored the graphic novels One More Year and Passing in the Night, and co-edited the historic sports-comics anthology Come Out and Play.&nbsp; Paul Budra is professor of English at SFU who specializes in Shakespeare. He has published seven books and numerous academic articles. In his spare time he is a playwright and musician. Sam Kennedy&nbsp;was born in New Westminster, British Columbia. After pursuing education, she graduated from Douglas College and her creative journey took flight in 2021, when she rediscovered her passion for writing and performing poetry. With dedication and perseverance, she published her first ever poetry collection book &lsquo;With Every Beating Heart&rsquo; officially becoming an author. Her poetic influences include Sappho, Margaret Atwood, and Shane Koyczan. She performed her first poem &ldquo;Boa Constrictor&rdquo; by Shel Silverstein at a school assembly at age six, is a massive Shakespeare enthusiast, and believes Tolkien is the greatest fantasy writer of all time. Sean McGarragle&nbsp;is a poet, storyteller, teacher, performer and event producer from the republic of East Vancouver. He is the founder of Death Rides a Unicorn, The Vancouver Story Slam, The Canadian Individual Poetry Slam and the Vancouver International Poetry Festival (now entitled Verses). He has performed and read his work from Dublin to Denver, from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan to Madison Wisconsin. He is super excited to host this show and to showcase these great talents.

Liars of Orpheus: Shakespeare and Company

The Word Vancouver Seventeen Syllable Slam is a literary comedy poetry competition where poets attempt to win over judges with their short poems. Each poem needs to have seventeen syllables or less (sort of like a Haiku) and there will be 16 poets in the competition, with the top four taking home cash prizes. The poems do not have to be funny, but the event certainly will be. Please expect a unicorn, bubbles, flags, and fur.🦄 The Poets taking part in this year&#39;s show are&nbsp;Kayla Price | Jenny Garcha | Kyle Hawke | Amanda Eagleson | Spillious the Ridiculous One | Mo the Poet | David Geary | Duncan Shields | Holly Flauto | Nate Nate Nainers | Catherine Lewis | Marlo Browne | Warren Dean Fulton | Steve Miller | Samantha Kennedy | Cinnamon

The Word Vancouver Seventeen Syllable Slam

Liars of Orpheus is a kids show for adults where writers produce small lectures on strange topics. This month, writers will be creating fun work on their previous experience with fringe festival productions.&nbsp; The writers/performers for this show are Megan Phillips, Priscilla Costa,&nbsp;Sara Bynoe, T.J. Dawe along with our host Lucia Misch. Priscilla Costa is a Vancouver-based clown-theatre artist raised &mdash; and still raising hell &mdash; in the soggy gutters of East Van. She transforms a life of hard knocks into absurd, heartfelt, and hilarious subversive performance. An internationally trained performer in clown, bouffon, sketch, improv, and acting, her work walks the tightrope between absurdity and emotional truth. With over 25 years of training in clown, improvisation, and character-based performance, her screen and stage work is informed by film and television acting with Julian Paul and by the teachings of Keith Johnstone (Impro Theatresports), Kevin McDonald (Kids in the Hall), Philippe Gaulier (Master Clown Teacher), Massimo Agostinelli (Cirque du Soleil), Gina Bastone, and David MacMurray-Smith and Ian Wallace (Richard Pochinko Technique). She is the creator of the solo &lsquo;clown&rsquo; shows Mona Mona&eacute; and I&rsquo;m Gonna Be Frank, and the sole founder and producer of Vancouver&rsquo;s sold-out GutterClown Cabaret, what started as a cult-favourite night celebrating fearless, adults-only clown and comedy performance at a punk bar in East Vancouver. As a comedic performer and MC, she commands the room through a rotating cast of alter egos that turn any variety show into a wild, unruly ride. Priscilla teaches clown and bouffon in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island and offers private coaching for artists developing original work and embodied stage presence. She brings an explosive mix of mischief, vulnerability, and rebellion to every stage she touches. Lucia Misch is a writer, performer and facilitator from the Bay Area. She can be found on stages across North America, from literary festivals to labour union conventions to local poetry shows. Her work has published in journals such as Arc Magazine, The Post Feminist Post,&nbsp;and Room,&nbsp;and her first collection, The Problem With Solitaire, was released by Write Bloody North in 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;As a teaching artist, Lucia is dedicated to helping others&mdash;especially youth&mdash;inhabit their creative, personal and political power through writing. She currently lives on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territory in East Vancouver.&nbsp; Megan Phillips is a comedian, actor, writer, singer, and daydream believer who has written and performed solo shows, stand up, and sketch comedy in Fringe Festivals all over the world. She&rsquo;s got an MA in Musical Theatre performance from Mountview Academy In London, UK, and her co-written musical People Suck: a musical airing of grievances (dubbed &ldquo;Canada&rsquo;s next hit musical&rdquo; by CBC) is currently in development for an exciting future. She just finished her run as Christine in The Guys I F*cked&nbsp;at Vancouver Fringe 2026, and is looking forward to her most challenging project yet: convincing her cat Spot to eat food without gravy. Sara Bynoe&nbsp;is an actor, writer, and comedy show producer who is best known for her shows Teen Angst Night, Say Wha?! Readings of Deliciously Rotten Writing, and for appearing in commercials as the frazzled woman in need of a product. The Georgia Straight called her &quot;charismatic&quot; and the WestEnder twice included her in their list of Vancouver&#39;s funniest people. Her comedy shows have made many lists of &quot;things you should do tonight&quot; and toured to Toronto, Seattle, Portland and the UK. She has appeared at the All Jane No Dick Comedy Festival, The Vancouver Comedy Festival, Verses Festival, The Vancouver Poetry Festival, The PuSh Festival, The Olio Festival, Latitude Festival, and Bumbershoot. She is a graduate of the acting program at Studio 58 and has an MA in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths, University of London. Her column The Environmentalist from Hell appears in Asparagus Magazine where she writes about sustainability and environmental matters.&nbsp; TJ Dawe&nbsp;writes, performs, directs for the stage. He works on autobiographical monologues, pop culture parodies, and shows about true crime. He makes veggie burgers from scratch, reads books, and wakes up too early. He&rsquo;s super into the Enneagram and talks about it all the time, including on the podcast The Enneagram in a Movie. He and Megan Phillips lead an online course on how to create a one person show.

Liars of Orpheus Rebirth

Famous Last Words Animal Farm is a spoken word poetry comedy show that involves poets participating in six rounds of a faux competition where they &lsquo;compete&#39; in a series of poetry related events that are in turn, &#39;judged&#39; by our host (with input from Uni the Unicorn and our audience).&nbsp; This episode entitled Animal Farm will be Farm or Animal Farm/George Orwell themed and will be hosted by our resident horticulturalist Farmer Weslowski,&nbsp;a special&nbsp;performance from Dutch Dion-Glowa&nbsp;and feature Victoria&rsquo;s Jeremy Loveday,&nbsp; Kay Fraser, Magpie Ulysses, Marlo Browne and Nate Nate Nainers. Dutch Dion-Glowa is a queer, M&eacute;tis internationally published author and workshop presenter from BC, Canada. Their writing can be found in a variety of online and print journals. Their microchap, TEETH, is available from Ghost City Press (online). Their debut poetry collection, Trailer Park Shakes (Brick Books), was shortlisted for the 2023 Indigenous Voices Award and longlisted for the First Nations Community READS Award. They are a Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity alum, and hold a certificate in Therapeutic and Reflective Writing (2023). They have been invited to read and provide workshops at Victoria Festival of Authors (2022), Whistler Writers Festival (2023), Wine Country Writer&rsquo;s Festival (2024), and Massy Arts (2022-23). They&rsquo;ve been coordinating and hosting workshops on a variety of subjects for children, youth and adults since 2018 as a support worker, author and artist. Farmer Weslowski gave up a career as a professional pickle ball ingenue to work the hard landsof Plantar Fasciitis in Northern Saskatchewan where sheep were shorn, silk stockings were worn,and immutable longings were cornered and beaten until they gave up their rights to vote. FarmerWeslowski loves you and invites you to come on down to the Farm, the Animal Farm. Jeremy Loveday&nbsp;is a poet, arts educator, and community builder from Victoria, BC, on the territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən People. He founded and served as the longtime artistic director of the Victorious Voices youth poetry festival. Jeremy&#39;s dynamic performances earned him the title of Victoria Poetry Slam Grand Champion three times. In 2020, he was honoured with the Zaccheus Jackson Nyce Memorial Award. His work has been published in reputable platforms such as Huffington Post, CV2, Funicular Magazine, National Observer, CBC, Claudia, and Best Canadian Poetry 2023. Jeremy&#39;s first full-length book , Maybe the Starling, is now available through Write Bloody North.&nbsp; Kay Fraser is an award winning spoken word poet, published writer, educator and wellness practitioner. With a commitment to healing, liberation and decolonization, her works strikes a balance between individual musings and social commentary; navigating the experiences that make, shape and break us as individuals and as a whole. Kay marries her passion for wellness, movement and play with inquiry and creativity, and offers performances and integrative programs through a holistic, trauma-informed lens. Since 2008, she has had the opportunity to teach and perform across Turtle Island, representing both Toronto and Burlington at national competitions, and has shared the stage with artists including: d&#39;bi young, Carlos Andr&eacute;s G&oacute;mez and Theresa tha Songbird.&nbsp; Writer, Rabble Rouser, fancy talker; Magpie Ulysses is a performance poet and storyteller who refuses to follow any one literary or oral tradition. &nbsp; Known for high impact performances which showcase visceral, often surrealist writings that extend from the everyday human experience into the depths of natural and inanimate worlds.&nbsp;Magpie is a neurodivergent, activist, nature nerd, garden witch who started performing poems more than 25 years ago.&nbsp; She has performed poems and told stories across North America and is a multiple award winning, beloved veteran and organizer in the national poetry slam &amp; spoken word community in Canada.&nbsp; Marlo Browne is a Barbadian poet, author and filmmaker who who has self-published four books and one short film. His work spans several topics such as social injustice, mental well-being, love, race, health disorders and many more. Marlo has also performed at events across BC and has featured at the Verses Festival, The ACCESS Festival, Da Luv Jones Poetry Showcase and Death Rides a Unicorn events. His business, A Pint of Knowledge, was also nominated in the best solopreneur category at the Black Excellence Awards in 2023 and he is a member of several literary associations including the Delta Literary Arts Society, The League of Canadian Poets and the Federation of BC Writers. &nbsp; Nate Nate Nainers is a poet and storyteller from the carnivalesque planet of cherry duedad. Filled with humour, grace and the working classes sensibilities of a giant socialist tortoise, Nate Nate Nainers brings to the stage and page a joy of words, an explorative understanding of their star-crossed upbringing and the many voices of those who inhabit the highways of rural British Columbia.

Famous Last Words Animal Farm

Famous Last Words (Anti FIFA or Antifa if you like) is a spoken word comedy show that involves poets participating in six rounds of a faux competition where they &lsquo;compete&#39; in a series of poetry related events that are in turn, &#39;judged&#39; by our host (with input from Uni the Unicorn and our audience).&nbsp; This episode entitled Anti-FIFA will be football (or soccer) themed and will be hosted by our resident FIFA representative known only as Weslowski and feature David Geary, Spillious the Ridiculous One, Lindi Nolte, Hari Alluri&nbsp;and . There is also a rumour floating around that Uni the Unicorn will be at the show in some capacity. David Geary (Taranaki Māori) grew up loving Māui trickster tales in Aotearoa New Zealand and is now honoured to live with the Coyote and Raven tricksters of Turtle Island. David is a playwright, screenwriter, fiction writer, poet and educator.He teaches scriptwriting at Capilano University and playwriting for PTC Playwrights Theatre Centre. He&#39;s a dramaturg (LMDA - Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas) and script consultant for theatre, TV and Film. He writes haiku on twitter @gearsgeary and lives by the yogic mantra: Life is short, stretch it. Hari Alluri (he/him/siya) is a migrant poet of Pangasinan, Ilokano, and Telugu descent who lives, loves, and writes on unceded Coast Salish territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, and Kwantlen, Katzie and Kwikwetlem lands of Hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking peoples. Siya is author of The Flayed City and chapbook Our Echo of Sudden Mercy. Recipient of the Vera Manuel Award for Poetry, among other awards, grants, fellowships and residencies, his work appears through these venues and elsewhere: Apogee, Michigan Quarterly Review, Poetry, poetry in canada, PRISM International and&mdash;via Split This Rock&mdash;Best of the Net. @harialluri Hari Alluri (he/him/siya) has a weakness for the types of beings -- human, deity, or otherwise who thieve and grieve, who joke and, terrible even, sing. Lindi Nolte is a South African-Canadian spoken word poet, writer, Tedx speaker, educator, and mother. As a poet, Lindi is deeply motivated by nature as nurturer and the connection we forge with ourselves and each other as we navigate the challenges of the human experience. Through personal stories, melodic imagery, and raw emotional expression, Lindi delivers inspiration and strength to those who need it. She lives in Vancouver, facilitates creative writing and spoken word workshops, and works as a secondary school teacher. Lindi&rsquo;s debut poetry collection &ldquo;Barefoot and Awestruck&rdquo; explores the complexity of relationships, the healing power of nature, love and self-discovery. She has a bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and a bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of British Columbia.&nbsp; Spillious the Ridiculous One aka Trevana Spilchen is a Trans feminine settler parent, musician, spoken word artist and educator of Ukrainian and Irish decent. They are 2024 recipient of the Zacheus Jackson Memorial award won the 2017 Grand Slam Championship of the Vancouver Poetry slam and finished 6th at the 2018 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam.&nbsp; RC Weslowski is a multi talented performer who loves to walk between worlds to see what the ghost dragged in. RC wears many masks including poet, clown, storyteller, playwright, broadcaster, voice actor, coach and educator. Over the past 15 years he has toured North America, The United Kingdom and other parts of Europe including many spoken word, poetry and music festivals. RC wants to give you your emotional damage deposit back. Uni the Unicorn is the antithesis of Death. Uni is joy and love, buoyant and distracting. Most of the time, Uni has chocolate and bubbles to share. The role of Uni for is played by the wonderful and talented Andrew Sutherland. He does not wish to be formally recognized for all the work he does but I included him in this promotional material anyway.

Famous Last Words (Anti-FIFA)

Famous Last Words VIctoria is a spoken word poetry comedy show that involves poets participating in six rounds of a faux competition where they &lsquo;compete&#39; in a series of poetry related events that are in turn, &#39;judged&#39; by our host (with input from Uni the Unicorn and our audience).&nbsp; This episode entitled Avalanche will be snow themed and will be hosted by our resident paler than thou poet, Sean McGarragle and feature Dex Neily, Jeremy Loveday, Lorelei Fowler, Neko Smart, RC Weslowski&nbsp;and Uni the Unicorn.&nbsp;Expect sharp wit, unexpected turns, and the kind of laughter that sneaks up on you. The Death Rides a Unicorn Society celebrates humour, joy, and the oddly beautiful bits of being human. Enjoy a night with unicorn-level mischief, chocolate-fuelled courage, and stories worth remembering 🌈. Dex Neily (they/them) is a poet and performer from Lekwungen territories whose work centres around disability and queer identity. They have represented Victoria nationally and internationally at seven spoken word festivals, and was a finalist at both the 2021 and 2022 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam. They are currently seeking new ways to combine their loves and their pains into art that restores those who experience it. You can find their work on YouTube or hear them perform at the Tongues of Fire open mics run by the Victoria Poetry Project. Their list of superpowers include compassion and former-theatre-kid energy levels. Jeremy Loveday&nbsp;is a poet, arts educator, and community builder from Victoria, BC, on the territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən People. He founded and served as the longtime artistic director of the Victorious Voices youth poetry festival. Jeremy&#39;s dynamic performances earned him the title of Victoria Poetry Slam Grand Champion three times. In 2020, he was honoured with the Zaccheus Jackson Nyce Memorial Award. His work has been published in reputable platforms such as Huffington Post, CV2, Funicular Magazine, National Observer, CBC, Claudia, and Best Canadian Poetry 2023. Jeremy&#39;s first full-length book , Maybe the Starling, is now available through Write Bloody North.&nbsp; Lorelei (she/her) Fowler performs surrealist spoken word, mostly at Tongues of Fire in Victoria. She aspires to perform more places after a chronic illness-related absence. She read at the queer open stage at the trans farmers market and has some clown &amp; burlesque experience. She loves learning new art forms &amp; performance styles and she&rsquo;s very happy to be here &amp; connect with fellow poets. When she needs an extra confidence boost she calls herself Lara Omen, vampire princess. Neko Smart is a recent graduate of UBC&rsquo;s BFA Creative Writing program. As 2020 Victoria City Youth Poet Laureate, they emphasized the importance of cultivating open dialogue about mental health in order to reduce stigma and increase safety, particularly for youth. They carry this value with them in all their artistic and leadership endeavours: as a member of the organizing committee for the 2020/2021 Victorious Voices youth arts festival, as a member of the Wordplay poetry workshop facilitation roster, and as former slam coordinator for the UBC Slam Poetry Club. They were a finalist in the 2023 and 2024 Canadian Individual Poetry Slams.&nbsp; RC Weslowski is a multi talented performer who loves to walk between worlds to see what the ghost dragged in. RC wears many masks including poet, clown, storyteller, playwright, broadcaster, voice actor, coach and educator. Over the past 15 years he has toured North America, The United Kingdom and other parts of Europe including many spoken word, poetry and music festivals. RC wants to give you your emotional damage deposit back. Sean McGarragle&nbsp;is a poet, storyteller, teacher, performer and event producer from the republic of East Vancouver. He is the founder of Death Rides a Unicorn, The Vancouver Story Slam, The Canadian Individual Poetry Slam and the Vancouver International Poetry Festival (now entitled Verses). He has performed and read his work from Dublin to Denver, from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan to Madison Wisconsin. He is super excited to host this show and to showcase these great talents. Uni the Unicorn is the antithesis of Death. Uni is joy and love, buoyant and distracting. Most of the time, Uni has chocolate and bubbles to share.&nbsp;

Famous Last Words Victoria

Liars of Orpheus: Video Games invites you into a night of tall tales, glitchy quests, and boss fights that never existed&mdash;but should have. Expect stories that warp reality the way your favorite games bend time, space, and common sense. The Death Rides a Unicorn Society is devoted to unicorns, chocolate, bubbles, rainbows, humour, and joy. Sign up to play, watch, or simply revel as storytellers mash up epic lies, pixelated worlds, and low‑stakes chaos. This episode of Liars of Orpheus, themed on Video Game features Abbey St. Brendan, Dina Del Bucchia, Duncan Shields and Sonya Littlejohn.

Death Rides a Unicorn Society

Death Rides a Unicorn Society

Death Rides a Unicorn Society

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Famous Last Words Victoria

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Liars of Orpheus: Video Games

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Death Rides a Unicorn Society

Upcoming events

Events

Get your tickets

Famous Last Words Victoria

Get your tickets

Liars of Orpheus: Video Games

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Death Rides a Unicorn Society