Poet

Aaron Hunter (he/him) is a poet, performer, visual artist and student. He produces and hosts "Brave Voices," the weekly poetry open mic in Port Moody. In between classes and work you can find him writing on topics such as identity, community and healing. His debut chapbook "The Archives" is set to be released by the end of 2024.

Poet

Alessandra Naccarato is the author of Imminent Domains: Reckoning with the Anthropocene (Essays) and Re-Origin of Species (Poems). Based in Tkaronto (Toronto), she is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Bronwen Wallace Award from the Writers' Trust of Canada and the CBC Poetry Prize. A founding editor of Write Bloody North Publications, she has toured nationally and internationally as a spoken word artist and supported emerging writers across the country for nearly two decades. Her work has been translated into French and Italian and appeared widely in publications such as Arc, CV2, The New Quarterly, and Room Magazine. Re-Origin of Species was awarded the AICW Bressani Literary Prize for Poetry, nominated for the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, shortlisted for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award, and named a Best Book of 2019 by CBC Books.

Alessandra made her Death Rides a Unicorn debut and presenting her work in her Vancouver Book Launch event on Tuesday November 8th at Massy Arts. We look forward to reading her non-fiction book of essays Imminent Domains: Reckoning with the Anthropocene.

Poet

At the age of 32 Andre Prefontaine has never contributed to an RRSP, maintains ten-years of sobriety, studies astrology, is becoming misanthropic, and believes in ghosts because all the pieces of him that have died have got to go somewhere. Obtaining external forms of validation to remedy internal strife, Andre Prefontaine succeeded in winning a total of seven Slam Poetry championship titles. Two-time C.F.S.W winner (once as team captain and once as a coach), two consecutive Underground championships win, two Haiku Deathmatch titles, and one C.I.P.S championship which allowed him the chance to represent Canada at the “Coupe Du Monde” world cup of Slam in Paris, France where, midway through the competition, he realized he was a vampant, empty shell seeking other people's approval and thus lost the self-important drive which had seen him to that point. He did place fourth, though.

More recently, Andre Prefontaine has become a board member for the "Black Sheep Collective", an arts market in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta which he moved back to after losing his apartment in Toronto as a result of a break-up. Only to be chased out of Wellington, Ontario, by a group of white supremacists shortly thereafter. No joke, that’s literally what happened. As a result he is drafting a book about the whole ordeal while fulfilling Christopher Hitchins definition of a Curmudgeon. Regardless, his humor has remained dry, his wit has stayed sharp, and his heart still tender wherever the callouses fail to reach.

Andre made his Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words in 2023.

Poet

Babaloluwa (Lolu) Oyedele is a Nigeria-born, South-Africa raised interdisciplinary artist, performer and writer. He is privileged to be part of the Unbound Reading Series team as well as a member of Playwrights Theatre Centre’s Block A writing cohort led by the auspicious David Geary. He is currently working and living in the unceded territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, otherwise known as Vancouver, B.C.

Lolu will be making his Death Rides a Unicorn debut on Wednesday January 22nd as part of Famous Last Words New Westminster at Centennial Lodge in Queen’s Park.

Poet

Brendan McLeod is a writer, theatre creator, and musician. He’s the author of a poetry collection, Friends Without Bodies, a novel, The Convictions of Leonard McKinley, and five theatre shows, including Ridge, his award-winning musical on the Battle of Vimy, and Brain, his comedic monologue on consciousness.

His music group The Fugitives has been nominated for a JUNO, as well as multiple Canadian Folk Music and Western Canada Music Awards, including Best Roots Group, Best Songwriter, and Best Vocal Group. He was the Poet of Honour at the 2012 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word and the 2015 Victoria Spoken Word Festival. He’s taught spoken word at Langara College, and is an active arts educator, currently touring his shows “Brain” to secondary schools and “Holy Guacamole, It’s a Poetry Show!” to primary schools.

Brendan made his Death Rides a Unicorn debut during Famous Last Words as our mystery guest in 2022.

Master of Ceremonies

(Under the Rooftops of Vancouver)

Cass King (She, They) is a singer, writer, and Maker of Strange Things. As one half of musical comedy duo The Wet Spots, she traveled the world, performing twice at the Sydney Opera House, and opening for Margaret Cho at Vancouver’s Center for the Performing Arts. More recently, she co-wrote and starred in ‘SHINE: A Burlesque Musical’, which Time Out New York called ‘Rent for our generation”.

She is proud to have been a member of the original Van Slam Poetry team in 1996, and she was a member of every Vancouver team from 1996-2001. She took 5th place at the US Nationals in 1998, but she is most proud to have acted as Slam Master from 1998 to 2000, because that took way more work. Her current band Cass King and the Cassettes are preparing for the 8th annual Bowie Ball at the Rickshaw Theatre, a fundraiser that has raised over $200K for the Canadian Cancer Foundation. Their album is called Naked on the Dance Floor. Check out cassking.com for more.

Cass made their Death Rides a Unicorn debut as the host for our first ever episode of Under the Rooftops of Vancouver, evening of erotica on November 17th 2023.

Poet

Catherine Lewis (she/her) is a Chinese Canadian writer and poet who lives in Vancouver on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Her debut poetry chapbook Zipless is a finalist for two Bisexual Book Awards, including Bi Writer of the Year. Her poetry and prose have been featured in PRISM international, The Humber Literary Review, Pulp Literature, and Plenitude Magazine. First runner-up for Pulp Literature’s 2023 Magpie Award for Poetry, Catherine has been a finalist in creative nonfiction contests hosted by The Fiddlehead, Room Magazine, and The Humber Literary Review. She has performed at the Poets Corner Reading Series, Word Vancouver, and the Verses Festival of Words. A graduate of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University and of the Vancouver Manuscript Intensive, she is a Banff Centre Literary Arts alumna. Catch her on Twitter or Instagram at @cat_writes_604 or at www.catherinewriter.com.

Catherine made her Death Rides a Unicorn debut at the Seven Syllable Slam and is one of the first four featured readers at Under the Rooftops of Vancouver on Friday November 17th 2023.

Poet

Charlie Petch (they/them, he/him) is a disabled/queer/transmasculine multidisciplinary artist who resides in Tkaronto/Toronto. A poet, playwright, librettist, musician, lighting designer, and host, Petch was the 2017 Poet of Honour for the speakNORTH national festival, winner of the Golden Beret lifetime achievement in spoken word with The League of Canadian Poets (2020), and founder of Hot Damn it's a Queer Slam.

Petch is a touring performer, as well as a mentor and workshop facilitator. Their debut poetry collection, Why I Was Late (Brick Books), won the 2022 ReLit Award, and was named "Best of 2021" by The Walrus. Their film with Opera QTO, Medusa's Children, premièred 2022. They have been featured on the CBC's Q, the Toronto International Festival of Authors, and were long-listed for the CBC Poetry Prize in 2021.

Charlie made their Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words Episode 3 on Monday April the 24th, 6:30PM at The Wise Hall (1882 Adanac Street).

Poet

Cobra Collins is a Mohkínstsis based Indigenous and settler poet of significant height. She has represented our city on a national level at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word and was humbled to sit as Indigenous advocate on the Writers’ Union of Canada’s (TWUC) National Council in 2021 and 2022.

Her debut short film “Hop Along Hang On” has been featured nationwide and internationally in numerous film festivals and has won several awards, including Best short film, Black Hills film festival. Cobra was also honoured to be shortlisted as a nominee for Calgary's 2016 & 2018 poet laureate.

Cobra will be making her Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Liars of Orpheus on November 26th 2024.

Poet

Dave Silverberg is a theatre artist, poet, journalist, editor and writing coach. His first solo JEWNIQUE toured across Canada, and he has performed his poetry in Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, NYC, Paris and London (UK). He staged his second solo show BEFORE & AFTER in both Toronto and Vancouver and is now working on a recording of his show.

His latest book of poetry is Close to the Edge Without Going Over, and his poetry been published in Arc, Living Hyphen, Descant and Broken Pencil

His non-fiction work has been published in BBC News, The Washington Post, The Toronto Star, MIT Technology Review and The Globe & Mail.

www.davidsilverberg.ca

David will be making his Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words Toronto Season 1 Episode 1 on Sunday March 17th at the Drake.

Poet

Born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida residing in Scarborough. David Delisca is a writer, poet, actor and humorist. A versatile artist, he uses stories about the immigrant and diasporic experience, as well as other various human realities, to bridge realms of communication. His works and performances have been featured in Toronto Star, CBC, Netflix.

David is making his Death Rides a Unicorn debut during Famous Last Words Toronto Season 1 Episode 1 on March 17th.

Poet

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'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.

David made his Death Rides a Unicorn debut at our first Seventeen Syllable Slam.

Poet

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.

Dex will be making their Death Rides a Unicorn debut on September 24th 2024 at Liars of Orpheus.

Poet

Dina is a writer, podcaster, literary event host, editor, creative writing instructor and otter and dress enthusiast living in Vancouver on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh people. She is the author of the short story collection, Don’t Tell Me What to Do, and four collections of poetry: Coping with Emotions and Otters, Blind Items, Rom Com, written with Daniel Zomparelli, and, It’s a Big Deal! She is the Artistic Director of the Real Vancouver Writers’ Series, hosts the podcast, Can’t Lit, with Jen Sookfong Lee and is on the editorial board of fine.press. Her chapbook, Douche Process, is available online at ryanfitzpatrick.ca/modelpress/. You can check out her website at dinadelbucchia.com.

Dina was the winning Poet of Famous Last Words Episode 1 and will be reprising her role for Famous Last Words Episode at Verses 2024 on Tuesday April 23rd.

Poet

Duncan Shields is a computer games animator, science fiction writer, burlesque performer, podcaster, and spoken-word poet currently living in Vancouver, British Columbia with his daughter and wife. He has a voracious appetite for movies, comics, and science fiction/fantasy novels. He’s tall, he has blue eyes, a few tattoos, he’s a libra, he enjoys the rain and he likes bland burritos. He’s happy to be here.

Duncan will be making his Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words in 2024.

Poet

Ellie Sawatzky (@elliesawatzky) is a Vancouver-based poet, writer, editor, teacher, cat mom, renegade Mennonite, and euphonium hobbyist. Her début poetry collection, None of This Belongs to Me, was published by Nightwood Editions in 2021. A past winner of CV2’s Foster Poetry Prize, runner up for the Thomas Morton Memorial Prize, and finalist for the 2019 Bronwen Wallace Award, her poetry and prose have been published in The Fiddlehead, Room, Grain, The Maynard,PRISM international, and elsewhere. Ellie holds an MFA from UBC’s Creative Writing program and is currently an editor for FriesenPress, founder and facilitator of the Strathcona Poetry Studio, and a member of the Growing Room Collective. Find her at a costume party, in a cold body of water, or at www.elliesawatzky.com.

Ellie made her Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Under the Rooftops of Vancouver on Friday November 17th 2023.

Poet

Elliott Slinn is a performer who takes listeners on a journey of the heart with his honest song writing and poetry. With a unique style and an emphasis on the musicality of his lyrics, his storytelling and sonic signature weave together as one.

Slinn’s haunting and powerful voice carries an air of gentle melancholy, which captivates audiences and leaves listeners spellbound. His work has been described as immediate and accessible, as he aims to engage the soul and transform his personal tale into a shared experience.

He has performed at the: Lululemon Leadership conference, for Lush Cosmetics, the Vancouver and New Westminster Arts Council, the Real Estate Foundation of BC, the YWCA, New West Chamber of Commerce, VMF (Vancouver Mural Festival) and Vancouver Writers Festival. Most recently he was on the CBC radio program “North by Northwest” with Margaret Gallagher.

His street poetry, Moment Poems, has been welcomed in to numerous events, as he writes personalized on-the-spot poetry for people all around the city.

Slinn was named the Poet Laureate for the City of New Westminster in 2021, and was successfully elected to the New Westminster School Board as a Trustee in 2022.

Elliott made his Death Rides A Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words Episode 4 on Friday October 27th 7:00PM at The Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema (149 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7) as part of the Heart of the City Festival.

Poet

Erin Kirsh is an award-winning writer, performer, and funnyman from Toronto. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The Malahat Review, Cosmonauts Avenue, bBarren Magazine, Short Edition, CV2, ARC Poetry Magazine, QWERTY, Poetry is Dead, EVENT, PULP Literature, Geist and more.

Erin made her Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words, Episode 2 and joined us again for the first episode of Under the Rooftops of Vancouver on Friday November 17th.

Master of Ceremonies

(Famous Last Words Toronto)

Fannon Holland comes to from Pittsburgh, via Chicago, where he maintains that there are only two major differences between Canadians and Americans: Canadians have an indelible belief in universal healthcare and better beer.

Spoken word has allowed Fannon to travel across Canada, and on one fateful trip, earned himself a national title with the Guelph Spoken Word Team at CFSW, Winnipeg.

Fannon is a husband, father, port, rabble rouser, loud mouth, agitator and good trouble.

Fannon will be making his Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words Toronto Season 1 Episode 1 on March 17th at the Drake.

Poet

Fernando Raguero is a long time regular in the Vancouver Poetry slam scene. He has authored 8 poetry chapbooks and is a two time haiku death match champion. Fernando has been a member of two Vancouver poetry slam teams and co-founded the Crotchless Diaper Hotdog eating contest. Raguero serves up irreverent verse and has a wildly comical view of reality. His favourite yoga pose is saddle. He has his moments.

Fernando made his Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words Episode 1.

Poet

Franz Seachel is a South-Asian multidisciplinary artist and settler residing on unceded Coast-Salish lands of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmaɁɬ təməxʷ (Musqueam) nations. Franz has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. She is the Founder/ Executive Director of Enable: Arts Society, a nonprofit that supports community-based and collaborative art projects by emerging and/or marginalized voices. Her work has been featured at several events and festivals across so-called Canada, and she's currently working on her debut novel among other multidisciplinary projects.

Franz is a creator of space. She believes art creates genuine connections. Art makes living bearable—she does her best to put more colour into the world, both by brightening up the mundane with creation, and in her mission to uplift the truths of marginalized bodies. Franz hopes you dream often; she hopes you find reasons to stay. Follow her on Instagram @franz_seachel.

Franz is making ther Death Rides Unicorn debut at Liars of Orpheus Episode #3 on Ruesday August 27th 2024.

Poet

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—via Split This Rock—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.

Hari made his Death Rides A Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words Episode 4 on Friday October 27th 7:00PM at The Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema (149 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7) as part of the Heart of the City Festival.

Poet

Holly Flauto(she/they) is a poet, story-teller, learner and instructor living and writing on the traditional, ancestral and stolen territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwxwú7mesh and Selilwitulh Nations. ̱ Their debut poetry-memoir collection exploring immigration to Canada as a modern-day settler, Permission to Settle, will be published with Anvil Press in September 2024.

Their fiction and creative memoir has previously been published in The Ex- Puritan, Joyland, and The Rusty Toque, and they perform as Stella Palermo on the local story and poetry slam stages. Holly is a Creative Writing and English instructor at Capilano University.

Holly will be making their Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Liars of Orpheus, Tuesday June 25th.

Poet

Isabella Wang is the author of the chapbook, On Forgetting a Language, and her full-length debut, Pebble Swing, is currently a finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Book Award. Her poetry and prose have appeared in over thirty literary journals and three anthologies. She is a double-major in English and World Literature at SFU, and an editor at Room magazine.

Isabella was one of our poets for Famous Last Words Episode 1.

Poet

In the summer of 1995, during the height of the Okanagan cherry season, Jenny Garcha was born. Growing up along the sunny shores of Skaha Lake, in the backyard of the local Sikh gurudwara, Jenny Garcha had a culturally stimulating childhood. She learnt the various colors and tones of her species long before she learnt all the colors of the rainbow. For most of her childhood, western holidays were spent in celebration among the families of her mother's caring bosses. In the winter, they would enjoy a vegetarian-able dinner with Lucio and his rambunctious Portuguese family. Spending Christmas Eve atop the icy hill, looking from Lucio’s warm dining room windows out onto the acres of snow-dusted hibernating trees, saving their fruits to be her family’s labor in the summer. Sometimes they would spend the holidays at home and Art, the local Ukrainian restaurateur, would visit around midday to drop off chocolates and presents so Jenny and her sisters could enjoy the frivolity of unwrapping necessities that would help keep them warm until April poured its infamous showers. 

Jenny humbly learnt to accept the generosity of Penticton’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. 

Jenny is making her formal her Death Rides a Unicorn official debut on May 25th 2025 at Liars of Orpheus. 

Poet

Jennifer Alicia (she/they) is a queer, mixed Mi’kmaw and settler (German/Irish/Scottish) multidisciplinary artist originally from Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk (Bay of Islands, Newfoundland), now residing in Toronto. She is a two-time national poetry slam champion and her work has been featured in Canthius Magazine, NOW Magazine, CBC and imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. Jennifer Alicia co-edited an Indigenous poetry anthology titled The Condor and the Eagle Meet and has a debut chapbook titled Mixed Emotions. Most recently, she participated in the Animikiig Creators Unit through Native Earth Performing Arts, working on her debut play titled To Go Home. Find out more about her work at: jenniferalicia.com.

Jennifer is making their debut at Death Rides a Unicorn during Famous Last Words Toronto Season 1 Episode 1 on March 17th.

Poet

Jillian Christmas is a queer, afro-caribbean writer living on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam people (Vancouver, BC). Jillian works as an artist, educator, curator and consultant, she is the long-time spoken word curator of the Vancouver Writers Fest, and former artistic director of Verses Festival of Words.

Jillian is the recipient of the 2021 Sheri-D Golden Beret Award for Spoken Word Poetry and the 2021 Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ emerging writers. She has won numerous Grand Poetry Slam Championship titles and represented both Toronto and Vancouver at eleven national poetry events, notably breaking ground as the first Canadian to perform on the final stage of the Women of the World Poetry Slam.

Christmas has presented poetry and theory in a multitude of venues including the BC Civil Liberties gala, the SFU 2018 grad conference closing keynote, and numerous panels focussed on the intersections of critical race theory and contemporary art. Her debut collection, The Gospel of Breaking (Arsenal Pulp Press 2020), was shortlisted for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award, and the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, and her new children’s book, The Magic Shell (Flamingo Rampant Press 2022) is currently available for order.

Jillian will be making her Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Liars of Orpheus on Tuesday August 27th 2024.

Poet

Kai Cheng Thom is a writer, performance artist, and community healer. She is the author of Falling Back in Love with Being Human, a national bestseller in Canada, and the novel Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars, which was chosen by Emma Watson for her online feminist book club and shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award.

Her poetry collection a place called No Homeland was an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book, and her essay collection, I Hope We Choose Love, received a Publishing Triangle Award. She writes the advice column “Ask Kai: Advice for the Apocalypse” for Xtra.

Kai Cheng is making her Death Rides a Unicorn debut during Famous Last Words Toronto Season 1 Episode 1 on March 17th.

Poet

Kevin Spenst, a Pushcart Poetry nominee, is the author of Ignite, Jabbering with Bing Bong, Hearts Amok: a Memoir in Verse and A Bouquet Brought Back from Space, and 16 chapbooks including Surrey Sonnets (JackPine Press), Upend (Frog Hollow Press) a holm with the Alfred Gustav Press and the collaboratively written Recto, Verso, Chez the Devil’s Printers with Joshua Pitre (Collusion Books). In 2019, he was writer-in-residence at the Joy Kogawa House. His work has won the Lush Triumphant Award for Poetry, been nominated for both the Alfred G. Bailey Prize and the Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry, and has appeared in dozens of publications including Event, the Malahat Review, Prairie Fire, CV2, the Rusty Toque, Lemon Hound, Poetry is Dead, and the anthologies Best Canadian Poetry 2019, Best Canadian Poetry 2020 and Sweet Water: Poems for the Watersheds.

He co-organizes the Dead Poets Reading Series, writes a chapbook column in subTerrain magazine, is an occasional co-host with RC Weslowski on Wax Poetic on Co-op Radio, was the 2022 Poetry Mentor at SFU’s Writers Studio and teaches Poetry 2 through the Writers Studio. He lives in Vancouver on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territory.

Mort

Little Death has been with us since puberty and only gets more weird, unusual as everyone ages. A little death has always been circulating around DRAU (Death Rides a Unicorn) events since their inception. This show is no different as we can expect to experience a little death at some point in the evening. Bring your own costume or perhaps a change of clothes if need be.

Death and his little friend made their debut at Famous Last Words episode 1 and will be arising once again for the debut of Under the Rooftops of Vancouver on Friday November 17th.

Poet

Lucia Misch is a writer, performer and facilitator from unceded Muwekma Ohlone land. Lucia's spoken word poetry has found a home everywhere from historic theaters to high school auditoriums, and their first collection of poetry, The Problem With Solitaire, was released by Write Bloody North in 2020.

Lucia was one of the poets in Famous Last Words Episode 1.

Poet

Lydia Kwa has published two books of poetry (The Colours of Heroines, 1992; sinuous, 2013) and five novels (This Place Called Absence, 2000; The Walking Boy, 2005 and 2019; Pulse, 2010 and 2014; Oracle Bone, 2017; A Dream Wants Waking, 2023). A third book of poetry from time to new will be published by Porcupine's Quill Press in Fall 2024.

Lydia will be making her Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Liars of Orpheus on Tuesday September 24th 2024.

Poet

Marc Perez is a Filipino poet and writer living in the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. His fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in The Fiddlehead, EVENT Magazine, decomp journal, CV2, PRISM international, and Vallum, among others.

A recipient of grants from the BC Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts, he has a BFA from the UBC School of Creative Writing. He is the author of the chapbook, Borderlands (Anstruther Press, 2020), and Dayo is his first full-length poetry collection.

Marc will be making his Death Rides a unicorn debut on October 29th at Liars of Orpheus.

Poet

Marie Metaphor Specht is a multidisciplinary artist and poet living on the traditional territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples. She collaborates with filmmakers, lighting engineers, dancers, and musicians to create immersive and interactive works. A long-time member of the Canadian spoken word scene, Marie is currently serving a two-year term as the 6th Poet Laureate of Victoria, BC. Her work has been featured at festivals, arts events and poetry slams across the country. Marie’s poetry has been published in Oratorealis, Untethered Magazine, Chestnut Review, The Hellebore, and Room Magazine, among others. Soft Shelters is her debut poetry collection published with Write Bloody North.

Whatever form her work takes, Marie leads with compassion as she composes moments of nourishing intimacy and connection. She believes in intrepid acts of beauty. She believes in the power of stories shared.

www.mariemetaphor.com

Marie made their Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words Episode 4 on Friday October 27th 7:00PM at The Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema (149 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7) as part of the Heart of the City Festival.

Uni the Unicorn (Toronto)

MarLa B works as a juggler, character actress, puppeteer, poet, musician and more. With a BFA in Acting from Toronto Metropolitan University, MarLa has been a guest artist in over 600 schools across Canada performing live theatre shows and teaching workshops in mask, drama, juggling and spoken word poetry.

Splitting her time between the GTA and Los Angeles, MarLa’s beloved act, The Juggling Chef delights audiences of all ages and appears in community festivals, farmer's markets, libraries, schools and birthday parties.

Winner of the Stand Up to Cancer - Music as Healing Grant 2022, MarLa’s original song “People We Could Be” is available to stream on all platforms. Find out more at TheMarLabs.com.

MarLa will be making her Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words Toronto Season 1 Episode 1 on March 17th at the Drake.

Poet

Marlo Browne is a Barbadian poet and author who has self-published four books. All books are available on amazon and the UEL marketplace on Granville Island in British Columbia.  The first three books are also located at Bean Around Books in Maple Ridge while his fourth book can be found at Massy Books in Vancouver. Some of  his books can also be found in Well Read Books, Word Wealth and Windows eat Books on Nanaimo.  They can also be found at The Creative Bookworm in Langley City while his book is now in Surrey Libraries.

His first book, entitled Pictorial: Writing for Stars that want to return to Constellations was published in 2019 and received 5 star reviews on Amazon. His second, entitled Marlo Browne presents: The Young and Gifted, published in 2021, also received 5 star reviews. His third, entitled Thoughts of a Mature Mind was published and released in 2022. His fourth and latest book, entitled The Life and Times of a Poet was published and released on August 28th 2023 and has also received a 5 star review on Amazon.

Marlo is a very versatile poet who has been featured many times online. His work spans several topics such as social injustice, mental well-being love, race, health disorders and many more. Marlo has also performed at several open mics and events in Langley, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Surrey, White Rock,  Granville Island, North and East Vancouver.  Marlo has also participated twice in author showcases at the main branch of the Vancouver Public Library and he also did a reading at the Strathcona branch.  

He also performed at this year’s Verses Festival at the Wise Hall in Vancouver. He also performed at the ACCESS festival in Surrey in August 2024. His business, A Pint of Knowledge, was also nominated in the best solopreneur category at the Black Excellence Awards in 2023. As a film maker, he is the co-author of the short film 'I'm Sorry' which placed second in the short film category at the Langley City Film Festival. He is also a member of several literary associations such as the Delta Literary Arts Society and the Federation of BC Writers. Marlo is also the current Poetry slam champion of Da Luv Jones Poetry Showcase and was a part of the inaugural Da Luv James Book Festival.

Marlo is making his Death Rides a Unicorn debut at the first ever Famous Last Words New Westminster on January 22nd 2025.

Poet

Matt. Miller hails from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 2014 Canadian Poetry Slam Champion. 4-time Canadian Representative at the National Poetry Slam. Retired Beer League Baseball Player. One-time Worm Picker. Former Salmon Derby Co-ordinator. Spent a summer rabbit breeding. Turns jokes into poems and poems into jokes.

Matt will be making his Death Rides a Unicorn debut on November 26ths 2024 as part of Liar of Orpheus.

Uni the Unicorn (Vancouver)

Uni 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 Meris Goodfellow.

Meris Goodfellow has traipsed the theatrical trails for eons, circling ever closer to the fey and wild skylands.

Channeling Uni is an honourable inner sanctum to breach, especially alongside such wild and amazing creatures as grace the stage with this production.

You may also recognize Meris from backstage at some show you were in, OG Dusty Flowerpot productions, smashing bronze with Gamelan Gita Asmara, or wondering why that person walking on Commercial Drive has such an epic RBF.

Meris made her Death Rides A Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words Episode 4 on Friday October 27th 7:00PM at The Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema (149 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7) as part of the Heart of the City Festival.

Poet

Michael V. Smith is a writer, performer, filmmaker, and full professor teaching Creative Writing in the interdisciplinary department of Creative Studies at UBC’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna, BC. Smith is an MFA grad from UBC’s Creative Writing program (1998).

Smith’s most recent project is The Floating Man, a feature documentary in which Smith ‘bares all’ to examine his gender construction, using his visual art and performance practice to examine a lifetime of untrue stories about his body.

His latest book Queers Like Me is a poetry collection about growing up as a small town queer, released in Fall 2023 with Book*hug. His videos have played around the world, including the British Film Institute, the Lincoln Center with the New York Video Festival, and in the Vancouver International Film Festival.

As a performer, Smith has played dozens of cabarets and festivals, including Toronto’s VideoFag, nGbK gallery in Berlin, Junge Triebe Festival in Bielefeld, Germany, the Performance Studies International Conference in Utrecht, Netherlands, the Vancouver Fringe Festival, the Entzaubert Festival in Berlin, Encuentro 2014 in Montreal, the Vancouver Comedy Festival, and an intervention with the Raumerweiterungshalle, Berlin, to name a few. Find out more at www.michaelvsmith.com 

Michael will be making his Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Liars of Orpheus on October 29th 2024.

Poet

Miranda Krogstad is a TEDx speaker and bestselling author of the book Glass Half Full of Poetry.  A spoken word poet, eternal optimist, and workshop facilitator, Krogstad has connected with thousands of writers in dozens of cities across Western Canada.  A member of the 2016 national wild card team, member of the 2013 Spoken Word Program at the Banff Centre, Calgary Arts Development grant recipient, and a 2-time Canada Council for the Arts grant recipient, she now runs the spoken word network YYSpeak: a communal and supportive space for local spoken word artists.

Teaching life skills including self-confidence, self-expression, and community-building, she has performed hundreds of workshops in dozens of cities across Western Canada and beyond. 

Visit mirandakrogstad.com for more information.

Miranda will be making her Death Rides a Unicorn debut as part of Liars of Orpheus at the Pleasant on January 28th 2025.

Storyteller

Naomi Steinberg has over 25 years experience performing traditional folk and fairytales in contexts such as schools, theatres, forests, festivals and conferences. She uses movement, clown, contemplation, and vocal dynamics to enhance storytelling performance, while encouraging ecological awareness, intercultural sensitivity, and the inclusion of diverse learning styles.

Poet

Neko Smart is a recent graduate of UBC’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. They are currently sitting as Van Slam Champion.

Neko made their Death Rides a Unicorn debut at the inaugural Seventeen Syllable Slam.

Playwright

Olivia Etey is a Vancouver-based playwright. She graduated from UBC with a double major in Creative Writing and English Honours. Her plays include: Foreplay (2015), her musical: The Midnight Serenade (2015), The Hoarder (2016), Living on The Grid (The Only Animal, 2017) and her juke-box Opera: Forever Hold Your Peace (Opera Unbound, 2022).

Olivia’s play Woman Against Gravity received professional development through the Emerging Voices Program at TheatreOne (2024), the Stage One Festival of New Canadian Work at the Lunchbox Theatre in Calgary (2021) and the Arts Club LEAP Program (2019). It was recently short-listed for the Lee Playwrighting Prize for new Canadian plays. 

An excerpt of her bilingual play Emberré Váltam/I’ve Become Human Again, written in Hungarian and English was recently showcased in Rice & Beans Theatre’s DBLSK Program. Furthermore, Olivia is the creator of the Or Festival, an annual 10 minute play festival in Vancouver (www.orfestival.com). Its mandate is to build a bridge connecting the Deaf and Hearing Theatre Communities across Canada. 

Olivia is making her Death Rides a Unicorn debut as part of Liars of Orpheus at the Pleasant on Tuesday January 28th 2025.

Poet

Patrick de Belen is an award-winning poet, filmmaker, educator and storyteller of many other mediums. His poetry, films and other projects often explore themes of mental illness, the Filipino-Canadian experience, social justice, youth empowerment and advocacy, grief and healing.

He is most known for his poetic collaborations with the Toronto Raptors, the NFL, CBC, his 2 spoken word EPs and multiple cine-poems and independent films he wrote and directed himself.

When he isn’t onstage, or writing, he is an educator and youth mentor, partnering with many institutions like addiction centres, mental health focused organizations, libraries, schools, jails and more - advocating for storytelling opportunities and platforms in as many spaces as possible.

Patrick will be making his Death Rides a Unicorn debut at the first Famous Last Words Toronto Season 1 Episode 1 on Sunday March 17th at the Drake.

Poet

RC Weslowski is an award-winning spoken word poet and radio broadcaster. He has featured at such distinguished events as the Nuyorican Café 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 “wordshops” with Word Travels Australia, The Banff Centre for the Arts, The Tuscon Poetry Festival, The Victoria Spoken Word Festival and many more. RC’s first book of poetry, “My Soft Response to the Wars” is out on Write Bloody North Publishing. www.writebloodynorth.ca

RC made his Death Rides a Unicorn in our first Famous Last Words Episode and will be returning for our first episode of Under the Rooftops of Vancouver on Friday November 17th.

Poet

Roger R. Blenman is an Afro-Caribbean-Canadian poet, novelist (Dead’er), playwright. He enjoys travel, languages, and outdoorsy stuff. He spends too long wondering if he spends too long wondering. He makes a living teaching science and coaching adults.

Roger is making his Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words New Westminster on January 22, 2025.

Master of Ceremonies

Famous Last Words (Vancouver)

Sara 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 "charismatic" and the WestEnder twice included her in their list of Vancouver's funniest people. Her comedy shows have made many lists of "things you should do tonight" 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. She recently returned to professional theatre in a run of Mom's The Word at Theatre North West.

Sara made her Death Rides a Unicorn debut as the Master of Ceremonies for Famous Last Words Episode 1.

SALONNIÉRE

Sean is a poet, activist, academic and storyteller based out of Vancouver’s downtown eastside. He has organized over 500 literary and spoken word events across Canada and the US and has performed across North America and in Europe.

He is the founder of the Vancouver International Poetry Festival (now entitled Verses) and the Vancouver Storytelling Slam. He has been lead organizer of the Bolts of Fiction literary series and the Vancouver Poetry Slam, Co-Chair of Spoken Word Canada (SpoCan), tournament director for the Individual World Poetry Slam in Charlotte North Carolina and the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in various cities.

He teaches first and second year communications and he is far sillier than he appears.

Sean is the curator for Death Rides a Unicorn.

Poet

Sheri-D Wilson, aka the Mama of Dada, is the award-winning author of 13 books, 4 short films, and 4 albums which combine music & poetry.

An international artist known for her electric performance-style, Sheri-D has performed and taught workshops at festivals around the world.

In 2019 Sheri-D was appointed to The Order of Canada, for her contributions as a Spoken Word Poet and her leadership in the community. In 2017, she received her Doctor of Letters – Honoris Causa from Kwantlen University.

Other Honors: 2018-2020 Calgary Poet Laureate Emeritus * 2015 City of Calgary Arts Award * 2013 CBC Top 10 Poets in Canada * 2009 Ted Talk * 2006 Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry * 2005 SpoCan Poet of Honour * 2006 People's Choice Award * 2006 Woman of Vision * 5 Rosie Awards * 2003 USA Heavyweight Title * Her 1991 jazz-play, Confessions, received 5 Vancouver Jessie Nominations * Ace Award.

In her poems, Wilson explores personal story, beauty & love, social justice, lost languages, bullying, violence against women & the earth. Wilson brings a quirky sense of humor, and uplifting presence to all of her work.

A strong advocate for social change & community building – Founder & Artistic Director: Calgary Spoken Word Society (2003-2022) & Spoken Word Program | The Banff Centre (2005-2012)

Sheri-D is a Marriage Celebrant & Ceremonialist and she’s working on an epic poem to be published by Write Bloody North in 2023.

www.sheridwilson.com

Sheri D made her Death Rides a Unicorn debut as part of Alessandra Naccarato’s book launch for Imminent Domains: Reckoning with the Anthropoceneat at Massy Arts on November 8th. We are looking forward to Sheri D’s new book that is coming out in the spring of 2023.

Master of Ceremonies

Liars of Orpheus

SJ Valiquette (she/ they) is a poet, photographer, actor, arts administrator, and apiratist from Treaty 7 Territory. They have been a member of the spoken word community for over a decade competing at CIPS and the Bigfoot Regional Slam. She has studied at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, The Banff Centre for the Arts, the University of Victoria, and the Honeybee Centre.

Their next collection knick-knacks/ things no one is saying is coming out in 2024 with Nightingale and Sparrow. She will absolutely help you set up beehives in your backyard.

SJ is making their Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Liars of Orpheus on Tuesday June 25th at The Pleasant.

Poet

Sonya Littlejohn is a MAD poet & artist who wears many hats. This community engagement facilitator, cultural worker & community coordinator, B.A. in Canadian Studies UBC has a Community Capacity Building certificate and a teaching role instructing the Essentials for Leading the Self course with SFU. She is the Inclusion Coordinator at Vancouver Poetry House.

Sonya is constantly learning, developing aspects of curation, organizing, performance, creative facilitation and honing her own writing practice, experimenting with new genres and crossing genres. She loves finding new things to hyper-focus on, including living with ADHD and a creative mind, nature and connection to land, children, and love.

Sonya made her Death Rides a Unicorn debut by winning the first ever Seventeen Syllable Slam in 2023 at Word Vancouver and will be next seen in our inaugural Liars of Orpheus show on Tuesday June 25th.

Poet

Stephen Collis is the author of over a dozen books of poetry and prose, including the BC Book Prize winning On the Material (2010), and Almost Islands: Phyllis Webb and the Pursuit of the Unwritten (2018). A History of the Theories of Rain (2021) was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for poetry, and in 2019, Collis was the recipient of the Writers’ Trust of Canada Latner Poetry Prize.

The Middle, the second volume of a trilogy begun with A History of the Theories of Rain, is just out with Talonbooks in 2024.

Stephen is making his Death Rides a Unicorn Debut at Liars of Orpheus on Tuesday September 24th 2024.

Poet

Tawahum is a Łutselkʼe Dene and Plains Nehiyaw spoken word poet from unceded Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh Territory (CKA Vancouver). Their Two-Spirit, Nonbinary Scorpio-moon angst boils over to showcase their sadboi rage. Having opened for Kimmortal and Vivek Shraya and with a BA in Creative Writing from KPU, Tawahum has performed poetry and hip-hop at countless festivals with poems featured in numerous publications. His land protection work versus Trans Mountain pipeline expansion had him face incarceration in 2020. Cut to Fortress was published by Nightwood Editions in 2022 with their new collection to come 2025. Find them online @Tawahum on social media and music platforms.

Tawahum will be making their Death Rides a Unicorn debut as part of Liars of Orpheus at the Pleasant on January 28th 2025.

Poet

Spillious 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.

They have toured as a featured poet all throughout Canada and the US. Spillious has released 3 chapbooks of poetry and the last, Tales of Trans-formation sold 200 copies. From Sept 2021-23 they shepherded the return of poetry slam in Vancouver as the Slam Coordinator for Vancouver Poetry House and the Tournament Director for the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championships. Most importantly, Spillious is a parent to 4 kids ranging in age from 5 yrs to 23 yrs old and 4 cats named Cola, Orange Crush, Dr. Pepper & Rootbeer!

Trevana made their Death Rides a Unicorn debut at the Seventeen Syllable Slam and will be part of the upcoming Liars of Orpheus Series.

Poet

As a Black, Queer, mother, warrior, poet, Truth Is ... takes an unique approach to talking about the intricacies of life. Their intersectional approach allows for the audience to explore experiences, through an empathetic and compassionate lens, fostering empowerment, community, and resistance from shame.

Truth Is ... has been on a dozen national slam teams since 2006. They are current co-artistic director of not-for-profit arts organization Guelph Spoken Word and has also been the past recipient of the 2018 National Poet of Honour distinction, the Min Sook Lee Labour Arts Awards and Guelph's Top 40 under 40

Currently, Truth Is ... is set to debut their long awaited "A Portrait of Palinoia" project, a celebration of the beauty, distinctiveness and magic of Black women in 2023.Description goes here

Truth Is..made their Death Rides a Unicorn debut at Famous Last Words Episode 3 as part of the Verses Festival of Words on April 24th 2023.