Draft 18.2 coming up May 28th
Please Join Us
3 p.m. Sunday, May 28 EST
for a wonderful afternoon of work-in-progress curated by Anna Marie Sewell
You can register on Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/draft-182-tickets-529786915927
The authors are Rita Bouvier, Julie Pellissier-Lush, Anna Marie Sewell and Vera Wabegijig. Please scroll down for more information about them.
This is the second in our Mixed Tongues season featuring work-in-progress which contemplates language(s). Mixed Tongues will be a hybrid, lexical, aural experience that builds bridges between Canada’s multilingual literary communities. Our goal is to stretch our minds and hearts by hearing other perspectives and various iterations of human expression.
Both free and paid tickets are available and all are welcome. Your donations go toward paying our contributors a fair fee for their readings.
Many thanks to the Ontario Arts Council as well as our generous audiences, for funding this reading. More information about the series is available on our website.
EVEN THOUGH THE EVENT IS TITLED “ONLINE” THIS IS A HYBRID READING
A limited number of tickets are available for those who wish to attend in person at the St. Matthew Clubhouse, 450 Broadview Ave. Those who register for the in-person event will also receive the Zoom link. If you feel unwell, please attend on Zoom.
For the sake of accessibility, masks are encouraged for the in-person event. Thank you so much for making Draft a welcoming space for everyone!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Rita Bouvier is a Métis writer and educator. Her fourth book of poetry, a beautiful rebellion (Thistledown Press) was released April 2023. Her poetry has appeared in literary anthologies and journals—print and online—musicals, and television productions, and has been translated into Spanish, German and Cree-Michif of her homecommunity of sakitawak—Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan, Canada situated on the historic trading and meeting grounds of Cree and Dene people (Treaty 10).
Julie Pellissier-Lush, M.S.M, actress, and bestselling author of My Mi’kmaq Mother, Poet Laureate for PEI, recipient of the Queens jubilee medal in 2013, the Meritorious Service Medal recipient in 2017, and the Senators 150 metal in April 2019. She grew up all over Eastern Canada and spent a number of years in Winnipeg, Manitoba, before coming back home. Julie is a graduate from the University of Winnipeg in 2000 with a double major in Psychology and Human Resource Management. She writes, acts, and does photography to preserve the history and culture of the Mi’kmaq for future generations. Julie wrote the poems for the play Mi’kmaq Legends which has been performed on many different stages in the Atlantic region. It is her hope that this play will someday travel across Canada and beyond so more people have the opportunity to learn about the rich Mi’kmaq history! Julie lives in PEI with her husband Rick, her five children, and her granddaughter Miah.
Anna Marie Sewell (curator) is the author of novels Humane (2020) and Urbane (2023) from Stonehouse Publishing; poetry collections For the Changing Moon: Poems & Songs (Thistledown Press, 2018) and Fifth World Drum (Frontenac House, 2009); and lyricist for award-winning choral works including Journey Song (Cypress Choral, 2022) and At First Light (Hinshaw Music, 2023).
Visit prairiepomes.com to explore more – By Heart (2019), Ancestors&Elders (2018), Reconciling Edmonton (2015) and her work as Edmonton’s 4th Poet Laureate.
Raised pre-TRC in an openly first-generation-interracial family – Polish/Mi’gmaq/Anishinaabe – Sewell is a member of Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation; born in Mi’kmaki and raised in the Land of the Mighty Peace, she lives in Amiskwaciy/Edmonton and works globally.
Vera Wabegijig ndizhnikaaz. Mississaugi ndoonjibaa. Nepean ndoodaa. Odawa minwa Ojbwe ndaaw. Mkwa ndoodem. My name is Vera Wabegijig. I am from Mississauga First Nation (Robertson-Huron Treaty). I am Odawa and Ojibwe (Anishnaabe). I live in Nepean, Ontario. I am from the bear clan. Published works and featured poet includes wild rice dreams; words, stories, truth with Mark Sirett (composer); Jingles Speak to the Healing; Matrix Magazine; Yellow Medicine Review; Canadian Spoken Word Festival; Ottawa Writer’s Festival; and VerseFest. I am a graduate of the En’owkin Centre’s Creative Writing Program, studied in theCreative Writing Program at University of Victoria and attended the Aboriginal Writer’s Residency at Banff Centre for the Arts.