They pair together perfectly, poetry and the great outdoors. And this year, the perfect combination of spoken word and the beauty of Queen’s Park will include another pairing – established poets reading alongside newer voices.
Poetry in the Park kicks of Wednesday, July 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Queen’s Park bandshell, according to Aidan Chafe, who manages the event.
“One of the changes is that we have an emerging writer at every week’s event, and we also have an established writer as our feature,” he said of Poetry in the Park, which is put on by the Royal City Literary Arts Society. “Because we wanted a lot of our members to feel confident about their writing, we allowed them to feature alongside someone I would consider established in the industry, someone who has published a book through a reputable Canadian press.”
In one case, however, a couple who both have books coming out will be featured together, he added.
“There will be some pairings that make sense in that way,” he said.
Chafe has been managing the event for the past three years and says he hopes Poetry in the Park will continue to grow.
“I’m looking forward to having as good a turn out as we have had in the past couple of years,” he said. “The attendance has been kind of blossoming. We see anything from 15 to 30 people coming out every Wednesday to the park, either reading or attending.”
The surrounding park is a big part of the event, according to Chafe.
“It’s this wonderful landscape of being outside and enjoying the spoken word,” he said. “You can bring a blanket, can bring food, can relax and enjoy the ambiance of being around nature.”
Opening night is on Wednesday, July 4 and the featured poets are Iraqi Canadian poet Lozan Yamolky and Jude Neale, a poet, vocalist, spoken word performer and mentor. The host is poet Alan Girling.
Poetry in the Park runs on Wednesdays throughout the summer until Aug. 29. For more information, go to rclas.com.
