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Poetry in Transit celebrates 20 years!
September 21st, 2016
Poetry in Transit will celebrate twenty years of BC-authored poems on SkyTrains, bus shelters, and buses throughout the province on Wednesday September 21 at The Emerald, as part of Word Vancouver.
Readings of 20 poems featured as part of the campaign will commemorate the extraordinary contribution poets have made to the cultural fabric of BC. Poetry in Transit initiator Sandy Shreve will host.
The much-loved Poetry in Transit project has been running since 1996, the longest running poetry on transit program in Canada. The project has featured hundreds of poems from established and emerging BC poets. Poems are featured on buses and SkyTrains on cards where riders would usually see commercial advertising.
Poems eligible for the project must be written by BC writers and published in book form by Canadian publishers. Poems are submitted by publishers for consideration in the project in May of each year. The works are selected by a jury comprised of a poet, a representative of TransLink, and an industry professional.
20th anniversary celebration of Poetry in Transit – readings by 20 poets
Poets: Brian Brett, Renee Rodin, Rhonda Batchelor, Rita Wong, Al Purdy (read by Margaret Reynolds), W.H. New, Heidi Greco, Susan McCaslin, Kate Braid, Jen Currin, Maxine Gadd, George McWhirter, Joanne Arnott, Evelyn Lau, Rob Taylor, E.D. Blodgett, George Stanley, Diane Tucker, Kevin Spenst, and Fred Wah
Hosted by Sandy Shreve
The Emerald, 555 Gore Ave., Vancouver
Wednesday September 21, 7 pm – 9 pm, Free to attend
There’s more Poetry in Transit at Word Vancouver in 2016! Look for readings in the Sunrise Suite (poetry venue) by poets whose poems will be on buses this year. Also, look for Poetry in Transit poems in our bubble gum vending machines on site at our main festival day, September 25. (the bubble gum machines are a fundraising project for poetry activities at Word Vancouver) And, this year’s poems will be on display on an actual transit bus on site!