Guelph Spoken Word

Guelph Spoken Word Raising voices since 2008. Hosting regular poetry shows and special programming. GPS?!!

03/29/2026

Last Saturday night.

The room was alive.




It's Slaaaaaaaam Daaay! The poems take the mic tonight.Guelph Poetry Slam — 1-2-3-4 Edition!Doors / sign-up at 7 PM. Lim...
03/21/2026

It's Slaaaaaaaam Daaay! The poems take the mic tonight.

Guelph Poetry Slam — 1-2-3-4 Edition!
Doors / sign-up at 7 PM. Limited open mic & slam slots available

Featuring Jon Hedderwick

There’s a place for your voice.

Advance tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-guelph-poetry-slam-tickets-1980279764082?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnAlTtG4j-T5Vvib7MzoE92O-wlPUoV22GBuT04Otcy2qnCqp3EivyBYG_dCE_aem_zxgetJsmJO14qZJbwlIx_w

Note we've shifted the time to allow more space for writing!This month's prompt is 's take away from the Writing Through...
02/28/2026

Note we've shifted the time to allow more space for writing!

This month's prompt is 's take away from the Writing Through Collective Grief workshop with , a part of Rock Paper Scissors:

Write a recipe for anything, food or not. Poem or not. Consider the structure of a recipe and make it your own.

The open mic starts at 7:30 PM (sign-up around 7:15). All genres of writing are welcome, whether your words or another's (with credit). Come to listen, share, or both!

📅 Tuesday March 3
📝 6:00 On the Page writing space
🎤 7:30 Off the Page open mic
📍
🎟️ $5 / PWYC


🔥 FEATURE ANNOUNCEMENT 🔥This month, we’re honoured to welcome .zan to the Guelph Poetry Slam stage.An award-winning poet...
02/12/2026

🔥 FEATURE ANNOUNCEMENT 🔥

This month, we’re honoured to welcome .zan to the Guelph Poetry Slam stage.

An award-winning poet, translator, and activist, Bänoo's work is fearless, unflinching, and deeply rooted in resistance and justice. Her voice moves between the intimate and the political with clarity and power and we’re grateful to have her in the room.

Join us on Saturday February 21 at .
Open mic + $100 slam prize + amazing feature!

Come ready to listen, to slam, to be inspired.

🎤 Doors & Sign-up list opens at 7PM
🕖 Show starts by 8PM
📍 The Round Table, 32 Ess*x St.

Advance tickets on Eventbrite, $15/PWYC at the door. $10 for poets.🎉

NEW HOME SLAM!!!The Guelph Poetry Slam is landing at The Round TableNo feature this month. Instead, we’re opening the fl...
01/10/2026

NEW HOME SLAM!!!

The Guelph Poetry Slam is landing at The Round Table

No feature this month. Instead, we’re opening the floor wider and centering community voices as we step into a new space together.

✨ Expanded open mic
✨ Community reflection moment
✨ Slam rounds as usual

This is a threshold night. Come claim the room with us.

🗓 Saturday January 17
📍 The Roundtable
🎟 PWYC / $15 / $10 for poets

Our first On the Page/Off the Page of the new Gregorian calendar year is coming up!Come at 6:30 PM for a space to write....
12/27/2025

Our first On the Page/Off the Page of the new Gregorian calendar year is coming up!

Come at 6:30 PM for a space to write. This month's prompt, should you choose to accept it, continues down the rabbit hole of self-reflection:
What's a story you've been told about your past self?
Tell a story about yourself now.
How do these connect or diverge?

The open mic starts at 7:30 PM (sign-up around 7:15). All genres of writing are welcome, whether your words or another's (with credit). Come to listen, share, or both!

📅 Tuesday January 6
📝 6:30 On the Page writing space
🎤 7:30 Off the Page open mic
📍
🎟️ $5 / PWYC


Change of plans! Last minute switcheroo 🔄We had a last minute change, and we'll be bringing you the seriously hilariousl...
12/20/2025

Change of plans!
Last minute switcheroo 🔄

We had a last minute change, and we'll be bringing you the seriously hilariously talented Janice Jo Lee as your feature for this evening!

Janice Jo Lee (she/they) is a q***r Korean musician, spoken word poet, actor, clown, sound designer and arts educator born and based in Toronto. She has released three albums of music, two poetry chapbooks, and has composed music and sound for two musicals and five stage plays. She has featured at every major poetry slam in Canada. She was recently published in Poetry in Place, an anthology of environmental hope poems. Janice founded and directed the Kitchener-Waterloo Poetry Slam from 2011-2017 and has worked as an arts educator for 15 years. Currently she is composing the first draft of a musical with Minh Ly called Finding Family about q***r grief. Janice directs Play Play Clown Theatre, tours with her band the QTs and works as the DEIA Coordinator for Folk Alliance International.

It's almost slaaaaam time! This time of year, we like to bring a bit of levity and laughter to your lives. You can expec...
12/16/2025

It's almost slaaaaam time! This time of year, we like to bring a bit of levity and laughter to your lives. You can expect a great deal of giggles from our feature, and we encourage (but don't require) poets to bring anything funny or upbeat to share 😆✨

See you there!!

📅 Saturday Dec 20
⏰ 8pm Doors
📍
🎟️ Eventbrite or at the door, $15 audience / $10 performers / PWYC

Our feature this month is... Dan Murray!

Dan Murray is not funny. He has never been funny. He’s not sure why he was contacted to feature at the Laugh it off Slam. Perhaps that is the joke. Perhaps it is a thoughtful irony.

Dan Murray never got his start in slam at the Burlington Slam Project in 2010. He never was a member of Burlington’s national team, especially not the teams that found themselves on Team Piece Finals stages at the US National Poetry Slam, or placed first in the international QEW poetry slam. He doesn’t know where you got that idea.

He certainly never won Burlington’s Best Arts Person of the Year Award in 2015 and doesn’t show off the trophy to people any chance he gets.

Don’t even act like he went into a music career next, because he didn’t. There were no years of self-sustained career musicianhood tragically cut short by something or other that happened in 2020.

He’s none of those things, and he’s not really sure what he’s going to talk to you about. He’s a Graphic Designer and Illustrator now. He goes to school for Graphic Design and Illustration. But be certain that everything he draws is deadly serious.

Because Dan Murray is not funny.

Meet the Host... MovTraversing war, trauma, s*x, and joy with tales from afar, Mov has lived life to the fullest. Biosph...
12/13/2025

Meet the Host... Mov

Traversing war, trauma, s*x, and joy with tales from afar, Mov has lived life to the fullest. Biosphereist, nihilist, and hedonist- weaving life into thick, dark, s*xy webs. Trauma and s*x addiction often go hand in hand. With a flair for setting the stage and taking you on a journey with them; Mov has stories. They have performed at places like Hillside Festival and the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, and regularly slam in Guelph.

Grab your tix (and book!) on Eventbrite or at the door ✨ https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1976383108079

Meet the Poets... Deinaira DoxtatorMy name is Deinaira. I’m from Oneida Nation of the Thames. I am Deer clan. My native ...
12/13/2025

Meet the Poets... Deinaira Doxtator

My name is Deinaira. I’m from Oneida Nation of the Thames. I am Deer clan. My native name means “She brings her canoe to shore”.

I grew up in the system, (Children’s Aid Society) at 5 months old, until 21 (When I aged out). Life growing up wasn’t what I expected, not at all.
Family is the most important factor in my life - I spent most of my upbringing wishing they would come back for me.
Eventually, I lost hope and came to terms it wouldn’t happen. I was angry. I was unforgiving. I pitied myself.

Until, one day, with all my experiences in life, I realized that I wouldn’t change my past, because it helped shape me into who I am today. Loving, caring, kind, creative, resilient. My past doesn’t define me.

Grab your tix (and book!) on Eventbrite or at the door ✨ https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1976383108079

Meet the Poets... Mike “O’dah ziibing” AshkeweMike “O’dah ziibing” / “Heart of the river” Ashkewe is from Neyaashiinigmi...
12/13/2025

Meet the Poets... Mike “O’dah ziibing” Ashkewe

Mike “O’dah ziibing” / “Heart of the river” Ashkewe is from Neyaashiinigmiing, Ontario. Mike is a disability and Indigenous activist in the city of Guelph. Mike has had a career in the media since 2007 in a variety of different roles, such as commentator, reporter, and podcaster.

Grab your tix (and book!) on Eventbrite or at the door ✨ https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1976383108079

Address

91 Wyndham St N #101
Guelph, ON
N1H 4E8

Website

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-guelph-poetry-slam-tickets-1980278516350

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