Poetry Reading
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED, BUT MAY BE RE-SCHEDULED FOR A LATER DATE. PLEASE VISIT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS AND/OR BLOG (LINKS AT THE LEFT SIDEBAR OF OUR WEBSITE).
Poetry Reading: Featuring Duncan Mercredi, Özten Paul and Marie-Anne Redhead
Tuesday, March 24
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Room 2M67, The University of Winnipeg
ASL can be provided for this event with at least one week notice by contacting the Gallery's Director/Curator.
All are welcome to attend a free poetry reading presented in conjunction with Gallery 1C03's exhibition Alootook Ipellie: Walking Both Sides of an Invisible Border, produced by Carleton University Art Gallery and curated by Sandra Dyck, Heather Igloliorte and Christine Lalonde.
Among his many creative talents, Inuit artist and writer Alootook Ipellie (1951-2007) was a gifted poet. Several of his culturally, socially and politically engaged poems are included in the exhibition.
In the spirit of honouring Ipellie, three, locally-based, Indigenous poets have been invited to share their work. Readings will be presented by established poet Duncan Mercredi, and by emerging poets Özten Paul and Marie-Anne Redhead.
Duncan Mercredi is a Cree/Métis poet, writer and storyteller. A longtime resident of Winnipeg, he was born in Misipawistik (Grand Rapids) and grew up listening to his grandmother’s stories. His affinity for the wilderness and his sensitivity to the deep cultural prejudices of the broader culture inform his writing.
He has published four poetry collections, including Spirit of the Wolf: Raise Your Voice and The Duke of Windsor: Wolf Sings the Blues. His work has appeared in countless anthologies and periodicals including Prairie Fire and CV2, including the special joint issue ndncountry, published in 2018. He has appeared at storytelling and literary festivals across North America and for close to two decades he has been conducting workshops for school children all over Manitoba.
Duncan is currently completing a manuscript entitled this city is red, a series of reflections on the city he calls home. The work was developed through his long-standing membership in Winnipeg’s Indigenous Writers Collective. In October 2020, Wilfrid Laurier University Press will release mahikan ka-onot: The Poetry of Duncan Mercredi, a collection spanning from his earliest work to recent unpublished poems.
Duncan was the 2019 writer-in-residence at the University of Manitoba’s Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture and he is presently Winnipeg’s Poet Laureate for 2020 and 2021.
Özten Paul is a two-spirit Anishinaabe/Turkish-Cypriot writer. She grew up in Winnipeg’s North End, located on Treaty 1 territory, and is a member of Northwest Angle #33 First Nation. Her work has appeared in Half a Grapefruit, juice and PRISM international.
Marie-Anne Redhead is an IninÍw iskwew and member of Fox Lake Cree Nation who grew up primarily in southern Manitoba. She is currently completing an Honours degree in English at the University of Winnipeg.
This event has been made possible, in part, by funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage and with support of The University of Winnipeg English department and Contemporary Verse 2: The Canadian Journal of Poetry and Critical Writing.
Accessibility: Room 2M67 is located on the second floor of Manitoba Hall. Manitoba Hall has an elevator and the building is connected to Centennial and Lockhart Halls, both of which have accessible entrances from the street. There are accessible and gender-neutral washrooms on campus. Please consult the University of Winnipeg's accessibility map for more detailed information.
For more information, contact:
Jennifer Gibson, Director/Curator, Gallery 1C03
1st floor, Centennial Hall, The University of Winnipeg
515 Portage Ave, Winnipeg MB R3B 2E9
Phone: 204.786.9253