here comes april

Are you ready for seven-events-a-day madness? Good, because April (National Poetry Month) will probably be one-or-two-events-a-day madness, so you should be more than prepared to handle it. Here are thirteen sixteen eighteen April lit readings to get things started (including a 125-readings-in-one event and a two whole festivals as single listings - be sure to visit their websites and look into them more). I'll update this page with more readings as they slowly trickle in.

I'm involved in two of the events near the end of the month - see if you can spot me!

Friends Across the Pacific: An Evening of Readings & Performances
Thursday, March 31st, 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM
VIVO Media Arts Centre
1965 Main Street, Vancouver
Featuring: Daphne Marlatt, Joanne Arnott, Proma Tagore, Roy Miki, Lydia Kwa, Hiromi Goto, Fred Wah, and more!
By donation, all proceeds to Japanese Earthquake Relief


Multilingual Poetry Slam
Saturday, April 2nd, 4:30 - 6:00 PM
Vancouver Public Library, Alma VanDusen Room
350 West Georgia St., Vancouver
Featuring: Karen Houle, Fiona Lam, George McWhirter, Garry Thomas Morse, Andreas Schroeder, Nilofar Shidmehr, and Rhea Tregebov
Free!


The Peculiar Poetry Cabaret
Saturday, April 2nd, 8:30 PM
The Wise Hall
1882 Adanac Street, Vancouver
Featuring: C.R. Avery, Barbara Adler, Al Mader and more!
$10-$15, proceeds to the VIPF


BC Book Prize Soirée Night
Tuesday, April 5th, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
The Listel Hotel
1300 Robson Street, Vancouver
Featuring: Finalist authors signing books. Not sure which. Who cares, really - it's a free soirée at a fancy hotel. How do you turn down a free soirée?
Free (as I think I made fairly clear above)


Incite Reading Series
Wednesday, April 6th, 7:30 PM
Alice MacKay room, Central Library
350 West Georgia St., Vancouver
Featuring: Timothy Taylor, Gurjinder Basran, and Rupinder Gill
Free!


Twisted Poets Literary Salon
Thursday, April 7th, 7:00 PM — 10:00 PM
The Prophouse Cafe
1636 Venables Street, Vancouver
Featuring: Diane Tucker and Eric Hamber
$5 (suggested donation)


Robson Reading Series
Thursday, April 7th, 7:00 PM
UBC Bookstore, Robson Square
800 Robson St, Vancouver
Featuring: Ryan Knighton and Ed Macdonald
Free!


Three Poets Reading
Saturday, April 9th, 3:00 PM
Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye Rooms, VPL Central Library
350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver
Featuring: Cathy Ford, bill bissett and Mona Fertig
Free!


Lit Fest New West
Friday, April 15th (evening) and Saturday, April 16th (all day)
Douglas College, New West Campus
700 Royal Avenue, New Westminster
Featuring: Free worskhops, and performances by Steven Galloway, C.R. Avery, Dennis E. Bolen and more!
Free!


Third Friday Reading Series
Friday, April 15th, 8:00 PM
People's Co-op Bookstore
1391 Commercial Drive
Featuring: Justin Lukyn
Free!


Vancouver International Poetry Festival
April 18th - 23rd, 2011
Events all over Commercial Drive, mostly at Cafe Deux Soleils, Wise Hall and Havana (view full event listings here)
Featuring: Oh man... Susan Musgrave, bill bissett, Billeh Nickerson, Lilly Allen, Mike McGee, Jem Rolls, Brendan McLeod, Heather Haley, Barbara Adler, and many, many more!
$60 for a festival pass, prices vary for individual events (check here)


Spoken Ink Reading Series
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011, 7:30 PM
La Fontana Caffe
101-3701 East Hastings Street, Burnaby
Featuring: Tariq Malik
Free!


Short Line Reading Series
Tuesday, April 19th, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
The Railway Club
579 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
Featuring: Jamie Reid and Daniel Zomparelli
Free!


Incite Reading Series
Wednesday, April 20th, 7:30 PM
Alice MacKay room, Central Library
350 West Georgia St., Vancouver
Featuring: Joyce Carol Oates and Johanna Skibsrud
Free!


Twisted Poets Literary Salon
Thursday, April 21st, 7:00 PM — 10:00 PM
The Prophouse Cafe
1636 Venables Street, Vancouver
Featuring: Rob Taylor (hey, that's me!) and Catherine McNeil
$5 (suggested donation)


4 poets, 10 hours, 13 kilometers, 125 readings
Thursday, April 21st
Starts at 9:00 AM, readings all over town (see poster)
Finish line reading, 7:00pm - 8:30 PM
Vancouver Public Library, Meeting Room, Level 3
350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver
Featuring: Ray Hsu, Kim Fu, Andrea Bennett and Kevin Spenst
Free!


Robson Reading Series
Thursday, April 21st, 7:00 PM
UBC Bookstore, Robson Square
800 Robson St, Vancouver
Featuring: Jacob McArthur Mooney, Susan Musgrave and Matt Rader
Free!


Poetry is Dead Issue #3 Launch
Thursday, April 21st, 7:00 PM (doors), 8:00 PM (start)
Havana Theatre
1212 Commercial Drive
Featuring: Ben Rawluk, Renee Sarojini Saklikar, Shannon Rayne, and more
$10 (includes a free subscription)


"Five", OCW Magazine's Fifth Birthday Party
Tuesday, April 26th, 7:00 - 11:00 PM
The Waldorf Hotel, Cabaret Room
1489 East Hastings St, Vancouver
Featuring: "PechaKucha" style five minute talks by Barbara Adler, TJ Dawe, Kevin Spenst, Rob Taylor (me!) and many more!
$10 (includes a free subscription)