Shab-e She'r (Poetry Night) XCIV

Featured poets: Toronto Poet Laureate Lillian Allen & Laboni Islam

Host: Bänoo Zan

Time: Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Place: Main Hall, Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto, ON M5S 2M7
This is an in-person event.

Open Mic Sign-up: 6:30 PM EST
Show 7-10 PM EST
Admission: $15-20

Lillian Allen was named Toronto Poet Laureate by Toronto City Council in May 2023. Lillian is a professor of creative writing at OCAD University. She is a two-time JUNO Award winner and trailblazer in the field of spoken word and dub poetry. Lillian artistically explores the aesthetics of old and new sounds with her powerful reggae dub poetry and spoken word recordings. Over the decades, Lillian has created opportunities for new generations of artists and initiated and led community-building youth-supporting programs. She has received numerous accolades and awards, including being the recipient of an honorary doctorate in recognition of outstanding contribution to Canadian Literature from Wilfrid Laurier University, the Toronto Cultural Champions Award, the Margo Bindhardt Award for significantly impacting the arts in Toronto through both creative work and activism, and the William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations.
https://lillianallen.ca/
Laboni Islam was born in Canada to Bangladeshi parents. Her poem “Lunar Landing, 1966” was shortlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize (2017). She is the author of the chapbooks Light Years (Baseline Press, 2022) and Trimming the Wick (ignitionpress, 2023). Laboni serves as an arts educator in gallery and community spaces and creates curriculum resources for organizations that advance the Global Goals.
https://www.laboniislam.ca/