Sensory Poetry Workshop

Elements from nature and everyday life will be used to create imagery and rhythms for a personal blend of metaphors. Participants will respond to the prompt "What Stories Are In Your Hands?" (an exercise from Cynthia's book Rainforest in Russet) and study poetic devices in popular poems for editing tips to strengthen flow and tighten diction. Each person will have the opportunity to read their work to the group if they wish.

Cynthia Sharp holds an MFA in creative writing and an Honours BA in literature. She is the author of Ordinary Light, a first-prize winner in the 2023 SCWES Book Awards, as well as the 2024 International Book Impact Awards in the Sustainability and Contemporary Poetry categories. She also penned Rainforest in Russet, for which Bill Arnott dubbed her “The Mary Oliver of Canada” in his review in The Miramichi Reader. Her books can be found in Burnaby Public Libraries and her poetry and reviews in many literary journals such as CV2, Toasted Cheese, untethered and Prism. She recently returned from Washington where she was an editor for The Pitkin Review.

Lara Varesi began her poetry journey in 2010 with Pandora's Collective, and has since read for and hosted many events, including Mashed Poetics, Word Whips, Poetic Justice, Twisted Poets, Poetry in the Park, and the Dominion Reading Series. In 2014, Lara became president of Burnaby Writers Society, and also organizes and hosts their monthly reading series Spoken INK. Through there, she has been fortunate to feature many inspiring authors from all over Canada. Lara's work has been published in the Royal City Literary Arts Society and Delta Literary Arts anthologies.

Presented in partnership with Burnaby StrideFest and the Burnaby Writers’ Society.

This event is full