GBRS REPORT: 23 September 2011

The unexpected sound of bagpipes caught the attention of those who attended The Grey Borders Reading Series inaugural event of the 2011-12 season, which took place at the Niagara Artists Centre in St. Catharines on Sept. 23. The source of that sound soon appeared with a procession of the night’s performers in tow. In its usual off-beat way Grey Borders Reading Series welcomed poets and authors from Southwestern Ontario, and a multimedia troupe from Edinburgh, Scotland and over 30 attendees for a night of poetry and music to kick off it’s new year of operation.

(Shannon Maguire)

The first presentation came from the emerging poet Shannon Maguire, a Toronto poet and playwright currently based in St. Catharines. Maguire read a number of her poems, displaying her unique style that got her shortlisted for the 2011 Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry. Her experience as a playwright bleeds effectively into her poetry, with theatrical elements throughout.

(Aisha Sasha John)

Next to perform was Aisha Sasha John, author of The Shining Material (BookThug 2011) from Toronto. Reading a combination of works-in-progress and selections from The Shining Material, John provided a passionate and intimate presentation of her raw, emotional and, at times, humorous poetry.

(Camille Martin)

Camille Martin was next to take the podium. Also based in Toronto, Martin is a poet and author to a number of innovative and accredited works. She presented selections from a few of these collections, including her most recent publication Sonnets (Shearsman), as well as selections from more recent poetry projects. Martin’s quick-paced tempo led the audience through a whirlwind of intimate and surreal thought that was entirely engaging.

(Sandra Alland of Zorras)

After a short break, the night concluded with a high-energy performance by Zorras Multimedia Troupe, all the way from Edinburgh, Scotland. Scottish-Canadian poet Sandra Alland and Belgian-Venezuelan musician Y. Josephine teamed up to deliver a truly original mixture of spoken word, sound poetry, video, language and music. All of these elements were combined to provide a stirring display of human interaction and current events through fervor and humour.

(Y. of Zorras)

All of these elements were combined to provide a stirring display of human interaction and current events through fervor and humour.

Four presentations by five extremely talented artists, poetry, music, and an enthusiastic audience all came together to produce a brilliant start to The Grey Borders Reading Series’ 2011-2012 season.

(photos and article courtesy Amanda Roth)