Living Hyphen is proud to partner with award-winning spoken word poet, Andrea Thompson to bring you a special workshop that will explore the art of spoken word poetry as a vehicle for creative expression and self-empowerment.

Through a playful approach to writing and performing, veteran spoken word artist Andrea Thompson will guide participants through the process of creating a spoken word poem – from blank page to virtual stage.

In this session, participants will learn how to write with passion about topics that are relevant to them and share their work with power and confidence. In a nurturing, supportive environment, this workshop will help participants banish writer’s block, overcome stage fright and find, develop, and nurture their unique poetic voice.

More than that, Andrea will share a reading from her latest collection, A Selected History of Soul Speak, recently released by Frontenac House. In this collection of poems, Andrea Thompson investigates the intersection of page and stage, and the evolution of spoken word as a hybrid form of literary orature.

Thompson’s collection blurs the space between public and private, while excavating the influence of Black North American history, art and culture on contemporary poetics. From the slave songs and spirituals of the cotton fields of the Old South, to the smoky coffee houses of the Harlem Renaissance, to today’s slam stages and rap battles, these poems elevate the written and spoken word as vehicles for individual empowerment, collective agency, and social justice. Click here to get 20% off of 'A Selected History of Soul Speak' from Frontenac House with the promo code LIVINGHYPHEN.

Join us for an evening of inspiration, experimentation, exploration, and celebration of your own innate style of “soul speak”

No writing experience necessary. All you need is a steady Internet connection to join us online, some paper, and a pen.

In an abundance of caution and for our own peace of mind, all of Living Hyphen's writing workshops for the winter/spring 2022 season will continue to take place virtually. You will receive a link to join us shortly after your registration.

To learn more about our programming, please visit www.livinghyphen.ca.

About Financial Accessibility

At Living Hyphen, we believe strongly in making our programs financially accessible, which is why we always offer a few subsidized spaces. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, we are also able to offer five free tickets to this workshop for those in financial need. Please send us an email at hello@livinghyphen.ca to request a free ticket along with a short statement on why this workshop is important for you.

If you would like to make a donation to offer a fully subsidized experience for a participant, please get in touch with us at hello@livinghyphen.ca.

ABOUT YOUR FACILITATOR: ANDREA THOMPSON

Andrea Thompson is an Afro-Canadian writer, spoken word artist, educator, and editor, who has been teaching creative writing to students of all ages for over twenty-five years. Andrea has taught through the University of Toronto, OCAD University, and Brock University, as well as through community groups and agencies across the country. Andrea has a passion for having fun with language – using writing and performance as tools for empowered self-expression, enhanced self-confidence, community building, and social justice. Andrea’s spoken word album One was nominated for a Canadian Urban Music Award, her album Soulorations helped earn her a League of Canadian Poets’ Golden Beret Award, and she is the recipient of the 2021 Pavlick Poetry Prize. Check out her latest collection, A Selected History of Soul Speak, recently released by Frontenac House.

Learn more about Andrea at www.andreathompson.ca.

ABOUT 'A SELECTED HISTORY OF SOUL SPEAK'

In this collection of poems, Andrea Thompson investigates the intersection of page and stage, and the evolution of spoken word as a hybrid form of literary orature. Thompson’s collection blurs the space between public and private, while excavating the influence of Black North American history, art and culture on contemporary poetics. From the slave songs and spirituals of the cotton fields of the Old South, to the smoky coffee houses of the Harlem Renaissance, to today’s slam stages and rap battles, these poems elevate the written and spoken word as vehicles for individual empowerment, collective agency and social justice. Thompson asks us: Why speak? Why write? And then takes us on a journey spanning decades, generations and cultures in the exploration of possible answers.

CLICK HERE TO GET 20% OFF 'A SELECTED HISTORY OF SOUL SPEAK' FROM FRONTENAC HOUSE WITH THE PROMO CODE LIVINGHYPHEN.