The VERSeFest “Poetry Kit for Teachers” has been designed to assist teachers and students with an introduction to poets who will be participating in VERSeFest Feb,28 – March 4, 2012.

Students and teachers will be invited to visit www.versefest.ca to find complete lists of poets, bios, reading/performance dates and times, audio recordings, videos, poetry links, interviews.

“Poetry Kit for Teachers” will feature selected poems, discussion ideas and writing prompts for the following poets:

  • Fred Wah – Parliamentary Poet Laureate of Canada
  • Ian Keteku – former World Slam Champion
  • Pearl Pirie – language poet, winner of the Robert Kroetsch Award
  • Philip Levine – Poet Laureate of the U.S.A.
  • Pura Lopez-Colume – winner of the Xavier Villurrutia Prize, with Elsa Cross (2008) — Mexico’s most prestigious poetry prize.
  • Other poets include: Ian Keteku, Mike McGee, Ursula Rucker, C.R. Avery, Pearl Pirie, Susan McMaster