Join us for an evening of poetry, prose, and music at BNA Burger (in the BNA tasting room)! IWC is delighted to have Clare Thiessen as our featured writer, followed by our Open Mic! Entry is a $6-$10 sliding scale, and $5 for members.

Clare Thiessen (she/her) lives on the traditional, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan people, in so-called Vernon, British Columbia. Her debut chapbook, tiger poems, was published by Gaspereau Press in summer of 2023, and her chapbook manuscript No One Cares About Your Break-Up Poem!!! won the 2023 John Lent Poetry Prose Award. She operates broke press, a small chapbook press, from her basement suite kitchen table, and works at the public library as an assistant community librarian. She is a wannabe poet, amateur film photographer, and multi-media mess-maker.

Doors are at 6:30pm, and sign up begins promptly at 6:30pm with our hosts. We have 6 open mic spots, so bring your stories, poems, and music! Spots are first come, first served. Both food and drink will be available from BNA.

There are two single user, gender-neutral washrooms available and the space is wheelchair accessible.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join the IWC collective for a night of editing and peer review. This workshop invites writers at all stages to engage in a learning and sharing environment. Please bring 10 copies of the same one poem, or one flash fiction, to have reviewed by an inclusive and positive group of fellow writers. We have 10 spots available, and are first come, first served. Each writer will have the chance to share their work, hear a robust discussion of how the work is succeeding or needs more development, and share their own impressions of others’ work. This event is free and all ages. 

The Alternator Centre is located in the Rotary Centre for the Arts and is wheelchair accessible. Bathrooms are gendered stalled washrooms, with a single, gender neutral and wheelchair accessible washroom available.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Do you prefer heroic characters, like Katniss Everdeen and Robin Hood? Or are you more drawn to the villainous type, such as Darth Vader and Cruella de Vil? Or maybe you’re of the opinion that not all heroes are as moral as they seem and that villains can’t be so neatly categorized as evil. After all, was Frankenstein’s creature really the bad guy? And are Batman’s actions ever truly justified?

The storied, epic battle of Heroes vs. Villains will be definitively decided at IWC’S Team Poetry Slam on March 28. Join us at BNA Burger from 7:00 – 9:00 pm to find out who will reign victorious. Show up dressed to rep your team in what is sure to be a slam for the ages as both sides battle it out for a cash prize. There will be individual poems performed in the first round, and a co-written team poem performed in the second round.

Tickets are available at the door, and entry is a $10-$20 sliding scale. There will be prizes for best costumes!

There are two single user, gender-neutral washrooms available and the space is wheelchair accessible.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join the IWC collective for an afternoon of editing and peer review. This workshop invites writers at all stages to engage in a learning and sharing environment. Please bring 10 copies of the same one poem, or one flash fiction, to have reviewed by an inclusive and positive group of fellow writers. We have 9 spots available, and are first come, first served. Each writer will have the chance to share their work, hear a robust discussion of how the work is succeeding or needs more development, and share their own impressions of others’ work. This event is free and all ages. 

This workshop is being held at the Rutland branch of the Okanagan Regional Library, in one of their meeting rooms, and is wheelchair accessible.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join us for an evening of poetry, prose, and music at BNA Burger (in the BNA tasting room)! IWC presents our Open Mic! Entry is a $6-$10 sliding scale, and $5 for members.

Doors are at 6:30pm, and sign up begins promptly at 6:30pm with our hosts. We have 10 open mic spots, so bring your stories, poems, and music! Spots are first come, first served. Both food and drink will be available from BNA.

There are two single user, gender-neutral washrooms available and the space is wheelchair accessible.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join the IWC collective for a night of editing and peer review. This workshop invites writers at all stages to engage in a learning and sharing environment. Please bring 10 copies of the same one poem, or one flash fiction, to have reviewed by an inclusive and positive group of fellow writers. We have 10 spots available, and are first come, first served. Each writer will have the chance to share their work, hear a robust discussion of how the work is succeeding or needs more development, and share their own impressions of others’ work. This event is free and all ages. 

The Alternator Centre is located in the Rotary Centre for the Arts and is wheelchair accessible. Bathrooms are gendered stalled washrooms, with a single, gender neutral and wheelchair accessible washroom available.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join us for an evening of poetry, fun, and friendly competition at BNA Burger (in the BNA tasting room)! IWC presents our Open Mic and Open Slam! Entry is a $6-$10 sliding scale, and $5 for members.

Doors are at 6:30pm, and sign up begins promptly at 6:30pm with our hosts. We have 5 open mic spots and 5 open slam spots—with cash prizes for the open slam! Spots are first come, first served. Both food and drink will be available from BNA.

There are two single user, gender-neutral washrooms available and the space is wheelchair accessible.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join the IWC collective for an afternoon of editing and peer review. This workshop invites writers at all stages to engage in a learning and sharing environment. Please bring 10 copies of the same one poem, or one flash fiction, to have reviewed by an inclusive and positive group of fellow writers. We have 9 spots available, and are first come, first served. Each writer will have the chance to share their work, hear a robust discussion of how the work is succeeding or needs more development, and share their own impressions of others’ work. This event is free and all ages. 

This workshop is being held at the Mission branch of the Okanagan Regional Library, in one of their meeting rooms, and is wheelchair accessible.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join us for an evening of poetry, fun, and friendly competition at BNA Burger (in the BNA tasting room)! IWC presents our Open Mic and Open Slam! Entry is a $6-$10 sliding scale, and $5 for members.

Doors are at 6:30pm, and sign up begins promptly at 6:30pm with our hosts. We have 5 open mic spots and 5 open slam spots—with cash prizes for the open slam! Spots are first come, first served. Both food and drink will be available from BNA.

There are two single user, gender-neutral washrooms available and the space is wheelchair accessible.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join the IWC collective for a night of editing and peer review. This workshop invites writers at all stages to engage in a learning and sharing environment. Please bring 10 copies of the same one poem, or one flash fiction, to have reviewed by an inclusive and positive group of fellow writers. We have 10 spots available, and are first come, first served. Each writer will have the chance to share their work, hear a robust discussion of how the work is succeeding or needs more development, and share their own impressions of others’ work. This event is free and all ages. 

The Alternator Centre is located in the Rotary Centre for the Arts and is wheelchair accessible. Bathrooms are gendered stalled washrooms, with a single, gender neutral and wheelchair accessible washroom available.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join us for an evening of poetry, fun, and friendly competition at BNA Burger (in the BNA tasting room)! IWC presents our Open Mic and Open Slam! Entry is a $6-$10 sliding scale, and $5 for members.

Doors are at 6:30pm, and sign up begins promptly at 6:30pm with our hosts. We have 5 open mic spots and 5 open slam spots—with cash prizes for the open slam! Spots are first come, first served. Both food and drink will be available from BNA.

There are two single user, gender-neutral washrooms available and the space is wheelchair accessible.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join the IWC collective for a night of editing and peer review. This workshop invites writers at all stages to engage in a learning and sharing environment. Please bring 10 copies of the same one poem, or one flash fiction, to have reviewed by an inclusive and positive group of fellow writers. We have 10 spots available, and are first come, first served. Each writer will have the chance to share their work, hear a robust discussion of how the work is succeeding or needs more development, and share their own impressions of others’ work. This event is free and all ages. 

The Alternator Centre is located in the Rotary Centre for the Arts and is wheelchair accessible. Bathrooms are gendered stalled washrooms, with a single, gender neutral and wheelchair accessible washroom available.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join us for an evening of poetry, prose, and music at BNA Burger (in the BNA tasting room)! IWC presents our Open Mic! Entry is a $6-$10 sliding scale, and $5 for members.

Doors are at 6:30pm, and sign up begins promptly at 6:30pm with our hosts. We have 10 open mic spots, so bring your stories, poems, and music! Spots are first come, first served. Both food and drink will be available from BNA.

There are two single user, gender-neutral washrooms available and the space is wheelchair accessible.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Come and learn some of the basic tenets of spoken word! This workshop is for anyone who wants to read their work aloud, and especially for writers thinking about the performance or recital of their poetry. We will work through sound, voice, body, and gesture, and expand our understanding of what constitutes poetry and how we define spoken word. Together, we will write new words, collaborate, and share, which will empower participants to get on stage with confidence.

Poet, performer, and PhD student Erin Scott will lead the “Introduction to Spoken Word” workshop. All experience levels welcome!

This workshop is held at the Downtown Kelowna Branch of the Okanagan Regional Library. This event is free of charge but you must register at the ORL. The workshop is from 3:15 pm until 4:45 pm and is first come, first served.

IWC is pleased to partner with Valley Voices Okanagan to bring you a spoken word workshop. For additional information about this event and their Poetry Festival, please see the Valley Voices website.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join us for an evening of poetry, prose, and music at BNA Burger! IWC is delighted to be hosting the launch of Michael V. Smith’s newest book, Queers Like Me (Book*hug Press, 2023), featuring our Open Mic. First, we will have a 5-spot open mic, which will be followed by a reading and interview with author, performer, filmmaker, and professor Michael V. Smith.

Entry is a $6-$10 sliding scale. Please purchase tickets HERE.

About the book*: “Confessional and immersive, Michael V. Smith’s latest collection is a broad tapestry that explores growing up queer and working class, then growing into an urban queer life.

In these poems, we are immersed in the world of a young Smith as he shares the awkward dinners, the funerals, and the uncertainty of navigating fraught dynamics, bringing us into these most intimate moments of family life while outrunning deep grief. Smith moves from first home to first queer experiences: teenage crushes, video cameras, post-club hookups, fears and terrors, closeted lovers, and daydreams of confronting your childhood bully.

Queers Like Me is an enveloping book—a meditation on family complexity and a celebration of personal insight.”

Copies of Queers Like Me will be available to purchase at the event.

Doors are at 6:30pm, and sign up begins promptly at 6:30pm with our hosts. We have 5 open mic spots available and are first come, first served. Both food and drink will be available from BNA.

There are two single user, gender-neutral washrooms available and the space is wheelchair accessible.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

* This description is from Book*hug Press.

Join the IWC collective for a night of editing and peer review. This workshop invites writers at all stages to engage in a learning and sharing environment. Please bring 10 copies of the same one poem, or one flash fiction, to have reviewed by an inclusive and positive group of fellow writers. We have 10 spots available, and are first come, first served. Each writer will have the chance to share their work, hear a robust discussion of how the work is succeeding or needs more development, and share their own impressions of others’ work. This event is free and all ages. 

The Alternator Centre is located in the Rotary Centre for the Arts and is wheelchair accessible. Bathrooms are gendered stalled washrooms, with a single, gender neutral and wheelchair accessible washroom available.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join us for an evening of poetry, fun, and friendly competition at BNA Burger (in the BNA tasting room)! IWC presents our Open Mic and Open Slam—this month with an extra special spooky Halloween theme! Entry is a $6-$10 sliding scale, and $5 for members.

Dressing up is encouraged for this event!

Doors are at 6:30pm, and sign up begins promptly at 6:30pm with our hosts. We have 5 open mic spots and 5 open slam spots—with cash prizes for the open slam! Spots are first come, first served. Both food and drink will be available from BNA.

There are two single user, gender-neutral washrooms available and the space is wheelchair accessible.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join us for an evening of poetry, prose, and music at Nuit Blanche! IWC is pleased to partner with Nuit Blanche to bring you inspiring performances and an open mic—hosted by KENDONTCRY and featuring artists Frantic and The Poetry Elf.

The event begins at 9:00pm at the Centre Culturel Francophone de l’Okanagan/Okanagan Francophone Cultural Centre at the outdoor stage in the parking lot. Sign up begins promptly at 8:30pm with our hosts. We have limited open mic spots, so arrive on time to secure your spot—and make sure to bring your stories, poems, and music! Spots are first come, first served.

This event is free and 19+ (bar on site).

Please visit Nuit Blanche for additional information.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join IWC for a night of editing and peer review. This workshop invites writers at all stages to engage in a learning and sharing environment. Please bring 10 copies of the same one poem, or one flash fiction, to have reviewed by an inclusive and positive group of fellow writers. We have 10 spots available, and are first come, first served. Each writer will have the chance to share their work, hear a robust discussion of how the work is succeeding or needs more development, and share their own impressions of others’ work. This event is free and all ages. 

The Alternator Centre is located in the Rotary Centre for the Arts and is wheelchair accessible. Bathrooms are gendered stalled washrooms, with a single, gender neutral and wheelchair accessible washroom available.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.

Join us for an evening of poetry, fun, and friendly competition at BNA Burger (in the BNA tasting room)! Back at it with our first event of the season, IWC presents our Open Mic and Open Slam. Entry is a $6-$10 sliding scale, and $5 for members.

Doors are at 6:30pm, and sign up begins promptly at 6:30pm with our hosts. We have 5 open mic spots and 5 open slam spots—with cash prizes for the open slam! Spots are first come, first served. Both food and drink will be available from BNA.

There are two single user, gender-neutral washrooms available and the space is wheelchair accessible.

Our programming is made possible by the City of Kelowna, the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, and BNA Brewery.

We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work in the unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx people. It is a privilege to be able to put on events as uninvited guests on their land.