CBC Slam Poetry Face-Off

For the third year, CBC Radio One celebrates our country’s poetic imagination by approaching it from a sports perspective. Poets will come together in cities all across Canada to perform in a live-before-an-audience poetry cabaret. In each of 14 cities, five poets will be commissioned to write and perform their work on a common theme; this year’s is «Belonging.» The audience at each event will choose a winner and the winning entry will go on to the national play-offs. These will take place on CBC Radio’s Sounds Like Canada in April. The national listening audience will then be able to vote on their favourite, and a national champion will emerge.

In Montreal, the match will be closely fought, with the old pros - Fortner ANDERSON, Paula BELINA and Alexis O’HARA – challenged by rookies Kyra SHAUGHNESSY and Osei ‘Manchilde’ ALLEYNE. Have no fear, your host Ian FERRIER will guide the very vocal crowd in choosing the winner of this first-round match.

Recorded by CBC Radio One for later broadcast. Produced by Katherine Gombay.