Maleea Acker lives in unceded WSÁNEĆ territories, on Vancouver Island. She is a post-doctoral researcher in Geography at the University of Victoria. Maleea lectures in Geography and Canadian Studies at UVic and is Faculty in English Literature at Thompson Rivers University. She is the author of three poetry collections: Hesitating Once to Feel Glory (Nightwood Editions, 2022), which was nominated for the Victoria Butler Book Prize, The Reflecting Pool, and Air-Proof Green (Pedlar Press 2009 & 2012), and the non-fiction book, Gardens Aflame: Garry Oak Meadows of BC’s South Coast (New Star 2020, 2013). She has lived, worked, and been an arts fellow in Canada, USA, Mexico, and Europe. 

Fatima-Ayan Malika Hirsi is a Black mother who spends time with forests and waters on ancestral T’Sou-ke lands. Her work strives to instigate action in service to world-building, social change, and collaboration. Her poems live in Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora, MAYDAY, Torch, Rise Up Review, and other portals. She is the author of the chapbooks EVERYTHING GOOD IS DYING and Moon Woman. Her first full-length poetry collection, DREAMS FOR EARTH, is forthcoming from Deep Vellum in fall of 2025. Travel with her online at fatimaayanmalikahirsi.com.

A rising star in the spoken word community, Shauntelle is a poet from the Hesquiaht and Songhees First Nations whose work shines a light on Indigenous resilience, intergenerational trauma, and the experiences of Indigenous women. She began writing in Grade 10 and quickly found her voice on the stage. In 2019, she competed with the Vic Slam Team at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, where they placed 8th at nationals.

Her poetry has been featured in Aboriginal Voices 2, and she dreams of publishing her own book one day.

For more information about this program, or to contact the Youth Poet Laureate, email culture@victoria.ca.

Dr. Jenna Butler (she/her) is an award-winning poet, essayist, and editor. She is the author of six collections of poetry and essays. Revery: A Year of Bees, essays about beekeeping, climate grief, and trauma recovery, was a finalist for the 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award and a longlisted title for CBC Canada Reads. A retired professor of creative and environmental writing, Butler holds fellowships from the Yaddo Foundation and Studio Faire. She works on the land between a collaborative off-grid organic farm in northern Treaty 6 and the unceded traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples of Vancouver Island.

Lex Venn is an RTC, therapist, and multidisciplinary practitioner. Her ethos as a practitioner is helping people come home to themselves through holistic and integrative modalities. She loves finding a healthy blend between clinical and ancient practices. She has been working with sound for many years now and has a variety of instruments that she uses. She runs her private therapeutic practice here in Victoria BC, & she see's clients both online and in person.

Briana Bear is a Coast Salish Artist and Songhees Territory Welcomer from the Songhees/ Lekwungen Nation in Victoria and roots to the Kwa kwa ka' kwak/ Namgis Nation in Alert Bay.

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Brianna Bear Art is an Indigenous -  owned and founded, Canadian artist established in 2020 by Brianna Bear. Based in the traditional territory of the Lekwugen, place to smoke herring lands of the Songhees and Esquimalt nations in Victoria B.C. 

​Brianna started first as an artist with more then fifteen plus years of experience. She began learning under her grandfather Skip Dicks younger brother, Butch Dick. Afterwards she branched out into discovering her roots and design through her cultural connections to Songhees & Namgis formline design. 

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Today working as one of a few Indigenous female artist within her traditional territory of the Songhees people, she has worked on murals, logos, small business designs, small event designs and more! 

I hope you'll join us for this wonderful afternoon of poetry, community connection and rejuvenation!