Acclaimed poet Shane Koyczan hosting Friday’s ‘Words of Wellness’ event
'The first year of school is the toughest for a lot of people,' says poet and author Shane Koyczan. 'I want to help ease them into that experience.' He'll be on campus Friday, Sept. 4 for the Words of Wellness showcase, open to first-year students.
For Shane Koyczan, words have the power to affect great change.
It doesn’t matter how they’re delivered, as long as they’re conveying positivity, tolerance and, above all, hope.
On Friday, the 39-year-old poet and author will be on campus for this year’s “Words of Wellness” spoken word showcase.
Organized by the University’s Student Success Centre, the event will offer incoming students a chance to mingle with peers and learn about the delicate art and raw power of spoken word.
Register for Words of Wellness
“The first year of school is the toughest for a lot of people,” says Koyczan, speaking with the Daily News while on tour in Whistler, British Columbia. “I want to help ease them into that experience.”
Born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and raised in the small Okanagan Valley town of Penticton, British Columbia, Koyczan struggled greatly with bullying as a young child. He was aimless, unsure about his place in life and what to do with it.
He later channelled much of that frustration into art, developing a dual passion for music and spoken word that has defined much of his adult life. At the turn of the millennium, that passion illuminated a whole new career path.
Koyczan became the first Canadian to win the Individual Championship title at the 2000 National Poetry Slam.
His first book of poetry, Visiting Hours, was published in 2005, immediately drawing praise from The Globe and Mail and The Guardian and rocketing him into the genre’s homegrown elite.
As the decade progressed, he released a string of well-received albums as both a solo performer and as a member of Vancouver-based musical poetry collective Tons of Fun University.
However, it wasn’t until the 2010 Winter Olympics that he truly entered the Canadian mainstream. During the Games’ opening ceremony, Koyczan delivered an insightful, rousing spoken word poem entitled “We Are More” to resounding applause. The piece has since become one of his most popular and beloved.
In the years since, he’s toured the country relentlessly, released another book of poetry — 2012’s Our Deathbeds Will Be Thirsty — and struck a nerve with last year’s immensely popular anti-bullying rallying cry “To This Day.”
His performance at McMaster offers a welcomed chance to engage with young people — especially those in search of a transformative experience.
“There’s definitely a different energy at campus shows,” Koyczan explains. “There’s more of a hunger for education and new experiences. I’m really looking forward to visiting McMaster.”
Catch Shane Koyczan live on Friday, Sept. 4 from 4-5:30 p.m. in MDCL-1305. Local slam poetry crew Hamilton Youth Poets will also perform at the event.
Admission is free, and first-year students are welcome to attend.
