The Seventeen Syllable Slam is a literary comedy poetry competition where poets attempt to win over judges with their short poems. Each poem needs to have seventeen syllables or less (sort of like a haiku) and there will be sixteen poets in the competition, with the top four taking home cash prizes. The poems do not have to be funny, but the event certainly will be. Please expect a unicorn, bubbles, flags, and fur.
Location: HSBC Hall, UBC Robson Square
Sponsored by: Death Rides a Unicorn
Moderator: Sean Andrew McGarragle
Readers: RC Weslowski | David Geary | Jenny Garcha | Duncan Shield | Warren Dean Fulton | Sarah Waters | Catherine Lewis | Ferando Raguero | Neko Smart | Sonya Littlejohn | Leslie Stark | Johnny Macrae | Amanda Eagleson | Spillios the Ridiculous | One Marlo Browne | Mo the Poet
About The Moderator
Sean Andrew McGarragle
Sean is a poet, activist, academic and storyteller based out of Vancouver’s downtown eastside. He has organized over 500 literary and spoken word events across Canada and the US and has performed across North America and in Europe. He is the founder of the Vancouver International Poetry Festival (now entitled Verses) and the Vancouver Storytelling Slam. He has been lead organizer of the Bolts of Fiction literary series and the Vancouver Poetry Slam, Co-Chair of Spoken Word Canada (SpoCan), tournament director for the Individual World Poetry Slam in Charlotte North Carolina and the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in various cities. He teaches first and second year communications and he is far sillier than he appears.
About The Readers
RC Weslowski
RC Weslowski is an award winning procrastinator. The rest of this bio will be provided later.
David Geary
David Geary (Taranaki Māori) grew up with the Polynesian trickster tales of Māui and now lives on the unceded lands of the Coyote and Raven tricksters. He is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, fiction writer, and haikuist. David teaches in the Capilano University Documentary and Indigenous Digital Filmmaking programs; and teaches playwriting at the PTC Playwrights Theatre Centre in Vancouver. His recent work includes short plays for https://www.climatechangetheatreaction.com/. He’s a member of LMDA Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas and does script consultation for theatre, TV, and Film. His 2025 article on the benefits of outdoor education can be found in Canada Theatre Review Vol. 201: Future, Uncertainty and the Theatre Sector https://utppublishing.com/toc/ctr/201.
Jenny Garcha
Jenny's journey as a writer began 2 years ago. Her initial performance of her first Thanksgiving sparked an ever growing wildfire of passion for writing. Since then she has co-founded the Douglas college creative writing club, performed in several literary events with death rides a unicorn society, and been published in the SAPPzine and Brave Voices 1 year Anniversary Chapbook. Through the years, Jenny has realized that spoken word and creative writing have helped her become more vulnerable and open to sharing parts of herself with the world.
Duncan Shields
Duncan Shields is a computer games animator, science fiction writer, burlesque performer, podcaster, and spoken-word poet currently living in Vancouver, British Columbia with his daughter and wife. He has a voracious appetite for movies, comics, and science fiction/fantasy novels. He’s tall, he has blue eyes, a few tattoos, he’s a libra, he enjoys the rain and he likes bland burritos. He’s happy to be here.
Warren Dean Fulton
Warren is a father, poet, micro press publisher, poetry event host/MC, independent filmmaker, videographer, director, actor, obsessive poetry book collector and avid traveller. He lives in New Westminster.
