“Mama of Dada”
Sheri-D Wilson has 8 collections of poetry; her most recent, Goddess Gone Fishing for a Map of the Universe(2012, Frontenac House), will be launched in March. Her collection, Re:Zoom (2005, Frontenac House), won the 2006 Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry, and was shortlisted for the CanLit Award. In 2011 she edited, The Spoken Word Workbook: inspiration from poets who teach (CSWS/BCP).
She has 2 Spoken Word CDs (arranged by Russell Broom), and 4 award-winning VideoPoems including: Airplane Paula (2001), Spinsters Hanging in Trees (2002),all produced for BravoFACT.
ffwd Readers’ Choice—Best Poet (2007 - 2011), CBC Arts Top Ten Poets in Canada (2009), Global TV's Woman of Vision Award (2006), SpoCan Award (2005), Bumbershoot Heavyweight Title for Poetry USA (2003), Gold Award at the Houston Film Festival (2003), Three ACE Awards (2003), AMPIA (2003, for best short or vignette), CBC Face-off (2002).
V125PC 2011 (Vancouver), National Slam-Legends of Spoken Word 2011 (Toronto), Vancouver International Writers Festival 2011, 2002, ‘00, ‘95, ‘93, ’90 (Vancouver), Maple Stirrup en El Arco de la virgin 2010 (Barcelona), Art 4 Change 2010 (Harlem), FiEstival maelstrÖm reEvolution 2010 (Brussels), Blue Met 2009 (Montreal), Voix d’Amériques 2008,‘05 (Montreal), Bumbershoot 2003, ‘99, ‘92, ‘91, ‘89 (Seattle), The World Poetry Bout 2002 (Taos, New Mexico), Poetry Africa 2001 (South Africa), WordFest 2008, 2000, ’95 (Calgary, Banff), Harbourfront Reading Series 1993 (Toronto), Small Press Festival 1990 (NYC).
Other Highlights:
Women and Words 2003-2011 (instructor), First Time Eyes: Unearthing Spoken Word 2007 essay (Canadian Theatre Review), Heart of a Poet 2006, featured poet documentary, Bowery Project 2005 (Instructor), Alberta Scene 2005 (a commemoration of Alberta’s centennial), Human Rights Symposium 2005 Victoria, Sounds Like Canada, 2002 CBC Poet in Residence, Addicted: Notes From The Belly Of The Beast 2001 essay Blackout, Confessions a Jazz Play, 1991 text of play (Theatrum). Of the beat tradition, in 1989 Sheri-D studied at Naropa University's Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, in Boulder, Colorado.
Since founding the Calgary Spoken Word Poetry Festival in 2003, Sheri-D has worked to present one of the most respected Spoken Word Festivals in Canada. Driven by the passion to connect people, voices and ideas she organized SWAN (Spoken Word Arts Network, 2007 & 2005), produced the 2008 National Slam of Canada, and since 2007 has been the Program Director of the Spoken Word Program at Banff Centre.
