I will be putting up a post everyday now leading up to the Envoi Poetry Festival.
Gregory Scofield will launch the Envoi Poetry Festival at Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum on Wednesday, May 27 at 4:00 p.m. with a reading from Louis: The Heretic Poems. Published in 2011 by Nightwood editions, this collection challenges traditional conceptions of Riel as a folk hero and martyr. By juxtaposing historical events and quotes with the poetic narrative, Scofield draws attention to sides of the Métis leader that most Canadians have never contemplated: that of husband, father, friend, lover, poet and visionary.
Having published five collections of poetry, Scofield has earned a national and international audience. He is known for his unique and dynamic reading style that blends oral storytelling, song, spoken word and the Cree language. Scofield is also in town to deliver the Anne Szumigalski Memorial Lecture, presented by the League of Canadian Poets as part of their annual conference.
One of Canada’s leading Indigenous writers, it only makes sense that Scofield launches Envoi Poetry Festival – a week that will celebrate the best in western Canadian poetry, with a specific focus on Indigenous voices. EPF is looking forward to launching our festival with some poetry about such an important figure in Manitoban and Canadian history, in a space that houses the largest collection of Louis Riel artifacts.
This event is free and open to the public!