“A Poem Is Not a Revolution” Collaborative Reading & Writing Workshops

A generative, collaborative reading and writing workshop anchored in anti-colonial, anti-imperial texts and writers; including M. NourbeSe Philip, Eve Tuck, June Jordan, Audre Lorde, Solmaz Sharif, Samih al-Qasim, Jamila Osman, and more. What if we enter language from a position of distrust, of knowing— in the words of Huey P. Newton— that “culture alone will not liberate us?” And what if we still insist on mobilizing language and culture as tools to actively dismantle imperial and colonial power? In this workshop, we will create a space for collective study and careful attention. We will practice embodied and relational ways of experiencing language together. And in the spirit of radical kinship and solidarity, we will write towards a common language of liberation, a language unimaginable to the death-making machinery of empire.

This workshop draws its name from Jamila Osman’s essay, “The guerilla is like a poet,” and is open to anyone. All three sessions will take place on Zoom, with live captioning and access funds are available.

Participants will be invited to share their work at QTRL’s Artist Showcase at the Tranzac Club on May 31, 2024.

This workshop is FREE and will take place on Zoom with CART Live Captioning. We will be reading texts, watching/listening to multimedia content, writing together, and doing gentle movement practices (always optional). We recommend a quiet space, stable internet, and the ability to use Google Drive to access shared materials.

The deadline to submit an application is March 25th. Spaces are limited; we will accept a cohort of 15 participants. We will notify all applicants of our decision by March 29th.

Note: We will reserve 50% of workshop spots for students currently enrolled at the University of Toronto. Everyone who applies will receive a workshop package with readings, prompts, and writing activities.

Jody Chan (writer, organizer, care worker) and Mila Natasha Mendez (cultural worker, parent) are friends who like to think together about the form and function of art for liberation struggles. Can a drum incite commitment? When does a poem alter breathing? These are the kinds of questions they linger on, one conversation and many citations at a time.