An extremely blurry photo of a Haitian-Canadian woman reading at a microphone. The words "l'enfant more assassine - MArie-Celie Agnant" appear in white text in the upper-left corner of the image.

A very blurry photo of Sanita Fejzic - a Bosniak lesbian in jeans and a red sweater, whose hair is very short - reading at a music stand. The words "...small and silent as a mouse / grade eleven / a girl throws me into a garbage bin..." (Sanita Fejzic) appear, in white text in the upper-left corner of the image.

Our two live readers at VERSeFest x Riverbed:
Marie-Célie Agnant (L)
Sanita Fejzić (R)

#VERSeFest2026 #ottpoetry #ottpoets #queerpoets #HaitianPoets #ottawa #ottawaevents

A petite queer Bosnian woman with very short hair, reads poetry at a music stand. She's wearing jeans and a red sweater. Lines from the poem she's reading - "small and silent as a mouse // grade eleven // a girl throws me into a garbage bin" ~ Sanita Fejzic - have been added, in white text, in the upper-left corner of this very blurry photo.

A photo from the very, very back of the room - thense the horrible blurriness - while Sanita Fejzić reads from her book, "Refugee Mouth", at VERSeFest x Riverbed.

#VERSeFest2026 #ottpoetry #ottpoets #queerpoets #ottawa #ottawaevents

Poets & Performers from 2025

Attn #OttPoets: VERSeFest lineup is up!

www.verseottawa.ca/en/performers