Adrienne Adams (she/her) is an artist, poet, writer, curator, herb nerd and gardener living in Treaty 7 dedicated to creating braver intersectional space to honour the “feminine”. She believes that everyday and everything is sacred. She founded Woolf’s Voices, a reading series (2013-present). You can view her work in The Prairie Journal, filling Station, Herizons, The Firework, New Forum, Freefall, NōD, Antilang, Lida, Corvid Queen (Sword & Kettle Press), Deathcap, Politics/letterslive (Car Poems), Polyglot, Fire Season III anthology (2024), M(O)thering (Inanna Press 2022), YYC POP: Portraits of People, Artizein: Arts & Teaching Journal, Art-Care Practices for Restoring the Communal and others. Her chapbook Red Heads was published by above/ground Press in 2022.
She curates Woolf’s Voices (aka Virginia), joking that it’s an excuse to howl in public. She has performed her work extensively featuring at, amongst others; South Country Fair, The New Beat, Storytellers, Expressions, FlyWheel, The People’s Poetry and Ignite Festivals and co-curated for Single Onion, the Calgary International Spoken Word Festival and Storytellers for The Indie YYC. Her artwork has been shown around Alberta and is in the permanent collection at The Alberta Children’s Hospital. Ms. Adams has worked as an artist in residence and art teacher in the community for over 20 years.
https://adrienneadamsartandpoetry.com
@adamsel.adams
Ainsley Louie-Suntjens (she/her) is a Chinese-Canadian writer, poet and dance artist from Moh’kinstsis, also known as Calgary. She recently graduated from the University of Calgary with a BA in English & History. Her work focuses mainly on women, art, and the body genres, with a healthy dose of horror. You can find her work in Deathcap, Wyrd & Wise, Undressed Society, Nowhere Girl Collective and F(r)iction log. She is also **a passionate dance artist, cinephile, watercolour painter and avid thrift-shopper. You can find her at @ainsley.exe on Instagram, @ainsleyexeee on Twitter, @ainsleyexe on Letterboxd and @ainsleyexe on Goodreads.
The Merchant of Poetry (Tyler Merchant) @the_merchant_of_poetry Tyler Merchant (The Merchant of Poetry) is a slam poet and fiction writer from Calgary, Alberta. She began writing and performing in 2018, when her close friend bullied her into joining her high school slam team. She competed in the Alberta youth slam, Can You Hear Me Now, and continued on to be a regular at The Calgary Poetry Slam. She is a two time Canadian Individual Poetry Slam finalist, placing in the top 6 in 2023 and the top 4 in 2025. She received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Calgary in English Literature with a Certificate in Creative Writing. Most of her work is epistolary, exploring themes of feminism, butch identity, love and spite. Photo Credit: aloT.of.Poetry
Lyric Robinson is a fifth year English student at Athabasca University. She enjoys reading, outdoor activities, photography, and spoken word events, and thrifted fashion. She enjoys working with people and making their day brighter in any way she can. She aspires towards a career that lets her help and serve others in a way that will bring them comfort and joy. She has moved a lot with my family and is grateful that she’s have been able to meet new people, experience different walks of life, and work in diverse environments. https://theecologicalimagination.ca/about/
Aidan Darby-Miller is a non-binary photographer @onedamnphoton
Arianna Shelmerdine – Poet, Writer, Slam Champion and Woolf’s Voices alumni @ariannatheauthor
Associate Members
Amy LeBlanc (she/her) is an PhD Candidate in English Literature and creative writing at the University of Calgary. She is the former managing Editor of both Canthius and filling Station magazines. Amy’s second poetry collection “I Used to Live Here” was published by The Porcupine’s Quill in 2024. Her debut poetry collection, I know something you don’t know, was published with Gordon Hill Press in March 2020. Her collection of short stories “Homebodies” was published by Ne West Press in 2022. Her novella “Unlocking” was published by the UCalgary Press in their Brave and Brilliant Series in 2021. Her work has appeared in Room, PRISM International, and the Literary Review of Canada among others. She is a recipient of the 2020 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award.
The Alexandra Writer’s Center is currently sponsoring us and collaborated with us in 2024 to get these events off the ground and running. Special thanks to Robin Van Eyck, Precious De Leon and the AWCS team!
We would also like to thank our sponsors from The League of Canadian Poets, The Writer’s Guild of Alberta The Calgary Spoken Word Festival and many anonymous donors.
2025
Ado Nkemka (A.N.) is a pop-rock musician and multidisciplinary writer (theatre, poetry, journalism). Her writing credits include the CBC, artsUnite, Best Health, and Mount Royal University. As a musician, her work serves to improve her relationship to self and the world as well as to channel visceral responses to personal experiences through art. She released her first album “I’m Not Afraid to Die Anymore (INATDA)” November 8th 2024.
Photo Credit: Francis Willey
A.N. was a part of the 2023-2024 TD Incubator program. She also participated in MacEwan University’s TD Artist in Residence program. In 2024, various singles off her album INATDA received radio support from CBC, CKUA, x92.9, CJSW among other stations across Canada. A.N.’s recent performances include High Performance Rodeo – Beautiful Young Artist cabaret, SoundOff Summit, Sled Island Music Festival, FoundFest – opening for Vivek Shraya, and the Ship and Anchor with Spencer Jo. https://m.soundcloud.com/ado-nkemka
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2020-2021
Adetola Adedipe AKA aloT of Poetry (She/her) Nigerian roots. Raised in South Africa. A featured artist at events all over YYC from Open mics to Poetry festivals and the November 2019 Calgary Slam Champion. Published In the YYC: POP Anthology by Poet Laureate Emeritus Sheri-D Wilson and the August 2020 issue of Bi -Pan Magazine. An artist mentor for “Black Kid Joy” a program in Calgary that supports Black Youth Artists in Alberta. Her first spoken word video for her poem: “Womxn” (pronounced Woman) was made as a comment on the treatment of “Womxn” in society. By sharing her anxiety, pain, laughter and love she aims to build a community that encourages loving yourself and being unapologetic about it!
Tereasa Maillie (she/her) is a writer, historian and consultant based in Alberta. She has a very un-secret life as a poet, creative non-fiction writer, and playwright. Her current focus is on the history of the LGTBQ+ community in Canada as a form of advocacy and social justice. Tereasa was a runner-up for the Alberta Playwrights Competition 2020 with her new play “How To Make A Metis”.
Melody Griffin Dowdy is a Cree and settler woman residing on Treaty 7 territory (Calgary). She is an OCD and mental health advocate and writer and lover of fiction, in all its forms. She edits fiction at filling station magazine and is the founding editor of Lida Lit. She is currently working on her forthcoming chapbook, Poems for the Matriarch, to be released in Summer/Fall 2021.
https://www.instagram.com/melojwrites/
https://www.melodygriffindowdy.com
Woolf's Voices 