Celebrating National Poetry Month with Ziysah von Bieberstein

Although Ziysah von Bieberstein has participated in National Poetry Month many times before, this year is something special. As the City of Peterborough’s poet laureate, they felt a new sense of responsibility to help local poets make their mark on Poetry Month this April.

So they launched their 30 Poets, 30 Prompts project. Ziysah reached out to 30 poets who reside or have roots in Peterborough-Nogojiwanong, and they are sharing a writing prompt from each poet on social media over the course of April.

“I’ve really dedicated myself to working in the community this year,” Ziysah said. “And having a poetry directory in Peterborough has been an idea in the back of my mind for many years. So this was a dynamic opportunity to do that.”

Followers of Peterborough Poetry Slam and Electric City Culture Council’s (EC3’s) Instagram and Facebook pages can follow along with the daily poetry posts.

“It was really awesome to brainstorm all of the poets I could think of and connect with them,” Ziysah said. “I’m really excited to showcase such a broad range of poets, and each of them got an artist fee too.” At the end of April, EC3 will compile the posts into a page on their website so that the community can view all of the prompts and poet information for years to come.

This month is also a time of reflection for Ziysah, as their term as poet laureate is coming to an end this September.

Peterborough’s poet laureates write poems and deliver them at city council meetings and other events,  in addition to creating their own projects to promote poetry across the city. Applications for the next poet laureate are open until May 6.

The poet laureate program “brings gravitas, grace, and reflection to important civic moments,” said EC3 executive director Su Ditta. It “plays a critical role in bringing attention to the literary arts as a way of looking at the world and reflecting on our experiences in Peterborough.”

Ditta added that Ziysah’s poem “February” certainly had that effect when they presented it to city council members on February 26, 2024. 

Initially intended to be a positive piece wishing Peterborough a happy new year, Ziysah’s poem turned into a vulnerable, heart wrenching and hopeful expression of the impact that world events and local issues have on them personally.

“I had gone through this process of trying really hard to write the poem that I felt I should write for the city and not being able to,” Ziysah said of the process. “I eventually decided to write about that struggle and I stumbled into sharing an experience that so many people connected to. It felt very vulnerable to present that poem at City Hall … but sharing about my own isolation, loneliness and mental health created so much more community than I could have imagined.”

Ziysah’s poetry has given hope to many in the community, including Peterborough Poetry Slam’s Jon Hedderwick. “Over the last year, I have been moved by the way that Ziysah has bravely stepped into the role of poet laureate and embraced this work,” he said. 

“In their writing, they have explored many of the challenges that we collectively face with nuance, vulnerability and insight,” Hedderwick said. “Their work has inspired connection, kindness and action in this city as we all collectively do the work of trying to live and make change in increasingly difficult times.”

“Wherever I go, people are generally really delighted that we have a poet laureate,” Ziysah said. “They get this sparkly look on their faces, and it’s not just about me and the work I’m doing — it’s the fact that our city is giving us someone to lead us in poetry. It’s a beautiful tradition and I’m looking forward to seeing someone else step into the role and make it their own.”

Ziysah’s work to promote poetry in Peterborough will not end when Poetry Month is over. They plan to continue connecting with local poets and the land they share, inspired by Indigenous teachings and cultural practices as well as the work of literary artists and scholars they have learned from since arriving in the area at 19 years old.

“The way my identity as a poet has grown is really connected to this place, the teachings I have received here, and the community,” they said. “Being aware of what people are needing and being able to explore that in physical space together is so important.”

After handing over the reins of poet laureate this fall, Ziysah will focus on completing their next book of poetry. They described their vision for the book as a series of stones scattered on a beach, presenting the reader with invitations to pick up a poem and carry it with them as they go about their day. 

Ziysah is also available for performances, workshops, and public speaking. They can be reached at bookings@ziysah.ca

To learn more about Ziysah’s work, the poet laureate program, and the 30 poets involved in this year’s Poetry Month project, visit the Electric City Culture Council website at www.ecthree.org