The annual Verses Festival of Words begins today, April 21 and goes until Sunday, May 1.

This festival focuses on the transformative power of words either written, spoken, or sung, to engage groups in a cutting edge environment, to present extraordinary talent of both oral and literary backgrounds, and to encourage the next generation of poets and writers.

Verses takes place annually in East Vancouver around Commercial Drive. This area is the home to Vancouver’s spoken word community.

The Verses Festival of Words is a program of Vancouver Poetry House, a not-for-profit charity organization.

Take a look at the festival website for more information on the schedule, tickets, and more.