Best Author/Poet: Sheri-D Wilson
Captured by Kimberley French
Known under the guise of ‘The Mama of Dada,’ Sheri-D Wilson is one of Calgary’s greatest contemporary poets and the Poet Laureate of Calgary for 2018-2020. Building from Dada, surrealism and spoken word, Sheri-D’s most recent poetry collection includes The Book of Sensations and Open Letter: Woman Against Violence Against Women. The latter is complete with a drumbeat, a heartbeat and a healing chant - an improvisation-style flood poem comparing the desecration of the Earth to the treatment of women in the world.
So far, Sheri-D’s eleven poetry collections have won her numerous awards including nominations of the Robert Kroetsch Poetry Award, the ReLit Award, the 2006 Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry for her collection Re:Zoom, the 2003 USA Heavyweight Title for Poetry and has been described by the CBC in 2009 as one of the top 10 poets in Canada - just to name a few. For her work as an activist and artist, Sheri-D was also awarded the City of Calgary Arts Award in 2015. Her spoken word poetry has taken her around the world with performances across Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Belgium, Mexico and South Africa.
FIRST RUNNER UP: EUGENE SITCKLAND
SECOND RUNNER UP: KRIS DEMEANOR