Cecily Nicholson
Poet

In structures that house us along roads that rise toward new locations, everyday we occupy land and form spaces socially. When we are stuck in one place often there are chances to observe elements of the world that continue to pass us by. Writers can become entangled in the observation of place. Characters may form in relation to location, or a location may form its very own character.

Working from your own observations and choices regarding place or places, we will consider visiting, impressions, mark making, and invention while wayfinding. This workshop will include visual, aural, and haptic examples from contemporary art. We will gain new perspective onto our situated practices and generate new works as we wander the paths nearby.

Cecily Nicholson is the author of four books, and past recipient of the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, and the Governor General’s Literary Award for poetry. She has held the Ellen and Warren Tallman Writer in Residence at Simon Fraser University, and Writer in Residence at the University of Windsor.

She teaches at Emily Carr University of Art + Design and collaborates with community impacted by carcerality and food insecurity. Her most recent book, HARROWINGS (Talonbooks, September 2022), considers Black rurality, agriculture, and art history.