Library to host poetry cafe, delayed from regular schedule

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Despite a slight delay due to scheduling conflicts, the Strathmore Municipal Library will still be hosting its monthly poetry café, this time being set for Sept. 20. 

“We are looking to provide a different type of program targeting teens and young adults, although everybody is welcome, but we really extend a special invite to teens and young adults to come and perform their poetry,” said Laura Henderson, public services manager for the Strathmore Library. “They can perform their own, they can recite poetry from another author, there really are no rules. We have had people come and sing, we have had some do like a dialogue … the idea is to get people together and give them a safe space to perform.”

The program has been operational since February, emceed by Michael Ajirireloja, who had originally pitched a poetry slam at the library with more defined guidelines.

Henderson explained the library experimented with the poetry slam idea in October 2023, as an avenue to learn and gauge what worked and what did not.

It was eventually decided to host the event as a sort of open mic opportunity for anyone to be able to take part in.

“We moved it to an evening; we had done the first one in an afternoon, so it was a little bit cozier – we actually turned a section of the library into a little café with tables and chairs, we serve treats and coffee, and it has been very successful … it is one of our most successful programs,” said Henderson. “A lot of it was just logistics and where we fit. We used to do it around the fireplace but then we had to change things because we were too big. We could only fit maybe 15 people comfortably around that area, so now we do it in the children’s section, although it does not look like a children’s section when we have it all set up.”

Following the move to the new section, the library has been able to accommodate upwards of 30 people, which has become a fairly typical rate of attendance for the poetry cafes. 

Henderson estimated the lowest turnout which has been observed for a poetry café was 16 people, though added even that was not a disappointing turnout.

“We have a number of teens who come out for every month, we are always seeing new people, it has really become a special program that we are running,” she said. “It is something different, and we really did not have anything quite like it in the community. I know there have been a few other poetry events, but this one, we really wanted mental health and youths being the focus.”