Liana Cusmano
Biography
Liana Cusmano (iel), connu aussi sous les noms Luca et BiCurious George, est écrivain, cinéaste, éducateur en arts et artiste de spoken word. Iel a été Champion de slam de Montréal en 2018, 2019, et 2023, et finaliste dans le Championnat individuel de slam canadien en 2019. Participant à la résidence de spoken word du Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity en 2019, ses poèmes et nouvelles on été publiés dans des anthologies et des revues littéraires. Liana a présenté ses œuvres en anglais, en français et en italien à travers l’Amérique du Nord, l’Europe et l’Asie. Iel est le scénariste du court métrage « La femme finale, » présenté au Festival de Cannes en 2015, et scénariste-réalisateur du film primé « Matters of Great Unimportance, » présenté au Festival Metropolis Bleu en 2019. Iel a aussi été vedette de « Peuple, poésie, politique » dans le cadre de la série documentaire Vivre ensemble (2021). Ses œuvres explorent l’héritage culturel, l’identité queer, les relations interpersonnelles et la maladie mentale, en espérant qu’on puisse s’y reconnaître et se sentir représenté. Liana a été président du Parti vert du Canada en 2020/2021, et son premier roman s’intitule Catch & Release (Guernica Editions). Iel a été finaliste pour le Prix Spoken Word de la QWF en 2022 et en 2025 et été gagnant du concours de poésie Society Pages en 2024.
Liana Cusmano (they/them), also known as Luca and BiCurious George, is a writer, filmmaker, arts educator, and spoken word artist. They were the Montreal Slam Champion in 2018, 2019, and 2023, and a finalist in the Canadian Individual Slam Championship in 2019. A participant in the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Spoken Word Residency in 2019, their poems and short stories have been published in anthologies and literary journals. Liana has presented their work in English, French, and Italian across North America, Europe, and Asia. They wrote the screenplay for the short film “La femme finale,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015, and wrote and directed the award-winning film “Matters of Great Unimportance,” which premiered at the Blue Metropolis Festival in 2019. They also starred in “People, Poetry, Politics” as part of the documentary series *Vivre ensemble* (2021). Their work explores cultural heritage, queer identity, interpersonal relationships, and mental illness, with the hope that readers and audiences will find themselves reflected and feel seen. Liana served as president of the Green Party of Canada in 2020–2021, and their debut novel is titled *Catch & Release* (Guernica Editions). They were a finalist for the QWF Spoken Word Award in 2022 and 2025 and won the Society Pages poetry contest in 2024.
Micro-interview
I began seriously reading and writing poetry when I was in high school, scribbling poems in the margins of my notebooks during class and after school. A teacher recognized my passion for it and gave me a printed-out a copy of Leonard Cohen's "How To Speak Poetry".
I started writing poetry when I was eight years old, but I only began thinking of myself as a poet when I started competing in local poetry slams, performing original work and writing my poems with the intention of performing them for an audience.
A poet's job is essential. A poet's job is to make observations about the world around them, in a way that is both moving and true.
Sennah Yee's "Internet Safety", because it's so dark and whimsical.
