The 2025 National Finals and FutureVerse took place between May 12th and May 15th in Vancouver, on the unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) et səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
MONDAY, MAY 12th.
Bags packed with goodies in the hotel lobby, eagerly awaiting their young poets.
Our FutureVerse Coordinator, Sarah Tsiang welcomes FutureVersers Harmony Chen, Eva Dhar and Madeleine Semple, as well as Finalist Omar Elbatouty.
Meanwhile, at the airport, the rest of the PIV team greets the arriving students. Student chaperone Arwen Low (center), pictured with Annabel Wood, Natalia Comeau, Shaza Khattab, Nour Snani, Victor Dubé-Marcus, Charles Demers, Julia Li, and Caden Baghbani.
Discovering the breathtaking Vancouver landscapes.
The Pacific Ocean air feels so good after a long flight!
Kicking off the week with a great icebreaker: our annual Bad Poetry workshop!
It’s also a great opportunity to share a good laugh! Finalist Yasmine Aouchiche seems impressed with FutureVerser Rizwan Moonbow’s horrible poem.
The students are already working away. Turns out, it’s actually quite difficult to write bad poetry when you’re this talented!
Wrapping up Day 1 with FutureVersers Jeremie English and Teresa Wu’s smiles!
TUESDAY, MAY 13th.
Our FutureVersers start the day with writing workshops at the Vancouver Public Library.
Poet Brandon Wint leads the “Writing What Matters” workshop for English FutureVersers.
FutureVerser Caden Baghbani makes his point.
Brandon’s workshop sparks fascinating discussions. Pictured is Eva Dhar (left) listening attentively to Madeleine Semple (center).
Meanwhile, poet Nadine Ltaif gives the “Writing What Matters” workshop to our French FutureVersers. Harmony Chen and Charles Demers are captivated.
Charles works on his poem.
Once they have written their poems, the students attend a second workshop to learn how to edit them. Poet Louise Dupré leads our francophones in this workshop.
Louise Dupré gives valuable advice to FutureVerser Sarah-Jeanne Leclerc.
Shaza listens to Sarah-Jeanne read her work.
In the other room, our English FutureVersers learn how to edit their texts with poet Isabella Wang.
Lilah Warren and Natalia Comeau, focused and passionate.
Meanwhile, our Finalists are busy visiting local schools…
Our Bilingual Stream Finalists Nour Snani, Margot Cadrin, and Zak Tucker visit Eric Hamber School.
Our English Stream Finalists Heart Barabad, Annabel Wood, and Isabella Torres Rangel visit Prince of Wales Secondary School.
French Stream Finalists Yasmine Aouchiche, Omar Elbatouty and Victor Dubé-Marcus visit St. George’s School.
FutureVersers and Finalists then meet at Stanley Park for a busy afternoon!
At the Stanley Park Pavilion, our Director of Communications and French Programming, Ariane Tapp kicks off the afternoon with the “Discussing Someone Else’s Work” workshop.
Our Finalists and FutureVersers work together in a joyful atmosphere.
Pictured from left to right: Eva Dhar, Teresa Wu, Jonah Harris, and Zak Tucker.
Charles Demers and Sarah Tsiang listen attentively to poet and activist Rita Wong, who is about to take the group on an ecopoetics walk.
Students are already inspired by beholden: a poem as long as the river, Rita Wong and poet Fred Wah’s powerful image-poem.
The walk starts among the trees as students are invited to tune in to all their senses.
Rita Wong shares her invaluable knowledge about local flora and fauna.
Students are captivated.
From left to right : Rizwan Moonbow, Sarah-Jeanne Leclerc, Lilah Warren, Eva Dhar, Madeleine Semple, and Teresa Wu in front of Beaver Lake.
The walk goes on…
… and leads to the Pacific. In this area of Stanley Park, the ocean landscape is stunning, but also scarred by colonialism and industrialization: an opportunity to reflect on Rita Wong’s words, who invites the students to question their relationship with water, the land and everything that inhabits it.
Pictured are Rizwan Moonbow and Annabel Wood.
Zak and Victor can be seen walking in the distance.
Heart Barabad and Natalia Comeau share a bonding moment. In the background, FutureVerser Amy Savciuc and Student chaperone Layla Haddad are absorbed in the observation of a small crab.
After the ecopoetics walk, students take part in the bilingual « Braided Languages » workshop, led by poet Dominique Bernier-Cormier.
Yasmine listens to her fellow students’ suggestions.
Harmony Chen and Victor Dubé-Marcus focused on their poetic translation.
Photographing the photographer! French Program Coordinator, Barbara Lepeltier is delighted. In the background, our videographer, Maya Chariandy works hard to capture the best moments of the week.
Post-dinner group picture on the beach! Look at these beautiful people!
The beach is also the starting point of the poetic West-End Walk led by poet, Kevin Spenst.
Despite the long day behind them, the students remain captivated by Kevin’s energy and anecdotes!
Amy, Shaza, Isabella, Yasmine, Margot and Charles are about to start the writing exercise. Behind them, Alberta Program Coordinator and Stage Manager for National Finals, Tyler Perry, English Program Coordinator, Salima Tourkmani-MacDonald, and Student chaperone, Arwen Low, are also enjoying the workshop.
Kevin Spenst gives great tips to FutureVerser Jonah Harris.
Omar Elbatouty, Harmony Chen, and Teresa Wu bond while writing their poems.
What is going on on the other side of the camera? We wish our FutureVersers Rizwan Moonbow and Caden Baghbani (center) could tell us!
Jonah Harris falls in love with the ocean.
Wrapping up Day 2 with a stunning sunset and one last group photo!
WEDNESDAY, MAY 14.
The team arrives at the Museum of Anthropology!
National Finals and FutureVerse are great opportunities to forge strong connections.
Picture from left to right: Eva Dhar, Madeleine Semple, Teresa Wu and Harmony Chen.
While waiting for the museum to open, our FutureVerser Julia Li improvises a dance battle…
... and our Finalist Victor Dubé-Marcus takes up the challenge!
The ekphrastic workshop starts. Omar is already inspired.
Finalist Nour Snani sits down to write.
Yasmine Aouchiche and Rizwan Moonbow embrace the beauty of the place.
Annabel Wood focused on her writing.
Zak Tucker and Victor Dubé-Marcus working hard.
This morning at the MOA is also filled with emotion. Caden Baghbani pauses to reflect on this canoe, which visitors are invited to touch as they offer a good thought.
After lunch, the bus takes the group to Granville Island, where the next activity at the Malaspina Printmakers workshop awaits them.
Poet and visual artist, Annie Ross presents the Indigenous Upcycling workshop.
Natalia Comeau and Charles Demers get to work. At the center of the table is a stunning print that Annie Ross co-created with printmaker Val Loewen. The print will be cut into pieces and shared between all the members of the group at the end of the workshop.
Val Loewen is also here to facilitate the workshop. She’s pictured on the right, giving tips to Shaza Khattab and Rizwan Moonbow.
Lilah Warren has a lot of fun creating her print.
Everyone is 100% focused.
The students’ amazing artwork starts to emerge…
The workshop makes our chaperone Layla Haddad’s eyes shine bright!
Time for the critical step!
Sarah-Jeanne gives us a flower of resistance…
Lilah chose to experiment with papers of different colours…
And Teresa invites us to take flight!
What a powerful, moving workshop. The group poses happily with their stunning prints!
Time to start our Poetry Hunt: the students are forming groups and getting ready to “Trace Vancouver” during a poetic and bilingual afternoon! Pictured are Jeremie, Julia and Teresa looking over their itineraries on the SeaBus.
First stop: The Vancouver Public Library! Poet Louise Dupré gives Jeremie and Margot’s group the instructions for the collective poem.
Teresa looks for the best spot to hide the stanza written by her group.
On the library’s rooftop, Annabel and Charles think about their lines…
… Jonah, Isabella, Charles, Annabel and Lilah work on their stanza, which will be added to the collective poem.
Madeleine and Natalia lead the way to the next stop!
At the Vancouver Art Gallery, the students write a stanza inspired by Jean-Paul Riopelle’s art.
Jonah found a clue!
Under the Millennium Gate, Victor reads Crystal Peng’s poem, “In Google Maps, I Explore Chinatown For the First Time”.
The group arrives in Gastown…
…where they are greeted by the energizing poets, Jean Pierre Makosso and Kevin Spenst!
After dinner, Ariane and Sarah are thrilled to kick off our traditional pyjama party, including poetry reading by our judges, poetry hunt prize-giving and a student open mic session!
Jane Munro reads a poem from her collection, False Creek.
Nadine Ltaif reads an excerpt of her most recent poetry collection, Chant des créatures.
Our Poetry Hunt winners receive their prize!
The students discover and read the collective poems written during the hunt.
Teresa, Harmony and Madeleine reveal their musical talent.
Victor delivers a brilliant slam at the open mic.
THURSDAY, MAY 15.
Our FutureVersers poems displayed in the theatre lobby.
Salima Tourkmani-MacDonald, English Program Coordinator, ready to welcome the National Finals audience.
Backstage, our volunteer Skye Chariandy helps the Finalists relax before the show.
Students from dozens of local schools gather in front of The Centre.
The theatre doors finally open! Everyone takes a program.
It’s almost showtime! Our Executive Director, David Smith, is focused.
Hosts Johanne Blais and Marcus Youssef open the show with a speech.
Guest poet, Molly Cross-Blanchard reads one of her poems.
Isabella Torres Rangel (English Stream) from All Saints High School, Calgary, AB
Victor Dubé-Marcus (French Stream) from Collège St-Alexandre de la Gatineau, Gatineau, QC
Annabel Wood (English Stream) from École Secondaire Mont-Bleu, Gatineau, QC
Yasmine Aouchiche (French Stream) from École Internationale de Montréal, Montreal, QC
Heart Barabad (English Stream) from Kildonan-East Collegiate, Winnipeg, MB
Omar Elbatouty (French Stream) from École Secondaire Étienne-Brûlé, Toronto, ON
Our judges are mesmerized by the show.
Nour Snani (Bilingual Stream) from Glenforest Secondary School, Mississauga, ON
Zak Tucker (Bilingual Stream) from Eric Hamber Secondary School, Vancouver, BC
Margot Cadrin (Bilingual Stream) from Collège Beaubois, Pierrefonds, QC
Many students raise their hands when Marcus Youssef asks the audience who has recited a poem this year.
Isabella and Heart congratulate Annabel, who placed third in the English Stream.
Scott Griffin presents first place in the Bilingual Stream to Zak Tucker.
Scott and Krystyne Griffin present first place in the French Stream to Yasmine Aouchiche.
Scott Griffin presents first place in the English Stream to Isabella Torres Rangel.
What an emotional moment. An overjoyed Isabella Torres Rangel shares a hug with Margot Cadrin.
Isabella’s family members look at her with pride and admiration after she placed first in the English Stream.
Omar’s family came all the way to Vancouver to support him.
Nour Snani, who placed second in the Bilingual Stream, proudly poses with her teachers.
Nadine Ltaif and Louise Dupré congratulate Yasmine Aouchiche for her first place in the French Stream.
Tyler Perry, who has been there to support the finalists over the last four days, congratulates Isabella for her prize.
English Stream Winners! Isabella Torres Rangel (center) in first place, Heart Barabad (right) in second place, and Annabel Wood (left) in third place.
Bilingual Stream Winners! Zak Tucker (center) in first place, Nour Snani (right) in second place, and Margot Cadrin (left) in third place.
French Stream Winners! Yasmine Aouchiche (center) in first place, Omar Elbatouty (right) in second place, and Victor Dubé-Marcus (left) in third place.
Our French judges: Stéphane Despatie, Louise Dupré and Nadine Ltaif.
Our English judges : Evelyn Lau, Wayde Compton and Jane Munro.
Isabella and her English Stream first place prize!
Victor seems pretty thrilled after his recitations!
Yasmine shines bright with her French Stream first place prize!
Everyone gets on stage for the photo! Congratulations to our Finalists for offering us this powerful, moving and incredible moment of poetry!
In the evening, our FutureVersers take the stage to deliver incredible public readings! Harmony Chen reads her poem to an attentive audience.
Charles Demers gives a superb reading of the poem that got him selected for FutureVerse.
Lilah Warren brilliantly shares her poem.
Natalia Comeau gets on stage to give voice to her poem.
Jonah Harris’ poem sure moved the entire audience.
Eva Dhar reads “Saudade for Noise”, which she had submitted to Poetry In Voice this year.
Our young poets are also talented dancers: Finalists and FutureVersers get on the dancefloor to share their coolest moves as we’re wrapping up this incredible week of poetry and community!