Events and Conferences

Red Utopia: New Work

Writer-in-residence Billy-Ray BelcourtBilly-Ray Belcourt presents new poetry and non-fiction. His writing seeks to articulate a theory of ethical living from the position of queer indigeneity. He is interested in the ways in which Indigenous peoples perform a politics in the register of futurity and utopia.

Event detailsMarch 7, 2019
1 to 3 p.m.
EA3001 (The Knuckle)
Faculty of Arts Building

PLUS after the show, get your book autographed by Billy-Ray.

This event is free. All are welcome.

Learn more about Mount Royal's Writer-in-Residence program.

About

Billy-Ray Belcourt is from the Driftpile Cree Nation. He is a PhD student (though I should *fingers-crossed* be a candidate by the time the residency happens) and 2018 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar in the Dept. of English & Film Studies at the University of Alberta. His first book, THIS WOUND IS A WORLD (Frontenac House 2017), won the 2018 Canadian Griffin Poetry Prize (making him the youngest winner ever), the 2018 Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize, and a 2018 Indigenous Voices Award. His next book, NDN COPING MECHANISMS: NOTES FROM THE FIELD, is due out with House of Anansi in the fall of 2019.

Writer-in-residence Billy-Ray Belcourt


Everyone is Lonelyeveryone is lonely
but no one knows
what to do about it.
once a week
i curate
obituaries
on my facebook wall
without even trying.
the wind
makes away
with parts of my body
but i don't
notice the difference.
my mom
couldn't get enough
of the sight
of broken twigs
and thus
i was born.
i am single
because i haven't dated
anyone who is
broken twig enough.
he's a little bit
country,
i'm a little bit
barbed-wire fence.

From This Wound is a World by Billy-Ray Belcourt
Copyright © 2017 by Billy-Ray Belcourt

More on-campus opportunities to meet Billy-Ray

The Writer-in-Residence program explores opportunities for authors, students and faculty to meet, exchange ideas and increase awareness of scholarly and artistic endeavours. Want to be involved? Here are a couple ways you can participate:

  • MRU Faculty find out more on how you can bring Billy-Ray into one your classes during his week-long residency. For booking information, contact Natalie Meisner.
  • MRU Students submit your manuscripts (7-10 pages/1,700 words of creative writing any genre) for Billy-Ray's review by Feb.15. You'll get a chance to have a follow up one-on-one working session. Please email Natalie Meisner your manuscript and to book your working sessions.