Shab-e She’r (Poetry Night)

Shab-e She’r (Poetry Night) held its first event at a small art gallery in Toronto on November 27, 2012.

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I had landed in Canada two years earlier and had been exploring the Toronto poetry scene ever since. Soon, I noticed that literary gatherings are more like exclusive clubs than inclusive communities. There is a majority of some kind or other everywhere you go in the “Republic of Literature.” Very few reading series are truly welcoming to newcomers.

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Sometimes the poems shared on these stages are political, but they address problems in Canada and the United States. Poetry critical of repressive regimes, cultures, and religions in other parts of the world is misunderstood and discouraged. Very little distinction, if any, is made between “self-critical” and “racist” poetry. Minority writers are expected to praise their culture, not to tell the truth about it. Too often these truths are seen as “racist,” and people of goodwill shy away from them.

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In some other groups, on the other hand, the practice of freedom of speech, in the absence of diversity, leads to xenophobic one-sided dismissal of minorities and their concerns and sometimes even openly racist attitudes. As a result, in these groups, very few opportunities are offered to marginalized poets.

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Neither of these two groups (good-willing diverse and xenophobic) offer artistically significant opportunities to authentic marginalized voices.?

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Despite the presence in Canada of immigrants from almost all over the world, many from rich poetic cultures, there are very few immigrant poets at any poetry event. Second or third generation immigrants, assimilated Canadians or North Americans, get to speak on behalf of their parents. ?Seldom do you meet a poet with an accent. Depending on the group, immigrants seem to lose their right to criticize either the country they have left behind or the country they have landed in.

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Literature that aspires to change the world needs to change itself first. If poetry cannot reach its own practitioners’ heart, it’s no poetry at all.

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Shab-e She’r is an exceptional poetry reading and open mic series based on the values of diversity AND freedom of speech. We affirm that the answer to a poem is another poem. We trust in the audience’s ability to judge for themselves. We acknowledge the power of words to combat censorship, sexism, xenophobia, and other systems of discrimination. For us, poetry is an exercise in freedom—a dialogue with our “adversaries.” Our agenda is bridge-building between communities that are relatively detached from one another. Peace is our mission.

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We held our 98th event on February 27, 2024, at the Tranzac Club, Toronto. As of that date, we have featured 173 poets, 21 musicians, and 2 dancers. And 1,390 people have shared their poetry, music, songs, and stories on our open mic in different languages. We have featured poets with different abilities, ethnicities, nationalities, ages, genders, sexual orientations, citizenship status, religions (or lack thereof), politics, and poetic voices, styles, and visions.

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To learn about our upcoming events, follow us on Facebook or X (Twitter): @ShabeSherTO. Alternatively, you can be added to my email list. ??

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Diversity is the path to freedom. Freedom is the path to diversity. We cannot afford to neglect one in favour of the other. Freedom allows us access to knowledge. Diversity allows us to share that knowledge. Dreaming is our job as poets and peace lovers.

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B?noo Zan

March 2024

(This article was originally published in Verse Afire Canadian Poetry Magazine, June 2024, Volume 1, Issue 2, ISSN 1715-0280, Published by The Ontario Poetry Society, pages 9-10)