The call of the sea, the river and fishing all serve as the source of inspiration for the poets presenting at this weekend’s Fisher Poets at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery.
On Saturday Sept. 28, current and retired members of the West Coast commercial fishing industry will share their poetry, prose and songs in the Gulf of Georgia Cannery’s Boiler House Theatre.
This marks the fourth annual Rivers’ End Fisher Poets Afternoon, organized by local commercial fisherman, Wilfred Wilson, whose poetry is inspired by his experiences fishing the rivers along the B.C. coast.
“Poetry can come from unexpected people and places, which is what makes the Rivers End Fishers Poets Afternoon so special,” said Shannon King, manager of audience engagement with the Cannery, in a press release.
“Expect a bit of magic from the Fisher Poets, because these seasoned commercial fishermen have hearts that overflow with the joy of poetry,” she added.
Wilson’s poetry paints images of the excitement of a great catch, the disappointment at pulling up an empty net, the call of the sea and rivers and the longing for home that he felt throughout his fishing career.
In addition to Wilson, the event will feature an ensemble of past and present fishers who will share their works with the public.
The event is one of many taking place around Richmond as part of the city’s Culture Days celebrations.
The Fisher Poets Afternoon will run from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28.
