Youssef Alaoui is an Arab-Latino writer, publisher, and events organizer. His writing is known for poetic explorations of oppression, racism, and colonialism. His work has been recognized with three Pushcart Prize nominations and appeared in national and international publications. He holds an MFA in Poetics from New College of California, San Francisco. He founded both Paper Press Books & Associates and Beast Crawl Literary Festival to champion underrepresented voices and foster a vibrant and inclusive arts festival specific to Oakland. bio.site/youssefalaoui
Jasmine Vegas from New York has been living in France for 30 years. In the 90’s and early 2000’s she performed her original music and poetry regularly, singing and playing accordion solo and with her bands in Paris and elsewhere. More recently she has appeared onstage with Nina Hagen and Brigitte Fontaine, as part of the ‘weird old ladies club’!Listen and download at jasminevegas.bandcamp.com right now! She also self-produces videoclips of her music available at youtube.com/jasminevegas immediately. Don’t wait! You’ll be glad you did! Get it now!And by the way: HELP! instagram.com/jasminevegasmusic
Xoài David (pronounced s-why) (she/her) is a freelance graphic/web designer, illustrator, and writer. She is a Third Culture Kid who grew up in eight different countries across Asia and Africa, often exploring themes of transition and multiculturality in her work. She studied Graphisme at LISAA applied arts school and Book Design at Ecole Estienne, before obtaining an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Kent (Paris School of Arts and Culture). Her work has been published in journals like Tears in the Fence, The Opiate, and The Menteur, as well as her mini-chapbooks which will be on sale. Her radio play, One Way Ticket, is about two older women trying to hitch a ride to the land of Oz via tornado, and a tired female cop. This was performed by Moving Parts Theatre group. Xoài is a bisexual bilingual Eurasian, product of colonial cliches. Mother of frogs, teacher of English and Co-Founder of Organisation to Decolonise International Schools (ODIS), Xoài is officially working on one novel, just one at a time, seriously, we promise.
Mark Norman Harris is Canadian. 37 years old, separated but not yet divorced (for legal reasons). He is the owner of The Troina Players Company, a Canadian-based tax shelter that operates an artist retreat out of a villa in Sicily. He was once a host of Spoken Word. His current work “Vegans For Dinner: A Musical “is a two man musical comedy about an island of vegans colonized by cannibals. This show will be featured in the Edinburgh, Dublin and Tallinn fringe festivals this year before continuing a tour into the United States. You can see a preview of it 16 February at Theatre Essaion.
Victor Obarineh Sakanwi is a Nigerian musician, writer, and poet who has made Paris, France his home, where he continues to shape his artistic career. As a regular contributor to the city’s vibrant open mic circuit, Victor captivates audiences with his dynamic performances and profound storytelling. His work often explores themes of identity, resilience, and the complex experience of navigating between cultures. Drawing inspiration from both his Nigerian roots and Western influences, he weaves a unique blend of rhythms and narratives, creating a powerful fusion that resonates with a diverse audience. His poem and song “Soil” was published in “Disgrace : A collection of multilingual poems” by Paris Lit Up in March 2024.His first EP “Soil” was released in December 2024 in collaboration with Ubayy (pursangcréole) and Felix Meyer.
Ubayy is a multi-disciplinary artist originally from Mauritius but based in Paris, France. His work is distinguished by its deep philosophical undertones, layered visual storytelling, and keen observational qualities. Rooted in East African heritage yet heavily influenced by Western culture, Ubayy’s creations are a fusion of both worlds, with a strong emphasis on introspection and self-discovery.Music plays a significant role in his art, serving as a spiritual medium that transcends cultural, linguistic, and racial barriers. Through his work, Ubayy seeks to explore universal themes and foster connections that go beyond surface-level differences, offering an intimate and thoughtful perspective on human experience.
Henry Madd is an award winning poet and playwright who has been entertaining people for over 10 years with his electric performances. His work walks a tightrope between bizarre, funny and gut wrenching that leaves audiences not knowing whether to laugh or cry. His debut drama toured nationally and earned him a writing residency sponsored by Film 4, a listing in The Guardians top 100 shows of the year and The Stage’s best shows of Edinburgh Fringe.
Sue Burge is a freelance tutor, mentor and editor based in North Norfolk, UK. Her poems have appeared in a wide range of journals and featured in themed anthologies on science fiction, modern Gothic, illness, Britishness, endangered birds, WWI and the COVID pandemic. In 2016 she received an Arts Council grant which enabled her to write a body of poetry in response to Paris’s cinematic and literary legacy, resulting in her first pamphlet, Lumière. She has three poetry collections out with Live Canon: In the Kingdom of Shadows, Confetti Dancers and The Artificial Parisienne. The latter explores the world of the alter ego she left behind in Paris three decades ago and her edgy on-going relationship with the city. Sue’s second pamphlet, The Saltwater Diaries was published in 2020. Her next collection, watch it slowly fade, is forthcoming with Yaffle Press and explores ideas around ecological angst. www.sueburge.uk
Gill Sotu is a Navy veteran, poet, playwright, DJ, and performing artist. He is a 2x Grand Slam Poetry Champion, 2x Raw Performing Artist of the Year, and 5x TEDx San Diego presenter. Currently, he is a teaching artist and a commissioned playwright with The Old Globe Theatre & La Jolla Playhouse, and the official Poet in Residence for the San Diego Writer’s Festival. He has over 10yrs of experience teaching written and performing arts within the penal system, working directly with incarcerated persons & in recovery settings, as well as with veterans and students from junior high to college. His screenplay “The History Of Joy” in 2022 won two Gold Anthem Awards, was an Official Selection of the SoCal Film Awards and The San Diego Movie Awards as well as the Silver Award for Best Drama at the Paris Film Awards; and was a Finalist at the Cannes World Film Festival. The poem he created and performed for Project Clean Water won the Gold MarCom Award for advertising and has been shown at AMC & Regal Cinemas across San Diego County.Gill was the Poet in Residence for the 2024 Inhabit Conference, former program director and teaching artist with Intrepid Theatre, creative director for TEDx San Diego, 2020 Artist in Residence for the Gainesville Creative Forces Art Summit, as well as the former Artist In Residence for The Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation and Makers Church. He has been commissioned to produce original pieces for leading arts and community organizations such as: The San Diego Symphony, New Village Arts Theatre, The Unity Way, Feeding America, SD Fringe Fest, and the San Diego Opera to name a few. His play on the life of the French composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges is commissioned by Classical Kids Live!, premiered in 2023 with both the Toronto Symphony and San Francisco Symphony and is currently touring across the country.
Yann Rousselot is a translator, writer, and poet. He grew up in airport lounges and diplomatic enclaves in the company of his brothers, his sister, and countless cheap suitcases, raised across the globe by humanitarian parents. Graduate of the Sorbonne (Language & Literature) and the University of London Institute in Paris (Translation), he is a regular spoken word performer at Au Chat Noir, Culture Rapide, and le Bordel de la Poésie. His work has been featured in Paris Lit Up Magazine, The Bastille magazine, AUP’s Paris/Atlantic Magazine, Thought Catalog, Canopic Jar, Gard Poetry Journal (Turkish), and the Belleville Park Pages. His first collection of poetry, Dawn of the Algorithm, was published by Inkshares in 2015. at https://anominousmistake.substack.com/
SpokenWord Paris 