Stoked to be gearing up to celebrate At the Risk of Listening with you in person!
Thanks to some dear friends who offered to make this happen, we will be gathering in Tkaronto on June 9 and in Nogojiwanong on June 13.
I am blessed to be joined by a different musician for each event. Moyo Rainos Mutamba will be playing mbira at the Society Clubhouse as a fundraiser for Ubuntu Learning Village, and Nathanael Larochette will be visiting from Ottawa to bring his dreamy classical guitar to Take Cover Books.
Please grab a ticket as space is limited. Free / pay what you can options are available for both events.
Please share widely!!
In gratitude,
Ziysah
PS I'll also be poeting for the Tiny Homes fundraiser May 31 at Dreams of Beans.
Toronto Book Launch and Celebration
Featuring Moyo Rainos Mutamba on mbira
Monday, June 9, 7pm-10pm
The Society Clubhouse, 967 College St., Toronto
All Ages, Accessible
$20 or pay-what-you-can
Fundraiser for Ubuntu Learning Village
RESERVE YOUR TICKETS at this link
Nogojiwanong Book Launch & Celebration
At the Risk of Listening (2025, 65 pages) is a collection of works presented during Ziysah's time as Peterborough's Poet Laureate, with artwork by Bruno Merz. Whether pleading with City Councillors to listen more deeply, rallying a crowd to demand justice, or offering a prayer at a vigil, Ziysah challenges us to connect our daily acts of care to our broader movements for belonging. At the Risk of Listening invites us into radical optimism, showing us the flip-side of greed and destruction without denying their real costs. Viewed from this angle, attacks on trans rights become evidence of the power of queer movements “tearing open space for the possible,” while depression and anxiety are signs of "our deep knowing that a better world is possible." At the Risk of Listening explores themes of grief, homelessness, genocide, intergenerational trauma and accountability all within a container that is ultimately nourishing and connective. A love letter to Nogojiwanong, the place at the end of the rapids, this book will resonate with anyone yearning for collectivity in a time of dangerous polarization.
"Ziy's words help us to remember where we are and who we are walking with." - Jenn Cole
Moyo Rainos Mutamba will be playing ceremonial music from Zimbabwe. He is a passionate mbira player, storyteller, and performer who enjoys blending his cultural interests with his passion for social justice. He is an educator, writer, and founder of Ubuntu Learning Village and Ubuntu Free School in Gutu, Zimbabwe, dedicated to Indigenous cultural revitalization.
Fundraiser: 100% of the funds raised (after event costs) will go towards grassroots community development and education in rural Zimbabwe, including supporting Ubuntu Free School, the only free school in the country. ubuntuearth.org
Nathanael Larochette is an Ottawa-based guitarist, composer, writer, spoken word poet and arts educator. He is a founding member and guitarist with the chamber folk trio Musk Ox, the groove trio Archivers, and the defunct progressive metal band The Night Watch. His most recent album Old Growth, a collection of solo guitar miniatures released in 2023, was published as a tab book by Norway's Raven Music Editions. He represented Ottawa at the 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, and the 2013, 2014 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championships. He has been facilitating creative writing and performance workshops for over 18 years and was awarded the 2023 Ontario Arts Foundation Artist Educator of the Year award. Nathanael lives to create, hope and dream for he believes these are the keys to the meaning of our being.
