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Ian French is a Canadian slam poet that goes by the handle IF the Poet. Among his championships he was Canadian champion in 2014, and placed third in the 2015 world championship. French was the focus of the 2015 documentary film IF the Poet.
Slam poetry
After developing his own business Ian French had a brief hip hop performance career, which he ended after deciding he was not skilled enough to perform publicly.[1] Following this he discovered spoken word performances and decided to try and perform, first appearing on stage at the Drake Hotel in Toronto.[2] His poems focused on his youth, specifically run-ins with the law and other forms of trouble, and his later life as a father and business owner, with an optimistic bend.[3] His themes also include living with ADHD.[4]
French began to compete as a slam poet competitively at the age of fifty under the tutelage of Canadian slam poet Ian Keteku. In 2013 he became a member of the National Championship Toronto Slam Team,[5] held that year in Boston.[3] That year he was also the winner of the Buffalo International Slam.[6]
In 2014 he was the winner of the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championship held in Vancouver. He placed third that year at the World Cup of Slam Poetry, held that year in Paris, France.[5] He has also performed at festivals including Word On The Street and Words Aloud,[6] as well as locally in southern Ontario.[7] He currently resides in Toronto.[2]
Media
He was the focus of the 2015 CBC Television documentary IF the Poet.[5]
References
- ^ http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/TV/aging-bald-rap-fan-battles-slam-poet-stereotypes-in-doc-344407662.html
- ^ a b http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/discovering-a-love-of-slam-poetry-in-middle-age-1.3315857
- ^ a b https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/08/12/torontos_slam_poetry_team_trains_for_nationals.html
- ^ http://www.cbc.ca/books/2015/11/8-must-see-canadian-poetry-performances.html
- ^ a b c http://www.cbc.ca/firsthand/episodes/if-the-poet
- ^ a b http://visitwindsoressex.com/twepi_event/windsor-poetry-slam-featuring-if-the-poet-ian-french/
- ^ https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2014/09/25/torontos_culture_days_lets_the_public_perform.html