Reclaiming Our Voices: Poetry, Identity, and the Power of Community

A Community Book/Group Discussion & Generative Writing Workshop

April 12, 2025 (Weekend) — Adult Community Discussion & Workshop

April 16, 2025 (Early Afternoon/Early Evening) — Youth Discussion & Workshop

Location: Swampscott & Lynn, MA

Engage in meaningful conversations about identity, belonging, and community through book discussions and generative writing workshops. Participants will explore how poetry challenges dominant narratives and fosters deeper connections.

Visiting Poet at the College of Southern Maryland

April 9, 2025

Location: College of Southern Maryland

Enzo Silon Surin will be featured as the Visiting Poet, sharing his poetry, insights on craft, and engaging with students and faculty on the role of poetry in shaping social and personal narratives.

April 2025 - National Poetry Month

Firewater Poetics at Emerson College

April 2, 2025
Location: Emerson College, Boston, MA
Featuring Enzo Silon Surin in a night of poetry and spoken word, bringing together dynamic voices to explore creativity, identity, and the power of storytelling.

Swampscott Tides Moth Storytelling Night

March 29, 2025 | Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Swampscott, MA

A captivating night of storytelling, where voices from the community come together to share powerful, moving, and thought-provoking personal narratives.

Threads of a Shared Legacy: Honoring Black History as Our History | A Black History Month Celebration

February 25, 2025 | Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Swampscott High School, Swampscott, MA

Join us for an evening of poetry, storytelling, and discussion, recognizing Black history as a shared legacy. Featuring original poetry from Enzo Silon Surin and a community panel discussion, this event explores the role of history in shaping identity and inclusion.

The Possibility of Us: A Reading and Conversation on Community and Reclaiming Our Collective Power

February 19, 2025

Location: Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, MA

Join Enzo Silon Surin for a poetry reading and facilitated conversation exploring how storytelling shapes identity, belonging, and collective power. Through poetry and dialogue, participants will reflect on the role of language in fostering empathy, transformation, and inclusivity.

Poetry Workshop with Enzo Silon Surin

Following the election, we are holding space for a free cathartic poetry workshop on Wednesday, November 6, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Swampscott-based and award-winning poet, educator, publisher, and social advocate Enzo Silon Surin offers a 60-minute workshop about the power of telling one’s own story. This experience is geared towards people with different writing experiences and is open to all.

Light refreshments will be provided. Please call 781-571-6200 or email office@lynnmuseum.org to RSVP.

Sparking the Conversation

In-Person Event, FREE

Join us for a powerful conversation about Black mental health in America!

Date: Thursday, July 25th
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Boston Public Library Copley (700 Boylston St.) @ Commonwealth Salon
Light refreshments will be provided.

July is National BIPOC Mental Health Month. While statistics highlight the challenges faced by Black communities, this event goes beyond the numbers.

Hear lived experiences from a panel of Black mental health advocates:

• Carmen Blyden, MBA, Owner of Healthy Energy Actively Living (HEAL)

• Enzo Silon Surin, MFA, Award-winning Poet, Educator, Publisher, and Social Advocate

Moderated by:

• Paris Alston, Co-host of Morning Edition and The Wake Up podcast, GBH News

Together, let’s:

• Break the stigma surrounding mental health.

• Learn about the unique struggles faced by Black communities.

• Spark important conversations about healing and access to care.

Reading with Enzo Silon Surin and January Gill O’Neal

The Marblehead Festival of Arts Literary Festival promises an eclectic lineup of events and opportunities for literature enthusiasts of all ages. The festivities, organized by Abbot Public Library Executive Director Kim Grad and a team of volunteers, kick off on the Fourth of July and continue through July 7, featuring a diverse array of authors, workshops and interactive sessions.

Literary festival, a wordsmith wonderland, in the Marblehead Current

Website

Transitional Literature Series

Join the Transnational Literature Series at Brookline Booksmith for an in-store event with writers ’Pemi Aguda, Keith Jones, and Enzo Silon Surin to discuss and celebrate the release of the latest issue of Transition Magazine on Species and Ghostroots.

The latest issue of Transition: The Magazine of Africa and the Diaspora's focus is Species. Species builds on the previous issue Climate by tracking the intimate relationship of the Diaspora to all forms of life. Among the relationships considered in this issue are those imposed on Africans as a result of the atrocities of Middle Passage (and racialized chattel slavery) as well as practices and relationships that grow from–and resist–those atrocities. In addition to many essays, and an interview with artist Kapwani Kiwanga, remarkable fiction and poetry also address the issue’s themes, including the opening poems by Enzo Silon Surin as well as stunning contributions from Keith Jones, among others.

This event is being held at Future Front, which is a cozy space located right next to The Little Gay Shop.

Readings by Enzo Silon Surin, Jubi Arriola-Headley, and KB Brookins

Jun 19, 2024, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM CDT

Future Front, 1900 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702, USA

Join Abode Press to celebrate Juneteenth by listening to poetry from renowned Black poets, KB Brookins, Enzo Silon Surin, and Mirakol Smith. Each poet will reflect on Juneteenth, its significance, and read from their works. There will be books available for purchase from Black Pearl Books and a time for signings and author questions. There is a 30-person capacity for this event so RSVPs are mandatory. To practice community care, masks are required for this event and will be available for attendees at the front door.

Learn more here

FIREWATER Poetics at the Elma Lewis Center.

Curated and MC’d by our talented and fabulous Letta Neely, 2022-2024 Elma Lewis Center Storyweaver-in-Residence (2022-2024). 

Where: In person (148 Boylston St, Boston) or Zoom link in our bio @elmalewiscenter. 

More details TBA

Enzo Silon Surin will be our guest poet on March 27.

Come join us on Zoom for his reading and bring a poem to read at the open mic. Registration is free and open to the public. Link below!

When: Mar 27, 2024 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/.../tZEpc...

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Join us on Instagram for Caribbean Connections, A Reading and Conversation on Instagram Live

Featuring Enzo Silon Surin, Roberto Carlos Garcia & Myriam J.A. Chancy

@robertoisoffworld on Instagram!

SWAMPSCOTT BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION

             BLACK HISTORY IS OUR HISTORY

                     Swampscott's Black History

DATE:                       Tuesday, February 27th - 6:30 PM EST

LOCATION:         Swampscott High School, 200 Essex St., Swampscott MA

You Were Born a Poem: a Master Craft Class by Enzo Silon Surin (via Zoom)

Saturday, February 24th,2024 | 12:30 - 2:30 PM EST

There are a number of things that inform who we are as individuals, which consequently inform the way we process and reflect the world we inhabit. These same factors are at play in the decisions we make as writers and they have a profound effect on how, when, and where we make use of the necessary language to convey our experiences. As such, the Poet as “literary device” is not a stretch by any means. 

In this master craft class, we will explore what it means to be a poem and how the way we move through the world can have an impact on what we choose to write about. We will also discuss how this impacts the way we craft a poem, from its shape and sounds to its rhythm and movements.

NB: This class will be taught on Zoom and will be capped at 15 students. Registrants will receive the Zoom link to the email address they use to register. It will arrive immediately after registration so please check your spam folder if you do not receive it. It will also be sent the day before class as a reminder.

An Immersive Day of Intensive Writing, Engaging Workshops, and Inspirational Readings Led by Professional, Award-winning Authors

Experiment Under the Mentorship of Accomplished Writers

The conference will feature a combination of writing workshops and readings led by published mentors. This year we are pleased to offer mentorship by authors Colleen Michaels, Enzo Silon Surin, and Kevin Carey. The workshop will culminate in a group reading of student work created during the day. Participants may experiment with different styles of creative writing, including poetry, fiction, and personal essay. Students will have an opportunity to work in small groups with each mentor over the course of the day. 

Conference Details

When:  February 2, 2024, 8:30 - 5:00

Where: Waring School, Beverly, MA - Directions

Open to: High school students of the greater Boston area

Transportation: Waring will provide transportation to and from Beverly Depot Station for attendees taking the commuter rail. Contact Jill Sullivan at Jillsullivan@waringschool.org to organize pickup and drop-off times.

Description: The North Shore Young Writers Conference is an opportunity for students to unplug from social media and online distractions to participate in a day of intensive writing with like-minded peers. Award-winning authors will mentor students, give advice, and lead workshops as well as share their own writing with the group. Specific conference details coming soon!

Cost: $50

Sometimes the difficult moments we experience in life are often the hardest to write about. These are often the struggles that shape who we are and help to define our voices. If you have ever wondered what impact sharing your story could have on others or if your words could make a difference, join us! In this 4-week workshop, we will discuss clear, safe, and effective ways to write socially engaging poems from personal experience. The workshops will be virtual so Writers are welcome to attend virtually from everywhere and anywhere.

Class Dates: January 22, January 29, February 5, February 12

Please plan on attending all 4 sessions, these workshops will not be recorded.

Join us for an evening of readings and thought, curated by Shamar Hill. Drinks and socializing to follow in our bar.

RSVP Required - Please click the link below for more details & to RSVP.

Details TBA

Laureates of the Caribbean

Laureates Of the Caribbean is a foot-stomping, hand-clapping, finger-snapping inducing gayelle where poetry is the bois. It is the festival's highest commendation to our storytellers who weave words in metaphor and feeling into stanza. Laureates of the Caribbean is the lion who does not roar in pentameter; is how we make love with words, is how we fight when the weapons of our warfare are the one-drop and dubstep…is the peculiar kinda way we twist our pain into a passionate lyrical dance to a song that plays to the rhythm that beats in a Caribbean heart only. 

As the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival’s only ode to the oral tradition of the Caribbean, this year at Festival 5 we are shaking the four corners of Caribbean civilization to bring the best poets of our time to Brooklyn in a unique blend of verse, music, poetry and spoken word.

The BCLF is a celebration of culture as expressed through the pen of the storyteller and the voice of the poet. It is a platform designed to support and facilitate vibrant conversations about Caribbean identity via a series of readings of classic and contemporary stories, workshops, events, and talks through an annual capstone festival and a developing plan for year-long programming. 

IT IS FREE, AND OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

Join us for the third installment of Remnant Brewery Presents Pop-up Poetry on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

Featuring Poets: Enzo Surin, Susannah Simpson, Lauren Hunter,  Aimee Harrison &   Marta Núñez

Remnant Brewery Website  

This event will feature a Musician and 4 Poets doing readings.

Virtual event

Event start: 7 PM PST (10 PM EST) Thursday, August 24th

Go to the website below, to add to your calendar click View/Join Events Now & the Literary Event Series: Black Lawrence

The Thursday Poets – Inspired by Word at GALA

Join The Thursday Poets at the Galleries At LynnArts (GALA) for a poetry reading ahead of their pop-up gallery “Inspired by Word.” Poets will read their work and local artists are encouraged to create new works based on poems. Free and open to the public.

Friday, August 18

5-6 p.m. Reading, Reception to follow 

Featured Poet: Enzo Silon Surin 

Galleries at Lynn

25 Exchange Street

Lynn, MA 01901