by VINCENT TINGUELY

This season's biggest spoken word event by far is the fourth edition of the Festival Voix d'Amériques, which is building on a strong reputation. The Conseil des arts de Montréal selected it as the literary event of the year for 2004 and it's also in the running for the Conseil's Grand Prix. "I feel there's a spirit about the festival," says FVA producer D. Kimm. "There's a community interested in seeing people who have something to say with sincerity, with soul."

From Feb. 11–18, the bilingual fest will feature the Salon de la Marginalité indie culture fair, followed by a show hosted by those masters of poésie américaine, Les Abdigradationnistes. There's also the annual CBC Radio Poetry Face-off, a Words and Music showcase of African diasporic talent called Poetry, Rhythm, Memory, Body and Soul II, featuring jazz star Karen Young, dancer Lin Snelling, dub poetry firecracker Lillian Allen and Calgarian Sheri-D Wilson, and an evening of no-holds-barred bilingual venting, Combat contre la langue de bois.

"There'll be a Cabaret Shift de nuit with an open mic each evening at Casa del Popolo, animated by Tony Tremblay, for English and French poets," says D. Kimm, who's always on the look-out for new talent. "It'll be a good place to make a name for yourself!" And expect some major Quebec art stars in the line-up, like guest of honour Chloé Sainte-Marie, and thespian Pol Pelletier.

Fear focus

The Coco Café series starts at Jello Bar (151 Ontario E.) with Coco Café - Fear on January 30. "It's the first time for this theme," explains MC Mahalia Verna. "The initial intention was: it's a new year, so people are focused on sticking to their resolutions, and thinking about these things can be frightening and overwhelming. But it's gonna take on certain undertones of the reality of what's happening around us - like the tsunami, of course - and not just within us and our immediate reality." The series continues with Coco Café - The Future on Feb. 27 and the annual Smackdown poetry/spoken word face-off on March 27. For details and sign-up info, check out the new Web site: www.inobeproductions.com.

The next Yellow Door Poetry and Prose Reading on Feb. 3 features Poésie en Mouvement co-producer Carolyn Marie Souaid, jazz poetry icon Jason Selman and Other People's Showers author Mark Paterson (3625 Aylmer,

7 p.m., $5). Kalmunity Vibe Collective continue their weekly jam Tuesdays at Sablo (50 St-Zotique E.). This Saturday, Jan. 22, they're appearing along with vibrant spoken word artist Erin May, Kandis and DJ Pasauf at the launch of QPIRG-Concordia's new zine, The C (10 p.m., at 242 Young, close to Bonaventure metro, $5). May will also be launching her new Wired on Words mini-CD along with Paula Belina and others at Words and Music at the Casa, March 20, 9 p.m., $5.

The Atwater Poetry Project presents West Coast poet Betsy Warland, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at the Atwater Library. She's also giving a workshop the following day. In mid-February, Concordia's Dragon Root Centre for Gender Advocacy will present acclaimed science fiction author Nalo Hopkinson, winner of multiple Nebula and Hugo awards. And in March, there'll be a night of transsexual and transgender performance with Mohawk transformed woman Aiyyana Maracle, Montreal's Trannie Tronic (Atif Siddiqi) and many others… for details, visit http://alcor.concordia.ca/~dragctr/.

Zine fiends can get a fix at Café Esperanza (12 St. Viateur W.) as of Jan. 21, 9 p.m.,when the Distroboto network celebrates its fourth anniversary with the unveiling of its latest machine chock full of goodies ; entertainment by Sixtoo and Ghislain Poirier. And zinesters can book a table now for Montreal's sixth annual Anarchist Bookfair in May. Check out their site, http://anarchistbookfair.taktic.org.

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