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The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild and Willow Country Restaurant & Lounge are pleased to present Poetry & A Pint, an evening of celebrating poetry with Saskatchewan’s Youth Poet Laureate Aya Skouta and guests! They include local poets Leah Horlick, Colleen Charlette and Belinda Betker.
Food and drinks are available for purchase.
This event is free and open to the public. (Please note there is limited seating; first come, first served).
Willow Country Restaurant & Lounge is an accessible venue, which includes a wheelchair ramp and an accessible door.
Free parking is available.
Accessibility measures in this event:
Presenter & Host Biographies:
Aya Skouta (she/her) is a Canadian-Moroccan poet, writer, and student at the University of Saskatchewan. As a youth voice, Aya uses poetry and spoken word to navigate the complexities of identity, philosophy, and curiosity about the world. She has published and shared her work across Canada and the Prairies, moving audiences at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam 2026 in Vancouver, and capturing the title of Saskatchewan poetry slam champion in 2025 and 2026 with SKribe. Throughout her growing artistic journey, Aya remains grounded in the belief that curiosity is the heart of poetry, and she is committed to fueling that spark of curiosity within young writers.
Leah Horlick is the author of Riot Lung, For Your Own Good, and Moldovan Hotel. She is a past winner of the Dayne Ogilvie Prize, a Stonewall Honor Title, ARC’s Poem of the Year, and was shortlisted for the 44th Pushcart Prize. Her most recent work can be found in Filling Station, Riddle Fence, and Estuaire. She lives in Saskatoon.
Colleen Charlette is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. Colleen’s creative goal is to write her first book of poetry and publish it. She has been a board member of the Saskatchewan Anskohk Writers Circle Inc. for thirteen years, where her craft-honing of poetry and performance advances. Colleen resides in Saskatoon.
Belinda Betker's poetry and award-winning haiku are in various anthologies, literary journals, and chapbooks. Her poetry collection, Phases, was a 2020 finalist for two Saskatchewan Book Awards. A second edition of Phases was published in 2022. Belinda contributed to, and edited, “Unapologetically Queer”, a 2025 special edition issue of SHFS. She is a recent recipient of a Sakura award for haiku in an international competition.
Belinda is a founding member of two long-running Saskatoon writing groups, Sisters' Ink, and The Obsessors. Previously, she was also a founding/Board member of the Saskatoon Writers Collective, and has been on the Board of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. Beyond writing, she is currently a Board member of Spark Your Pride, Queer Seniors of Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society.
When she’s not writing, editing, mentoring, or volunteering, Belinda reads voraciously, especially poetry and memoirs. She lives in Saskatoon with her Australian wife and their rescue dog, a springer-spaniel/terrier cross.
Funding provided by:
In proud partnership with:
