Poet in Place

She was the co-founder of Ink Veins: Young Women's Writing Collective and the co-author of a graphic novel, Why Birds and Wolves Don't Trade Stones, illustrated by artist David Brame. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with dancers and musicians through various projects. In 2014, she released an album entitled From Here On, with her long-time collaborator, musician, and composer Waleed Abdulhamid. 

Mentorship plays a central role in Lishai's artistic practice. Not only has she mentored countless youth and emerging writers, she herself has also been mentored by some of Canada's greatest writers and performers. In her early days as a performer, Lishai was mentored by Dwayne Morgan, d'bi young anitafrika, Sheri-D Wilson, and Catherine Hernandez. Lishai's creative nonfiction projects have been supported by Alicia Elliott (through Room Magazine) and Ayelet Tsabari (through the Writers' Trust of Canada). Alessandra Naccarrato has acted as a poetry editor and mentor. While completing a graduate certificate in creative writing at Humber College, Karen Connelly was Lishai's mentor and Kyo Maclear was her thesis advisor during her MFA program. 

Her writing has won awards with The Malahat Review, The Vancouver Writers Fest and The Writers’ Trust of Canada. Her essays and poems have been published by Book*hug Press, Room Magazine, Lilith Magazine, Hey Alma, Middleground Magazine, Arc Poetry Magazine, The Malahat Review, Illanot Review and others.

Lishai has an MFA in creative writing from Guelph University and sits on the Board of Directors for gritLIT, Hamilton's literary festival. She currently works as Co-Executive Director of Moms Together, a lobby group for Canadian moms. Outside of her professional commitments and writing life, Lishai spends time tending to her garden, going on ice climbing and hiking adventures, and managing her energetic eight-year-old’s busy schedule. Lishai’s son would like the City of Hamilton to know that he is committed in his role of Hamilton’s first official poetry butler. 

For more information visit www.lishai.ca

About the work, by Lishai Peel
The piece explores our relationship to time and the way the topography of the land has changed over millions of years and will continue to change long after we’re gone. It reflects on the deep history of the place we now call home, tracing the shifting landscape from an ancient sea to a glaciated land. Over time, this place became a pristine fishery known as Macassa, or “beautiful waters,” before transforming into a heavily industrialized bay. In the 1980s, a reclamation effort began, shaping the shoreline we see today.

I tried to imagine what this land would have looked like in its wildest forms: submerged beneath ancient waters, walked by mammoths, and later sustaining Indigenous communities who thrived along its shores. The poem reminds us that we walk on ground shaped by cycles of transformation, both natural and human-made. It meditates on how fleeting yet profound human life is in the context of vast geological time. We inhabit a world that carries the memory of ancient creatures and landscapes, but also of the hands that have shaped it, for better or worse. The piece asks how future generations will perceive us and how they will read the traces we leave behind in the soil. In the end, it suggests that while our physical forms may decay, love—our capacity for connection and care—is the enduring force that transcends extinction.

A performance of “Bones” was recorded by Lishai Peel with support from local musicians Malfiore and with video production by Bawaadan Collective

Malfiore, consisting of Bailey Duff (guitar, vocals, loops) and Olga Kirgidis (synth, electronics, vocals), crafts a rich tapestry of dark, lush, and haunting looped melodies and drones. Influenced by early Baroque and folk music, they navigate the intersection of past and present. Learn more about Malfiore.

Bawaadan Collective, a majority Indigenous collective of artists, is dedicated to evolving collective methods for modern artistic storytelling and film production. Bawaadan regularly works with First Nations communities to produce diverse educational, creative, instructional, and storytelling videos. Bawaadan has produced works alongside the Woodland Cultural Centre, Moccasin Identifier project, Indigenous Relations team (City of Hamilton) and the CBC Documentary “Inside the Statue Wars”. Learn more about Bawaadan Collective.

The Poet in Place program recognizes a local poet or spoken word artist who, through poetry-based projects and programs, will:

• Enhance public spaces and connect Hamiltonians to their communities
• Provide opportunities for public engagement with poetry and spoken word
• Increase the visibility of the poetic arts in the city

The poet or spoken word artist will serve a two-year term and receive an honorarium of $20,000 over the two-year term ($10,000 per year). Each year, the Poet in Place will:

• Perform original works of poetry or spoken word at city events and programs
• Develop and deliver poetry workshops in partnership with Hamilton Public Libraries
• Develop and implement creative placemaking projects

Hamilton City Council passed a motion in the fall of 2022 for the Tourism and Culture Division to develop a Poet Program. After conducting research, consulting with the community, and developing a framework for poetry-driven placemaking, the Poet in Place program was created. This program was approved by City Council in June of 2023.

Applications to the Poet in Place program were accepted in Fall 2023. A jury comprised of poets, literary artists, and individuals with project and placemaking expertise reviewed and scored all eligible submissions using the selection criteria. One non-voting member from the Tourism and Culture Division also participated in the discussion.

The adjudicators reviewed all applications submitted and were impressed by the quality of applications received.

Lishai Peel’s application achieved the highest score during the adjudication process and her work received high praise. In particular, the adjudication team recognized her poetic voice, impactful performance ability, and her experience in creative project management. They also noted the high level of community engagement demonstrated in Lishai’s application and the potential to build connections between the general public and the poetic arts through the power of words.