MOOSE JAW — Moose Jaw’s live arts scene will add another milestone to its growing cultural calendar this summer, as the city prepares to host the first-ever “Famous Last Words” event — a high-energy poetry showcase designed to make the art form fun, fast-paced, and full of surprises.
Set for Friday, July 18 at the Mae Wilson Theatre, Famous Last Words will feature an impressive lineup of performers, including RC Weslowski, Peace Akintade, Dash Reimer, Cat Abenstein, and Khodi Dill. Hosted by spoken word artist Sean McGarragle, the evening promises a dynamic blend of humour, creativity and audience engagement.
The event is part of the 2025 Saskatchewan Festival of Words and marks the first time the Famous Last Words format — originally developed in British Columbia — will take the stage in Moose Jaw.
“It’s a special event that’s meant to get creative (in its presentation of) poetry and be a fun night,” explained Amanda Farnell, operations manager for the Festival of Words. “Each poet will get a series of prompts (to start with)… and there’s a little bit of a contest between them.”
The event’s lineup includes a mix of national and local talent, headlined by Saskatchewan’s current poet laureate, Peace Akintade, a performer known for her compelling flow and captivating stage presence.
“(Akintade is) a really great poet, and she’s really good with flow and energy,” Farnell said, noting that the poet lights up the room and brings depth and energy to her versatile performances. “She’s kind of like the person you meet who (turns out to be) the coolest person that you know.”
Also taking the spotlight is Sean McGarragle, the evening’s producer and host. Though now based in British Columbia, McGarragle has long-standing ties to the spoken word community in Moose Jaw and has worked with the festival team on several occasions.
“(McGarragle) is hilarious; he’s really charismatic and his passion is making poetry accessible to people,” Farnell said. “This is really his passion project that we were happy to partner with.”
Entry to Famous Last Words is by voluntary donation, making it a low-barrier event for newcomers and longtime festivalgoers alike.
The event lands in the middle of the four-day Festival of Words, running July 17 to 20 across various venues in downtown Moose Jaw. This year’s schedule includes literary interviews, writing workshops, live readings, and performances from acclaimed authors such as Guy Vanderhaeghe, Terry Fallis, and Richard Van Camp.
Among the many highlights this year are themed panel discussions on romance, monsters, and maritime mysteries — along with returning Montreal-based musical guest Clerel, set to perform live at the Mae Wilson Theatre at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 19.
Farnell said the Festival of Words continues to evolve with each passing year, but its goal remains the same: to bring together diverse voices, genres, and storytelling forms in a celebration of culture and community.
“We partner with the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery, with the Moose Jaw Public Library, and the Centre for Arts and Culture. It’s all about community,” she said. “We bring in 50 events over four days. We try to introduce people to new things, to… their favourite authors, new authors, and just (give them the chance to) explore different genres and styles of writing.”
For those still unsure about attending, Farnell recommends starting with the festival’s welcome reception or sampling one of its many free reading sessions.
“If you head to our reception first and check that out, it’s kind of an introduction to all things festival,” Farnell explained. “It gives you a really clear idea of what’s going to come for the next three days … Just come in, see what you might like, and go from there.”
For more information and to view the full festival schedule, visit FestivalOfWords.com.
