Shane Koyczan

Shane L. Koyczan was born on May 22, 1976, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, to a French mother and a father of Canadian Indigenous heritage. He was raised in Penticton, British Columbia, by his grandparents. His early education included attendance at Okanagan College. Koyczan gained recognition in the spoken word poetry community, becoming the first Canadian to win the Individual Championship title at the National Poetry Slam in 2000. This milestone marked an early achievement in his career, establishing him as a significant voice in the performance poetry landscape.

Koyczan’s work frequently explores themes such as bullying, cancer, death, and eating disorders, often utilizing personal narrative to connect with audiences. His debut poetry collection, “Visiting Hours,” published in 2005, was recognized by both The Guardian and Globe and Mail in their Best Books of the Year lists. He is a co-founder of the spoken word trio Tons of Fun University (T.O.F.U.). A notable highlight in his career was performing a variation of his poem “We Are More” at the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, which brought his work to an international audience.

In 2013, Koyczan released “To This Day,” an animated video of his anti-bullying poem, which garnered significant global attention, achieving over 25 million views on YouTube. This project expanded into the “To This Day Project,” a free anti-bullying smartphone application, and led to a TED Talk on the topic. For his contributions to social justice through his art, Koyczan was awarded a BC Civil Liberties Award for the Arts. His published works also include “the Stickboy” (2008), “Our Deathbeds will be Thirsty” (2012), “To This Day: For the Bullied and Beautiful” (2014), and “A Bruise on Light” (2014). He continues to perform and record with his band, The Short Story Long, releasing albums such as “Remembrance Year” (2011) and “Debris” (2015).