Khalil Mair recites at the Griffin Poetry Prize Awards evening in Toronto, June 2014
Toronto French School student Khalil Mair first competed in Poetry In Voice when he was in 10th grade. He won first prize and the title of National Bilingual Champion at our 2013 National Finals.
In 2014, Khalil competed in the French stream. Once again, he was invited to the National Finals, which took place in Vancouver. There, he had the chance to met Elizabeth Bachinsky, who wrote “Wolf Lake,” one of the poems he had recited the previous year.
Khalil’s charm and ability earned him an invitation to recite at the Griffin Poetry Prize Awards evening in Toronto in June 2014. That night, he recited “Wolf Lake” for an audience of 400 people, including some of Canada's and the world's greatest poets. Not only did Khalil hold his own and deftly command his audience's attention, but he also showed how vital recitation is today. You could have heard a pin drop.
Here he is reciting that night.