Brendan McLeod
brendanmcleod@gmail.com
www.brendanmcleod.ca
Award Winning Performance Poet
Award Winning Novelist
Highly Experienced Arts & Literacy Educator
Member of The Fugitives music group
Playwright and Screenwriter
Monologist
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Brendan McLeod is a Toronto based writer and musician. He is the author of one novel, The Convictions
of Leonard McKinley, a one woman play, The Big Oops, and a monologue about Canadian history
entitled The Fruit Machine. His music group The Fugitives have been nominated for a Canadian Folk
Music Award, and have toured to ten countries. As a poet and oral storyteller, he has performed over
400 shows in the past 5 years. He is a former Canadian SLAM poetry champion and World SLAM runnerup. He has taught spoken word at Langara College, and is an active youth educator with a variety of
organizations, including: the Bienniale Project, Travellin’ SLAM, and FreeWrite! He has served as a writer
in residence at dozens of secondary schools across Canada and Europe. He was the 2012 Poet of Honor
at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word.
Awards
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Shortlist (Literary), K.M Hunter Awards, 2016.
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Critic’s Choice Award (nominee), Pick of the Fringe winner, Vancouver Fringe Festival, 2015.
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Best Male Performer, Victoria Fringe Festival, 2015.
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Ontario Arts Council grant, Word of Mouth, 2015.
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Poet of Honour, Victoria Festival of Spoken Word, 2015.
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Best Vocal Group, Canadian Folk Music Awards, 2014 (nominee).
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Best Roots album (duo or group), Western Canadian Music Award, 2014 (nominee).
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Canada Council grant for Spoken Word and Storytelling, 2014.
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Poet of Honour, Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, 2012.
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Canada Writes (Shortlist), Creative Non-fiction, 2012.
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Banff Arts Centre, Writing Studio participant, 2011.
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Banff Arts Centre, Writing with Style participant, 2010.
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BC Arts grant for Literary Arts, 2010.
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Canadian Comedy Award, Man V Minivan (story credit) (nominee), 2010.
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Canada Council grant for Specialized Music Recording (The Fugitives), 2009.
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Re: Lit Award (longlist) for The Convictions of Leonard McKinley, 2008.
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Canada Council grant for Spoken Word and Storytelling, 2008.
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Canadian Folk Music Award (nominee) in the category ‘Pushing the Boundaries’ for In Streetlight
Communion (The Fugitives), 2007.
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Winner of the International 3 Day Novel Contest for The Convictions of Leonard McKinley, 2006.
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World SLAM Poetry Championships (runner-up), 2005.
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Vancouver Individual SLAM poetry champion, 2005.
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Canada Council Grant for Spoken Word and Storytelling (The Fugitives), 2005.
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Individual SLAM poetry champion, Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, 2004.
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Team SLAM poetry champion (Vancouver), Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, 2004.
Performances
Over 400 performances in the past five years. Highlights include:
2015
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Poet of Honour, Victoria Festival of Spoken Word
Writer in Residence, Vancouver Writer’s Festival
Writer in Residence, Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts
2014
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Western Canada support tour for Buffy Sainte-Marie
Summerfolk Music Festival, Owen Sound
Bella Coola Music Festival, Bella Cola
Arts on the Fly Music Festival, Williams Lake
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Glastonbury Festival, UK
Sunshine Coast Writer’s Festival
2013
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Calgary Spoken Word Festival
Elephant Mountain Literary Festival, Nelson
2012
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Poet of Honour, Canadian Festival of Spoken Word
Writer in Residence, Sunshine Coast Writer’s Festival
Folkestone Literary Festival, UK
Edmonton Poetry Festival
Skagit River Poetry Festival (WA)
Vancouver International Writer’s Festival, Vancouver
2011
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Wordstock Writer’s Festival, Collingwood
Sunny Music Festival, Sunshine Coast
Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Vancouver
Brandon Folk Festival, Brandon
Hillside Folk Festival, Guelph
Midsummer Music Festival, Smithers, BC
Wordsworth Youth Writing Camp, Bragg Creek, Alberta
2010
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Off the Shelf Literature Festival, Sheffield, UK
Folkestone Literature Festival, Folkestone, UK
Dylan Thomas Literature Festival, Swansea, UK
Vancouver Writer’s Festival, Vancouver
Blank Slate Theatre Festival, Whistler
Discovery Coast Music Festival, Bella Coola
Calgary International Festival of Spoken Word, Calgary
Vancouver East Cultural Centre Curator in Residence, Vancouver
2009
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Gabriola Poetry Festival
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Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, Victoria
Surrey Fusion Festival
Mariposa Folk Festival, Orillia
Komasket Folk Festival, Vernon
Youth Write, Bragg Creek
Scribology Festival, Ottawa
2008
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Edmonton Poetry Festival, Edmonton
South Country Fair, Lethbridge
Winnipeg Folk Festival, Winnipeg
Youth Write, Bragg Creek
BC Book & Magazine Week, Vancouver
Young Writer’s Festival, Vancouver
2007
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Jewish Book Festival, Vancouver
The Convictions of Leonard McKinley Novel Launch, Toronto
Vancouver International Writer’s Festival, Vancouver
Winnipeg International Writer’s Festival, Winnipeg
Word on the Street, Vancouver
The Convictions of Leonard McKinley Novel Launch, Vancouver
Brandon Folk Festival, Brandon
Vancouver Folk Festival, Vancouver
Young Writer’s Festival, Vancouver
Calgary International Spoken Word Festival, Calgary
2006
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2005
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Words Aloud Festival, Durham
Off the Shelf Literature Festival, Sheffield, UK
Vienna Literary Festival, Vienna
Bowery Poetry Club, NYC
Edmonton Poetry Festival, Edmonton
Dylan Thomas Festival, Swansea, UK
The Runnymede International Literature Festival, Runnymede, UK
Saskatchewan Festival of Words, Moose Jaw
Festival Voix D’Amerique, Montreal
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2004
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Rotterdam International Poetry Festival, Rotterdam, ND
Writing on the Wall Festival, Liverpool, UK
Da Poetry Lounge, Hollywood, USA
Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, Vancouver
Word on the Street, Vancouver
West Coast Poetry Festival, Vancouver
Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, Ottawa
Publications
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The Big Oops. One woman play. Premiered February, 2010.
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Man V Minivan. Short film. Premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, 2009. (story credit)
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The Convictions of Leonard McKinley. Novel. 3 Day Books, distributed by Arsenal Pulp. 2007.
Discography
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Everything Will Happen. Collaborative music album (The Fugitives). Light Organ Records.
October, 2013.
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Bigger Than Luck (EP). Collaborative music album (The Fugitives). Light Organ Records. June,
2013.
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The Fruit Machine. Live storytelling album. April, 2011.
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Eccentrically We Love. Collaborative music album (The Fugitives). Light Organ Records,
distributed by Universal Music. March, 2010.
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Find Me (EP). Collaborative spoken word and music album (The Fugitives). 604 Records,
distributed by Universal Music. October, 2009.
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Little Troubles, Live. Solo storytelling album. August, 2009.
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The Nuns Go Silent, Live. Solo storytelling album. May, 2008.
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In Streetlight Communion. Music and spoken word album (The Fugitives). Distributed by Festival
Distributions. March, 2007.
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The Face of Impurity. Collaborative storytelling album (The Fugitives). March, 2007.
Arts Education
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Bienniale “Big Ideas” Artist in Schools Program, 2012- present.
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Spoken Word Instructor, Langara College, 2011- 2012.
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Host of All Star Slam, Ontario secondary schools, 2013-present,
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Host of Travellin’ SLAM, BC secondary schools, 2011 – present.
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Performance poetry presenter in secondary schools, Wordplay, 2005-present.
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Spoken Word Youth Mentor, Vancouver East Cultural Centre, 2009 – 2012.
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Workshop Co-ordinator, Hullabaloo (BC Secondary schools SLAM poetry championships), 2012.
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Founder and workshop leader, FreeWrite! (free intensive writing course for youth), 2009-2011.
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Spoken Word and Songwriting Instructor, Wordsworth summer writing camp, 2007, 2010 –
present.
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Poetry mentor for youth, Purple Thistle Centre, 2008-2011.
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Have performed over 300 poetry workshops in secondary schools in the past six years.
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In the last five years, have served as a writer in residence at dozens of secondary schools.
Education
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MA in Philosophy, University of Waterloo, 2002.
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BA (Honours with Distinction) in Philosophy, University of Victoria, 2001.
Notable Press
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Sections of ‘The Fruit Machine’ air on CBC’s Definitely Not the Opera, June, 2011 and Jaunary,
2012.
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‘The Big Oops’ receives four star reviews from CBC, Winnipeg Free Press, and an ‘A’ from
Uptown for its run at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, 2010.
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CBC’s ‘On the Coast’, Songwriter for the Day, March 23, 2010.
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‘Man V Minivan’ plays at Toronto, Vancouver, Kingston film festivals and airs on CBC, garnering
strong reviews from the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, and NOW, 2009.
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Guest Panelist for round table discussion on CBC’s Canada Reads, 2009.
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Little Troubles, Live arts feature in Georgia Straight, August, 2009.
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Convictions of Leonard McKinley positively reviewed in Globe & Mail, Now Magazine(Toronto),
Uptown Magazine(Winnipeg), Broken Pencil, and Monday Magazine (Victoria).
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Convictions of Leonard McKinley profiled in National Post, Uptown Magazine, Vancouver Sun,
and numerous CBC radio shows.
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The Fugitives earns five star reviews from CBC, Uptown Magazine, and Winnipeg Sun for their
spoken word play, “The New Art of Poetry Clubbing”, summer, 2007.
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Multiple features for poetry in Spinner, The Georgia Straight (Vancouver), Monday Magazine
(Victoria), FFWD (Calgary), Calgary Herald, Edmonton Sun, Leader Post (Regina), Uptown
Magazine (Winnipeg), Winnipeg Free Press, Now Magazine (Toronto), Voir (Montreal), Ottawa
Xpress, as well as various CBC programs and college/community publication and radio.
Praise for Brendan’s Performances
"Canada's top SLAM (poetry) spieler" – CBC
“Among the most prolific artists in the city...Somewhat of a creative typhoon...A charmingly silly
creature who also strives for deeper meaning” – Georgia Straight (Vancouver)
“Some kind of diversified writer” – Vancouver Province
"This poet is an ambitious performer" - Edmonton Sun (Edmonton)
"McLeod's observational sentiment is spot on” – Uptown Magazine (Winnipeg)
"One of the most intelligent and dynamic performance poets on the globe." - Chair, Spoken
Word Canada
"Brendan McLeod is one of the best performers I have ever seen - powerful, moving, funny – absolutely
brilliant!" Director, Off the Shelf Festival of Writing and Reading, UK
"Brendan McLeod is one of the most exciting and promising young writers on the Canadian landscape.
His eloquence and brilliance allow his words to jump off of the page, bringing his stories to life in a way
that few can."- Dwayne Morgan, Founder and Director of Up From the Roots
"There are few writers with both talent and performance skills, and Brendan McLeod displays both. His
stories go beyond the classic definition of spoken word and create a new genre entirely." - David
Silverberg, Director, 2011 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word
"Brendan McLeod is one of the most impressive voices to emerge in recent years. Whenever you hear
him tell a tale you are instantly mesmerized by his word skills." - Randy Jacobs, President, Vancouver
Poetry House
Praise for The Convictions of Leonard McKinley
“McLeod’s plot works away with quiet efficiency...a very personal addendum to the scariest of biblical
parables.” – Globe & Mail
“(McLeod) has built a solid reputation as one of the country’s best spoken word performers. It turns out
his command of language is just as strong on paper, however, as Leonard McKinley is an equally funny,
disturbing and poignant tale of a young man struggling to reconcile his strong Christian faith with his
increasingly dark impulses.” – Monday Magazine (Victoria)
“An emotionally powerful book and an intense read...McLeod's knack for realistic dialogue and for
shaping young male characters bring this coming-of-age tale to life.” ―Now Magazine (Toronto)
“A very funny book about religious extremism... McLeod puts the fun in fundamentalism."
―Uptown Magazine (Winnipeg)
“McLeod's writing is clear, thoughtful and funny and he has produced an entertaining read and a few
moral dilemmas.” ―Broken Pencil
“Brendan McLeod presents us with a protagonist who is at once mesmerizing and ridiculous, charming
and offensive.” – Terence Young, Governor General’s Award Nominee
"A wonderous duality -- the sort that sows a field of allusive comedy, and then, with full purpose, salts
the same ground with tragedy and profundity. While this novel is a house built from bricks of pop
culture and kid idiom, it is also a kind of revelation. It is a novel about thought itself."
- Wayde Compton, author of 49th Parallel Psalm and Performance Bond
"Brendan McLeod is a hot young disciple of authenticity and imagination. His voice is the voice of now
and trips on the present social issues with innovation and song." – Sheri-D Wilson, author of Sweet Taste
of Lightning
Praise for The Big Oops
“Unabashed fun and full of life, but it’s also a pregnant pause that delivers a surprising amount
of poignancy” – Winnipeg Free Press, 4 Stars
“Cara Yeates is bubbly perfection in Brendan McLeod's play... watching Yeates take her
character through the evolution is both funny and touching.” – CBC, 4 Stars
“A” – Uptown Magazine (Winnipeg)
“An engaging production…kudos to Brendan McLeod to stage a show about such touchy
subjects.” – Vue Magazine (Edmonton)