Shane Koyczan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shane Koyczan
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Shane Koyczan
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Shane L. Koyczan
22 May 1976 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
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| Occupation | Poet and writer |
| Known for | Spoken word poems |
Shane L. Koyczan (born May 22, 1976) is a Canadian poet and writer. He is famous for his "spoken word" poems. Spoken word is like poetry that is performed out loud, often with rhythm and passion. Shane writes about important topics such as bullying and how to be kind. His most well-known poem is "To This Day", which talks about bullying. This poem has been watched over 25 million times online.
Contents
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Shane Koyczan was born in the Northwest Territories in Canada. He grew up in a town called Penticton in British Columbia. In 2000, Shane made history. He became the first Canadian to win a big poetry contest. This contest was called the Individual Championship at the National Poetry Slam.
Shane also helped start a group called Tons of Fun University (T.O.F.U.). This group performs spoken word poetry. In 2007, a TV show called Heart of a Poet featured Shane and his work.
Books and Famous Performances
Shane Koyczan has written several books. These include poetry collections like Visiting Hours and A Bruise on Light. He also wrote a novel in verse called Stickboy. A novel in verse is a story told mostly through poems.
In 2007, Shane's poem "We Are More" was shown at Canada Day celebrations. This was on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. He also performed a special version of his poem at the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
The "To This Day" Project
In 2012, Shane released a music album called "Remembrance Year". This album talked about tough experiences. It shared messages of courage and hope.
In 2013, Shane released an animated video for his poem "To This Day". He shared it on YouTube and at the TED Conference. The poem is all about bullying. It talks about the lasting effects bullying can have on people. The video quickly became very popular. Many people watched it and sent Shane messages to thank him.
Music and Film Work
Shane has also worked with musicians. He collaborated with a Vancouver musician named Dan Mangan. Shane was featured on a song called "Tragic Turn of Events – Move Pen Move".
His work has also been featured in films. A documentary about him, Shut Up and Say Something, was released in 2017. This film won an award at the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Discography
Here are some of the albums Shane Koyczan has released:
- Perfect (2000)
- American Pie Chart (2004)
- The Them They're Talking About (2005) - With Tons of Fun University
- A Pretty Decent Cape in My Closet (2008) - With The Short Story Long
- Hard to Tell (2009) - With Tons of Fun University
- Shut Up And Say Something (2009)
- Remembrance Year (2011) - With The Short Story Long
- Silence is a Song I Know All the Words To (2014)
- Debris (2015) - With The Short Story Long
Filmography
Here are some films Shane Koyczan has been part of:
- The 2000 National Poetry Slam Finals (2000)
- To This Day Project (2013) – a spoken word poem video
- Shut Up and Say Something (2017) – a documentary about him
