Shane Koyczan

Shane Koyczan
Born	Shane L. Koyczan (1976-05-22) 22 May 1976 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Occupation	Poet and writer
Known for	Spoken word poems
Website	ShaneKoyczan.com

Shane L. Koyczan (born 22 May 1976) is a Canadian spoken word poet, writer, and member of the group Tons of Fun University known for writing about issues like bullying, cancer, death, and eating disorders. His poems have helped many overcome depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. He is most famous for the anti-bullying poem To This Day which has over 17 million views.

Background

Born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Koyczan grew up in Penticton, British Columbia. In 2000, he became the first Canadian to win the Individual Championship title at the National Poetry Slam. Together with Mighty Mike McGee and C. R. Avery, he is the co-founder of spoken word, "talk rock" trio, Tons of Fun University (T.O.F.U.). In August 2007 Shane Koyczan and his work were the subject of an episode of the television documentary series Heart of a Poet, produced by Canadian filmmaker Maureen Judge for broadcaster Bravo!.

Koyczan has published four books, poetry collection Visiting Hours, Stickboy, a novel in verse, Our Deathbeds will be Thirsty, and "A Bruise on Light" most recently in 2015. Visiting Hours was selected by both the Guardian and Globe and Mail for their 2005 Best Books of the Year lists.

Koyczan’s "We Are More" and Ivan Bielinski’s "La première fois", commissioned by the Canadian Tourism Commission, were unveiled at Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on 1 July 2007. Koyczan performed a variation on his piece at the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Koyczan also collaborated on Vancouver-based musician Dan Mangan's Roboteering EP on the track Tragic Turn of Events – Move Pen Move.

In 2012, Shane Koyczan released a full-length digital album entitled "Remembrance Year", which "tackles abuse with courage and displacement with inspiration", in collaboration with the folk instrumentation of his band, The Short Story Long.

In February 2013 Koyczan released an animated video of his spoken word poem "To This Day" on YouTube and at the TED Conference. The poem focused on the subject of bullying that Koyczan and others had received during their life and its lasting effects. "To This Day" went viral shortly after its release, with the video receiving over 17 million views as of December 2015, prompting many viewers to send Koyczan letters thanking him for publishing the poem.

Bibliography

• I'm Calling You Friend
• Help Wanted
• I Drew That For You
• Visiting Hours (2005, House of Parlance Media; ISBN 978-0-9738131-0-4)
• Stickboy ( 2008, House of Parlance Media ISBN 978-0-9738131-6-6)
• Our Deathbeds will be Thirsty (2012, House of Parlance Media)

Discography

• Perfect
• 2nd Time Around
• Visiting Hours
• American Pie Chart
• Shut Up And Say Something

With Tons of Fun University (ToFU):

• The Them They're Talking About (2005)
• Hard to Tell (2009)

As Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long:

• A Pretty Decent Cape in My Closet (2007)
  • includes "The Crickets Have Arthritis"
• Shoulders (2014)

As Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long:

• "Remembrance Year" (2012)

Filmography

• The 2000 National Poetry Slam Finals (2000, The Wordsmith Press)
• To This Day Project (2013) – spoken word poem

External links

• Official website
• Shane Koyczan at TED
  • http://www.ted.com/talks/shane_koyczan_to_this_day_for_the_bullied_and_beautiful "To This Day ... for the bullied and beautiful" (TED2013)]