Unbound Reading Series: Summer Open Mic

Unbound Reading Series: Summer Open Mic

Show Info

Unbound Reading Series, founded by Hope Lauterbach in 2020, is a growing collective dedicated to celebrating and nurturing Black creative voices through vibrant events featuring emerging and established Black authors and poets.

The spark for this incredible partnership began back in February 2023, when Neworld Theatre first teamed up with Unbound to co-produce The Black Futures Open Mic. Hosted by award-winning author Harrison Mooney, that inaugural event was brought to life in collaboration with  Room Magazine, Wildfires Bookshop, and Riseup Marketplace. 

Fast forward to today, and we are incredibly proud to announce that this upcoming event marks our 7th collaboration with Unbound Reading Series! More than just a performance, this upcoming Summer Open Mic is a heartfelt celebration of the beautiful, thriving community that Unbound has cultivated over the years.

We are bringing that community energy into the sunshine! Save the date and join us outdoors right in the PL parking lot, where we are thrilled to be partnering once again with our brilliant friends at Wildfires Bookshop and Riseup Marketplace to celebrate Black creativity.

Host: 

Harrison Mooney is a best-selling memoirist and award-winning journalist from the Fraser Valley. His debut memoir, Invisible Boy, was the winner of the 2023 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for nonfiction, and shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Hurston Wright Legacy Award in memoir nonfiction. Harrison’s work has appeared in the Vancouver Sun, the Guardian, Maclean’s and the Tyee, among other outlets. He lives in East Vancouver with his family.

This Unbound Reading Series event is made in partnership with Neworld Theatre, and with the support of Rumble Theatre, Room Magazine and the City of Vancouver, Cultural Services’ Communities and Artists Shifting Culture grant.

• Showtimes

  • July 31, 2027

• Accessibility

  We are committed to creating an accessible and welcoming experience for all audiences. A visual story for the venue is available upon request, and audience members are welcome to move around, make noise, leave, and return during the performance as needed. A separate quiet space will be available, along with flexible and wheelchair-accessible seating options. The venue includes gender-neutral and wheelchair-accessible washrooms, and we will follow COVID-19 safety practices (details to be confirmed). This is a fragrance-reduced space.