Date: Sunday, April 19, 2026
Time: 2:30 PM – 4 PM EDT
Location: Sunrise Room, Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga (5787 Hurontario St)
Register: For FREE via Eventbrite
Poets and spoken word artists! Join MAC for a special National Poetry Month event.
Hear from Ontario Poet Laureate Matthew “Testament” Jones, Mississauga Poet Laureate Andrea Josic, and Mississauga Youth Poetry Laureate Tahira Rajwani, hosted by award-winning poet Susan Ksiezopolski.
Poets for Peace brings together poets and spoken word artists to gather, connect, and reflect together for National Poetry Month. Hear selected works from our featured Poet Laureates, connect with fellow poets and spoken word artists, and take part in a collaborative writing activity exploring how poetry serves as a powerful tool for peace and consolation in times of turmoil and unrest.
Sponsored by TD Bank Group and Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre.
About Matthew Testament Jones
Mississauga, Ontario native Matthew-Ray Jones, also known as Testament, is a connoisseur of anything and everything involving words. From poetry, spoken word and emceeing to facilitating, hosting and keynoting, Matthew-Ray has been using his natural speaking abilities to inspire audiences for over 20 years. His mother is his hero. She endured many hardships throughout her life and made sacrifices so that Matthew-Ray could pursue his dreams. She provided him with a diary at age 6 that inspired the artist to start his writing journey through self-expression.
Matthew-Ray has performed and taught nationally from coast to coast in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Nunavut, and British Columbia. He has performed internationally in Venezuela and Italy and has travelled to six continents.
To date, he has recorded three albums and shared the stage with Talib Kweli, Naughty by Nature, Biz Markie, GZA, Kardinal Offishall, Saukrates, DāM-FunK and more. He co-founded an artist collective called P.E.A.C.E. (“People Everywhere Actually Co-existing Equally”) helping people realize they are ‘a piece of P.E.A.C.E.’ through poetry, HipHop, music, workshops, presentations and trainings.
Matthew-Ray has appeared on Breakfast Television, CP24, MuchMusic, MTV and Rogers TV. He has been written about in Exclaim and Eye Weekly magazines plus numerous national and local newspapers and has made various appearances on radio stations.
A father, artist, entrepreneur and revolutionary, Matthew-Ray uses his passion for words, art and life to motivate, inspire and lead. He trusts in the values of peace, love and unity as his guiding principles as he continues to spread his message worldwide.
About Andrea Josic
Andrea Josic is a Bosnian-Canadian poet and the fifth Poet Laureate for the City of Mississauga. As an award-winning writer and performer, her work has been featured on CBC Radio, the TTC, Global News, Meridian Arts Centre, and more. She has performed on global poetry stages and was the champion of the 2020 and 2026 Toronto Poetry Slam, and the 2019 Boston Slam. Andrea channels her passion into teaching across Canada, inspiring others to find belonging, healing, and joy.
About Tahira Rajwani
Tahira Rajwani (she/her) is Mississauga’s Youth Poet Laureate and the Director of local open mic series, Sauga Poetry. As a South Asian Canadian spoken word artist, her work is rooted in themes of diaspora and women’s empowerment.
In 2025, Tahira ranked second nationally when representing Toronto at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam. In the spring, you will be able to find her work on the TTC with Poems in Passage.
About Susan Ksiezopolski
Susan Ksiezopolski an award-winning poet, has published two poetry collections, My Words, and Writing for Change, The Writer’s Workbook and Fuel Your Creativity Journal. She is an advocate who explores the intersection of creativity, healing, and mental wellness. A graduate of the Humber School for Writers and founder of WriteWell, she facilitates workshops using writing to build emotional resilience.