Poet

Mike Fan’s close relationship with text and language is evident in his nuanced, impassioned performances as a singer. However, long before he sang, Mike’s affair with words began with poetry. Mike’s works include his monumental 365 Sonnets, written astonishingly during Mike’s teenage years, in addition to free verse poetry, art songs texts, and short stories.

Mike won the 2nd Place Prize, aged 12, at the Ishar Singh Poetry Festival (Eden Mills Writers Festival 2005) for the poem “Being Me”. His “Sonnet CLXXXII” was also selected by Forward Poetry as one of the Top 5 Poems of December 2008. Mike has taken 1st Prize in Advanced Speech Arts at the OMFA Provincials 2017 as well as 1st Prize and a Scholarship in Advanced Speech Arts at KMFG 2017 for performing poetry, prose, and drama. Mike has also integrated his poetry with music in his song cycle Cycle P Éluard expressing a romantic entanglement while performing Bizet’s Carmen at HSOF 2017 as well as paying tribute to Éluard’s poetry. Mike has also had his poem “Lingua ignota” set as an art song for voice piano by Ross Love.

Mike continues to work toward a third ARCT Diploma in Speech Arts and Drama with the Royal Conservatory of Music as well as writing poetry between performances, studies, and teaching. When Mike has the time to write, he continues to post on his his mostly free verse poetry blog: Some Turbid Night.

Poetic Works:

* Some Turbid Night (2011-present) ~ free verse poetry & short stories

* Lingua ignota (2018) ~ art song (R. Love)

* Cycle P Éluard (2017) ~ song cycle (M. Fan)

* 365 Sonnets (2008-2011)

* Being Me (2005)

Awards:

  • Ontario Federation of Music Festivals: 1st Place, Provincial Finalist - Advanced Speech Arts (2017)
  • Kiwanis Music Festival of Guelph Scholarships: Speech Arts (2017)
  • Forward Poetry: Top 5 Poems - Sonnet CLXXXII (2008)
  • Ishar Singh Poetry Contest - Being Me (2005)