A Look at 5 Poets Breaking Into Song (#20): Liberty to Love

Poetry and music filled Paul O'Regan Hall once again as George Elliott Clarke presented the 20th edition of his iconic 5 Poets Breaking Into Song on Saturday, February 14 at our Halifax Central Library branch.

This year's edition, Liberty to Love, appropriately held on Valentine's Day, brought together an incredible lineup of poets and musicians for an afternoon of original work and live performance. Halifax native and former Parliamentary Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke hosted the event, featuring original poetry by Delvina Bernard, El Jones, Salima Tourkmani-MacDonald, Stedmond Pardy, and George himself.

Their words were then transformed into music, first through compositions by Nevawn Patrick, performed by vocalist Linda Carvery with pianist Holly Arsenault, and then through pieces composed and played by Juno and Emmy-winning composer D.D. Jackson, sung by Holland-based Nova Scotia native Shanice Skinner and Romania-based vocalist Dean Bowman.

If you missed it, we captured the highlights of this love-filled afternoon—take a look at the photos below and check out the full event on YouTube, opens a new window.

African Heritage Month 2026 continues with events across our 14 branches, from live music and film screenings to cooking workshops and storytelling. Explore what's coming up