An American spoken word poet who has been taking HBO’s Def Poetry by storm is making a return to the island this weekend to perform as a guest of the Bermuda College Literary Society.

Gemineye, real name Chris Kuretich, is well known for poems such as Penny for Your Thoughts and Poetic Bloodlines and was last here in 2013 when he performed and ran workshops for students at the Bermuda College.

This Sunday he will be staging a free, public performance at Bootsie’s Place at the Grand at 7pm.

He will make another performance followed by a Q&A on Monday at 2pm at the Bermuda College in the North Hall G301. This event will be geared towards senior school and Bermuda College students who will be able to gain some insight into what it is like to be a poet and spoken word artist.

Also on Monday, he will be giving workshops to English teachers at the Bermuda College faculty at 4.30pm. Teachers who attend can gain credit from the Bermuda Educators Council.

Gemineye’s poetry is known for his gritty, urban style with inspiration coming from the likes of US poet Lemon Andersen, and US poet and political activist Suheir Hammad.

Yet despite his modern edge, Gemineye has much respect for the traditional artists — his poem Poetic Bloodlines pays homage to Langston Hughes, Keats and Wordsworth.

He has performed across the United States, in the Dominican Republic and in Bermuda and has appeared on three seasons of HBO Presents Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry after being approached by a talent spotter.

President of the Bermuda College Literary Society Patrick Lee told The Royal Gazette: “Gemineye speaks on topics that youth in Bermuda would be able to relate to. In previous years the speaker was chosen by a member of faculty. Those speakers, often times, did not appeal to students and students did not want to go watch the speakers perform.

“After Dr Sharon Virgil took over the Bermuda College Literary Society she decided it made more sense for the students to choose the speaker as they would know what other students would gravitate to.

“Speakers must be able to speak to both students as well as teachers.”

To learn more visit the Facebook page “Gemineye The Poet”, or find him on Twitter as Gemineye611. His album Raw Talent is available on iTunes.

• For more information, contact BCLS president Patrick Lee at bc239025@college.bm