OCCUPATION Spoken word artist, writer, poet, mother

CONTRIBUTION Born in Toronto to Antiguan and Bajan parents, Wendy Braithwaite adopted the name “Motion” as a reflection of her movement into the burgeoning worlds of spoken word and poetry. In 2002, Women’s Press, Toronto, published her book of poems, Motion in Poetry, a chronicle that summarizes black experiences in a Toronto context. This year, Motion released 40 DAYZ: poemz by motion, a book that explores the significance of the 40-day timespan in spiritual, social and religious context. She will be releasing a children’s book, WORDZ, in early 2009.

INSPIRATION “I’m really inspired by words. Everyone has a story to tell, so the texture and rhythm of words allows us to shape an existence or an experience. I love the “son-ic-ness” of words and the way they flow into each other. Whether leaping off the page or being spit into a mic, words are majestic — words have power.”