When Words Collide 2026

Hebert Poll Gutiérrez is a Cuban-Canadian author, playwright, poet, and storyteller with 21 years of experience. He sees art as a tool to defend his triple cultural identity—as a Cuban, an Afro-descendant, and an artist—and to create stories that connect African roots with visions of the future. His work transforms each text into a space for reflection, cultural dialogue, and resistance, exploring identity, memory, justice, and belonging through theatre, poetry, and narrative.He has published 10 books, including:
Confesiones de un Quijote sin Patria (Confessions of a Quixote Without a Homeland) Poetry. Latido Inquieto Publishing House, USA,2026.
Susurros de los Dioses Negros (Whispers from the Black Gods, poetry, 2022, The Elite Lizzard Publishing, Canada)
El Último Planeta en Pie (Last Planet Standing, theatre, 2023, Letra de Cambio, France).
His writings appear in over 20 anthologies and journals across Cuba, Venezuela, Canada, Spain, the United States, Mexico, Germany, and beyond. His scripts have been staged by companies in Latin America, Europe, and Canada, building cultural bridges across communities.
Among his most recognized works are La Gran Carrera (The Great Race), Susurros de los Dioses Negros, and Emí Laara: Pequeñas Historias para Soñar (Little Stories to Dream), presented on stages in Cuba, Canada, the United States, Spain, Argentina, Chile, and the Dominican Republic.
Hebert is a member of UNIMA Canada, ASSITEJ Cuba and Canada, Playwrights Guild of Canada, and SpanicArts (Calgary). He was named Artist of the Month in December 2021 by the Immigrant Council for Artistic Innovation (ICAI).