Damn, it’s cold. Thank goodness there’s a sizzling wealth of literary events this week to warm your mind. (Though, alas, not your toes.)

Five poets enter, but only one emerges triumphant. The CBC Poetry Face-Off, a national poetry competition, returns with five new aspirants to the Calgary crown: Shone Abet, ryan fitzpatrick, Jill Hartman, Dale Lee Kwong and Sabo. Cheer for your favourite at the Auburn Saloon (163-115 9 Ave. S.E.) on January 31, 7 p.m.

The university is abuzz with literary events these days, and Jacqueline Jenkins kicks off this week’s batch with a lecture entitled “Drama and English Saints’ Cults: Performing St. Katherine in Late Medieval Bath.” This talk is part of her ongoing investigation of the verse legend of St. Katherine, and takes place in Social Sciences 1339 (University of Calgary) on February 1, 4 p.m.

Of course, no week would be complete without Dr. James Black and Monday Night Shakespeare. This week, Black delves into another royal play with “King Henry VIII: No Other Herald.” This Bard-loving series has garnered quite a following, so head down to the Boris Roubakine Recital Hall (Craigie Hall, University of Calgary) on February 4, 7:30 p.m., to see what all the fuss is about.

The February cold may chill your bones, but Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying words will freeze the very blood in your veins. A new adaptation of Poe’s work, The Premature Burial, brings his horrific imagination to life through clown, mask and dance, as three raven guides take the audience on a journey six feet under. Adapted by Simone Saunders, featuring Saunders, Leda Davies and Lorianna Lombardo and directed by Charles Netto, this original theatre production runs February 4 to 9 at 8 p.m., at Motel (second level, Epcor Centre). Tickets are $14 adults, $12 students.

Calgary’s most exuberant open-mic poetry series is back at it again this month, with a tantalizing mix of the dark, erotic, provocative and confessional, hosted by the lovely Selina Clary. If you want to share your work, head down to Tubby Dog (1022 17 Ave. S.W.) on February 5, 8 p.m.

Claire Huot and Robert Majzels have popped up in this column several times in recent memory, mostly for their newly launched murder mystery novels. This week, however, they put on different hats for a one-day exhibit entitled “Experiments in the reception of classical Chinese poetry into English.” This project transforms written Chinese texts into imaginative video installations, and the collaborators will be available at the Nickel Arts Museum on February 7, 12:05 p.m., to speak about the process. Their film will be shown in the museum at 6:30 p.m. that day.

Attention, aboriginal writers: the first meeting of the Aboriginal Writers’ Circle takes place this week. Editors and contributors from New Tribe magazine invite the city’s aboriginal writers to share their stories. The group assembles at McNally Robinson (120 8 Ave. S.W.) on February 7, 5:30 p.m.

It’s flywheel time again, and this month’s instalment of the series features a wealth of diverse local artists. Join hosts Emily Elder, Bronwyn Haslam and Natalie Zina Walschots for a jam-packed evening of poetry and theatre, including writers Wakefield Brewster, Amy Joy Hild, Kirk Ramdath and Natalie Simpson. Plus, see an excerpt of Dale Lee Kwong’s play, Sweet and Sour Secrets, performed by Jade Cooper, Jasmin Poon, Elan Pratt, Ben Tsui and Francine Wong. The whole teeming bunch of them will be packed into McNally Robinson on February 7, 7 p.m.

Flywheel has some competition this month, as the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society launches a new monthly reading series. This first event features the poetry of Susan Calder, Margaret Hansen and Pat McAlister, who present their work in the Rose Room (922 9 Ave. S.E., upstairs) on February 7, 7 p.m.