Hi I’m Ron Nurwisah, This Magazine’s Arts Editor. This is the debut of Friday Links, where I pick a handful of links that have piqued my interest this week. Without further ado.

Toronto rapper K’naan has the best life story of any Canadian artist, hands down. He left Somalia in the early ’90s, didn’t speak a word of English and learnt how to rap. Well he got good at it, really good. So good in fact that the BBC’s Radio3 awarded him a world music prize.

Back in 2005, we interviewed Canadian poet, professor and typewriter historian Darren Wershler-Henry about his new book the Iron Whim. Well it seems that a little magazine reviewed his book quite favourably this week.

Hey Keith, snort this! Artist Nadine Jarvis has created a very creepy project. She’ll turn someone’s cremated remains into 240 pencils, enough for a lifetime of morbid writing.

Finally, this year’s Griffin Poetry Prize gets announced. I feel guilty about this because I don’t read enough poetry. Maybe it’s time I started.

Until next week, happy browsing. If you have a neat link please send it along to arts[at]thismagazine.ca.