FOLD 2023 Festival Program

VO I C E S F RO M TH E FO L D A FESTIVAL MAGAZINE

YEAR EIGHT

PRESENTED BY

THE FESTIVAL OF LITERARY DIVERSITY APRIL 30 — MAY 7, 2023 >> VIRTUAL + IN-PERSON

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CONTENTS From the FOLD Team

5

Mayor’s Letter

7

How to Say Banana in Kiswahili

by Taslim Jaffer

Women Rising Up

By Kelly Kaur

21

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The Rooftop Mist Garden: the music of Vancouver

by Vivian Li

22

backtalk

by Pardis Aliakbarkhani

12

Wolf and Cub

By Bobbie Kumar

24

Kismet

By Moni Brar

13

Hyperthyroidism…Again

By Melanie Proulx

26

Diving In

By Talysha Bujold-Abu

14

Hard of Hearing: A Diptych

by Yolande House

27

Gyms

By Victoria Perrie

15

How to Make Boiled Potatoes

by Shantell Powell

28

Death and the Wind Farm Linh S. Nguyễn

16

i have a specific hand towel

By Larissa Benfey

31

I Never Knocked

By Leslie Roach

18

Festival Participants

32

Festival Schedule

36

Unmet: Again By stephanie roberts

19

FOLD at a Glance

40

Resettling

By Michelle Rule

20

FOLD Book List

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WINNING WITH PRINT • Direct Marketing • Wide Format Printing • Service Illustrations • Posters

Print Three Brampton supports and encourages the

initiatives undertaken by The FOLD Foundation

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Serving Brampton for over 30 years.

STAFF Executive Director JAEL RICHARDSON Communications & Development Coordinator AMANDA LEDUC Kids Coordinator ARDO OMER Graphic Designer KILBY SMITH-MCGREGOR Marketing Assistant JONISHA LEWINSON Associate Program Editor ALEXANDRA YEBOAH Poetry Curator THE WILD WOMAN Pitch Perfect Facilitator CALYSSA ERB

ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David Burga Yeli Cruz Toni Duval Emmy Nordstrom Higdon Sarasvathi Kannan Shoilee Khan Amanda Leduc Jonisha Lewinson Lavanya Narasimhan Ardo Omer Louisa Onomé Anita Ragunathan Jael Richardson Karen Richardson Mason Natasha Ramoutar Fiona Ross Natasha Shaikh Lamoi Simmonds Alya Somar Monica Tang Monika Trzeciakowski Meg Wheeler Alexandra Yeboah

Treasurer TERI VLASSOPOULOS Secretary ASHISH SETH Director, Children’s Programming KAREN RICHARDSON MASON Director, Adult Programming DAVID BURGA Director, Sponsorships & Prizes FELICIA QUON Director, Human Resources CYNTHIA INNES Director, Board Governance MARK RICHARDSON

Bronwyn Berg Rhonda-Lee Dynes Adam Pottle Rasiqra Revulva Rahma Shere

LEAD CORPORATE SPONSOR PLATINUM

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CELA opens books no matter how you read Diverse voices deserve to be heard.

Diverse stories deserve to be read.

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The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) is pleased to partner with the FOLD to make accessible versions of the FOLD’s featured books available through public libraries to the estimated 3 million Canadians with print disabilities.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

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FROM THE

FOLD TEAM We feel very grateful to be planning and preparing for

food-based events, and music-based events like The

another festival. For us, the 2023 festival represents

Great Readception—our annual literary cabaret.

an important evolution in the work we do here at the Festival of Literary Diversity.

We are so grateful to our funders and our sponsors who have supported us this year. They are a

FOLD 2023 is the second year where the FOLD

critical part of our ability to deliver the festival in a

will operate in a multi-modal format—beginning the

multi-modal format, and their confidence in our work

week with virtual events and finishing with in-person

means so much.

events in Brampton.

We are also grateful to you, our audience and sup-

While many are moving away from virtual or lean-

porters. Wherever you find yourself April 30–May 7,

ing into hybrid, virtual events are uniquely important.

we hope you enjoy this year’s festival. We hope it chal-

They are, in many ways, the great equalizer. No matter

lenges your way of thinking, and that you discover old

where you are in the world or what your circumstances

favourites and incredible new voices.

are, each author and each audience member who joins a virtual event does so in a very similar way sim-

— JAEL, AMANDA, and ARDO

ply by accessing the internet. It’s why more than half of our events are delivered this way.

And while we treasure those virtual connections, our in-person events allow us to honour and celebrate our Brampton community. We love hosting events at the Rose Theatre, and we’ve added some new images to the virtual platform so you can get a little taste of home in the virtual space as well.

Regardless of the format, the focus this year is on connection. It’s about increasing the possibilities for connection through new formats like the Virtual Roundtables and the in-person Microworkshops. In addition to these new features and formats, this year’s festival includes a wide range of events designed for those enjoy other forms of art. In addition to book-centered panels and interviews, there are drawing-based events, 5

MOTHER’S DAY COMEDY CLASH

MAY 14, 2023 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM

TRINIDAD VS. JAMAICA

TEAM JAMAICA

TEAM TRINIDAD

JAY MARTIN ZABRINA DOUGLAS DREW THOMAS

JEAN PAUL PATRICK RUSSELL CINDY-ANN BOISSON

BOOK TICKETS 905.874.2800 / THEROSEBRAMPTON.CA

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150 CENTRAL PARK DR BRAMPTON, ON L6T 1B4

April 2023 Greetings from Mayor Patrick Brown Dear Friends, On behalf of the Members of Brampton City Council I would like to welcome you to the 8th Annual Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) which celebrates diversity in literature by promoting diverse authors and stories in Brampton– one of Canada’s most culturally diverse cities. In 2023, the FOLD is debuting its multi-modal format—virtual programming from April 30 – May 3, followed by in-person programming from May 4 – 7 at The Rose. It is great to see Jael Richardson and her team continuing to organize this festival during such a challenging time, and especially wonderful to see the in-person festival programming at The Rose once again.

The 2023 festival will take place from April 30 – May 7 and features 25+ events and over 40 authors. Panels, discussions and workshops will allow guests from across Canada and around the world to participate in the festival. All virtual and most in-person events will be close-captioned. This festival will bring established and emerging writers, educators, and literary professionals together with readers from all walks of life to celebrate and expand Canada’s body of diverse literature.

The festival will also provide aspiring writers with the opportunity to develop their skills and improve their writing by connecting them with other writers and by providing them with professional development opportunities that allow them to learn. I want to thank the sponsors and the Board of Directors for their ongoing efforts in promoting literacy and making this festival a success.

Enjoy the festival!

Sincerely,

Patrick Brown Mayor

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Originally published in the anthology Tongues: On Longing and Belonging Through Language, Book*hug Press, 2021.

HOW TO SAY BANANA IN KISWAHILI

BY TASLIM JAFFER

“Which sufario should we make the soup in?” I asked

I glanced over at her. She placed the iPhone down

my twelve-year-old daughter, Inaya, as she pored over

on the island and turned to pull cans of creamed corn

the recipe for Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup on my iP-

from the pantry. These questions were loaded and

hone. I held out two choices.

unfair; I kept them inside me, busying myself with the

She shrugged and turned back to the list of ingredients. “I think we should use the bigger pot.”

“Pot?” I said. “It’s a sufario!”

She laughed. “It’s a pot!”

8

task of finding the can opener that always seemed to travel from drawer to drawer and was never where I had put it last.

Being from Mombasa, Kenya, right on the equa-

I faked horror but I was met with a familiar, un-

tor, I can’t use the North American hyperbole: “Do

settling feeling. “Please, just say the word sufario. You

you know your parents walked to school in the snow,

know how to say it, you know what it means. Please

uphill—both ways?” My equivalent is “Do you know

use it!”

your grandparents spoke five different languages?”

Inaya looked up. “Okay, Mom. It’s a sufario.” A si-

Unlike my North American counterparts, I am not

lence hung over us. I pretended to move on from our

exaggerating; my parents Kutchi (our native region-

conversation by pulling out the eggs we’d need to

al language), Gujarati (our native state language),

beat and add at the very end of the recipe.

Kiswahili (from having grown up in Kenya), Hindi

Did Inaya concede and use the Kiswahili word be-

(from watching Bollywood movies) and English (the

cause she recognized the importance of doing so or

language of instruction at school). The Kutchi we

because she was avoiding a fifteen-minute lecture on

speak now incorporates many Kiswahili words, a shift

her family’s rich cultural-linguistic background? Did

that began within a generation of living in East Afri-

it even matter to her that her ancestors travelled by

ca. It was only when I pursued a minor in Linguistics

dhow on the monsoon winds across the Indian Ocean

at university that I was able to tease apart the two

from Gujarat to East Africa, where generations of

languages. To this day, I blow my dad’s mind when

them tried to build a life? Was it at all interesting to her

I say, “You know that word you used isn’t even Kut-

that even though socially the Asians and Africans were

chi, it’s Kiswahili.” And when I ask him for the Kutchi

segregated, there was some adaptation of language in

word that was replaced, he is hard-pressed to find

the intersections where people came together?

an answer.

My children can get away with speaking only En-

space—school, friends’ homes, extra-curricular activi-

glish where we live, even within our family; there isn’t

ties—and eventually, even though my parents contin-

a single relative now who doesn’t speak it. They even

ued to speak to me in Kutchi, I would reply in English.

use English to communicate with their ninety-seven-

My husband only speaks English, the common language

year-old great-grandmother who learned the language

between his Urdu-speaking mom and Kutchi-speaking

through the twisted, dramatic plots of General Hospital

dad. And so, it became our primary language.

when she moved to Canada in her fifties. But there

As Inaya and I added garlic, ginger and diced

is something about them only speaking English that

carrots to the sufario, I reflected on the many times

doesn’t sit well with me.

my children have engaged with Kutchi and Kiswahili

I worry that their monolingualism will erase where they came from.

words effortlessly and felt my mood lift a little.

I remembered a familiar scene in which I have

That is something I have discussed with other

found myself in with each of my three kids throughout

parents who have the same cultural-linguistic back-

their early years. We sat in a doctor’s waiting room with

ground as me. Every so often, in a private Facebook

other sniffling, coughing patients. The children’s toy

group of local Ismaili moms, someone would seek ad-

corner, decorated with Mother Goose nursery rhymes

vice about passing down the language. The answer, of

and separated by a faux-stone border like the one you

course, is to provide an immersive environment.

might find around a garden bed, was crawling with snot-

This is not easy—with English now being my pri-

nosed toddlers. I was prepared. I had toys and books

mary language, and the language I think in, it is a real

from home in my bag, ready to pull out when my own

effort to remember to use my mother tongue. When I

toddler’s curiosity grew. The moment they wandered to-

started elementary school in Victoria, B.C., there were

ward the germ-covered, half-dressed dolls in the shared

many occasions when Kutchi or Kiswahili words would

play space, I said to them with a wide smile and sing-

slip into my English sentences. I remember practicing

song voice: “Adeej ma. Chafu ai!” The unsuspecting par-

the difference between tongue and thumb, trying to

ents in the waiting area didn’t realize I was forbidding

produce the distinction between their initial sounds

my kids, in a combo of Kutchi and Kiswahili, to play with

and trying to figure out where my tongue had to land

the same toys their kids were mouthing. And for that

while making them. Over time, English dominated my

moment, I could pretend I was raising bilingual children.

9

I remembered that my nine-year-old son, Aariz,

I paused, caught off guard by having to provide

admitted that he only learned the English word med-

my culinary resume to a kindergartener. “Well, I can

icine a couple years prior. Up until then, the word for

make burgers or spaghetti or chicken…”

any pharmaceutical or even vitamin was the Kutchi word dava. Every morning, my kids eat their C dava, D dava and fishy dava.

I beamed. Not only did my daughter know the col-

I remembered that laundry hamper is foreign to my

loquial way to ask for sunnyside-up eggs in Kiswahili

kids. When their clothes are strewn on their bedroom

but it was the only way she knew how to ask for it. One

floors, they know I’m going to be on them to put their

day over, brunch in a diner with friends, she’ll order

dirty ones in the chafu kapada—chafu meaning dirty

them in English, but these words will come to her first.

in Kiswahili and kapada meaning clothes in Kutchi.

As for my kids being functionally fluent in the lan-

I remembered when my five-year-old daugh-

guage of their ancestors, though, the chances are slim.

ter, Alyzeh, had a school friend over, and her friend

That’s why I push for these words and phrases I

asked if she was having dinner at our place. “Not this

know are a part of their lexicon. My English-only-speak-

time, sweetie. I’ll ask your mom if you can stay over

ing friends laugh when I lament that these scarce words

another time?”

include armpit, underwear, fart. “How?” I say to these

“Sure!” she responded. “What kinds of things do you make for dinner?”

10

“And,” Alyzeh piped up, proudly. “She can make macho ngombe!”

friends who have never spent a day in their life thinking about passing down their native language. “How did

I manage to teach them these random words but not anything that can form an actual conversation?”

I have not stopped persisting, insisting they use as many of our native words as they know, providing

I’m not a purist by any means. I think language

as much exposure as I can give them in our day-to-day

is exciting in the way that it changes; the subsequent

lives. Asking them in Kutchi what they want for break-

new words, and how they are used, tell interesting

fast. Holding up my fingers while asking, “Hakro ke ba?”

stories of human history.

to find out how many slices of toast they would like.

For example, that word sufario? It’s an adaptation.

Maybe my kids will hear my voice in their head

It originates from the Kiswahili word ‘sufaria’

when they pull out a sufario from their own kitchen

which means cooking pot. Kutchi households that

cupboards one day. Maybe they will use the word with

employed native African housekeepers adopted this

their own kids or maybe they will simply think of it

word (and many others) and then applied the linguis-

with fondness but not pass it down. How much fur-

tic rules of their own native tongue.

ther will this word reach?

Kutchi has grammatical gender while Kiswahili

These are some of the thoughts that come with

does not. Somehow, cooking pot became masculine,

motherhood for me. Passing down languages is not

which requires the suffix -o, and that’s how sufario

talked about on the playground or in parenting mag-

came to be.

azines as much as diaper brands and extra-curricu-

My insisting that my children use this word might

lar activities and high school programs. Yet, for many

seem silly to my great-great grandparents, who had

first-generation Canadians, it is an added dimension

never even heard of it. In fact, I don’t know what word

of parenthood. We try to pull our ancestry and cul-

they have used instead.

ture and history into the here and now, at the kitchen

When my dad moved in with us in the fall of 2019,

island with our kids, so that they can get a sampling

the language differences among the three genera-

—even just a taste—of where they come from, of all

tions in my home became apparent. By default, my

those generations that existed in other countries be-

dad speaks primarily our East African version of Kut-

fore coming to Canada.

chi with me. I like it. It gives me a chance to practice. I

One day, a few months after Dad moved in, he

have to think a little harder when conjugating certain

was chopping onions at the kitchen island. A couple

verbs, reach deep into the language files in my brain

tomatoes rested nearby, ready to be diced. To their

to decide if something is masculine or feminine. Dad

right, the spice dabba was open. I knew he’d be dip-

is patient. Kutchi feels like home, even as my Canadian

ping into the ground cumin, ground coriander and tur-

accent dilutes the sounds.

meric once the onions were nicely browned. I settled into a stool across from him and beside Inaya, who

Two years ago, Inaya entered the Late French Immer-

was absent-mindedly nibbling on an apple. Living with

sion program and is already functionally fluent. With-

Dad means that whoever is in the kitchen, cooking,

in months of being immersed in a French classroom,

has the other’s company. Sometimes dishes are creat-

she was thinking in French. I am pleased that she took

ed together, but usually, if he’s at the helm, I’m happy

this opportunity to stretch her brain in the way that

to sit and talk his ear off.

language learning requires and that she enjoys the easing of slipping between tongues.

I don’t remember our conversation that day but I do know it was in Kutchi, and it was engrossing enough

“I totally didn’t even realize my teacher was speak-

that I completely forgot Inaya was next to me. Inaya,

ing French when he was explaining the math to me!”

who did not understand a word of what we were saying.

she shared.

“That’s so awesome!” I say, hugging her over the triumph.

Suddenly, we were interrupted. “Ndizi!” Inaya called.

I laughed while Dad stopped chopping and stared at Inaya.

The irony is not lost on me that her two languag-

“I don’t know what you guys are saying!” she said.

es are the colonial languages of this country and

And so she had butted into the conversation with

have nothing to do with our history. I swat at the pes-

the first Kiswahili word that came to her mind. Banana.

ky thought. // 11

BACKTALK

BY PARDIS ALIAKBARKHANI growing up in brampton is a paradox of otherness. it is home to brownness and not-so-subtle white racism. pretty white girls with blonde hair and blue eyes that wrinkle their button noses at your arm hair, whisper over your lunch, sing chorus to insecurities that you carry into your 30s. growing up in brampton was sean paul playing in the value village you frequent with your mom for back to school clothes shopping. growing up in brampton was microwaving your third jamaican patty of the night while your mom is pulling a second factory shift. growing up in brampton was gestating a unique brand of strangeness that you give birth to years after you graduate university.

call a prostitute.” blue-eyed, blonde-haired shannon caws. another girl chirps disapprovingly, flying onto

amendment: queerness. amendment: queerness

the empty seat next to me. “that’s so mean! how do

juxtaposing colour. queerness juxtaposing poverty.

you even order a prostitute?” the other girl asks, her

queerness juxtaposing beauty that falls against west-

brows so furrowed i could build nests in them.

ern convention. queerness in a fat body. sometimes this city is scar tissue i trace over and call my child-

silence. lips shaking as if more laughter is about to

hood. the first time a girl called me a lesbian i was 12

spill from them. brampton paradox: i am simultane-

and everyone laughed. amendment: this city is scar

ously beaten down but keenly aware of the fact that

tissue because it taught me how to heal.

this freckle-faced, anemic girl with manicured fingernails has never nursed a broken wing. silence. “how

the first time a girl, shannon, called me a lesbian be-

do you even order a prostitute?” i’ll probably get my

cause i thought she was my friend and i hugged her, i

ass handed to me tonight when i go home for not fold-

remember wanting to die. i remember sinking so deep

ing the sheets right. for sitting improperly. for getting

into myself for a moment that i left brampton and mo-

toothpaste on the bathroom vanity. i’ll nurse that. i

mentarily woke up in my mothers’ womb. but wombs

have no choice. but does my gay ass need to listen to

have eviction dates. and so does shame. we choose

this squawking? no. not today.brampton 101: if you in-

what we wish to carry.

tend to puff out your chest, prepare to have the wind knocked out of it.

the first time a girl called me a lesbian she followed with braying laughter. told me to order a prostitute

“that’s so mean! how do you even order a prostitute?”

to fulfill my needs. oddly specific thing for a 12-year-

slightly-less-mean girl asks.

old to say. cutting in the stares that followed. two-set daggers in prepubescent bodies. “call a prostitute,

“you just call shannon’s home phone.” i say. //

12

KISMET

BY MONI BRAR mother pushes a crayon into my dimpled hand, watches a ਮ and then an M swell on the page. she tells me today is the mother of tomorrow, yesterday the grandmother|ਦਾਦ ੀ, and tomorrow just a seed of unhatched possibility. she pushes a pencil into my teenaged hand, watches a sentence trellis onto the page. she tells me the trees provide everything, the rivers|ਨਦ ੀਆ ਂ are to be watched, and the sky to be trusted beyond reproach. she places a pen in my hand, watches this poem blossom on paper. she tells me written words hold power, her illiterate eyes are her kismet|ਕਿ ਸਮਤ, and the path from mouth to hand is short. //

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DIVING IN BY TALYSHA BUJOLD-ABU

14

GYMS

BY VICTORIA PERRIE I grew up in community gyms Sitting on basketball lined floors Bannock on paper plates cold butter jam with a plastic knife someone pass me moose meat stew potato salad dinner roll powder covered donuts from the shell gas station next door Sage smoke billows learning songs for ceremony dancing powwow for ourselves no contests Aunties singing knee slapping laughter in the kitchen skirts hand sewn down to the floor little stitch rip in the hem I’m from here Sneaking cigarettes outside When moms weren’t looking quick let’s get across the road see how far we can go before they notice Pink church in the hood running around outside late at night unafraid when my best friend told me she wanted to kill herself for the first time These echoing gyms Singing loud and holding siblings’ hands Learning to jingle and hoop dance nighttime north end main street burger king feast Sound of the drum I carried reverberating through walls hearing worship on Sundays Now support my best friends back leaning on the church begging money outside on the street The gyms haven’t changed, but we have Same gym native kids yelling elders telling stories making a medicine pouch for ceremony here this is how you gut the seal Now sewing mitts in the back sheriff calls the docket comes up sits down sentenced to three years s.343 orders s.109 and s.491 no more hunting hides teaching youth making drums same gym different hours She stands the line I sit the desk Gym walls whisper No one lifted hoops hard gallery chairs discomposure as she walks to the front RCMP watching hey you forgot to take her cuffs off shackled shuffle to the defense table Sits down beside me looks up big eyes no life cuts on her finger’s wrists arms face doesn’t recognize me don’t you remember the time we talked about jumping off that 20-storey building together but they made you suck a guy off for a roach instead //

15

Originally published in Living Hyphen Vol. 2.2 (Healing Across Generations).

DEATH AND THE WIND FARM LINH S. NGUYỄN

I only went because my grandfather died.

ties, just for fun. Even into his eighties, he leapt at every opportunity to travel or to recite his poetry. His

The plan had been Europe—horseback riding in the

love for his family was only rivalled by his love for our

Spanish countryside, savouring custard tarts in Porto,

homeland.

and castle hopping in Bavaria. I was in Seville, coming out of a flamenco show, when I received the news.

I pieced his final chapter together while booking my emergency flight to Nội Bài Airport. It had ended in a

Since we’d immigrated to Toronto thirteen years ago,

sudden heart failure. Ten minutes of gasping quickly,

I’d only returned to Việt Nam sparingly. The last time,

slowly– and then he was gone.

I spent three days in my hometown of Hà Nội. When we’d parted on the doorstep, my grandfather had

I came back to my family to grieve, to open arms

tears in his eyes. Living half a world away, I knew to

and my aunt’s simple words, “Welcome home. We’ve

prepare for goodbyes that might be forever; but I got

missed you.” That broke me.

complacent. I truly thought I would see him again.

In the afternoon light, I took walks with my grandMy early life weaving between continents meant that

mother, hand-in-hand under the shade of cherry

our relationship had been built on snippets, always

trees, and I sat with her by the koi pond. Every morn-

wanting. I remembered him by how still he could sit

ing and night, I lit incense on my grandfather’s altar. I

on a bamboo mat, meditating for hours, and how

watched the sky try desperately to be blue.

sharp his eyes looked, right until the end. They took in every story around him with piercing clarity.

The cruelty of it all only struck me in the days following his funeral—that my sweet aunt, who had been

16

He had taught me to conjugate “être” in French. He

the giver all her life, bore the burden of standing alone

had survived severe appendicitis, kidney failure, and

with him as he died; that my mother had been headed

years on dialysis. He had lived through a revolution

home anyway, on her way to Pearson Airport when

and two wars. He had learned Portuguese in his fif-

the call came in.

“I was one day late,” she said. I held my mother, shak-

“I’ll take a day off,” my aunt said finally. “We can hire

ing. “He knew I was coming, and he didn’t wait for me.”

a car to see the neighbouring provinces. It would be a waste to miss.”

The days dragged as the house mourned, and when routine began to find its feet, I stood in a half-forgotten

Thus, in the pitch black of five in the morning that

home with a month abruptly devoid of plans. Headed

Thursday, in the streets along the Cần Thơ river lined

to the Mekong delta on a weeklong business trip, my

with waste, our car picked us up for our day trip

aunt offered me the chance to tag along. I agreed, and

south. My grogginess dissipated when I saw the sun

we left on a Monday morning before dawn.

rise over a foggy plain on a lonely road in Hậu Giang.

We stopped the car to stare at the light clinging to the

We were waiting in the lobby of a hotel in Cần Thơ when

grass, the red, gold, and green of the field.

the tour agency called to say that every trip I’d booked for the week was cancelled. It was low season, not

Contrary to the tour itinerary, our driver suggested we

enough travellers; they apologized. I sat toying with the

drive straight to Cà Mau in the morning to see the main

idea of making my way around alone, but certain points

attractions first—the mangrove forests, the speedboat

would be impossible to reach by bus, and the hastiness

tour, the southernmost tip of the country—and return

of the trip meant that I was wholly unprepared.

for the lesser-known sights along the way back.

17

We didn’t arrive at the wind farm until sunset. Having done no research prior to coming, I had only heard of it from my aunt, who often worked in the area. She insisted it was not to be missed, despite not being the top attraction in Bạc Liêu. With 62 turbines at 80m high, the slender white windmills spanned far offshore in the clear gray sea. I stepped onto the dock, and the sky opened up before me—a perfect blue with ballooning white clouds. The breeze spun the vanes lazily, and we were alone.

The sun was as gold as when it had risen that morning, spilling over the marsh where newts squirmed in

Originally published in the collection Finish This Sentence, Mawenzi House, 2020.

I NEVER KNOCKED LESLIE ROACH

the mud. We watched as it burned red and began to dip. The clouds darkened, and the sky turned lavender and pink. Reflected in the ocean, the windmills

I’ve wondered why

stood tall amidst a watercolour painting.

I never knocked when

I’d come home to mourn, and I expected to find noth-

I

ing beyond—yet here was a scene to bring gods to

was left

their knees. I stood in awe watching the tinges of light

out

stream across the landscape and marvelled at the

in the

plans that had to go wrong, the sorrow that had to

dark hallway.

be shared, and the coincidences that had to line up to bring me there and then.

It was dark

With his six grandchildren in six different cities

in that building

abroad, my grandfather had always wanted us to

and I was

see the beauty of our roots and our home. He was a

scared.

proud man, a loyal man. He’d lectured us about the resilience of our people, the strength of our history,

And yet I never

and the richness of our country; we’d rolled our eyes,

knocked

and then left to build new lives oceans away. I remem-

to the

bered in that moment that the heart failure that killed

voices inside

him had not been his first. The first had happened

at the party.

months before, mere hours after my youngest cousin left home for good.

To let me in.

“Cháu gái yêu quý,” was what he had always called me.

Cherished granddaughter.

I stood at the edge of the sea that night and stared at the most beautiful sun sinking lower, lower—and then it was gone. //

18

//

UNMET: AGAIN

BY STEPHANIE ROBERTS wherever you’re going

tell fear your dreams never

i am going with you

slept not by my hands it is you who beat

say …

your fist-sized muscle

I’m afraid

half to death

say …

—pulled it

I’m a yam

over grates & grates of regret

i don’t want to go nowhere through nothing

place newborn faith on a belly

with nobody

of shared solitude warm in the sure-coming

say

sunset

desire wriggles in your bowels

save all your yeses for me

mute tapeworm munching

roost yourself in this nest

chalk, clay, charcoal

put blood over the door of the past inside the future has eyes only for you. //

19

RESETTLING

BY MICHELLE RULE RESETTLING I hear the geese fly by above my house More than a gaggle their deep melancholy voices now frantic as they call friend and foe Time to go, time to go!

Except one small collection that head simply from lakeshore to landfill Somehow they lost the navigation gene damaged in some fluke of nature off kilter now through four even five generations They still feel the urge of migration but work from a different map And as I make my daily move from bed to couch followed by dog and cat I understand I am a wayward goose //

20

Selected by a jury for a travelling exhibition for the North Dakota Human Rights Arts Festival, January to November 2022.

WOMEN RISING UP

BY KELLY KAUR When I was born my father placed me at the familiar altar of patriarchy I ranted and raved. Stomped, screamed, and shouted until reluctantly, my father’s infinite love gave me powerful degrees, one for each hand When my daughter was born I breathed intense joy into her lips carved words of power onto the canvas of her skin propelled her ahead of lines of dissent deconstructed dialogues of traditional expectations celebrated her strength and her passion whispered in her ear that Barbie was too skinny and no one needed to wear high heels unless they wanted to let her embrace her glorious size, perfect shape, and seamless color showed her the map to female autonomy from lessons learnt in classrooms and on the streets And she became sassy, feisty, intelligent, vivacious, beautiful, dynamic, spirited, confident, audacious, bold, adventurous, self-sufficient, wise, brave, broadminded, inquisitive, ambitious, savvy, liberated We all need just one advocate Rise up for our mothers, sisters, and daughters Rise up for the oppressed, muted, and nameless Rise up for invisible women of the world until on her own every single woman in the universe Rises up for herself //

21

THE ROOFTOP MIST GARDEN:

THE MUSIC OF VANCOUVER

BY VIVIAN LI

22

The metallic table wobbles with the first piercing

Heavy smoke rises behind three squat beige build-

shrieks of gulls calling the skyline, evening. You sit in

ings—within the central seven-floored apartment,

the echoing air, spine angling away from the rigid chair,

only the fourth-floor bulb burns. In the open win-

towards the blinking chains of white light; it must be,

dow, a shadow passes by: a memory. There are other

you realize, as your eyes follow down the stretch of

signs of life the longer you hum; a leaf flutters across

the tessellated grey-white patterned patio, a dance

the ground; a bag lifts, buoyed by air; a chickadee

calling forth the rainstorm that will strike within the

squeaks in the birch tree, its body squinting against

hour. Beyond the sporadically thin Granville Island

the grey-haired sky. Firm solar panels catch the last

bridge rests a horizon blushing orange. Wrapped by

hazy quivering of light. Your legs, pressed tight against

the eastern mountain wind, snake-like, the wiry hands

the rattling table, have found grounding, sustenance.

of a silver birch tree uncurl.

Warm air rushes past; two students walk in step as a

A couple smiles with open-orange foreign

pair of sparrows brushes bodies in an eternal, infinite

sounds—a woman with a black hat, a man with a

loop, before dividing across the skyline, and falling

parka jacket holding a Blenz Coffee cup. Pulling on

onto separate perches.

their gloves, they sit six feet away from you, their

You glance behind at the rows of glass in mir-

intertwined fingers gliding through wisps of cloud

rored reflection; the garden aching brown from Win-

in the sky. You lean closer, the only listener within

ter’s wrath. Anthem music soars from the couple’s

the half-dozen round tables, slipping into their se-

phones—you smile at the increasing number of jacket-

crets. You can almost understand their lifts and

ed figures braving the chill to find solace in the sinking

turns as you sip your London Fog, sweet and calm-

sunset. Two old friends, one with grey shoes, another

ing between your teeth—its warmth surrounded by

wearing white, call the other sinister and pose before

a chestnut wrap, bumpy spine sharp against finger-

the birch tree. Their masks are down, unadorned.

tips. Already your hands are chilled from bone to

The latter answers a phone call after pointing to the

marrow, and your feet angle back, towards home,

CBC quarters below; teasing, he tells his mother he

but you want to listen a little longer, to outlast the

stopped Ben from jumping off the roof of the library.

thin mist before rain.

Ben catches your eye, and he waves as he and his

friend climb down the stairs. Lights are sprinkled ev-

mountain-clear scent of the wind reminds you that

erywhere; lights sparkling in tune with the glow on

within a distanced world, the populated trees, blink-

bridges and wire lines. L-shaped sapphire apartments

ing teal-greens, and anchored buildings have not yet

with ash-brown, teal, and ochre roofs crowd the city-

shifted. The patio lights will beat on in the storm, vi-

scape before you. But what is beyond these buildings,

vacious. A lady dressed in silver-and-cream curves a

and beyond those?

Pano of the patio. The mask on her face does not hide

The first sharp drop on your forehead signals the arrival of twilight, the bruise of grey heavier against

her yearning for connection. You smile as you, the couple, and the birch tree, are captured.

the horizon. Soon, you will be recalled home. The // 23

WOLF AND CUB

BY BOBBIE KUMAR I am the cub, small and fragile.

Nestled in the snowy mountains, wild and untamed.

With my mother, the wolf, by my side.

We roam the frozen tundra, searching for our next meal.

The winds howl and the snow falls, covering our tracks.

But my mother’s senses are sharp, she knows the way.

She teaches me the secrets of survival, how to hunt and how to hide. I watch her every move, eager to learn.

We huddle close for warmth, sharing our body heat.

The frigid air bites at our noses, but we don’t mind.

We are strong, we are resilient, we are survivors.

We are a pack, my mother and I, bonded by blood and love.

We rely on each other, we protect each other.

We are one, united against the cold and the dark.

I am the cub, but I am growing, learning to stand on my own.

I know that one day, I will have to leave my mother’s side.

But until then, I am grateful for her guidance, her love.

And I will always carry her wisdom with me, as I venture out into the world.

For my mother is the wolf, fierce and majestic.

She has taught me all that I need to know.

To thrive and to survive, in the snowy mountains and beyond.

I am her cub, and I am proud.

As the days go by, we roam the snowy mountains, seeking shelter and sustenance.

The world is harsh and unforgiving, but we face it head on.

We hunt and we gather, we scavenge and we scavenge.

Whatever it takes to keep ourselves alive.

But there are moments of beauty too, amidst the cold and the struggle.

The northern lights dance in the sky, painting the night with ribbons of colour.

The snow-covered trees sparkle in the sunlight, like diamonds on a winter’s day.

And the wolves howl, their voices echoing across the landscape.

24

We are a part of this world, my mother and I. We belong here, in the snowy mountains, wild and untamed.

We have adapted to the cold and the dark, we have learned to thrive. We are survivors, we are strong, we are unstoppable.

I am the cub, and I am proud to be my mother’s daughter.

She has taught me all that I know, she has shown me the way.

And though I may one day have to leave her side, I will always carry her with me.

For she is the wolf, fierce and majestic, my guide and my protector.

And I am forever grateful for her love and her guidance.

As the seasons change and the snow begins to melt, we know that it is time to move on. The mountains are no longer our home, the time has come to wander elsewhere.

My mother and I say goodbye to the snowy peaks, to the frozen tundra.

And we set out on a new journey, into the unknown.

We follow the scent of fresh grass and new growth, we chase the sun.

We explore new territories, we meet new friends, we make new memories.

We are unstoppable, my mother and I, we are unstoppable.

But no matter where we go, no matter what we do.

We will always carry the snowy mountains in our hearts.

And the memory of the time we spent together, surviving and thriving.

I am the cub, and I am proud to be my mother’s daughter.

I am grateful for her love and her guidance, for all that she has taught me.

And I know that no matter where our journey takes us, we will always be together.

My mother is the wolf, fierce and majestic, my guide and my protector.

And I am forever grateful to be by her side. //

25

HYPERTHYROIDISM …AGAIN

BY MELANIE PROULX

26

HARD OF HEARING: A DIPTYCH

BY YOLANDE HOUSE My boyfriend’s fleshy face twists with disgust. “What do you mean, you miss a lot?”

We’ve been marathoning the seven seasons of West Wing for weeks. The president and his advisors speed-walk through government offices while having heated deliberations at a pace that matches their stride, like the Gilmore Girls when Rory and Lorelai discuss global politics clutching their coffees as they traipse through the charming streets of Stars Hollow.

My boyfriend has just asked me what I thought of one of those lightning-speed conversations. I’d blinked and shook my head, then admitted I didn’t catch that part.

“They talk fast. I can keep up with most of it, but I can’t hear it all.”

His steel-blue eyes harden; he scoffs and turns his head, his shoulders shaking. He’d wanted a partner to discuss his favourite show with, and here I am, broken.

A few months before, I had a panic attack in his bedroom and asked for his support. He held my hand. When it was over, he told me he’s supposed to be the weak one. I’d cared for him during his months’ long depression, buying him groceries and cooking while he slept. It was me who stayed with him while paramedics came while he was having vomiting spells one morning, to find out it was likely the flu. But I wasn’t allowed one panic attack.

Heat beats my cheeks and I inspect my lap. My fingers coil in a vice grip. / Another boyfriend, another show. My upper body strains toward the TV. Even with the volume jacked, I don’t pick up a lot of dialogue.

“What are they saying?” I ask. He repeats what he heard. We’d turned on captions for this streaming service when we began the episode, but none were available.

I thought I’d be able to follow along if I made sure to study the facial expressions and body language of the people on the TV. I crank the volume button and the boom of aural stimuli helps. But even studying their lips, I can’t make out many exchanges and rely on images instead. Like a real-life conversation, I can pick up more if I apply my full concentration to the effort, but I estimate I’m still missing thirty percent, at least.

My sardonic comments focus on the cooking show contestant’s clothing and the tone and look of the show— this marijuana cooking show is a little too polished to be legit in my former-cannabis legalization crusader’s eyes.

Like a foreign language in which I’m medium-proficient, I ride the turns and dips in dialogue and make out the general waves of the discussion, picking up enough of a through-line. But my forehead begins to pinch and I feel the beginnings of the headaches that come on when I do this for too long. Is this show worth my limited hearing energy?

I glare at the TV. “Why the heck doesn’t this show have captions?”’ // 27

HOW TO MAKE BOILED POTATOES

BY SHANTELL POWELL

Late 70s. Muscle cars. Chain-smoking. Leaded gaso-

wood from apple trees; it burns so hot

line. Gun racks on the back windows of pickup trucks.

the stove glows cherry red, and you’ll

I’m living out in the bush in central New Bruns-

be afraid the chimney will catch fire.)

wick. Our nearest neighbours are a half-mile away

Fetch potatoes from the root cellar.

along a dirt road. We are deep in a forest, half-way up a steep, long hill across from a tree-covered ridge rising up like a living wall.

When it’s time to fetch potatoes for supper, I go into the porch and down a steep flight of stairs to the dank, unfinished basement. Last winter, Dad still

To make boiled potatoes for a family of four,

didn’t have the stairs installed and my little baby sis-

you need:

ter tumbled through the open hole to the cellar. Her

• Water

snow pants caught on a nail, and she dangled upside

• Salt

down over a puddle screaming, “I can’t swim!” Now

• Margarine

there are steps made from repurposed wooden road

• 10 lbs of Russet potatoes.

signs. Now there’s a handrail. The root cellar behind the staircase smells like earthworms. The cement

Mom always lived in towns, trailer parks, and

floor is damp, cold, and gritty, and I move quickly.

army bases. Now she is way out in the boonies with

The floor feels disgusting against the skin of my bare

two small children. My father lives in a distant man

feet. Sometimes I remember to wear flip-flops, and

camp during the week. She starves for adult company.

then I don’t need to rush so much.

Although we are isolated, we never run out of things to do. We live in a mobile home on a small farm and

Knock eyes off potatoes if necessary.

raise most of our food.

Wash potatoes in the sink, then peel them with a paring knife. Cut out

28

Make sure the wood stove is stoked

any bad spots. Throw peelings, eyes,

to high heat. (Tip: Hardwood burns

and spots into a bucket to feed to

hotter than softwood, but don’t burn

the pigs and chickens.

We raise chickens, rabbits, and pigs for meat.

Dad hunts for deer and moose in the fall, and we fish

them, there’s barely anything left. Peeling ten pounds of potatoes is a lot of work, and I’m not very fast.

year-round. We keep geese and chickens for eggs. I

A plywood cabinet with peeling white paint

pick berries, but more end up in my mouth than in

stands at the end of the root cellar. It is filled with jars

the bucket. We have goats for milk, and when they’re

of Mom’s preserves and is also stacked with squash-

not producing, we get milk from our neighbours’ cat-

es, carrots, beets, parsnips, and rutabagas. Sitting on

tle: Oscar with his herd of doe-eyed Jerseys, or Guy

the end of a shelf is a huge mason jar containing a vin-

with his one Holstein, Bossy. Every year, a city person

egar plant. It looks like moon-white layers of fungus

shoots at Oscar’s cows thinking they are deer. Some-

embalmed in amber fluid.

times they even shoot at the black and white spotted Holsteins. I’ve never fired my Dad’s hunting rifle, but

After you peel the potatoes, chop

I know the difference between a deer and a cow, and

them into uniformly-sized pieces

Bossy needn’t fear me. She lets me rub her crooked

and put them in a big pot. Rinse

horns, but refuses to let me lasso her with a lariat

them again, because they will some-

made of baling twine. She won’t let me sit on her back,

how still be dirty. Cover the pota-

either. How will I ever become a cowboy?

toes with water. Add salt. Cover pot

The root cellar is lit by a single lightbulb. I need to

with a lid and place onto a hot wood

walk halfway into the room to switch it on. I fumble

stove. Bring the water to a boil, then

in the darkness for the dangling pull-cord. Cobwebs

tilt or remove the lid so the pot won’t

always seem to be hanging from the walls and light-

boil over and make a starchy mess.

bulb. I do my best to avoid them, but sometimes they catch in my hair.

We get our water from the spring in the backyard.

I always choose the biggest potatoes I can find.

The water is cold and sweet and alive. Every winter,

I read an entry in Anne Frank’s diary about how she

we harness up the dog team and collect firewood

likes tiny potatoes the best. This makes no sense to me.

from Dorn Lake. Dad made the dog harnesses from

What is so great about tiny potatoes? When you peel

old polyester pants wrapped around worn-out nylon

29

pantihose. He cuts the wood with his chainsaw, and my sister, Mom, and I load the wood onto the dogsled. The basement stove keeps our trailer warm. One winter, after an ice storm, an earthquake runs a crack through the entire length of the basement. I follow the crack in the ice-crusted snow for miles through fields and forest, but I never find its end.

After boiling for about twenty minutes, potatoes should be soft enough to eat. Test with fork. When they are cooked according to preference, strain potatoes, reserving the water for the pigs.

By late winter, the potatoes in the root cellar shrivel. Touching them is like touching the skin of an old, old person. I know a woman named Alice. She is one hundred years old. I don’t know if she ate a lot of potatoes, but she is as wrinkly and brown as last season’s harvest. Pallid tentacles grow from the shrunken potatoes in the root cellar, reaching for a sun they know is up there somewhere. In the springtime, the leftover potatoes with their long spindly eyes will be chopped into pieces and buried in the tilled rows of the garden.

A few will liquefy and smell like rotting meat. Then the root cellar needs to be scrubbed clean.

Serve as a side dish for meat or fish.

Add salt, pepper, and cheap margarine.

Dad says we are living the way people are meant to live. We grow our own food. Mom makes all our clothes. We take care of our neighbours, and they take care of us. I wish Dad didn’t have to work so far away. //

30

I HAVE A SPECIFIC HAND TOWEL

BY LARISSA BENFEY i have a specific hand towel it doesn’t make me cringe it doesn’t rub my fingerprints and catch upon my skin perhaps you’ve never thought about it or felt it, as it were perhaps we see and feel the world in different hues and blurs i shut down, shut out, and turn away when the world is pressed on me the smallest tasks can become impossible, suddenly my limbs get heavy, my mind—a knot a jumble of thoughts and dread in a heartbeat, it consumes every part of me no blood in my veins, just lead //

31

FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS AUTHORS, POETS & PERFORMERS ELAMIN ABDELMAHMOUD is the host of CBC’s Commotion, and author of the No. 1 national bestseller Son of Elsewhere, a New York Times notable book of the year.

MARKUS HARWOOD-JONES is an author of YA and romance fiction, featuring stories of queer and trans love.

ALI HASSAN is a Stand-up Comedian, Actor, CBC Personality and Author.

DANIEL ALEMAN is the award-winning author of Indivisible and Brighter Than the Sun.

CATHERINE HERNANDEZ is the award-winning author of Scarborough the book and screenwriter of Scarborough the film.

WAYNE ARTHURSON is a writer and literary agent of Cree/ French Canadian descent from Edmonton.

KEVIN HERONJONES is a youth basketball coach, author, journalist, lecturer and award-winning performance poet.

He has numerous spoken word recordings and has published three poetry books and two youth novels.

AJHANI AZURE is a 21-year-old independent artist, producer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist from Brampton, Ontario.

BRITTA B. is a poet and author of Wires that Sputter (McClelland & Stewart, 2023) living in Toronto.

KATE BEATON is the cartoonist of Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, which is a New York Times Notable Book and one of Barack Obama’s favourite books of 2022.

LEANNE BETASAMOSAKE SIMPSON is a Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg writer, musician and thinker.

CODY CAETANO is the author of Half-Bads in White Regalia (Hamish Hamilton). He works as a literary agent with CookeMcDermid.

TALIA HIBBERT is the New York Times bestselling author of several diverse and indulgent romance novels.

SHAHADDAH JACK is an 18-year-old poet and author whose poetry speaks to the lived Black experience, the intersectionality of womanhood, and the adversity of adolescence.

EL JONES is a writer, professor, and activist who works with people facing deportation and incarceration. She is the author of Abolitionist Intimacies and Life from the Afrikan Resistance.

ZOULFA KATOUH is the author of As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow and is currently pursuing her master’s in Drug Sciences.

MICHAEL CHRISTIE is the author of the bestselling and award-winning novel Greenwood, as well as other books.

He lives in Victoria.

JESMEEN KAUR DEO is the author of the YA novel TJ Powar Has Something to Prove, which was a 2022 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and Indie Next Pick.

JESSIE CONRAD is an emerging speculative fiction Dene Métis author. Mentorship and critical reflection of all stages of the writing process allow her to consistently advance her craft.

SANDRA LAMOUCHE is a Nehiyaw Iskwew (Cree Woman) from the Bigstone Cree Nation in Northern Alberta. She married into the Piikani Nation in Southern Alberta and is mother to two boys with braids.

GIA DE CADENET. Author, Writing Mentor, Expat.

JEN SOOKFONG LEE is an author and editor whose books include The Conjoined, The End of East, The Shadow List, and her most recent memoir, Superfan.

CHERIE DIMALINE is a bestselling author and member of the Georgian Bay Métis Community who writes YA and adult literature, screenplays and essays.

ELI TAREQ EL BECHELANY-LYNCH is a writer living in Tio’tia:ke, author of knot body (Metatron Press 2020) and The Good Arabs (Metonymy Press 2021).

JEN FERGUSON (she/her) is the author of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet and the forthcoming Those Pink Mountain Nights, both from Heartdrum/HarperCollins.

R. BARRI FLOWERS is a literary criminologist and bestselling crime writer.

32

SHELLY GRACE is a Toronto-based spoken word poet, photographer, and arts educator.

MEEGAN LIM is an illustrator & arts facilitator based in Brampton, ON—known for her illustrations focused on food, culture and everything in between.

ROSELLE LIM is the critically acclaimed author of Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop and Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club.

JULIAN MARTIN is a Two-Spirited Indigenous Man. Julian has always been passionate about writing and storytelling from a very young age.

ROBYN MAYNARD is an award-winning author and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies at the University of Toronto-Scarborough.

Based in Calgary, SUZETTE MAYR is the author of six novels including her most recent, The Sleeping Car Porter, winner of the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

SUSAN MOCKLER’s recent memoir, Fractured, recounts her experiences with acquired disability following a car accident that left her with an incomplete spinal cord injury.

SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA is the author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic. She won the Locus and British Fantasy awards for her work as a novelist.

SHEILA MURRAY’s 2022 debut novel, Finding Edward, was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award and was a longlist nominee for Canada Reads 2023.

ALESSANDRA NACCARATO is a poet and essayist whose work explores intersections of disability and ecological change. She’s the author of Imminent Domains: Reckoning with the Anthropocene and Re-Origin of Species.

DIMITRI NASRALLAH is the author of four novels. His most recent, 2022’s Hotline, is a national bestseller that’s been nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and CBC’s Canada Reads.

JANIKA OZA is the author of the novel, A History of Burning, forthcoming from McClelland & Stewart in May 2023.

CASEY PLETT is the author of A Dream of a Woman, Little Fish, and A Safe Girl to Love.

TAHIRA RAJWANI is a Mississauga-based student, volunteer and spoken word artist.

DANNY RAMADAN is a Syrian-Canadian author and advocate for LGBTQ-identifying refugees. His work includes The Clothesline Swing, The Foghorn Echoes and the children’s series Adventures of Salma!

LINDSAY RUCK is an author and editor from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with a passion for storytelling and an emphasis on representation.

GAVIN RUSSELL is a local Spoken Word poet who relishes in the mundane.

LISELLE SAMBURY is the Trinidadian Canadian author of Delicious Monsters, and the Governor General’s Literary Awards Finalist Blood Like Magic and its sequel, Blood Like Fate. Her latest book is Delicious Monsters, out now.

NISI SHAWL is the multiple award-winning author, coauthor, and editor of over a dozen books, including the standard text on diverse representation in literature, Writing the Other.

Hailing from Jamaica, and raised in Toronto, TANYA TURTON is an award-winning entrepreneur, storyteller, wellness educator, and mental health advocate.

ANUJA VARGHESE (www.anujavarghese.com) lives in Hamilton, has been twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and is the author of the genre-blending short story collection Chrysalis (House of Anansi, 2023).

SANDRA SG WONG (she/her) writes acclaimed fiction across genres, including the bestselling thriller IN THE DARK WE FORGET, and is an active advocate for equity in the crime writing community.

DAN K. WOO teaches short fiction at the University of Toronto School of continuing studies. His latest book was featured on the Chicago Review of Books most anticipated reads of 2022.

MODERATORS Author, writer, and community builder. KERN CARTER is writing his own story and helping others share their own.

YELI CRUZ (she/her) is a voracious reader, a writer, and a publishing professional. In her free time she loves playing video games and wearing cozy sweaters.

ALYSSA GRAY-TYGHTER (she/her) is an educator, writer, speaker, and PhD student. For over 10 years, she has taught a variety of subjects in a public middle school in Peel where she is now an Equity Resource Teacher. Her current research focuses of Black girlhood, identity, and belonging in Canada.

AMANDA LEDUC is the author of three books. She has cerebral palsy and lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where she serves as the Communications and Development Coordinator for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD).

HYACINTHE MILLER writes crime fiction spiced with seasoned romance. Her debut novel, Kenora Reinvented, will be followed by The Fifth Man, book two of the series.

TÉA MUTONJI is a poet writing fiction. Her short stories collection, Shut Up You’re Pretty (2019), was published by VS. Books and Arsenal Pulp Press.

EMMY NORDSTROM-HIGDON is a queer, non-binary colonizer originally from Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland), now based in Tkaronto (Toronto), where they work as a literary agent for Westwood Creative Artists.

ARDO OMER has written for online platforms as a reviewer and critic for almost a decade. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, where she serves as the Kids Coordinator for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD).

ANITA RAGUNATHAN is a Senior Producer, Cultural and Special Events at Toronto Public Library and a member of the Katarokwi Union of Tenants.

NATASHA RAMOUTAR is a writer of Indo-Guyanese descent from Scarborough. Her debut poetry collection Bittersweet was published in 2020 by Mawenzi House.

JAEL RICHARDSON is an author and the Executive Director of the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD).

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JANUARY ROGERS is a Mohawk/Tuscarora poet, media producer, performance and sound art-ist. She lives on her home territory of Six Nations of the Grand River where she operates Ojistoh Publishing and Productions

LARISSA BENFEY writes everything from novels to screenplays and has recently become more intentional in the exploration of her neurodivergence within her writing.

More at: www.larissabenfey.com

THE WILD WOMAN is an award-winning spoken word artist, poet, author, educator, and workshop facilitator.

MONI BRAR is the recipient of the 2022 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award and a finalist for the Montreal International Poetry Prize.

PUBLISHING PROFESSIONALS KERRY C. BYRNE is the autistic, queer and nonbinary Publisher of Augur Magazine, Co-Director of AugurCon, and a speculative fiction writer.

ANITA CHONG is Executive Editor at McClelland & Stewart, where she acquires and edits literary fiction and memoir.

HANA EL NIWAIRI is a literary agent and Rights Manager at CookeMcDermid Literary Management and one of the cofounders of BIPOC of Publishing in Canada.

THERESE ESTACION is a disabled poet and part of the Visayan diaspora community. Her first book, Phantompains, was published by Book*Hug, in 2021. She lives in Tkaronto/ Toronto.

FAZEELA JIWA is an acquisitions and development editor with Fernwood Publishing.

BRIDGETTE KAM is a literary associate at Westwood Creative Artists.

YASHASWI KESANAKURTHY is the Associate Editor (Children’s) at HarperCollins Canada.

KELVIN KONG is the owner and principal agent at K2 Literary.

CECILIA (“CeCe”) LYRA is an associate literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency representing adult fiction and nonfiction.

BIANCA MARAIS is a bestselling author, a host of the popular podcast, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, and an award-winning creative writing instructor.

AMEEMA SAEED (@ReadWithMeemz) is a writer, a bookstagrammer, a book reviewer and a sensitivity reader.

RONAN SADLER is an editor, sensitivity reader, and cultural consultant with a focus on disability and transgender issues.

CARLY WATTERS is SVP and Senior Literary Agent at P.S. Literary and co-host of The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast.

LÉONICKA VALCIUS is a Literary Agent at Transatlantic Agency. She represents books for children and adults with a focus on commercial and genre fiction by writers of color.

PROGRAM CONTRIBUTORS PARDIS ALIAKBARKHANI (she/they) is a writer and artist of the Iranian diaspora. Influenced by her culture, her work explores love, sexuality, and liberation for all.

TALYSHA BUJOLD-ABU (she/her) is a Black/Mixed-Heritage illustrator and comics artist—with a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Windsor (2018).

YOLANDE HOUSE’s essays have appeared in The Rumpus, Grain, Joyland, and PRISM international. Currently, she’s working on an essay collection about invisible disabilities.

TASLIM JAFFER is a writer/writing instructor in Surrey, B.C. She is co-editor of the forthcoming anthology, Back Where I Came From (Book*hug Press, 2024).

KELLY KAUR was born in Singapore and lives in Calgary. Her novel, Letters to Singapore, was published by Stonehouse Publishing in May 2022.

Ms Bobbie The Art Pixie is the artist name of BOBBIE KUMAR, a transgender, disabled artist from Brampton, Ontario. Immersed in art her whole life, Bobbie wrote her first story at the age of 11. She started making short films at the age of 15, and music a year later.

VIVIAN LI is a queer writer and interdisciplinary artist. She was a Finalist for the Peter Hinchcliffe Short Fiction Award, and her works have been published in The Fiddlehead, The Massachusetts Review, and CV2, among others.

LINH NYUGEN (she/her) is a Vietnamese-Canadian immigrant and writer. Her debut middle-grade fantasy novel, No Place Like Home (HarperCollins Canada) came out on March 14, 2023.

VICTORIA PERRIE is a queer Métis-Cree lawyer, arts educator, and artist from Winnipeg. She is passionate about Indigenous youth education and holding space for community.

SHANTELL POWELL is a two-spirit writer, swamp hag, and artist who grew up on the land and off the grid.

MELANIE PROULX is a queer Ph.D. candidate, author, and comic artist. Her academic and creative work largely focus on social justice for marginalities.

LESLIE ROACH is an Ottawa-based poet and author. Her debut collection of poetry is called Finish this Sentence. She was born and raised in Montreal.

STEPHANIE ROBERTS is the Quebec-based, prize-winning, author of rushes from the river disappointment (MQUP 2020).

She is a citizen of Canada, the US, and Panama.

MICHELE RULE is a disabled writer from Kelowna and an associate member of the League of Canadian Poets. “I write so my head doesn’t explode.”

34

There’s more to the world of writing than you think.

Honours Bachelor of Creative Writing & Publishing Sheridan’s Creative Writing & Publishing program is the only program in Canada to fuse creative writing and publishing. Get the skills you need to succeed in the modern publishing industry and write for a variety of genres – games, film, web, traditional media and more! Learn from professors who are practising writers, publishers and editors, and launch an exciting career.

cwp.sheridancollege.ca

35

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE SUNDAY, APRIL 30 THE FOLD KICK-OFF 11:00am - 12:00pm ET

Celebrate the launch of a brand new season with this annual opening event. Find out about this year’s new schedule and new virtual features like this year’s Roundtable and After-Party options on the virtual platform. There’s more fun than ever this year when you join in live, including insights on our daily trivias.

And it wouldn’t be a kickoff without some trivia and prizes.

WHERE WE GO FROM HERE 12:00pm - 1:00pm ET

CANADA READS REUNION Trivia Event 7:00pm - 7:30pm ET PANEL 7:30pm - 8:30pm ET

Finalists from Canada Reads discuss the process of being selected for the show and the process of navigating the debates. In conversation with Executive Director and Canada Reads superfan Jael Richardson, this is a panel you definitely do not want to miss. With Dimitri Nasrallah, Kate Beaton, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Michael Christie.

MONDAY, MAY 1 THE TRUTH ABOUT TRENDS IN PUBLISHING 12:00pm - 1:00pm ET

In this opening panel discussion, authors of two powerful social justice memoirs explore critical questions of care and community. Responding to some of the crises of recent years, they delve into their work as writers and activists—exploring the origins of their most recent work and the community efforts that continue to shape their lives and their stories. With El Jones, Robyn Maynard, and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson.

THE SH*T NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT WRITING 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET

Bianca Marais, CeCe Lyra and Carly Watters, the co-hosts of the popular podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, along with two special FOLD guest hosts—Léonicka Valcius and Kelvin Kong—recreate “Books With Hooks” one of the most talked-about elements of their hit podcast for emerging writers looking to get published.

THE WRITER’S HUB 3:00pm - 5:00pm ET

Get connected with publishers and writing professionals.

Drop in to important conversations about securing an agent, enrolling in writing programs, and submitting your writing.

SENSITIVITY READS AND CONSCIOUS EDITING 5:00pm - 6:00pm ET

In addressing important subject matter, writers are seeking out sensitivity readers—people with the relevant lived experience—to navigate complex subject matter thoughtfully and accurately. Join Ronan Sadler, Fazeela Jiwa and Ameema Saeed in conversation with Ardo Omer as they discuss the complicated work of balancing sensitivity reads with the practice of conscious editing.

36

Over the past few years, paper shortages, virtual launches and events, political upheaval and a global pandemic have all contributed to shifts and changes in the publishing industry.

But how do these trends impact marginalized authors and industry professionals? In this event, three industry professionals break down what happened, what is happening and the future implications for those in publishing. With Casey Plett, Fazeela Jiwa, and Hana El Niwairi.

WORKSHOP: ACQUISITIONS AND EDITING 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET

Acquiring a writer is more than just finding the next big thing; it’s offering a platform to amplify certain voices. How can we approach acquisitions and developmental editing as a creative, collaborative process that builds community and supports liberation struggles? Join Fazeela Jiwa to explore a radical vision of the role of acquisitions and development editing.

WORKSHOP: WRITING 101 4:00pm - 5:00pm ET

In this workshop designed for writers curious about the publishing process, Jesmeen Kaur Deo will provide insight on her personal publishing experience as a debut author moving from query to print.

CRAFTY HEROES AND CURIOUS VILLAINS Trivia Event 7:00pm - 7:30pm ET PANEL 7:30pm - 8:30pm ET

Three crime fiction writers discuss the creation of incredible characters. Join Sandra SG Wong, R. Barri Flowers and Wayne Arthurson as they discuss craft secrets on the making of incredible heroes and impeccable villains.

TUESDAY, MAY 2

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3 WORKSHOP: WRITING COMPELLING CHARACTERS

THE WRITER’S LIFE 10:00am – 11:00am ET

10:00am - 11:00am ET

In this Writer’s Life series event Syrian-Canadian author Zoulfa Katouh discusses her writing process and routine as Kids Coordinator Ardo Omer digs into the journey of writing her debut best-selling young adult novel, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow.

TELLING TRUTHS

Great characters are a critical part of great stories. In this workshop for young people, young adult author Daniel Aleman explores tips and techniques for creating incredible characters.

COMPLICATED FAMILIES 12:30pm - 1:30pm ET

12:30pm - 1:30pm ET

Writing nonfiction can be tricky, especially for emerging writers. In this panel for young people, three memoir writers discuss how they turned their real life stories into a memoir.

How do you share those difficult moments? How do you write truthfully without betraying friends and family? With Cody Caetano, Lindsay Ruck, and Jen Sookfong Lee.

Families are messy—which makes them perfect subject matter for great stories and story-telling. In this panel discussion designed for school groups and readers and writers of young adult fiction, three authors discuss the family dynamics in their most recent novels and the process for creating and cultivating believable relatives and relationships.

With Talia Hibbert, Jen Ferguson, and Daniel Aleman.

DISABLED FUTURES

LIFE AS AN EMERGING WRITER

2:00pm - 3:00pm ET

2:00pm - 3:00pm ET

Disability offers society both challenges as well as the unique opportunity to re-imagine the world in which we live.

How can we use the insights of disability justice to imagine a radically different future? Join three brilliant writers in conversation with moderator Amanda Leduc as they discuss their own journeys with disability and offer ways of seeing— across various genres—that promise to change the way you view the world. With Nisi Shawl, Susan Mockler, and Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch

SUBMISSIONS AND SELECTIONS 4:00pm - 5:00pm ET

In this workshop-panel mashup, three publishing professionals dive into the difficult work of selecting work for a collective publication while tackling important tips and tricks that all writers should know when it comes to making submissions.

With Kerry C. Byrne, Therese Estacion, and Anita Chong.

QUEER JOY

Trivia Event 7:00pm - 7:30pm ET PANEL 7:30pm - 8:30pm ET

In this panel, three authors discuss their writing and their perspective on queer joy as it relates to their own writing, and in literature as a whole. What books have inspired their writing and their boy? What might it look like for LGBTQ2SIA+ writers to feel queer joy in all aspects of the process—from creation to promotion? With Markus Harwood-Jones, Danny Ramadan, and Tanya Turton.

VIRTUAL

IN - PE RSON

Three emerging writers from Audible’s Indigenous Writers Circle discuss their plans and pursuits in a discussion about the real life challenges of navigating the publsihing industry as an emerging writer.

WORKSHOP: WRITING YOUR STORY 4:00pm - 5:00pm ET

There are so many choices to navigate when you set out to write a memoir. Where do you begin your research? Whose stories do you tell? Whose memories can you trust? In this virtual workshop, memoirist Susan Mockler provides helpful and practical advice on shaping memories into strong memoirs.

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT Trivia Event 7:00pm - 7:30pm ET PANEL 7:30pm - 8:30pm ET

Three writers dig into the process of writing romance— discussing the tropes, the drama, and the happily ever afters.

They’ll discuss what drew them to the hot and steamy genre and what keeps them going as they share the ups and downs of their most recent work and the perks and challenges of navigating a romance writing career. With Gia de Cadenet, Markus Harwood-Jones, and Roselle Lim.

SCHOOL GROUPS

CLOSE D C AP TIONE D

A SL

37

THURSDAY, MAY 4 GREAT ESCAPES AND EXPECTATIONS

MICROWORKSHOP: SONGWRITING 12:30pm - 1:00pm ET

MEMORABLE MEMOIRS 1:30pm - 2:30pm ET

10:00am - 11:00am ET

Being a teen can be tough. From managing the weight of expectations to dealing with big topics and world issues, it can feel like life is too big and too much to handle. In this panel designed just for students, four young adult authors discusses the ways reading and writing can be a tool for escape and entertainment, as well as a powerful tool to tackle everyday issues. With Kevin heronJones, Jesmeen Kaur Deo, and Liselle Sambury.

Three incredible memoirists take to the stage at Brampton’s impressive Rose Theatre to discuss their most recent memoirs. With Elamin Abdelmahmoud, Jen Sookfong Lee, and Alessandra Naccarato.

MICROWORKSHOP: MEMOIR 3:00am - 3:30pm ET

BOOKS WITH BUZZ 4:00pm - 5:00pm ET

THE SPOKEN WORD SHOWCASE 12:30pm - 1:30pm ET

In our annual teen spoken word showcase, three poets take the mic and present incredible poetry. Hosted by poetry curator The Wild Woman, this event is geared towards high school students.

With Britta B., Gavin Russell and Tahira Rajwani.

DINE + DRAW: DUMPLING EDITION

Four authors of some of the year’s buzziest books discuss the highs and lows of the season—how their buzzy books made for a busy year, and how they’re coping with the ups and downs that come with publishing. With Cherie Dimaline, Suzette Mayr, Ali Hassan, and Catherine Hernandez.

SPOKEN WORD SHOWCASE 7:30pm - 9:00pm ET

7:30pm - 9:00pm ET

Create art inspired by delicious food as Brampton-based illustrator Meegan Lim walks participants through her “exploding recipe” process. Dine on dumplings and learn about Meegan’s role in illustrating the anthology What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings in this new FOLD in-person evening event in partnership with the Brampton Arts Organization. Open to all skill levels. Limited space. Be sure to get your tickets by April 30.

FRIDAY, MAY 5 THE GREAT READCEPTION 7:30pm - 9:30pm ET

In this in-person evening event, a unique sampling of festival authors read from their works accompanied by music composed and performed by Brampton musician Carmen Spada and a live jazz band. Whether you’re a regular FOLD attendee, a big reader or a lover of live entertainment, this not-to-be-missed signature event is designed to celebrate the power of storytelling and the magic of live musical performance.

SATURDAY, MAY 6 MICROWORKSHOP: PUBLISHING 10:00am - 10:30am ET

HOW WE DID IT 11:00am - 12:00pm ET

38

Three authors whose works cross a range of forms and styles discuss the process of writing, publishing, and the things they’ve learned about themselves along the way. With Casey Plett, Britta B., and Dan K. Woo.

Spoken word host, The Wild Woman returns to the Rose Studio to host an incredibly curated event of spoken word performers. With Shelly Grace, Shahaddah Jack, Alessandra Naccarato, and Gavin Russell.

SUNDAY, MAY 7 HISTORICAL FICTION HIGH TEA 12:00pm - 1:30pm ET

The annual Sunday brunch is back! Don your Sunday best, assemble your fascinator, grab your friends, and join us for a delightful high tea with three incredible historical fiction writers. This history-making special-tea event includes fun trivia with incredible prizes. Limited availability. Be sure to reserve tickets by Sunday, April 30. With Suzette Mayr, Janika Oza, and Sheila Murray.

FILM SCREENING: SCARBOROUGH 2:00pm - 5:00pm ET

Join us for a screening of SCARBOROUGH, the film adaptation of the award-winning novel by Catherine Hernandez.

Over the course of a school year, 3 kids in a low-income neighbourhood find community and friendship at a drop-in reading program. This event is being offered in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival and is included in the cost of an in-person pass. Tickets are also available for $10 at the door.

This session is put on in partnership with TIFF’s Film Circuit programme.

The FOLD Challenge 12 Great Ways to Diversify Your Reading

A debut title by a Muslim author

Speculative fiction by a Black Canadian author

A fiction or non-fiction book about an immigration journey

A book of poetry from a small press

JA N UA RY

F E B RUA RY

M A RC H

A PR I L

Mystery or crime fiction by an Asian Canadian author

A book that celebrates queer joy by a BIPOC author

A book by a Black author from the East Coast

A book that explores the justice system written by an author with lived experience

M AY

JUNE

J U LY

AU G US T

An audiobook by an Indigenous author

A title featuring magic by a Latine/Latinx author

An epistolary title by an author from a marginalized community

A book by an author who identifies as Mad or who writes about mental health

SEPTEMBER

O C TO B E R

N OV E M B E R

DECEMBER

For monthly reading suggestions visit

thefoldcanada.org/readingchallenge2023

VIRTUAL EVENT DAYS SUNDAY, APRIL 30

MONDAY, MAY 1

10am

TUESDAY, MAY 2 THE WRITER’S LIFE with Zoulfa Katouh

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3 WORKSHOP:

COMPELLING CHARACTERS w. Daniel Aleman

AT A GL ANCE

11am

THE FOLD KICK-OFF

12pm

WHERE WE GO FROM HERE

THE TRUTH ABOUT TRENDS IN PUBLISHING

2pm

THE SH*T NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT WRITING

3pm

THE WRITER’S HUB

COMPLICATED FAMILIES

WORKSHOP:

DISABLED FUTURES

LIFE AS AN EMERGING WRITER

WORKSHOP:

WRITING 101

SUBMISSIONS & SELECTIONS

WORKSHOP:

TRIVIA

TRIVIA

TRIVIA

TRIVIA

CANADA READS REUNION

CRAFTY HEROES & CURIOUS VILLAINS

QUEER JOY

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT

AFTER PARTY

AFTER PARTY

AFTER PARTY

AFTER PARTY

1pm

4pm

5pm

DROP-IN NETWORKING EVENT

ACQUISITIONS & EDITING

WRITING YOUR STORY

SENSITIVITY READS & CONSCIOUS EDITING

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

40

TELLING TRUTHS

IN-PERSON EVENT DAYS (BRAMPTON, ON) THURSDAY, MAY 4

FRIDAY, MAY 5

SATURDAY, MAY 6

SUNDAY, MAY 7

MICROWORKSHOP: PUBLISHING

GREAT ESCAPES & EXPECTATIONS**

SESSIONS ARE CLOSED C APTIONED* *Writer’s Hub, Dine+Draw, Historical High Tea, and Microworkshops are NOT closed-captioned.

HOW WE DID IT**

MICROWORKSHOP: SONGWRITING

THE SPOKEN WORD SHOWCASE**

VIRTUAL

HISTORICAL FICTION HIGH TEA

IN - PERSON HYBRID SCHOOL GROUP

MEMORABLE MEMOIRS**

A SL

FILM SCREENING: SCARBOROUGH

MICROWORKSHOP: MEMOIR

All events from SUNDAY, APRIL 30 to WEDNESDAY, MAY 3 are virtual.

All events from THURSDAY, MAY 4 to SUNDAY, MAY 7 are in-person, or hybrid**.

BOOKS WITH BUZZ**

DINE + DRAW: DUMPLING EDITION

THE GREAT READCEPTION**

SPOKEN WORD SHOWCASE**

41

BOOK LIST Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Gia de Cadenet

Ali Hassan

SON OF ELSEWHERE

NOT THE PLAN

9780771002229.00 Penguin Random House

9780593356647.00 Penguin Random House

IS THERE BACON IN HEAVEN?

Daniel Aleman

Cherie Dimaline

Catherine Hernandez

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN

VENCO

THE STORY OF US

9780316704472.00 Hachette Book Group CA

9780735277212.00 Penguin Random House

9781443459754.00 HarperCollins Canada

Wayne Arthurson

FUNERAL SONGS FOR DYING GIRLS

Kevin heronJones

DISHONOUR IN CAMP 133

9780735265639.00 Penguin Random House

9780888016218.00 Turnstone Press

Britta Badour

Phantompains

WIRES THAT SPUTTER 9780771004544.00 Penguin Random House

POETRY

9781982149178.00 Simon & Schuster

NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU 978-1-4594-1707-6 Lerner Books

Therese Estacion

Talia Hibbert

PHANTOMPAINS

HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE

9781771666862.00 Book*hug Press

9780593482339.00 Penguin Random House

T H E R E S E E S TA C I O N

Kate Beaton DUCKS:

El Jones

Two Years In The Oil Sands

KNOT BODY

ABOLITIONIST INTIMACIES

9781770462892.00 Drawn & Quarterly

978-1-988355-21-4 Metatron Press

9781773635521.00 Fernwood Publishing

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Jen Ferguson

Zoulfa Katouh

REHEARSALS FOR LIVING

THE SUMMER OF BITTER AND SWEET

AS LONG AS THE LEMON TREES GROW

9781039000650.00 Penguin Random House

9780063086166.00 HarperCollins

9780316351379.00 Hachette Book Group Canada

Cody Caetano

R. Barri Flowers

Jesmeen Kaur Deo

HALF BADS IN WHITE REGALIA

DANGER ON MAUI

T.J. POWAR HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE

9780735240858.00 Penguin Random House

42

Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch

9781335582492.00 Harlequin

9780593403396.00 Penguin Random House

Michael Christie

Markus Harwood-Jones

Jen Sookfong Lee

GREENWOOD

IN A HEARTBEAT

SUPERFAN:

9780771024481.00 Penguin Random House

9781459416277.00 James Lorimer & Company

How Pop Culture Broke My Heart

9780771025211.00 Penguin Random House

Meegan Lim

Alessandra Naccarato

Tanya Turton

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DUMPLINGS

IMMINENT DOMAINS:

JADE IS A TWISTED GREEN

9781552454527.00 House Books

9781771667753.00 Book*hug Press

Roselle Lim

Dimitri Nasrallah

Anuja Varghese

SOPHIE GO’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB

HOTLINE

CHRYSALIS

9781550655940.00 Vehicule Press

9781487011666.00 House of Anansi

Robyn Maynard

Janika Oza

Sandra S.G. Wong

REHEARSALS FOR LIVING

A HISTORY OF BURNING

IN THE DARK WE FORGET

9781039000650.00 Penguin Random House

9780771002311.00 Penguin Random House

9781443465564.00 HarperCollins Canada

Suzette Mayr

Casey Plett

Dan K. Woo

THE SLEEPING CAR PORTER

A SAFE GIRL TO LOVE

TAOBAO: Stories

9781552454589.00 Coach House Books

9781551529134.00 Arsenal Pulp Press

978-1-989496-51-0 Wolsak & Wynn

Susan Mockler

Danny Ramadan

FRACTURED: A Memoir

THE FOGHORN ECHOES

9781772602708.00 Second Story Press

9780735242180.00 Penguin Random House

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Lindsay Ruck

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU

AMAZING BLACK ATLANTIC CANADIANS:

9780593335611.00 Random House

Reckoning with the Anthropocene

9780593355350.00 Penguin Random House

Inspiring Stories of Courage and Achievement 9781771089173.00 Nimbus Publishing

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Liselle Sambury

MEXICAN GOTHIC

DELICIOUS MONSTERS

9780525620808.00 Penguin Random House

9781665903493.00 Simon & Schuster

Sheila Murray

Nisi Shawl

FINDING EDWARD

EVERFAIR

9781770866263.00 Cormorant Books

9781466837843.00 Tor

9781459748606.00 Dundurn Press

43

Simon & Schuster Canada welcomes our authors to THE FOLD 2023

Teen Writer in Residence

LISELLE SAMBURY

ALI HASSAN SimonSchusterCA

44

© King’s printer for Ontario

BOOKMARK ONTARIO FOR DIVERSE READS

Ontario Creates proudly supports the The Festival of Literary Diversity and Ontario’s book publishing industry.

ontariocreates.ca

45

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA PROUD SPONSOR OF THE FESTIVAL OF LITERARY DIVERSITY WELCOMES OUR AUTHORS

46

ELAMIN ABDELMAHMOUD

BRITTA BADOUR

CODY CAETANO

GIA DE CADENET

CHERIE DIMALINE

TALIA HIBBERT

JESMEEN KAUR DEO

ROSELLE LIM

JEN SOOKFONG LEE

DANNY RAMADAN

JANIKA OZA

MICHAEL CHRISTIE

SILVIA MORENO GARCIA

RETURNS NOVEMBER 1–5, 2023 VIRTUAL & IN-PERSON EVENTS, SCHOOL GROUP OPPORTUNITIES

AND MORE!

@FOLDKidz

@FoldKids

@FoldKids

thefoldcanada.org/kids 47