FOLD's 10th Anniversary Commemorative Program

THE FESTIVAL OF LITER ARY DIVERSIT Y APRIL 27– MAY 4, 2025

Celebrating a Decade of Change

STAFF

PLANNING TEAM

Executive Director JAEL RICHARDSON

Calyssa Erb Alya Somar Monica Tang Natasha Shaikh Monika Trzeciakowski Alexandra Yeboah Toni Duval Emmy Nordstrom Higdon Erica Rochette Monica Nathan Fiona Ross Ramona Porter Yeli Cruz Kristen Johnston

Kids Program Coordinator ARDO OMER Program Coordinator HUDSON LIN Volunteer & Audience Engagement Coordinator SAMANTHA CLARKE Volunteer Lead TONI DUVAL Graphic Designer KILBY SMITH-MCGREGOR

10TH ANNIVERSARY PLANNING TEAM

Associate Program Editor ALEXANDRA YEBOAH Pitch Perfect Facilitator CALYSSA ERB

Monica Tang Natasha Shaikh Felicia Quon Christina Vecchiato Léonicka Valcius Amanda Leduc

Educator Guide Editor TONI DUVAL

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Treasurer TERI VLASSOPOULOS Secretary ASHISH SETH Director, Lead LAVANYA NARASIMHAN Director, Adult Programming MONICA TANG Director, Children’s Programming KAREN RICHARDSON MASON Director, Sponsorships & Prizes FELICIA QUON Director, Human Resources CYNTHIA INNES Director, Board Governance MARK RICHARDSON

SPONSORS & PARTNERS PLATINUM

An agency of the Government of Ontario Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

COPPER

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

Diverse stories deserve to be read.

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 Celalibrary.ca

2

FROM THE

FOLD TEAM

Left to Right: Samantha Clarke, Ardo Omer, Jael Richardson & Hudson Lin. Photo by Sarah Bodri, 2024.

In 2016, the Festival of Literary Diversity emerged

To celebrate this accomplishment, we added a

to celebrate diverse authors and storytellers with

podcast, Into the FOLD, to document the journey and

a mission to engage readers, inspire writers, and em-

a FOLD Apparel line for fans to enjoy our cozy book

power educators.

wear all-year round.

The inaugural Brampton event was in-person (a

In this commemorative program, which includes

term that was not even necessary to clarify at the time).

pictures and memories from the last ten years, you’ll

In 2020 and 2021, as a result of the global pandemic, it

find a special 10th anniversary article from the FOLD’s

transformed into a virtual and more accessible expe-

first full-time employee, Amanda Leduc, along with an

rience that allowed attendees to build community and

all-star lineup of some of our favourite pieces from

engage in conversation from the comfort of their home.

each of the last ten years.

This year, the festival continues in its multi-modal

Thank you for celebrating a decade of change at

format for only the fourth time—delivering four days

the Festival of Literary Diversity—whether this is your

of virtual events and four days of in-person events, all

first year or your tenth (or something in between),

as part of Brampton’s first Book Week.

we’re grateful to have you.

— JAEL, ARDO, SAMANTHA and LIN 3

City of Brampton Office of the Mayor 2 Wellington Street West Brampton, Ontario L6Y 4R2 Dear FOLD Community, On behalf of the City of Brampton, it is my great pleasure to congratulate the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) as it celebrates its 10th anniversary, with the theme a Decade of Change! This milestone is a testament to the incredible impact that FOLD has had on our vibrant community, and I am proud to extend my warmest thanks to the authors, organizers, volunteers, and supporters who have made this festival a resounding success. This year’s festival will take place from April 27th to May 4th, kicking off the inaugural Brampton Book Week.

FOLD has become a cornerstone of Brampton’s cultural landscape, championing underrepresented authors and storytellers while fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. Over the years, FOLD has not only celebrated diverse voices but has also ignited important conversations surrounding equity, mental health, and the role of literature in shaping our society. This year’s programming—featuring both virtual and in-person events—promises to bring together thousands of attendees and over 50 authors, creating a truly dynamic platform for discussion and learning.

I am particularly excited by the festival’s inclusion of youth programming as well as its commitment to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. Events like the Canada Reads All-Stars conversation and the celebration of young adult authors will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of readers, writers, and leaders in our community.

The 10th anniversary of FOLD is a celebration not only of the festival itself, but also of the values it stands for—literacy, inclusion, and learning. As one of Canada’s largest and most diverse cities, Brampton is proud to be a host for such an impactful event. I want to thank FOLD for its unwavering dedication to promoting these vital ideals and for continuing to push boundaries to create a more equitable space for storytelling.

Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on this momentous occasion, and I look forward to the many more years of success ahead.

Warm regards,

Patrick Brown Mayor of Brampton

4

CONTENTS From the FOLD Team

3

Writing to My Brother

by Jo Jefferson

22

Mayor’s Letter

4

FOLD Timeline

7

Conspiracy of Love

By Shazia Hafiz Ramji

25

A Decade of Change

by Amanda Leduc

8

Racism in the Canadian Book Publishing Industry

by Orville Lloyd Douglas

ancestory.com

By Rahma Shere

13

26

Othered Stories

by Leonarda Carranza

30

14

Post-Transition: Who Might We Be

by Chase Joynt

34

Infinitive: A State of Being

By Leanne Charette

17

Festival at a Glance

36

On Disability

by Susan Mockler

18

Festival Schedule

38

Festival Participants

42

FOLD Book List

46

The Rooftop Mist Garden: the music of Vancouver

by Vivian (Xiao Wen) Li

5

2025202420 FOLD documents a decade of change by launching a podcast: Into the FOLD.

First virtual events are held in response to a global pandemic.

6

Second literary high tea is held at a new downtown Brampton venue, Alderlea Manor.

First events at the Rose Theatre and first writer-in-residence, SK Ali.

Virtual festival launches on a new mobile app.

Last children’s events at the FOLD in May.

2020201920 First FOLD Kids Book Fest is held in City Hall.

02320222021 First hybrid festival includes the inaugural marquee literary cabaret.

Another all-virtual festival launches on an innovative virtual platform.

First literary festival is held in Brampton at Peel Art Gallery, Museum + Archives.

01820172016 First events held at Brampton’s City Hall.

7

2025 A DECADE OF CHANGE

BY AMANDA LEDUC

Summer, 2015. I live in Hamilton, Ontario. I work in the

I grew up in this city, and when I moved away to uni-

emergency psychiatric unit of a hospital, because I

versity, I swore that I’d never come back. But a few

can’t seem to get a job anywhere else. I’ve been trying

years ago, I ran out of money, and so here I am. Back

to get a job in the arts sector for the better part of the

home after more than a decade of being away. Many

last two years, but competition for arts jobs in Toron-

of my friends have houses and cars now. They’ve

to is fierce and competition for arts jobs in Hamilton

started having kids. They know what it means to look

is impossible because there are no jobs to begin with.

to the future in a way that still seems lost to me. The

I am trying to be a writer, because that’s what I

future? Try tomorrow. Try imagining a world in which I

went to school for and that’s what I’ve wanted to do

don’t want to walk in front of a car. Every day feels like

since I was five. But I published a novel two years ago

a decade, like I am stuck in some kind of vortex while

and it has officially disappeared. (Most books do, but

everyone else swirls around me, building the bright

it will be years before I recognize this.) Earlier this year,

shining galaxies of their much better lives.

my publisher declined my second novel. And now I can’t seem to sell my writing anywhere.

I’m in my early thirties and I live in a tiny apart-

Suicide is like an invisible door that has opened at the back of my mind, something at once surprising but also inevitable. Familiar.

ment that looks like it belongs to a student and I have so much school debt I am sure it will crush me. Sometimes I come home from work and go straight to bed because when I’m sleeping, I don’t cry.

I’m seeing someone who isn’t good for me. I’m making all kinds of bad decisions. I spend my days working and sleeping and trying not to scream.

Everywhere I look, I see the same thing.

Failure. Failure. Failure.

Every morning, I wake up and wish that I was dead.

• 8

I’m seeing someone who isn’t good for me. I’m making all kinds of bad decisions. I spend my days working and sleeping and trying not to scream.

Of course, I think. Of course this is how it was always

stories to make sense of our lives. The power that stories can hold. The responsibilities we all have to spin

meant to end.

But I have debt to pay, and I can’t hand that debt off to my parents. And so life it is, for now. Work and sleep and sadness and trying to keep the flame of possibility alive.

them in ways that shine light—on our own lives, yes, but also on the world.

“What story have you been telling yourself?” my doctor asks. “What stories and ideas are keeping you

I stop writing, for a time. My job at the hospital is

from changing, from becoming who you’re meant to be?”

mindless and predictable but it pays me more than

We build worlds in fiction, I’m beginning to realize.

And we build worlds in our own lives too.

writing ever has. So. Why fight against gravity? Why not just let go?

The story I am telling about these hyenas needs to make sense because hyenas don’t walk and talk in

•

real life. I need to find a reason for why they are the way they are. Maybe they’ve been through some ex-

Then, in the fall of 2015, I write a short story. I’m not

periments—a chemical spill, that kind of thing. Wild

really sure where it comes from. It is a story about a

genes on overdrive. Something like that.

woman who lives in an apartment beneath a pair of

Then, one day when I’m sitting in my tiny apart-

married hyenas who can talk. They walk on two legs

ment and wrestling with how to explain them away,

like humans.

suddenly it comes to me: they need no explanation.

Why hyenas? Who knows.

Why the walking and talking? I don’t know that ei-

I am not going to explain why my hyenas walk and talk. They just do. They just will.

ther. But they are weird and beautiful and somehow,

And if people don’t like that, there are other books

this speaks to me. The story swirls out of me like some

they can buy at the bookstore. They do not need to

kind of new galaxy, strange and bright and mine.

buy mine.

But the hyenas don’t make sense, and they need

Some months after this, I see a job ad on Twit-

to make sense in the context of the story. I have start-

ter for a new literary festival and send an application

ed going to therapy, and this is something my doctor

away to the FOLD.

comes back to again and again. The way that we tell 9

•

given birth to countless new bright things and stars.

In space, a decade is no time at all. It is a kind of cos-

of sense. When we were working to bring those first

mic blink—a flick of time, and barely that. But even in

few iterations of the festival together—to say nothing

this blink of time so much is happening. Stars are be-

of those years when we had to pivot to an online mod-

ing born. Rocks and ice and other debris are swirling

el—there were many moments when I felt the way I

into place, seeding planets that might, billions of years

did all those years ago when working at the hospital:

down the road, hold life.

like change was impossible, like we were struggling re-

It’s a decade of cosmic change in the very best kind

What is here now might become something else far in the future, given enough of these blinks. Enough time.

lentlessly against the gravity of an already established galaxy out there in space.

It is all here, in other words. All of the building

But we were creating our own gravity at the FOLD.

blocks that will become something else, that new ver-

Every workday, every meeting, every author, every

sion of you.

festival we held was its own force building into some-

I apply to that job, and I get it. The Festival of Liter-

thing larger, something that has, over these last ten

ary Diversity becomes a new centre of gravity for me,

years, brought about the kind of change I was looking

pulling so many other things into orbit in my life. New

for so desperately all those years ago.

friendships. New passions. New writing. New ways of seeing the world.

I don’t work at the FOLD in the same capacity now, as I did when I answered that job ad back in the

And also? So many more questions.

late days of 2015. But I’d be lying if I said that the FOLD

How do we make sense of a world that holds so

wasn’t still my centre of gravity—that being involved

much cruelty and so much love in both hands?

with the festival hasn’t changed me in fundamental

How do we get up, every day, and keep doing the

ways and encouraged my own growth as a writer and

work when nothing seems to be changing? How do

human being. Without the FOLD, I would not have

we build community and challenge what seems im-

embraced my life as a disabled woman. Without the

movable? How do we keep reminding ourselves that

FOLD, I might not have embraced the strangeness of

change is always coming, even when a decade feels at

the stories I wanted to tell—even if the building blocks

once like a blink and also an eternity?

of that life were already swirling into place. Working

What are the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of all of this and move forward?

What does it mean to imagine, and put into practice, a better world?

with Jael, and Ardo, and Jonisha and Sam and Lin and the Board and all our volunteers over the years took that process that began for me at that hospital in Hamilton, and in that tiny attic apartment, and made

A lot of these are questions I’ve always been ask-

it into something real and tangible. A life where words

ing, just packaged in different ways. Turns out I was

and stories have value, no matter how strange and in-

pulling my own galaxy into place all through those

explicable or unrecognizable those words and stories

long slow years, and the ones that came after, even

might seem.

when it felt like nothing was moving. All those days when I was schlepping to work at the hospital and try-

•

ing to write and trying to imagine a different kind of world—turns out I’m using those same skills here, too.

Then suddenly, one day, a decade has passed and gone.

• And now we are here, on the eve of the FOLD’s tenth anniversary festival. A decade that has swirled so many parts of this country’s literary landscape together and

10

Without the FOLD, I would not have embraced my life as a disabled woman.

Without the FOLD, I might not have embraced the strangeness of the stories I wanted to tell ...

As I write this, I’m less than a month away from pub-

brought us to this year’s tenth anniversary festival, I

lishing my next novel. It’s a novel that grew out of the

can’t help but think about all of the small festival mo-

short story I wrote in 2015, the one about the hyenas

ments—right here, right now, in front of us—that will

who do not need to be explained away. The past de-

seed something else ten more years down the line.

cade of life working at and being part of the FOLD has

Change. Sometimes it takes a decade to see and

reminded me that I, also, do not need to be explained

fully understand it, but it’s happening in every mo-

away. None of us do, no matter how small we might

ment whether we see it or not. All of those stars and

feel in the face of all that feels immoveable: old guard

galaxies swirling their way into being—in the universe

CanLit, old ideas, old ways of doing things. Sometimes

around us, and right here on the page.

it takes a decade to look back and realize that what felt

I hope that your time at the FOLD—as an author,

like incremental change was actually monumental—

as a spectator, as someone reading this Program—re-

that even as we wrestled with the past, we were also

minds you of all of this, and gives you strength as you

reaching forward to the future.

carry your work into the future. May you remember

I am so different from that woman who answered that ad for the FOLD those ten years ago. And the

that we are all, even now, seeding change into the world that is to be.

FOLD itself is different from what it was in its first iter-

And when you meet that change in ten more

ation. The festival has grown to encompass so much

years, at the twentieth-anniversary festival whose

more—a children’s festival, a writing webinar series, a

building blocks are being laid even now, I hope you—I

vibrant sense of literary community both in Brampton

hope we all—can see the way we reached forward to

and across the country. It has become a changemak-

this future, hand in hand together.

er, a force that doesn’t just push against the gravity //

of what is but also reaches forward into the new universe that could be. As we take stock of all that has

“I remember the beginning of the FOLD in a coffee shop in Brampton.

Jael and I were both working on novels and she was identifying the need for a festival devoted to diverse voices and I was like, Then you create one. The coffee shop is gone but the FOLD is still going strong.”

— IAN WILLIAMS FOLD AUTHOR

11

Coming Soon

On Sale

FOLD Writer In Residence

2024

A Voices from the FOLD: Year 9 original poem.

ANCESTORY.COM

BY RAHMA SHERE Himalayan salted complexions that evolve as the rushing Indus carves through changing terrains from towering giants of glacier valleys to fields of white cotton clouds dotting rural neighbourhoods in a land that has been conquest from time immoral through the ancient routes of The Silk Road to the first ships that landed on coastal ports populated by sun baked bodies shamed for not being fair and lovely. My body is a reflection of the land I come from, a land of my ancestors, home to monuments to deities and Sufi saints who penned poetry in our name and gave birth to nations that still stand under ever-shifting skies of the winter sun and monsoon rains nourishing this vessel that holds who we were and who we are today. We, the people who refused to dissipate in the melancholic wars of men. //

“FOLD has opened my eyes and mind to a whole new world of books, stories, experiences and people.”

— LINDSAY SPROULE

FOLD VOLUNTEER

13

2023

A Voices from the FOLD: Year 8 original prose poem.

THE ROOFTOP MIST GARDEN:

THE MUSIC OF VANCOUVER

BY VIVIAN (XIAO WEN) LI

14

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 window,

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

a shadow passes by: a memory. There are other signs

you realize, as your eyes follow down the stretch of the

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

tessellated grey-white patterned patio, a dance calling

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

forth the rainstorm that will strike within the hour. Be-

in the birch tree, its body squinting against the grey-

yond the sporadically thin Granville Island bridge rests

haired sky. Firm solar panels catch the last hazy quiv-

a horizon blushing orange. Wrapped by the eastern

ering of light. Your legs, pressed tight against the rat-

mountain wind, snake-like, the wiry hands of a silver

tling table, have found grounding, sustenance. Warm

birch tree uncurl.

air rushes past; two students walk in step as a pair of

A couple smiles with open-orange foreign

sparrows brushes bodies in an eternal, infinite loop,

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

before dividing across the skyline, and falling onto sep-

parka jacket holding a Blenz Coffee cup. Pulling on

arate perches.

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

You glance behind at the rows of glass in mir-

tertwined fingers gliding through wisps of cloud in

rored reflection; the garden aching brown from Win-

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

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

half-dozen round tables, slipping into their secrets.

phones—you smile at the increasing number of jacket-

You can almost understand their lifts and turns as

ed figures braving the chill to find solace in the sinking

you sip your London Fog, sweet and calming between

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

your teeth—its warmth surrounded by a chestnut

wearing white, call the other sinister and pose before

wrap, bumpy spine sharp against fingertips. Already

the birch tree. Their masks are down, unadorned.

your hands are chilled from bone to marrow, and your

The latter answers a phone call after pointing to the

feet angle back, towards home, but you want to listen

CBC quarters below; teasing, he tells his mother he

a little longer, to outlast the thin mist before rain.

stopped Ben from jumping off the roof of the library.

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

a distanced world, the populated trees, blinking teal-

friend climb down the stairs. Lights are sprinkled ev-

greens, and anchored buildings have not yet shifted.

erywhere; lights sparkling in tune with the glow on

The patio lights will beat on in the storm, vivacious. A

bridges and wire lines. L-shaped sapphire apartments

lady dressed in silver-and-cream curves a Pano of the

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

patio. The mask on her face does not hide her yearning

scape before you. But what is beyond these buildings,

for connection. You smile as you, the couple, and the

and beyond those?

birch tree, are captured.

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

//

horizon. Soon, you will be recalled home. The mountain-clear scent of the wind reminds you that within

“ I love that the FOLD develops critical and thoughtful panels that speak to not only books, but social issues.”

— MONIC A TANG

FOLD BOARD MEMBER

15

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA PROUD SPONSOR OF THE FESTIVAL OF LITERARY DIVERSITY

WELCOMES OUR AUTHORS

SHADE LAPITE

SHEUNG-KING

MORGAN CAMPBELL

JUDY I. LIN

SHASHI BHAT

DAVID CHARIANDY AMANDA LEDUC

OZOZ SOKOH

KATHERENA VERMETTE

SALEEMA NAWAZ

JUMATA EMILL

ANNA SORTINO

A Voices from the FOLD: Year 7 original poem.

INFINITIVE: A STATE OF BEING

BY LEANNE CHARETTE This skin, showered with questions, eyed with suspicion, will not be passive.

Here, a line was drawn, showing exactly where it deviates from the design.

Here, the bunched attempts

to mend,

at the hip,

puckered

along

the

spine.

This skin has known the scalpel, has felt overactive nerves severed;

has walked bare, between the balance bars, disfigurements on show,

has seen itself reflected in two-way mirrors by harsh, medical lights.

This skin, riotous tissue symbiotically tied to a fray of joy, pain, longing; intertwined with the chair that frees, never confines, is with surgical precision, reduced to the inanimate.

To inaccessible minds, the living

becomes only thing.

But this skin will not be passive; beneath its surface tense muscles resist the wounds that tried to render it inactive.

It will heal over and over.

This skin will not be passive, not a noun but a verb. //

2022

17

2021

Previously published in THIS Magazine.

ON DISABILITY

BY SUSAN MOCKLER

On August 20, 1995, I slipped into the passenger seat

trol of all my bodily functions. Nurses assumed my

of my friend’s rusty old hatchback. It was nine o’clock

body’s care: rolling it, washing it, feeding it, wrapping

at night. As we pulled onto the highway, heading from

it in a hospital gown, catheterizing its bladder every

Ottawa toward Montreal, I wriggled to get comfort-

four hours. These actions were beyond intimate for a

able on the vinyl seat, smooth against my bare legs.

31-year-old.

Fastening the seatbelt, I settled in.

What came next were five months in a rehabili-

By ten o’clock we had hit a moose.

tation centre and the gradual return of my left hand.

The first thing I remember is someone calling my

Shaky at first, I inched through hospital corridors ma-

name. I opened my eyes to the chaos. Shouting, slam-

noeuvring the joystick of a power wheelchair. Food

ming car doors, flashing lights. I couldn’t feel anything;

splattered around me like an infant feeding itself,

I couldn’t move. Next came the emergency room. My

though eventually I mastered showering, dressing,

friend, uninjured, except for a few scratches, tried to

and brushing my hair and teeth. My left hand became

reassure me.

a cornerstone of my independence, and walking was

“They think you might just be in shock,” he said.

But after x-rays, an ambulance to Ottawa, and an MRI,

increasingly seen as optional, merely a way to move from place to place. The wheelchair would suffice.

a neurosurgeon said broken neck, the highest two vertebrae fractured, a quadriplegic spinal cord injury.

My injury was called “incomplete” because my spinal cord’s capacity to convey messages to and from my brain was somewhat intact. I might regain enough movement in one arm to transfer to a wheelchair, I was told. I might be able to live independently. I learned in an instant how one can shift from ability to disability in so unannounced and sudden a way.

At first, I could only move my eyes. Machines, attached by tubes snaking across me, had taken con-

18

My left hand became a cornerstone of my independence, and walking was increasingly seen as optional, merely a way to move from place to place.

The wheelchair would suffice.

Yet my legs recovered. From initial twitches to

unique. Depictions of persons with disabilities in the

more coordinated movements, I slowly graduated to

media reinforce stereotypes that promote such objec-

propelling a manual wheelchair with my feet, stepping

tification and discrimination. Rarely is a person with a

between parallel bars and walking with a cane. Life

disability presented as a multidimensional, complex

returned after a year. I walked slowly with a limp and

character, driven by human desire, who just happens

retained little function in my right arm. I learned to

to possess physical challenges. Instead, they are laud-

write again with my left hand.

ed as inspirational heroes, victims, or objects of pity. A

At that time, I viewed my recovery as reclamation of self, though I had no understanding of what my life

reality show that followed people with disabilities on dates chose the moniker The Undateables.

would become. Disabled, I had crossed some invisible line and become “other”.

•

Public scrutiny of my body was initially surprising. In line for coffee, walking along the street, trav-

Evenings out are often fraught with complications. Ven-

elling by taxi: Did you have a stroke? An accident?

ue information on accessibility is inconsistently provid-

What happened? Marked physically by trauma, I felt

ed, and when it is, rarely do the words “barrier-free” ap-

on display, having lost some right to privacy. People

pear. Listed under “accessibility” is often the number of

seemed curious, often offering advice or encourage-

stairs at the entrance and the flights required to access

ment as one would to a small child. Good for you to

washrooms. And since stairs render an establishment

be out on your own!

inaccessible, this information tells people with mobility

Other intrusions were less benign. “What’s the mat-

disabilities that they’re not welcome.

ter with you anyway?” a cab driver once asked me after I

I sometimes attend events in inaccessible locations.

got into his taxi. “I was in an accident,” I replied. “You can’t

Once I was helped up the stairs to a friend’s birthday

use your arm? And you don’t walk very well. Christ,” he

party, only to slide down again on my bum in full view of

said. “If I was you, I’d kill myself.”

other guests, patrons, and staff at the end of the night.

While that cabbie likely just suffered from individual prejudices, his sentiment toward me was hardly

Could my friend have picked a more accessible space?

Possibly, but in Toronto they’re in short supply.

19

ECW AUTHORS AT FOLD 2025 K.J

... a speaker reminded the audience that “able-bodiedness is a temporary state.”

I travel often and am highly dependent on accessibility services. There’s little sensitivity to be found receiving wheelchair assistance at Canadian airports.

. AIELLO

Able-bodied friends I travel with are typically addressed in my place, with airline staff referring to me, if ever, in the third person.

Alone, I have been “parked” in the middle of terminals with little explanation. Agents complain to me about the number of “chairs” they have to assist, their sore backs, or staffing shortages. They converse with each other, griping about working conditions and personal matters as if I were a burdensome object to be shunted around.

Over two decades of being disabled have affirmed for me that the social stigma and discrimination people with disabilities face extends to the ever-present struggle for access to services and built environments.

Universal design, emphasizing the creation of environments that can be understood and used by as many people as possible, regardless of ability, would help anyone with mobility limitations experience their cities more fully. Plus the mere presence of people with disabilities in public spaces could lessen the prejudices all too present in our society.

It might also preclude the need to categorize oneself as disabled, or even the need to prove “disability” to gain access to services and built environments.

Ability exists along a continuum, comprised of visible and invisible conditions. We should all remember that.

I once attended a conference where a speaker reminded the audience that “able-bodiedness is a temporary state.” Whether from birth, illness, injury, or aging, many of us will need accessible services and environments.

Frankly, we deserve better than sliding our bums O

down stairs.

SUZA

E C W

20

P R E S S

N PA L

UM

B

//

“I have loved The FOLD since my first book was released. The Festival has always supported me and other Indigenous authors. My memory is more of a confession. I have a collection of Fold t-shirts I have purchased over the last 8 years that have actually become my go to sleepwear.

I have two red Fold t-shirts that read: Books aren’t boring, you are. Another purple shirt that says: I closed my book to be here. And the last, a blue one that says This is my reading shirt.

They are my most favourite things. They signal my bedtime mood! My time to unwind and read.”

— TANYA TALAGA

FOLD AUTHOR

SHOP

FOLD APPAREL

thefoldcanada.org 21

2020

Originally published in Crush Zine.

WRITING TO MY BROTHER

BY JO JEFFERSON

I wish I had a copy of the letter I wrote to my brother in

sex doesn’t mean you’re gay and it doesn’t make

1982. He was ten years older than me, gay, living in To-

you gay,

ronto, taking a break from his career as a journalist to

—whatever the two of you do is your own

work on a law degree. I idolized him. I was 19, studying

business and no one has any right to tell you not

English Literature and trying to write poetry in small

to do it, or that there’s anything wrong with it,

town Nova Scotia.

—whether you are gay or straight or some-

I can only imagine the earnest, confused, young-

where in between (as lots of people are) is far

er-sibling outpouring that arrived at his Gerrard Street

less important than being able to enjoy making

apartment that fall. What I still hold onto (and read

love with the right person and not feeling guilty

over and over) are the words he wrote back, on No-

about it.

vember 16.

Whoever invented guilt over sex ruined it for a lot of people — it’s supposed to be fun, whoev-

Your letter kind of amazed me; I’ve always

er you’re doing it with. The important thing is to

thought of you as the one who kept personal

be able to explore your sexuality, and go wherev-

matters pretty much to herself. (On the other

er it leads you, without panicking about it.

hand, that’s not the sort of thing you can talk to a lot of people about, is it?)

If you’ve told your friend about your feelings

I still get mad when I think of how miserable I was for years, thinking I was a sicko. I know better now but I wish I had back then.

and it didn’t freak her out (as I gather) that’s great; it’s a big hurdle. The next one, it sounds like, is figuring out what to do about it.

On the next page, in his familiar, scrawly, slanted handwriting, he offered some great advice: Just keep a couple of things in mind.

—going to bed with someone of the same 22

Whoever invented guilt over sex ruined it for a lot of people— it’s supposed to be fun, whoever you’re doing it with.

Before closing out the advice section of his letter, he said

tell you what I didn’t like about it.

something that probably felt to him like a funny aside and now, years later, feels like a painfully ironic stab.

He followed with three pages of detailed feedback, most of it pointing out the parts of the story he

There’s one reason, actually, to be less nervous

thought were strong. He called one sentence “first-

about gay sex than straight: you don’t have to

rate short-story writing”. I’ll never get a review that

worry about any of the disastrous consequences.

will feel as good, as important, as that one. At the end

It’s quite a bonus.

of his feedback, he wrote:

Five years later, he would know he had AIDS. Ten years

Have you sent a copy home? I got a letter from

later, he would be dead.

Mum asking whether I’d seen the story; that she hadn’t. I plan to write tonight. I shall be discreet.

•

Which brings me to the other point about the story: it seems to reflect the stage your own

In February, I sent him a draft of a short story I was

explorations were at when you last wrote. That

working on. The narrator goes on a research trip with

is, what was in your mind, as opposed to what

her boyfriend and falls for a woman she meets. The

you might actually have done about it. Toying

story was patchy, too full of clichés, and overly roman-

with the idea, so to speak — almost as if the sto-

tic, but the response my brother sent back was gold.

ry was a continuation of the process of “trying it

This time, his letter was typewritten, just like my story.

on” mentally.

I read it twice the day it arrived. Does that tell

•

you anything? I really liked it. I was surprised by how much I liked it (don’t be insulted, even

By 1986, I was writing and editing for a grassroots

though you probably should be. I haven’t read

feminist newspaper, getting politicized, organizing

anything of yours since you were 10 or some-

IWD marches, and going to Women’s Night at the gay

thing.) To prove I’m not just saying it’s good, I’ll

bar in Halifax. My brother wrote to me in February.

23

I’m not sure where you’re at right now, although

first few times I had half-decent sexual encounters

the letter you sent just before Christmas provid-

with men — it felt so right, like it was what I was

ed a couple of clues. I was surprised to learn that

made for sexually.

sexual orientation was still (or again) an open question for you. I remember it coming up awhile ago, and then when things fell into place with [your boyfriend] I naively assumed that the whole matter had been settled. Now I learn that things are more complicated than ever, and on several levels! I’m not sure whether I envy you more for the process you are going through, which is clearly exciting and fascinating, or sympathize with the

He followed with three pages of detailed feedback, most of it pointing out the parts of the story he thought were strong.

difficulties it presents, because they are real and •

potentially painful. I get the impression that you are approaching all of this with your usual, levelheaded and open-minded attitude.

Later that same year I produced an article called “Politics of Bisexuality” for the feminist newspaper. I wrote, for

I’m not sure what I wrote to give him that impres-

the first time in a public forum, “I think of myself as bisex-

sion. I remember that time in my life feeling tumultu-

ual.” I went on to describe all the ways that disclosure felt

ous and confusing. I probably needed the reminder,

risky, important, powerful, and how I thought bisexuals

from someone who had known me my whole life,

needed to be more visible.

that I really was okay. Also, a reminder that I was just

I don’t know if I sent my brother a copy of that arti-

beginning this work of discovering my own identity.

cle. Our correspondence had already begun to shift. In

At the end of a long paragraph he wrote:

his next letter he wrote about a friend who was dying of AIDS and how this was probably the first of many in

We don’t choose our sexual orientation but we

his circle. Then he began writing about his own treat-

do have to figure it out for ourselves.

ments and prognosis. I don’t think I was a very good

If this were spoken instead of written I’d be out of breath by now.

correspondent; too wrapped up in my own work and relationships, too afraid of facing his suffering.

The last letter I have is dated July 1991, five months

I can picture him pausing, chewing on his thumbnail,

before he died, a breezy thank you note for a gift I’d

then maybe lighting a smoke, before putting his pen

sent (a framed photo of him I’d taken during his last

on the paper again.

visit to Nova Scotia). There was no mention of illness, only a complaint about the dreadful Toronto heat.

There is one thing I have no hesitation in saying. If

Thirty-plus years later, I’m living in Toronto, com-

you’re attracted to someone physically or even just

plaining about the heat, working with queer elders,

curious, and if the relationship is non-exploitive

and still writing about bisexuality. My brother’s ghost

and has clearly established groundrules, by all

seems close by, especially when I’m in the Village,

means let it happen. Maybe it already has. The

near the AIDS memorial in Barbara Hall Park where

biggest obstacle to sexual exploration of that kind

his name is neatly printed alongside so many others.

is guilt; it is also the least rational, since guilt and

I know that his advice to me, written in those let-

morality are irrelevant to the situation I’ve just de-

ters, gave me the confidence I needed to keep explor-

scribed. The risks are emotional ones — entangle-

ing my sexuality. Maybe I’m still writing letters to my

ments, confusion about people’s feelings for each

brother, looking to him for advice, reassurance, en-

other. But you will know far more about yourself if

couragement to keep on trying to figure it out.

you take such a step than if you avoid it, because you will know whether it feels right. I have a crystal-clear recollection of how astounded I was the 24

//

Previously published in Train: a Poetry Journal.

CONSPIRACY OF LOVE

BY SHAZIA HAFIZ RAMJI you loved like a conspirator

against everything

that has power to defeat us —Anne Michaels The problem with trying to one-up yourself is not that you might die by your own hands, but that you’ll be able to justify why without feeling anything. When you were in withdrawal, alone in your bed, the salt from the sweat pressed on the mattress was testimony to what you allowed: “I am Satan, because I deal in language.” The next day, you had stopped shaking. You went to work secular and clean.

There were no other addicts and you didn’t speak.

You know that lies look beautiful unified, all parts clicking together, lighting up your eyes. They are old technology made new, sleek and gleaming in crevasses like fog rolling around Renfrew and you’re awake today to see it, because you’ve been brave. You’ve noticed your friend has listened and told you very boring things—not dismissed them as errands. This is the task you will have to do, soon enough, remembering all the ways your mind moved—to write yourself into a poem you want to call “Conspiracy of Love.” When the guy from Tinder said hi to you in school, it didn’t strike you that he might know you from the Internet. You didn’t remember who he was, not even when he called you by your fake name. All you thought was, “I can’t do this again. I want to be clean. I want to be Shazia.”

If you end this poem here, it might make sense, but we both know this kind of work is occult.

So, you have to ask me: How do you want to finish this poem? You have to leave it there. That way, at least it’s not about you anymore. //

2019

25

2018

A Voices from the FOLD: Year 3 original essay.

RACISM IN

THE CANADIAN BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY

BY ORVILLE LLOYD DOUGLAS

Imagine opening your eyes, yet feeling like you are

lishing industry—its subversive racism. Canadians

invisible. Imagine listening to the television or the ra-

pride ourselves on being open-minded and political-

dio and being told that your nation is a tolerant place

ly correct, yet another well-worn aspect of Canadian

of racial harmony—while knowing that the truth is a

culture is polite bigotry. This polite bigotry underpins

lie. The Canada that I see on CBC Television has noth-

how the Canadian book industry operates in relation

ing to do with me—except, of course, if there is news

to non-white writers.

about a black male committing a crime, or some bit of entertainment about a black rapper like Drake.

All too often, a dialogue about the issue of race makes white Canadians uncomfortable. Race, and

The image of Canada which is presented to the

racial issues, is something that Canadian culture and

world is a white image—one of hockey, cold winters,

literature choose to ignore—because for a long time,

Molson beer, polar bears, and snow. This is of course a

simply avoiding the abhorrent bigotry in the Canadi-

stereotype, but it is a stereotype that underpins much

an book publishing industry was enough to convince

of how Canada is viewed by the rest of the world, and

many people that it didn’t exist.

it automatically displaces Canadian people who are

The “traditional”, myopic, snow-covered image of

not white. This is true of the televised media world,

Canada is a Eurocentric one, which displaces and ren-

and the world of books and publishing is no better.

ders Canadians of colour invisible. Likewise, Canadian

Books play an important role a nation’s history because they offer written records and accounts of a nation that can be traced through time. The books of Canada—that is, this country’s written records and accounts of its history—offer a myth that the Canadian book publishing industry is progressive and inclusive of all writers regardless of their race. Yet this is a facade. The international success of Alice Munro and fellow white Canadian author Margaret Atwood masks a severe problem with the Canadian book pub-

26

Since literary fiction has been the domain of white writers for so long, it follows that Canadian literature is focused around white writers.

literature is also very Eurocentric and espouses the

is true that publishers do also make decisions based

same qualities—myopism, snobbery, elitism—that

on researching their audience and understanding the

render Canadian writers of colour invisible. The im-

demographics of the readers and audiences they are

age of Canada that is presented to the world through

trying to reach, Canadian publishers are less willing to

books is a white image.

To begin with: Canadian literature is biased to-

take a chance on a Black Canadian writer when compared to a white Canadian writer.

ward the literary fiction genre, with the overall atti-

The response that this particular Canadian poetry

tude that in order to be a good writer a writer, must

editor had for my poetry manuscript was opaque, but

write in the literary way. Since literary fiction has been

beneath the surface her statement was subversive.

the domain of white writers for so long, it follows that

While she didn’t directly say, “Look, you are an openly

Canadian literature is focused around white writers.

gay Black Canadian man and we don’t want to publish

Yet what about the stories of Canadian people who

Black writers and we don’t know how to market you,” I

are not white? For instance, a few years ago, I attempt-

personally would have preferred this answer, because

ed to get a poetry book published in Canada. Over and

at least it would mean that she had been honest.

over, I was told some variation of the same thing: “Sor-

My reason for thinking this is simple: this partic-

ry, it’s really interesting but it doesn’t fit our list very well.

ular Canadian publisher does publish gay writers, but

Best luck with it.”

these writers tend to only be white. This Canadian

It’s one simple sentence, but it hurts every time.

publisher only published one book by a Black Canadi-

Every single writer is cognizant of the fact that rejec-

an—Dionne Brand. Brand is an amazing writer—she

tion is a part of the game of writing. Writing is kind

is an educated professor who works at the University

of like dating—you have to impress the publisher or

of Guelph—but her standpoint in society is that of a

editor to publish your work, and rejection inevitably

senior citizen. I checked the catalogue of this Canadi-

hurts in the same way. And like dating, writing also

an book publisher and the fact Brand is the only Black

has biases and prejudices, because the gatekeepers

Canadian they have published speaks volumes. There

who decide whether a manuscript gets published

are many talented Black Canadian writers who don’t

base that decision on their personal feelings. While it

get a chance to, NOT being white.

27

It is no secret that the Canadian publishing industry is much smaller than the American or even the British publishing industry. In Canada, the number of literary agents who are willing and able to take on new clients is also, likewise, small. Visit a Canadian bookstore and you will see that there is a paucity of books being published by young Black Canadian writers un-

There is very little fiction or non-fiction published in Canada specifically about the Black Canadian gay male experience.

der the age of forty. The most prolific Black writers in Canada—writers like George Elliott Clarke, Nalo Hop-

The Canadian book publishing industry is a lot

kinson, Dionne Brand, and Lawrence Hill—are all over

like high school—there is an “in crowd” of writers, and

the age of fifty! These Black Canadian writers have all

the majority of these writers, this “in-crowd” that are

achieved acclaim in Canada and abroad, and so the

praised by the industry, tend to be white. Once in a

Canadian book publishing industry doesn’t make an

while, a token writer of colour may receive praise from

effort to nurture younger Black talent because they

the Canadian publishing industry—such as Esi Edug-

feel like they don’t need to.

yan, the author of Half Blood Blues, or Lawrence Hill,

And yet, despite this, if you visit any bookstore

the author of The Book Of Negroes—and these instanc-

in any major Canadian city you’ll see a stereotypical

es are almost always held up as examples of racial di-

Black Books section with few Canadian titles—the ma-

versity in the Canadian publishing industry. Yet one of

jority of the books are from African American writers

my concerns about Black writing in particular is that it

such as Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, or Terry McMil-

is often pigeon-holed—why, in order for a Black writ-

lan. Despite the success of the aforementioned Black

er to become successful, is it assumed that he or she

Canadian writers, Canadian publishers are happy to

must write about slavery? Why can’t we make space

continue to displace even them. The Canadian book

for new stories?

publishing industry isn’t doing enough to allow the

There is very little fiction or non-fiction published

voices and words of a new generation of Black writing

in Canada specifically about the Black Canadian gay

to emerge or to continue celebrating those Black writ-

male experience. Our lives—they do matter. Young

ers who have achieved widespread success.

gay Black men experience an incredible amount of op-

Although some people believe that the Canadian

pression and racism from both the Black heterosexual

publishing industry only judges a writer in relation to

community and the white queer community. As a re-

their use of grammar, originality, tone, and structure,

sult of this, I often feel caught between two worlds. I

I would argue that Black writers—and all writers of

want to give voice to this struggle. And so I write for

colour—are also judged on our race and sexual ori-

the voiceless. I write to expose the fact that Canada as

entation. The fact is, book publishers in Canada are

a utopian, multicultural paradise is a façade.

trying to reach a white, predominantly straight au-

And while I don’t have a solution to these ques-

dience. Since I am a gay Black man, the ideology of

tions I have asked myself, I am also not giving up. My

some editors is they cannot market my work to Black

second poetry book, Under My Skin, came out with

heterosexuals. And since I am a gay person of colour,

Guernica Editions in May of 2014. It was a long jour-

even the gay publishing arena in Canada—which ca-

ney, and a struggle. My hope is as I continue to write,

ters mostly to gay people who are white—remains

that the journey will become easier for other writers

closed to me.

like me. //

28

BOOKMARK ONTARIO FOR DIVERSE READS ©King’s printer for Ontario 2025

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ontariocreates.ca 29

2017

A Voices from the FOLD: Year 2 original essay.

OTHERED STORIES

BY LEONARDA CARRANZA

In 2016 The New Quarterly embarked on a twoyear project to identify new, diverse literary voices they could support and to build genuine and

2.

In my day job and work with the Pages on Fire Collective, I facilitate writing workshops for new-

comers and youth. These terms are not mutually ex-

lasting diversity into the structure of the arts or-

clusive—some youth are also newcomers. The people

ganization as a whole.

that participate in my workshops are predominant-

Beginning in February 2016, Pamela Mulloy

ly people of colour, mostly women and young girls.

and Susan Scott began meeting once a month

They arrive at community centres, elementary public

with three emerging nonfiction writers, all for-

schools and libraries, reluctantly. Some come with an

mer students of Ayelet Tsabari. Leonarda Carran-

interest in writing, but most come out of loneliness, in

za was one of the members of this focus group

an attempt to meet others facing the same isolation

and continues to take part in this project.

and disorientation that comes with leaving cultures,

The New Quarterly asked each writer to blog

communities, parents and grandparents behind. To-

about her experience of trying to break into the

gether we move through parts of the city people out-

literary world. Here is Leonarda Carranza’s story.

side of these neighbourhoods rarely see. These are not the spaces imagined as the future of Canada’s literary scene but these are spaces filled with writers.

1.

30

They are spaces in Mississauga and Brampton, deep

I spend a weekend with TNQ, the summer 2014 is-

inside low income neighbourhoods, surrounded by

sue which I recently received as a gift. I gravitate to-

low-rise buildings, and suburban homes.

wards the only author I know. It’s a hot spring day and

At first, room after room of participants will in-

I spend the morning sitting in my backyard hearing

troduce themselves as non-writers. As people who do

Ayelet Tsabari’s voice as she tells me of her journey to-

not like to write, who do not enjoy writing, who can’t

wards writing in English. The next day I venture further

write, and sometimes, who fear writing. What brings

inwards. Spend the morning with Two Poems, Kristine

them to these spaces is sometimes a hidden love of

Tortora, and feel I found something about the famil-

writing, a love of storytelling, and sometimes a curios-

iar and the faraway, something I still can’t language.

ity about the possibility of writing in English.

In my workshops I tell participants to suspend

English is affected by the communities of colour that

their knowledge of grammar, spelling and punctua-

surrounded me throughout my childhood. My lan-

tion and their valorization of these rules. If they don’t

guage practices, the way I stitch words together, also

know the rules, I say, even better. I tell them we are

reflects the variety of ways of communicating across

going to write and share our stories. They do not have

languages.

to write in English, but they can if they want to, and most of them do.

I have grown used to the hesitation to write, the fear of putting parts of ourselves on paper, and the

3.

Often co-workers, colleagues, brilliant women of colour will approach me and tell me they are also

afraid of writing. Often, they speak of painful experi-

fear of opening up and sharing our work with others.

ences of feeling shamed and silenced in classrooms.

I understand it more as a fear of being shamed and

Often, they say they feel like they will never know

mostly of being humiliated. Often I’ve heard from

enough or feel safe enough to write in English. Some-

my writing instructors that fear is part of the DNA of

times, these are people of colour who learned English

writing, and while I agree, I know there is something

as a second language. They are often people who

different, sometimes more menacing about learning

speak with accents of lesser value, accents connected

to write in English as a person of colour. Writing is es-

to Third World spaces and brown and black bodies.

pecially terrifying when you have felt rejected or hu-

In workshops, the writers are the most surprised to

miliated because of your race, accent or skin colour.

find electrifying pieces of writing hidden deep inside

The experience of racism and white supremacy has a

of them, pieces that cut through the space, into our

way of impacting the body and often there is a deep

bodies, pieces that often leave us breathless.

feeling of fear associated with writing.

I know this from my own experience as a writer, as someone who came to Canada as a refugee, as someone who didn’t speak a word of English. Some

4.

A few weeks ago, my co-worker produces one of the most beautiful pieces of poetry that I have ever

read. The piece is so evocative that when we read it to

of my first experiences of learning to speak in English

people in our department, one woman nods and holds

are experiences of ridicule. The way I communicate in

the emotion tightly in her jaw. Later, she tells me she

31

had to force herself not to cry. The piece surprises my

That part of the ways we participate in construct-

co-worker who has been writing for years and working

ing exclusionary white literary spaces is through

on a memoir but who hesitates to see herself as a writer.

self-censorship is surprising. Some of us are assum-

The ability to produce work with meaning that

ing that there is no place for us in TNQ and Canadian

moves through and between bodies is powerful. It is a

literature. Literature is elevated and the writing we

gift some of these women hold but have felt silenced

produce is not above us but flows within us. We fear

from. And we are all poorer as a result of this silencing.

our syntax and writing practices will reveal our outsid-

5.

erness and will exclude us from these spaces.

In a recent meeting with Pamela Mulloy, editor of

A Canadian literary magazine should be represen-

TNQ, I am not surprised to find she describes the

tative of Canada’s diversity yet, through often subtle

writing published by TNQ as elevated and polished.

practices, we not only learn to keep our stories out of

I write these two words down in my notebook and

these spaces, but also to identify as non-writers, to as-

spend the next two weeks thinking about them and

sociate writing with elevation and privilege and power

how they produce and exclude the boundaries that

and to feel ourselves as not belonging to these spaces.

determine what writing goes into TNQ and what is left out. I find the definition of polished particularly significant: naturally smooth and glossy as well as flawless; skillful; excellent.

I know it would be almost impossible for the

7.

Recently, I trained participants to facilitate their own writing workshops. As we gathered to pre-

pare for eight sessions of writing this piece emerged.

It is now hanging on our writing board.

participants in my workshops to describe their work as either polished or elevated. Most times, the work is peppered with creative spelling and missing prepositions, but it is in this work and with these stories of migration and loss that I feel most at home. The work is flawed in the same way that language is flawed, and always almost out of reach.

6.

I tell participants, there is no one that can write like you. No one has your particular voice and

experience, and this matters. The immediacy of their experiences with migration, loss and displacement comes alive in their pieces, and I know I am the one that is most indebted for having the opportunity to hear these stories. These pieces would not exist had we not arrived in these places and met week after week to write our stories.

That these stories are not being represented in our national literature is not surprising. How they come to be excluded is much more nuanced and confusing. Don’t we wake up every morning and consciously or unconsciously construct and maintain white heteronormative spaces? Granted some of us have more power in these decisions than others. And yet does the realization that stories from newcomers

We are the most confused generation And we are always wondering why did we come here We came for him and he doesn’t care about us anymore Respect is different

here

Bond between parents and grandparent is loose here And old stories have lost their meaning And we are always wondering Why did we come here? 1 //

are out there, that Other stories are being written, does it lead publishers and editors to question and

32

think about the multitude of ways that these stories

1. Collectively written piece, produced in collaboration with

come to be left out of their literary spaces?

Jyotichhanda Dey, Moona Khan and Leonarda Carranza

SPRING

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pama.peelregion.ca

Jude Griebel, Gaining Ground (detail), 2019

@visitPAMA 9 Wellington St. E., Brampton, ON L6W 1Y1 905-791-4055

Catch Our Authors at FOLD!

For event timings and details check the FOLD Program or Website

2016

Previously published in Original Plumbing Magazine.

POST-TRANSITION: WHO MIGHT WE BE

BY CHASE JOYNT

Someone once asked me if I thought my experiences

experiences and even people into categories of pre,

over the years with depression and anxiety were re-

during and post transition; and as such affords me

lated to my being trans. My youthful inclination was to

the luxury of leaving things behind in search of stories

immediately say no, as I was steadfastly resistant to

that are better, more accurate and yet unclaimed.

any relationship people might propose between trans

The recognition of this storytelling strategy has

and sickness or pathology or pain. But recent news of

revealed profound flaws in my transition-related life

three suicides in the FtM community has inspired me

logic. Living a life that I identify as being post-transi-

to amend that response, as the correlations between

tion, or is identified by broader social opinion as such,

trans and mental health are far more complicated

means unknowingly characterizing the most intimate

than they seem, even as I continue to assert that “be-

and vulnerable parts of my life as being in the past

ing trans” is not the experience and/or circumstance

and therefore not with me today. And though I feel

that is inherently to blame.

like my life is exponentially smoother in various capac-

I’m not particularly interested in people making

ities than it once was, such a summary of me would be

conclusions about my mental health for me, nor am

nothing short of insufficient, inaccurate and ultimate-

I invested in these linear narratives that rely on for-

ly ignoring of various other realities, like shame.

mulas such as: “being trans” = “generally stigmatized

For example, if I was beyond trans (as a result of

and unsupported life choice” = “depression”. There

transitioning), I might not still think about my genitals

are lots of reasons why my mental health is impacted

every time I’m in the men’s room. If my transition was

in this world; the fact that transphobia is anxiety producing and depressing just happens to be one of the most straightforward.

As a trans person, I oft characterize myself as ‘having transitioned’, as if to say that the details, the journey and the process of this metamorphosis are long in my past and therefore not included in my present or invited into my future. Operating within this framework has made it easier for me to isolate emotions, 34

I’m not particularly interested in people making conclusions about my mental health for me, nor am I invested in these linear narratives that rely on formulas ...

actually something of the past, I might not still internal-

and bravado and hidden in adulthood by what I can only

ize other people’s mismanagement of my identity as

summarize as a fortunate combination of comic timing

being my fault. And if I really did believe the transition

and well-refined public speaking skills. In that moment,

story that I tell others, I might not still worry that the

I realized that she had part of what I was looking for. She

choices I have made to live in this life, in this body, will

wasn’t overly packaged, she wasn’t highly rehearsed,

render me unlovable to those I need and want most.

she was quite simply attempting to integrate who she

What is most striking to me about this conversation is the way in which I have taken it upon myself

was then, with who she is now, all the while knowing that it might not be who she will be in the future.

“post-transition” to be personally beyond the crisis of

Trying to process through the impact of these

these initial conversations. Perhaps it’s because I feel

devastating suicides reminds me that I am not yet

my life and identity moving away from broader trans

good at having these conversations, and that in part,

narratives, perhaps it’s because I’m an artist and have

I rely on my post-trans reputation as a way in which

internalized the need to distance and re-contextualize

to avoid these vulnerabilities. It makes me wonder if

the trauma into something career worthy…or perhaps

our community is doing a disservice to those whom

it’s my ego defending a prior more vulnerable version

are working the front lines of trans-related care and

of myself from ever having to walk in the world again

service by relying upon the fact that they appear to be

feeling so alone and unprotected.

doing “ok”. I wonder how many times we draw conclu-

My ability to think through my mental health differ-

sions about our community leaders, our public figures

ently shifted while sitting in a café with a prominent To-

and even our peers based on assumptions we make

ronto writer as she shamelessly talked to me about her

about their age, their visibility, or their distance from

own experiences with anxiety. Up until that point, anx-

transitioning. I wonder how many people who reso-

iety had been my secret, hidden in my youth by booze

nate with a “post-trans” sensibility live as unaffected as they seem, or if perhaps it’s time to re-open conversations about who we were, who we are, and the myriad of things in this world that continue to impact

Creative Writing & Publishing at Sheridan College The Ampersand Review of Writing & Publishing is a a literary magazine published

by Sheridan College. We publish poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, interviews, and book reviews.

Issue No. 7 out now!

and shape who we might be. //

“After seeing how much of the world of CanLit is routed in oppression, it’s refreshing to be surrounded by good people doing good work to change things for the better.

Above all, the FOLD fills me with hope.” — ALYA SOMAR FOLD PL ANNING ADVISORY TE AM

35

FESTIVAL AT A GL ANCE 36

VIRTUAL EVENTS SUNDAY, APRIL 27 9am

MONDAY, APRIL 28

TUESDAY, APRIL 29

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30

SCHOOL GROUPS:

SCHOOL GROUPS:

10am

11am

FOLD KICK-OFF PARTY

12pm

CANADA READS ALL STARS

WRITING A BOOK… HOW?

with Kyo Lee

LUNCH ‘N LEARN:

LUNCH ‘N LEARN:

LUNCH ‘N LEARN:

with Denise Da Costa

with K.J. Aiello

with Daniel Maluka

FICTION WORKSHOP

AFTER PARTY

THE SH*T NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT WRITING

CRAFTING GENRE FOR TEENS

SUCCESS IN SELF-PUBLISHING

NON-FICTION WORKSHOP

THE WRITER’S LIFE with Judy I. Lin

2pm

THURS

SUNRISE WRITING SPRINT

with Island Scribe

1pm

IN

POETRY WORKSHOP

STUDEN

FINDIN

David A. & Tanya T

STUDEN

THE SP

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN Y.A. FICTION

BUSINESS OF PUBLISHING

3pm

4pm

THE WRITER’S HUB: ROUNDTABLES A Drop-in Networking Event

THE IMPACT OF A.I. ON PUBLISHING

INTERVIEW WITH KATE GIES

TRIVIA TIME

TRIVIA TIME

TRIVIA TIME

TRIVIA TIME

COMMUNITY IN CONFLICT

MONSTERS IN MY MIND:

TALKING GENRE

THE JOURNEY PRIZE:

AFTER PARTY

AFTER PARTY

AFTER PARTY

AFTER PARTY

with Alicia Ellis

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

a Mental Health Conversation

A Short Story Conversation

PAINT A POETRY

with Danie

APRIL 30

IN-PERSON EVENTS (DOWNTOWN BRAMPTON) THURSDAY, MAY 1

FRIDAY, MAY 2

SUNDAY, MAY 4

PUBLISHING 101: STUDENTS AT THE ROSE:

FINDING FAMILY with David A. Robertson & Tanya Talaga

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS: A Panel Discussion

A LITERARY HIGH TEA AT ALDERLEA

N:

a

VIRTUAL IN - PERSON

STUDENTS AT THE ROSE:

THE SPOKEN WORD

THE ROSE THE ATRE 1 Theatre Lane

MEET & GREET: Mattea Roach

LTH EING ON

ZE:

*The Writing Sprint and Writer’s Hub virtual events are NOT closed captioned.

Paint & Poetry Night, Spoken Word, Publishing 101 & Screenwriting workshops, Eat the Books, Literary High Tea, and Meet & Greet in-person events are NOT closed-captioned.

An In-Person Workshop with Léonicka Valcius

PS:

ENRE

SATURDAY, MAY 3

MOST SESSIONS ARE CLOSED CAPTIONED*

SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP NOVEL IDEAS:

with Saleema Nawaz

A Panel Discussion

BROTHER

PEEL ART GALLERY MUSEUM & ARCHIVES 9 Wellington Street West ALDERLE A MANOR 40 Elizabeth Street South

SCHOOL GROUP

EVENTS

Film Screening and Author Talk-Back MEET & GREET: R.F. Kuang

EAT THE BOOKS with Ozoz Sokoh & Shade Lapite

PAINT AND POETRY NIGHT with Daniel Maluka

THE GREAT READCEPTION A Literary Cabaret

THE SPOKEN WORD SHOWCASE

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE SUNDAY, APRIL 27 SUNRISE WRITING SPRINT 9:00am –10:30am ET

Simone Dalton, founder and host of Island Scribe Writing Retreats, leads writers in a writing sprint to prompt reflection and creativity. Come ready for an hour-and-a-half writing experience.

This session takes place in meeting mode, providing guests with the option to see one another by turning their cameras on.

FOLD KICK-OFF PARTY 11:00am – 11:45am ET

COMMUNITY IN CONFLICT Trivia Event 7:00pm – 7:30pm ET PANEL 7:30pm – 8:30pm ET

In these contentious times authors Kagiso Lesego Molope, Sheung-King, and Andrea Currie discuss the ways they find meaningful connections and build community in the midst of conflict. This event will be followed by a meet-and-greet where fans can join a virtual conversation with the authors.

This event is sponsored by Literary Press Group.

Celebrate 10 years of the Festival of Literary Diversity with the FOLD team! We’re kicking off the 2025 festival with our annual opening trivia event. Join us for the party and the chance to win exclusive book prizes. This session takes place in meeting mode, providing guests with the option to see one another by turning their cameras on.

CANADA READS ALL-STARS 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET

Executive Director and Canada Reads superfan Jael Richardson moderates our annual Canada Reads conversation with a panel of Canada Reads All-Stars. Enjoy this powerful virtual event where CanLit legends discuss the impact of Canada Reads on their careers and the Canadian publishing landscape. This event will be followed by a meet-andgreet where fans can join a virtual conversation with the authors.

THE SH*T NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT WRITING 2:00pm – 3:30pm ET

In this annual podcast recording event, Bianca Marais, CeCe Lyra and Carly Watters—co-hosts of The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing—conduct their popular “Books With Hooks” segment live with guest host, literary agent Marin Takikawa.

Find out what it takes to capture the attention of literary agents in this behind-the-scenes review of query letters and opening pages from the slush pile.

THE WRITER’S HUB

MONDAY, APRIL 28 SUCCESS IN SELF-PUBLISHING 10:00am – 11:00am ET

The rise of self-publishing has fundamentally changed the world of books. The FOLD’s new Program Coordinator Hudson Lin leads a timely conversation with self-published authors Tao Wong, Katia Rose, and Alicia Ellis about how the shift in publishing models has impacted their writing careers and the publishing industry as a whole.

LUNCH N’ LEARN: FICTION WORKSHOP: THE POWER OF IMAGERY WITH DENISE DA COSTA 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET

Delve into the world of storytelling through the use of sensory details and vivid descriptions in an immersive writing workshop focused on the art of imagery. Whether you’re an emerging or seasoned writer, this workshop by fiction author Denise Da Costa will help you create memorable images and descriptions that linger in the minds of your readers long after the story is over.

This event is sponsored by the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Guelph.

THE BUSINESS OF PUBLISHING 2:00pm – 3:00pm ET

3:30pm – 5:00pm ET

Meet publishers, agents and editors, and other writing organizations at our annual The Writer’s Hub. Drop into a variety of virtual conversations and discover how to navigate the industry from a wide range of publishing professionals.

38

In this Business of Publishing panel, literary agents Carly Watters and Marin Takikawa, and editor Anita Chong share their insights into how the publishing industry has changed in the past decade and where the industry is headed in the next decade.

THE IMPACT OF A.I. ON PUBLISHING WITH ALICIA ELLIS

SCHOOL GROUPS: THE WRITER’S LIFE WITH JUDY I. LIN

4:00pm – 5:00pm ET

1:15pm – 2:15pm ET

In this publishing industry workshop, author and lawyer Alicia Ellis will address the rise of artificial intelligence. How has it affected the industry, what are some common misconceptions, and how can publishing professionals equip themselves for a future with AI.

In this edition of The Writer’s Life series, young adult author Judy I. Lin discusses her career as an occupational therapist, her path to becoming an author, and her writing process for her latest horror novel, The Dark Becomes Her. Moderated by the FOLD’s Kids Program Coordinator Ardo Omer, this interview will showcase Lin’s publishing journey, writing tips, and more.

MONSTERS IN MY MIND: A MENTAL HEALTH CONVERSATION Trivia Event 7:00pm – 7:30pm ET PANEL 7:30pm – 8:30pm ET

INTERVIEW WITH KATE GIES 4:00pm – 5:00pm ET

Join authors David A. Robertson, K. J. Aiello, Samantha Jones, and moderator Kate Gies as they engage in an open and honest conversation about mental health, reflecting on the joys and challenges of documenting their experiences in their latest books. This event will be followed by a meet-and-greet where viewers can join a virtual conversation with the authors.

In this one-on-one interview, the FOLD’s Program Coordinator Hudson Lin will chat with author Kate Gies about her memoir, It Must Be Beautiful To Be Finished. As the FOLD’s 2025 WriterIn-Residence, Gies will share insights into her writing process, publishing journey, and more.

This event is sponsored by Second Story Press.

This event is sponsored by Simon & Schuster.

TUESDAY, APRIL 29 SCHOOL GROUPS: WRITING A BOOK…HOW? WITH KYO LEE 9:45am – 10:45am ET

In this workshop with poet Kyo Lee, emerging teen writers will kick-start their journey into a long-term writing project by learning to build sustainable writing routines and exploring different strategies to garner creative momentum. From selecting an idea to finishing the last page, Lee will cover practical tips for starting to write, writing, and continuing to write.

LUNCH N’ LEARN: NON-FICTION WORKSHOP: MEMOIR & CARE WITH K.J. AIELLO 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET

In this workshop with memoir author K. J. Aiello, participants will learn the basics of memoir writing, including the “what” and “why” of their memoir, narrative arc and authorial voice, how to write about difficult topics and themes, writing trauma with care, and identifying your boundaries. The workshop will be interactive with writing prompts being provided.

This event is sponsored by the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Guelph.

VIRTUAL

IN-PERSON

TALKING GENRE

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

Romance, science fiction, fantasy, mystery and thrillers all rely on unique storytelling strengths that influence character, plot, setting, and more. Join romance author Ruby Barrett, science fiction author Suzan Palumbo, romance-turned-mystery author Uzma Jalaluddin, and moderator Kerry C. Byrne as they discuss how genre fiction can showcase marginalized stories in fresh and unexpected ways. This event will be followed by a meet-and-greet where viewers can join a virtual conversation with the authors.

This event is sponsored by ECW Press.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 SCHOOL GROUPS: CRAFTING GENRE FOR TEENS 9:45am – 10:45am ET

In this panel conversation for high school students, three young adult authors—Jumata Emill, Coltrane Seesequasis, and Anna Sortino—along with moderator Ameema Saeed, discuss the strengths and challenges of working within different genres and why they chose their particular genre.

SCHOOL GROUP EVENTS

CLOSED CAPTIONED

39

LUNCH N’ LEARN: POETRY WORKSHOP: EMBRACING THE CRINGE WITH DANIEL MALUKA

STUDENTS AT THE ROSE: THE SPOKEN WORD 12:30pm – 1:30pm ET

12:00pm – 1:00pm ET

This workshop by artist and poet Daniel Maluka will teach participants how to “embrace the cringe” when writing poetry.

Participants will be given writing prompts based on images and learn how to be more honest in their poetry.

In our annual spoken word showcase, three poets—Wali Shah, Lisa Shen and Joshua “Scribe” Watkis—take the mic and perform incredible poetry. This event is hosted by rapper Spitty and is geared towards high school students. A Q&A with the poets will follow!

This event is sponsored by the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Guelph.

This event is held at the Rose Theatre at 1 Theatre Ln in downtown Brampton.

SCHOOL GROUPS: MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN YOUNG ADULT FICTION

PAINT & POETRY NIGHT WITH DANIEL MALUKA 7:30pm – 9:00pm ET

1:15pm – 2:15pm ET

In this panel conversation for high school students, three young adult authors—Mackenzie Angeconeb, Tanya Boteju, and Judy I. Lin—along with moderator Alyssa GrayTyghter, discuss mental health and well-being, the pursuit of perfection, and grief experienced by the teen characters in their novels.

THE JOURNEY PRIZE: A SHORT STORY CONVERSATION Trivia Event 7:00pm – 7:30pm ET PANEL 7:30pm – 8:30pm ET

In this panel moderated by Jack Wang, short story authors John Elizabeth Stintzi, Iryn Tushabe, and Shashi Bhat discuss the power of delivering short but meaningful stories and the incredible impact of the short story format. This event celebrates 30 years of the Journey Prize. This event will be followed by a meet-and-greet where viewers can join a virtual conversation with the authors.

This event is sponsored by Penguin Random House.

THURSDAY, MAY 1 STUDENTS AT THE ROSE: FINDING FAMILY WITH DAVID A. ROBERTSON AND TANYA TALAGA 10:00am – 11:00am ET

Enjoy a memorable night of painting at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives! The PAMA team will lead guests in the creation of canvas art inspired by the poetry collection Unwashed by Toronto-based poet, Daniel Maluka. No experience necessary. 14+.

This event will take place at Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives at 9 Wellington St West in downtown Brampton. Street parking and public parking lots are available within 50–200 metres of the entrance. $20/person. Tickets available until April 27.

FRIDAY, MAY 2 THE GREAT READCEPTION: A LITERARY CABARET 7:30pm – 9:30pm ET

In this popular annual event, six authors appearing at the festival read a sample of their work accompanied by a live jazz band. Whether you’re a regular FOLD attendee, a casual or compulsive reader, or simply a lover of live entertainment, witness the power of storytelling and the magic of a live musical performance at this collaborative event featuring Brampton’s own Carmen Spada.

This event takes place at the Rose Theatre at 1 Theatre Ln in downtown Brampton. It will include light hors d’oeuvres prior to the event and a short intermission. $25/person or included as part of the Rose Weekend Pass. Tickets available until April 27.

This event is sponsored by TD Bank.

Cree author David A. Robertson and Anishinaabe author Tanya Talaga dive into their family histories to understand more about themselves and where they come from. This in-person event, geared toward high school students, will explore the importance of identity, origin stories, and generational knowledge with moderator Alyssa Gray-Tyghter.

This event is held at the Rose Theatre at 1 Theatre Ln in downtown Brampton.

This event is sponsored by Penguin Random House.

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SATURDAY, MAY 3 PUBLISHING 101: AN IN-PERSON WORKSHOP 9:30am – 10:30am ET

Calling all aspiring authors! Join us for a morning crash course on the publishing industry and how you can get your foot in the door, led by literary agent Léonicka Valcius.

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

Spoken word host The Wild Woman returns to the Rose Studio to host an incredibly curated event of spoken word performances from Lisa Shen, Patrick de Belen, Joshua “Scribe” Watkis and Spitty.

This event is held at the Rose Theatre at 1 Theatre Ln in downtown Brampton. $15/person or included as part of the Rose Weekend Pass.

This event is held at the Rose Theatre at 1 Theatre Ln in downtown Brampton. $15/person or included as part of the Rose Weekend Pass.

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS: A PANEL DISCUSSION 11:00am – 12:30pm ET

SUNDAY, MAY 4 A LITERARY HIGH TEA AT ALDERLEA 11:00am – 1:00pm ET

Difficult conversations are often the most important ones to have. In this highly-anticipated panel, moderated by CBC Bookends’ host Mattea Roach, authors Tanya Talaga, Amal Elsana Alh’jooj, and Morgan Campbell break down how to have conversations about highly divisive and often emotional topics in a constructive and uplifting way.

This event is held at the Rose Theatre at 1 Theatre Ln in downtown Brampton. $15/person or included as part of the Rose Weekend Pass.

This event will be recorded for future broadcast on CBC Bookends. .

MEET & GREET: MATTEA ROACH 12:45pm –1:30pm ET • Critical Conversation attendees only

NOVEL IDEAS: A PANEL DISCUSSION 2:00pm – 3:30pm ET

Sometimes the best way to talk about something is to not talk about it. Led by moderator Lindo Forbes, authors R.F. Kuang, Amanda Leduc, and Suzan Palumbo will discuss how they created fictional worlds that send powerful messages about our reality.

This event is held at the Rose Theatre at 1 Theatre Ln in downtown Brampton. $15/person or included as part of the Rose Weekend Pass.

This event is sponsored by HarperCollins Canada.

MEET & GREET: R.F. KUANG 4:00pm –4:45pm ET • Novel Ideas attendees only

EAT THE BOOKS WITH OZOZ SOKOH AND SHADE LAPITE 5:30pm – 7:00pm ET

Books and food have a lot in common–they both provide lifegiving sustenance. In this FOLD specialty event, Nigerian-Canadian chef and author Ozoz Sokoh curates a menu based on her new cookbook. YA fantasy author Shade Lapite joins her in conversation about exploring identity, culture, and history through food.

This event is held at the Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives at 9 Wellington St East in downtown Brampton. $45/person. Tickets available until April 27.

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 romance writers.

This special-tea event includes fun trivia with incredible prizes.

This event is held at the historic Alderlea Manor at 40 Elizabeth St South in downtown Brampton. City of Brampton parking garages are available within 300 metres from the venue at 41 George Street South. Parking at Alderlea is reserved for service vehicles and guests with mobility needs. Please email info@ thefoldcanada.org if you require a space at Alderlea Manor. $50/person. Tickets available until April 27.

This event is sponsored by Harlequin.

SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP WITH SALEEMA NAWAZ 1:30pm – 2:30pm ET

Author and screenwriter Saleema Nawaz will walk participants through the basics of storytelling for film and television.

This event is held at the Rose Theatre at 1 Theatre Ln in downtown Brampton. $15/person or included as part of the Rose Weekend Pass.

BROTHER: FILM SCREENING AND AUTHOR TALK-BACK 3:00pm – 6:00pm ET

Join us for a screening of Brother, the film adaptation of the award-winning novel by David Chariandy, which explores the relationship of two brothers from Scarborough. Prior to the screening is a virtual talk-back with the author.

This event is held at the Rose Theatre at 1 Theatre Ln in downtown Brampton. $15/person or included as part of the Rose Weekend Pass.

This event is held in partnership with Brampton Arts Organization and is sponsored by Algoma University.

FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS AUTHORS, POETS & PERFORMERS KJ AIELLO (they/them) is the author of The Monster and the Mirror.

KAMAL AL-SOLAYLEE (he/him) is the author of three nonfiction books: Intolerable (2012), Brown (2016), and Return (2021).

MACKENZIE ANGECONEB (she/her) is Anishinaabekwe from Lac Seul First Nation and she comes from a family known to be artists, this fuelled her to become the author that she is today.

RUBY BARRETT (she/her) writes steamy romances about big feelings, where mutual pleasure, pining, and healing are common themes. Ruby is a bi Canadian millenial Scorpio.

SHASHI BHAT (she/her) is the author of three books of fiction, most recently Death by a Thousand Cuts (McClelland & Stewart), longlisted for the Giller Prize.

TANYA BOTEJU (she/her) is a teacher and writer whose debut novel, Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens, was named a Top Ten Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association.

MORGAN CAMPBELL (he/him) an award-winning sports writer, and the author of your next favourite book.

DAVID CHARIANDY (he/him) is a writer and critic.

ANITA CHONG (she/her) is the Editorial Director of Fiction at McClelland & Stewart, where she edits literary fiction and memoir and champions writers from traditionally underrepresented communities.

ANDREA CURRIE’s (she/they) Finding Otipemisiwak: The People Who Own Themselves, weaves memoir, essay, and poetry to expose the loss, dislocation, and occasionally, healing experienced by survivors of the Sixties Scoop.

DENISE DA COSTA (she/her) is a Canadian author whose debut novel And the Walls Came Down (Dundurn 2023), was longlisted for the 2024 Toronto Book Award.

PATRICK DE BELEN (he/him) is a poet, filmmaker, educator, storyteller and community builder. His projects often explore themes of mental illness, the Filipino-Canadian experience, liberation, grief and healing.

ALICIA ELLIS (she/her) has been involved in indie publishing since 2012. She writes mystery, science fiction, and occasionally fantasy.

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DR. AMAL ELSANA ALHJOOJ (she/her), author of Hope is a Woman’s Name, is an Indigenous Bedouin Palestinian activist and scholar exploring identity, feminism, and community organizing through her memoir.

JUMATA EMILL (he/him) is a journalist and author of books about Black kids who solve mysteries.

KATE GIES (she/her) teaches creative nonfiction and expressive arts at George Brown College and is the author of It Must Be Beautiful To Be Finished: A Memoir Of My Body.

UZMA JALALUDDIN (she/her) in a GTA-based author, playwright, screenwriter and educator.

SAMANTHA JONES (she/her) is a poet, editor, and earth scientist based in Calgary, Alberta.

REBECCA F. KUANG (she/her) is the award-winning, #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, Yellowface, and Katabasis (forthcoming).

SHADE LAPITE’s (she/her) debut novel, Goddess Crown, is a YA fantasy about a girl who discovers she is heir to the throne.

AMANDA LEDUC (she/her) is a Canadian writer and disability rights advocate whose latest novel, Wild Life, will be published in March 2025 by Random House Canada.

KYO LEE (she/her) is a Korean Canadian student and the author of the poetry collection i cut my tongue on a broken country (Arsenal Pulp Press).

KAGISO LESEGO MOLOPE (she/her) is a South AfricanCanadian novelist of four award-winning novels.

JUDY I. LIN (she/her) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Book of Tea duology. She currently lives on the Canadian prairies.

CECE LYRA (she/her) is a literary agent representing adult fiction and nonfiction. She is drawn to books with strong hooks and smooth writing, told with originality, nuance, and authenticity.

DANIEL MALUKA (he/him), a Toronto-based artist and writer from South Africa, blends Afrocentrism and surrealism to reveal hidden depths of the mind through his evocative and thought-provoking work.

BIANCA MARAIS (she/her) is an author and cohost of the popular podcast, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing.

SALEEMA NAWAZ (she/her) is the author of Bone and Bread and Songs for the End of the World. She is currently writing a musical and working in a TV writers’ room.

SUZAN PALUMBO (she/her) is a Trinidadian Canadian writer of dark speculative fiction and the author of Countess and the award nominated short story collection Skin Thief: Stories.

K.D. RICHARDS (she/her) is a romantic suspense, thriller, and mystery author.

DAVID A. ROBERTSON (he/him) is an author, public speaker, and social advocate who lives and works in Treaty 1 territory.

LINDO FORBES (she/her) is a contemporary romance author. Her stories are a love letter to her hometown of Toronto and feature layered ladies falling in love.

KATIA ROSE (she/her) is a bestselling author of queer contemporary romances.

ALYSSA GRAY-TYGHTER (she/her) is an equity-driven leader, educator, and storyteller exploring transformative learning, curriculum design, and digital storytelling to shape inclusive, justice-oriented narratives in education.

COLTRANE SEESEQUASIS (he/him) is a young fantasy writer of Willow Cree heritage who uses his love of nature as well as myths and folklore to bring the fantastical to life.

WALI SHAH (he/him) is a poet, author, and speaker. He is a voice for this generation, using spoken word poetry to shift perspectives.

LISA SHEN (she/her) is a writer and spoken word artist and the 2023-2025 Youth Poet Laureate of the City of Mississauga.

SHEUNG-KING (he/him) is the author of You are Eating an Orange. You are Naked (2020) and Batshit Seven (2024), which won the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize.

SPITTY (he/him) is an Indian rapper and community leader from Brampton, Canada.

JOHN ELIZABETH STINTZI (they/she) is the award-winning author of the books Bad Houses, My Volcano, Vanishing Monuments and Junebat.

OZOZ SOKOH (she/her): Food explorer, ex-geologist, educator and traveler by plate. “Food is more than Eating” ANNA SORTINO (she/her) is the award-winning author of On the Bright Side and Give Me a Sign.

MARIN TAKIKAWA (she/her) is an agent and foreign rights director at The Friedrich Agency.

TANYA TALAGA (she/her) is an award-winning and bestselling Anishinaabe author. Her book, The Knowing, retells Canadian history through an Indigenous lens, beginning with the life of her great-great grandmother, Annie Carpenter.

IRYN TUSHABE (she/her) is a Ugandan-Canadian writer and journalist.

KATHERENA VERMETTE (she/her) is a Michif writer from Treaty 1 territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

JOSHUA “SCRIBE” WATKIS (he/him) is a poet worth his weight in feeling.

CARLY WATTERS (she/her) is a Senior Literary Agent at P.S. Literary Agency.

TAO WONG (he/him) is a full-time author in the scifi and fantasy genres, writing predominantly in the LitRPG and xianxia sub-genres.

MODERATORS KERRY C. BYRNE (they/them) is a SFF writer and literary organizer. They lead Augur Society, including Augur Magazine; Tales & Feathers Magazine; AugurCon; and the upcoming Augur Press.

SIMONE DALTON (she/her), author and story steward, is the curator of Island Scribe, where she curates spaces and cultivates opportunities for women and nonbinary writers of colour.

LAVANYA LAKSHMI (she/her) has worked in the book publishing industry for thirteen years and is on the board of directors for the Festival of Literary Diversity. Her debut novel, Leave And Come Back, will be published by Penguin Random House in 2026.

HUDSON LIN (she/her) is an author and the Program Coordinator at the Festival of Literary Diversity.

ARDO OMER (she/her) is a writer and the Kids Program Coordinator at the Festival of Literary Diversity.

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

MATTEA ROACH (they/them) is the host of Bookends, an author interview show airing on CBC Radio and major podcasting platforms.

AMEEMA SAEED (she/her) is a book reviewer, a Sensitivity Reader, a book buyer at Indigo Books & Music, and the Books Editor for She Does the City, where she writes and curates bookish content, and book recommendations.

When she’s not reading books, she likes to talk about books (especially diverse books, and books by diverse authors) on her bookstagram: @ReadWithMeemz LÉONICKA VALCIUS (she/her) is a 2024 graduate from the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, and a Literary Agent at Transatlantic Agency.

JACK WANG (he/him) is the author of The Riveter (novel) and We Two Alone (stories), longlisted for Canada Reads 2022. He teaches at Ithaca College.

THE WILD WOMAN (she/her) is a 2x award winning spoken word artist, with a poetic career that spans over a decade.

PUBLISHING PROFESSIONALS MARILYN BIDERMAN: Partner and Senior Literary Agent, Transatlantic Agency. Former Vice President, Director, Rights and Contracts, McClelland & Stewart. Member, Law Society of Ontario. Served on the founding executive of the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents, and on the organizing committee of the International Visitors Program of Toronto’s International Festival of Authors. Clients include Deepa Rajagopalan, Amanda Peters, and katherena vermette. Chairs professional development committee at the Transatlantic Agency. Based in Toronto.

HANA EL NIWAIRI is a Literary Agent and Rights Manager at CookeMcDermid. She leads the rights team in representing the works of agency authors outside of North America. As an agent, she works with authors writing in genre (fantasy, sci-fi, horror) and commercial fiction, as well as those writing in political non-fiction. Her clients include: Anuja Varghese, Ginella Massa, Joris Lechêne, Karen Lord, Shailee Thompson, and more.

BRENNA ENGLISH-LOEB works with authors of adult genre fiction and adult nonfiction, with select YA and crossover clients. In every genre she prioritizes beautiful writing,

43

exciting characters, and thought-provoking world building.

She gravitates towards relationship-driven plots with personal stakes, and she loves stories with a sense of fun and adventure, even if they’re tackling serious subjects. And in all categories, she is always looking for works by authors from underrepresented groups and identities.

YASHASWI KESANAKURTHY is the Children’s Editor at Simon & Schuster Canada. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s MA program in Children’s Literature and Toronto Metropolitan University’s publishing program.

She lives in Toronto with a magical, if unruly, library that only keeps growing.

PIA SINGHAL is an acquiring editor at ECW Press, where she acquires both fiction and non-fiction. Her particular interest is in stories that humanize diverse characters by centralizing their universal experiences around relationships and self-discovery. Her belief is that reading is one of our best tools to build empathy, and these stories in particular have tremendous potential to do that. Before joining ECW Press, she worked at Westwood Creative Artists, and at Type Books.

MARIN TAKIKAWA is an agent and foreign rights director at The Friedrich Agency. Born in Tokyo and raised in Singapore and NYC, she joined TFA in early 2021 after getting her start at a mid-sized agency. She’s looking for genre-bending literary fiction, radical and community-driven narrative nonfiction, and voice-driven YA. Her clients have been supported by fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Tin House, We Need Diverse Books, among others.

LÉONICKA VALCIUS is a 2024 graduate from the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, and 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.

Books she has worked on include The World So Wide by Zilla Jones, Wait Like A Seed by Erin Alladin, The Moonlight Blade

by Tessa Barbosa.

PROGRAM CONTRIBUTORS LEONARDA CARRANZA is the author of Abuelita & Me (Annick, 2022), Fighting Words, (Annick, 2024) and The Friendship Blanket (Scholastic, 2025). Her debut picture book, Abuelita and Me/Abuelita y yo, was a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, a gold medal winner at the 2022 International Latino Book Awards, and was nominated for a Bruce Spruce. Leonarda was born in San Salvador, El Salvador and currently resides in Treaty 19, part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit (Brampton, Ontario). She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto in Social Justice Education.

LEANNE CHARETTE (she/her) has cerebral palsy and writes from her experience as a disabled adoptee and mother. Her work has been published by CV2, Eavesdrop Magazine, PRISM International, and more. She lives on the Haldimand Tract, within the territory of the Anishnaabe, Haudenosaunee and Neutral peoples, in so-called Kitchener, Ontario with her husband and twin sons. Follow her on Instagram @leanne.charette.poet.

SHAZIA HAFIZ RAMJI is the author of Port of Being. Her writing is forthcoming in the 2024 Montreal International Poetry Prize anthology and the Literary Review of Canada.

She lives in Vancouver, Toronto, and London, England, where she is at work on a novel and teaches creative writing.

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JO JEFFERSON (they/them) is a queer/trans writer, parent, and community worker. Their short fiction, essays, and poetry have been published in a variety of literary journals and anthologies, and their novel, Lightning and Blackberries, was released in 2009. A transplanted Maritimer, Jo lives in the woods in Michi Saagiig Anishinabeg territory.

CHASE JOYNT is a non-fiction filmmaker and writer who works at the edges of genre. His documentary feature, Framing Agnes, was named a Best Movie of the Year by The New Yorker after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the NEXT Innovator Award and the NEXT Audience Award. His latest book Vantage Points was shortlisted for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust of Canada Prize for Nonfiction and named a Best Book of the Year by Autostraddle and CBC Books. With Samantha Curley, he runs Level Ground Productions in Los Angeles.

AMANDA LEDUC is a Canadian writer and disability rights advocate whose latest novel, Wild Life, will be published in March 2025 by Random House Canada.

ORVILLE LLOYD DOUGLAS is a Canadian poet & writer.

He is author of two poetry books, You Don’t Know Me published by TSAR 2005 and Under My Skin by Guernica Editions 2014. His nonfiction work published in British newspaper The Guardian, New Zealand Herald, CBC opinion section in Canada.

VIVIAN (XIAO WEN) LI is a queer and neurodivergent writer and interdisciplinary artist, with works published in The Humber Literary Review, The Fiddlehead, QWERTY, and The New Quarterly, among others. The author of Someday I Promise, I’ll Love You (845 Press), she is the writer and director of three short films (as well as an award-winning video poem) that have premiered internationally in film festivals. A Banff Centre alumnus, she was Longlisted for the 2024 CBC Short Story Prize, and is a recent MFA graduate from the UBC School of Creative Writing. She can be reached @vivianlicreates, and will be looking for a home for her debut experimental novel.

SUSAN MOCKLER is a disabled writer living in Kingston Ontario. Her memoir, Fractured, which recounts her experience with acquired disability was published in 2022.

Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in journals in Canada and the United States.

RAHMA SHERE is a Pakistani-born Canadian Muslim of Indian ancestry. Since childhood, she has gravitated towards the arts to express herself in ways she couldn’t otherwise due to being born with a severe speech impediment. Rahma has been an active part of Toronto’s spoken word community, having led community arts organization SPEAKOUT Poetry in the last decade.

Currently, she works at the Peel District School Board as a special education staff. In the community, Rahma volunteers at the FOLD and kicks butt as a kickboxing instructor. In her free time, she practices visual art, photography, creative writing and playing the piano.

ARTS FOR ALL LES ARTS POUR ONTARIANS TOUT L’ONTARIO

Ontario Arts Council investment engages and strengthens Ontario communities.

L’investissement du Conseil des arts de l’Ontario anime et renforce les communautés ontariennes.

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BOOK LIST Alicia Ellis

David A. Robertson

John Elizabeth Stintzi

GIRL OF FLESH AND METAL

ALL THE LITTLE MONSTERS

BAD HOUSES

978-1939452542 Figmented Ink

978-1443472401 HarperCollins

978-1551529615 Arsenal Pulp Press

Amal Elsana Alh’jooj

David A. Robertson

Judy I. Lin

HOPE IS A WOMAN’S NAME

52 WAYS TO RECONCILE

THE DARK BECOMES HER

978-0771019357 McClelland & Stewart

978-1368099097 Disney Publishing Group

Amanda Leduc

David Chariandy

Jumata Emill

WILD LIFE

BROTHER

WANDER IN THE DARK

978-0735272873 Random House of Canada

978-0771023330 McClelland & Stewart

978-0593651889 Random House Children’s Books

Andrea Currie

Denise Da Costa

K.D. Richards

FINDING OTIPEMISIWAK

AND THE WALLS CAME DOWN

THE PERFECT MURDER

978-1990823770 Sutherland House Books

978-1551529554 Arsenal Pulp Press

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978-1459750364 Dundurn Press

978-1335457059 Harlequin

Anna Sortino

Derek Mascarenhas

K. J. Aiello

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

THE MANGO MONSTER

978-0593697863 Penguin Young Readers Group

978-1771475693 Owlkids Books

THE MONSTER AND THE MIRROR

Coltrane Seesequasis

Ian Williams

Kagiso Lesego Molope

SECRETS OF STONE

WHAT I MEAN TO SAY

978-1928120421 Kegedonce Press

978-1487013424 House of Anansi Press

THIS BOOK BETRAYS MY BROTHER

Daniel Maluka

Iryn Tushabe

Kamal Al-Solaylee

UNWASHED

EVERYTHING IS FINE HERE

INTOLERABLE

978-1774151686 Mawenzi House Publishers

978-1487013134 House of Anansi Press

978-1554688876 HarperCollins

978-1770417083 ECW Press

978-1988449296 Mawenzi House Publishers

it Must be Beautiful to be

Finished

Kate Gies

Ozoz Sokoh

Sheung-King

IT MUST BE BEAUTIFUL TO BE FINISHED

CHOP CHOP

BATSHIT SEVEN

978-0525612544 Appetite by Random House

978-0735245303 Penguin Canada

katherena vermette

R.F. Kuang

Suzan Palumbo

REAL ONES

YELLOWFACE

COUNTESS

978-0735247505 Penguin Canada

978-0063323179 HarperCollins

978-1770417571 ECW Press

Katia Rose

Ruby Barrett

Tanya Boteju

PASSING THROUGH

THE MATCH FAKER

MESSY PERFECT

979-8399451206

978-1069016102 Weird Lil’ Guy Books

978-0063358492 HarperCollins

Kyo Lee

Saleema Nawaz

Tanya Talaga

I CUT MY TONGUE ON A BROKEN COUNTRY

SONGS FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

THE KNOWING

978-1551529776 Arsenal Pulp Press

978-0771072598 McClelland & Stewart

Lisa Shen

Samantha Jones

Tao Wong

A STORY ENDING IN REDWOODS

ATTIC RAIN

A THOUSAND LI: THE FIRST STEP

978-1668051054 Scribner Canada

A Memoir of My Body

Kate Gies

978-1998774388 Anstruther Press

978-1774390986 NeWest Press

978-1443467506 HarperCollins

978-1989458020 StarLit Publishing

Mackenzie Angeconeb

Shade Lapite

Uzma Jalaluddin

THE FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN

GODDESS CROWN

DETECTIVE AUNTY

978-1536226522 Candlewick Press

978-1443472845 HarperCollins

Morgan Campbell

Shashi Bhat

Wali Shah

MY FIGHTING FAMILY

DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS

CALL ME AL

978-1770867796 Cormorant Books

978-0771050213 McClelland & Stewart

978-0771095115 McClelland & Stewart

978-1459837942 Orca Book Publishers

47

HAPPILY yEVER AFTERS one r e v E r Fo

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

Print Three Brampton supports and encourages the

initiatives undertaken by The FOLD Foundation

905 · 454 · 4284 www.print3brampton.com

Serving Brampton for over 30 years.

SUMMER 2025 IN GARDEN SQUARE Gather, connect, and celebrate, right in the heart of Brampton!

From live music and cultural festivals to outdoor movie nights and community celebrations, Garden Square is the place to be for FREE entertainment for all ages, all summer long.

LEARN MORE

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See yourself here.

Look to us for inclusive and accessible programs, services, and collections.

Visit the calendar of events on our website to discover programs for all ages and interests.

Do MORE

with your library card borrow • download • stream • learn • grow Visit bramlib.info/get-a-card or scan the QR code to register for your free library card.

bramptonlibrary.ca 50

“My first novel came out in 2020, during COVID-19, when all my time was spent at home. I had my very first launch with FOLD, online. I also participated in a series called On Place and Belonging, one of my first events as a novelist, where I met, virtually, Francesca Ekwuyasi. Years later we finally met in person, in Banff, during a residency. It felt like meeting an old friend.”

— SHEUNG -KING

FOLD AUTHOR

“I first attended the FOLD in 2020 when the festival went online. I was impressed by the expansive programming, the commitment to care and community, and the incredible roster of emerging and established talent. The FOLD expanded my understanding of what a literary festival can be, and I immediately felt like I found a home.”

— SAMANTHA JONES

FOLD AUTHOR

“I remember for one of the first FOLD festivals, I took a GO Bus (long before the train) to Brampton. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, or where I was going. I ended up meeting another writer on the bus that I’m still close friends with today. The entire festival felt like this —­ a lovely mix of inspiration, learning, and finding community. I so appreciate how much FOLD has broadened and enriched my own, and many other writers’ literary journeys. Congrats on 10 years!”

— DEREK MASC ARENHAS FOLD AUTHOR