Corinna Chong, author of The Whole Animal, appears at Toronto's International Festival of Authors on Sunday, September 24 at an event entitled "Animals of the Body."
Three debut short story collections challenge genre and form as they explore themes of queerness, womanhood, sexuality and the body.
In Paola Ferrante’s Her Body Among Animals, toxic masculinity, motherhood and the ongoing repression of outdated sociopolitical systems are examined in a collection influenced by everything from pop culture to sci-fi to the climate crisis.
Similar themes underpin Anuja Varghese’s Chrysalis, which puts women of colour at the centre of a collection that dives deep into the intersections of family, cultural expectation and power.
Corinna Chong‘s The Whole Animal grapples with the self-alienation and self-discovery that make us human, as flawed characters wrestle with the complexities of relationships and struggle to find identity, belonging and autonomy. Fans of the short story won’t want to miss an intriguing conversation with three writers unafraid to blur the lines between reality and surreality as they interrogate the frameworks of society.
Moderated by Nancy Lam.
This event will be followed by a book signing.
Sunday, September 24, 2023
4:30pm
Studio Theatre, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto
For more information, click here.
On September 25, the Winnipeg Free Press Book Club features THIN AIR 2023 guest, Casey Plett, and her latest story collection A Safe Girl to Love. This event is hosted by John Toews of McNally Robinson, Ben Sigurdson of the Winnipeg Free Press, and WIWF’s director, Charlene Diehl.
The Book Club meeting will take place on the Winnipeg Free Press’s YouTube channel on
Monday, September 25, 2023
7:00pm CT
Emily Pohl-Weary reads from her new YA novel How to Be Found at the Real Vancouver Writers' Series on September 28 at Iron Dog Books in Vancouver.
Also reading will be Brandi Bird, Samantha Nock, Charis Young, Michelle Brown, and Cole Nowicki. Hosted by Real Vancouver's Dina Del Bucchia and Sean Cranbury.
Thursday, September 28, 2023
7:00pm
Real Vancouver Writers' Series
Iron Dog Books, 671 E Hastings St, Vancouver
A FREE EVENT
At the Toronto International Festival of Authors on October 1, Multidisciplinary artist Vivek Shraya presents the journey of How To Fail As A Popstar, her funny, vulnerable and imaginative exploration of failure – from the inception of the one-person stage show in 2020, to publishing a book adaptation in 2021, to creating, writing and starring in the upcoming CBC Gem original series. Premiering this fall, the coming-of-age series about a queer brown boy growing up in Edmonton trying to achieve pop stardom and what went almost right along the way – as told by the queer trans femme that boy becomes.
This event will feature an advance screening of episodes of How to Fail as a Popstar, a brief performance from Vivek’s play, songs from the forthcoming soundtrack, and an insightful conversation with Vivek, series director Vanessa Matsui and co-star Ayesha Mansur Gonsalves.
This event will be followed by a book signing.
Sunday, October 1, 2023
6:30pm
Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto
For more information including tickets, click here.
Join Tara Sidhoo Fraser for the launch of her acclaimed book When My Ghost Sings: A Memoir of Stroke, Recovery, and Transformation at Massy Arts Society in Vancouver on October 4.
Of the book, Amber Dawn writes: "When My Ghost Sings is a lyrical exploration as much as it is a narrative. It is allegory, and it is sharply candid, an unhurried and nuanced journey of both uncertainty and love."
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
6:00-8:00pm
Massy Arts Society, 23 East Pender St, Vancouver
A FREE EVENT
Book sales by Massy Books.
Nick Marino reads from and talks about his book East Side Story: Growing Up at the PNE at Black Bond Books in Ladner Village, BC on October 4.
East Side Story, a #1 BC bestseller, is a sly, sentimental, and wickedly funny memoir about spending summers working at Vancouver's famous fair.
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Doors 6:30pm / Event 7:00pm
Black Bond Books, 5052 4th Ave, Ladner Village, BC
A FREE EVENT
Books available for purchase and signing by the author.
Join Milkweed Books in Minneapolis as they welcome Casey Plett, author of the Lambda Literary Award-winning novel Little Fish, and celebrate the reissue of her debut Lambda-winning short story collection A Safe Girl to Love and the release of her new nonfiction book On Community (Biblioasis). Casey will read from both titles, followed by a conversation with academic writer Cass Adair, with a signing afterward.
Alongside Casey's reading from A Safe Girl to Love and On Community, Milkweed is also delighted to have poets torrin a. greathouse and Daphne DiFazio, and short fiction writer Alice Stoehr, read and put their work in conversation with Casey and Cass.
Thursday, October 5, 2023
7:00pm
Milkweed Books
1011 Washington Avenue S, Suite 107, Minneapolis, MN
A FREE EVENT
For more information, click here.
Emily Pohl-Weary launches her new young adult novel How to Be Found at Another Story Bookshop in Toronto on October 6.
Emily will read an excerpt and then will be joined by Bev Katz Rosenbaum (author of I'm Good and Other Lies and Who Is Tanksy) for a discussion about writing teen novels set in Toronto about challenging subject matter.
Friday, October 6, 2023
7:00pm
Another Story Bookshop, 315 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto
A FREE EVENT
Books available for purchase and signing by the author.
For more information, see Another Story's event page here.
Two-time Lambda Literary Award winner Casey Plett reads from her books A Safe Girl to Love and On Community (Biblioasis) at McNally Robinson in Winnipeg on October 7.
The event, hosted by Jonathan Dyck, will be hosted live in the Atrium of McNally Robinson Booksellers, Grant Park and also available as a simultaneous YouTube stream. Before arriving, please review details of how to attend physical events here at the store. The venue is accessible.
Saturday, October 7, 2023
7:00pm
McNally Robinson, Atrium, 4000-1120 Grant Ave
A FREE EVENT
For more information, click here.
Nick Marino, author of East Side Story: Growing Up at the PNE, appears at the Whistler Writers Festival's Literary Cabaret in Whistler, BC on October 13.
Sashay your way to the Literary Cabaret and enjoy a night of literary musings and live music. The West Coast Front band will jam alongside guest authors Cody Caetano (Half Bads in White Regalia), Patrick deWitt (The Librarianist), Justene Dion-Glowa (Trailer Park Shakes), Michael Janyk (Go to the Start), Jen Sookfong Lee (Superfan), Jennifer Manuel (The Morning Bell Brings the Broken Hearted), Nick Marino (East Side Story: Growing up at the PNE), Rabbi Paul Plotkin (Wisdom Grows in My Garden), and Bronwyn Preece (knee deep in high water : riding the Muskwa-Kechika) as they read from their newest books.
The West Coast Front features music director Geeta Das (trumpet, saxophone, and percussion), Rajan Das (upright bass), Jason Overy (percussion), and Rosalind Steel (piano and electric keys). During the evening, the winners of the Whistler Independent Book Awards will be announced for the Fiction, Non-fiction, and Children’s categories. Be sure to get your tickets now before this popular event sells out!
Friday, October 14, 2023
8:00-10:00pm
Whistler Writers Festival, Maury Young Arts Centre, Whistler, BC
Tickets: $32
To see the festival schedule, clickhere.