Lunch & Learn: Creating Common Ground: How the Blue Metropolis Festival Began
2025-12-04 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online via Zoom
How to create a cultural event to promote English-language authors living in Quebec?
In this Lunch & Learn, Russell Fralich will describe the founding of the Blue Metropolis Literary Festival, created to support these “écrivains sans pays” amidst the perennial tension between the English and French cultural communities in Montreal.
The presentation will explore his co-produced business case study, Le lancement du festival littéraire Metropolis bleu, which draws on interviews with Festival co-founder Linda Leith and archival documents, and is now used as a teaching case at HEC Montréal.

Writing the Personal Essay
2025-12-04 17:45 - 19:45 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Eight Thursdays, Oct 9-Dec 4, 5:45-7:45pm (No session on October 30) Open to allLimited to 12 participantsHybrid Workshop*

Have you ever wanted to see your words on the pages of your favourite newspaper, magazine, or website? The personal essay is a subgenre of creative nonfiction that focuses on unique stories with universal appeal told from a first-person perspective. In this 8-week workshop, you’ll learn everything from how to generate ideas to how to structure your first and second drafts to how to pitch your completed piece.

The workshop will consist of teacher-led instruction, at-home readings, generative in-class writing exercises, and guided peer feedback. You will also be expected to work on your essay at home, between classes. By the end of this session, you will have one completed personal essay.

*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Westmount, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you.

Julie Matlin is a writer with several areas of concentration, including screenwriting, personal essays, novels, and reported articles. Previously, Julie worked at the National Film Board of Canada as a writer and social media strategist. Prior to that, she spent 15 years as a producer’s assistant and production coordinator in feature film.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2025-12-06 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 10:00 am–12:30 pm ETOnline via Zoom—RSVP below to receive the Zoom link

Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space?

Register below to do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25-minute bursts, with 5-minute breaks in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

The Zoom link will be sent out a day or two before the session.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

10:00–10:25: Writing 110:25–10:30: Break10:30–10:55: Writing 210:55–11:00: Break11:00–11:25: Writing 311:25–11:30: Break11:30–11:55: Writing 411:55–12:00: Break12:00–12:25: Writing 5

To receive the Zoom link, RSVP below. You will receive the Zoom link a few days before the session.

Note: RSVPs for virtual Shut Up & Write! sessions close 24 hours before the session begins. If there is no option to RSVP, RSVPs are closed.

Note: We are aware of a glitch rendering our RSVP forms unresponsive for some users. If you encounter difficulties registering for this session, email John Wickham at john@qwf.org, who will register you manually.

2025 Read Quebec Book Fair
2025-12-06 11:00 - 2025-12-07 17:00 | Casa d’Italia, 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, Quebec, H2R 1T6, Canada
December 6–7, 2025Casa d’Italia (505 Jean-Talon St. E., Montreal)

The Read Quebec Book Fair turns 10! Celebrate this milestone year on December 6–7 at Casa d’Italia, with special events, author signings, and the latest releases from Canadian writers and publishers.

Produced by the Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec (AELAQ), the Fair celebrates the vibrancy of English-language writing, publishing, and translation in Quebec. In honour of the tenth anniversary, this year’s Fair will, for the first time, welcome publishers from across Canada.

Taking place in the historic Casa d’Italia, the Fair will present a full weekend of programming, including a discussion between Heather and Arizona O’Neill about their new collaborative book Valentine in Montreal. Comic fans and those looking to discover the city’s beloved bédéistes will enjoy Art and Life in Graphic Novels with Juli Delporte, Pascal Girard and D. Boyd. Meanwhile, find your next dinner table discussion topic at our non-fiction lightning round, where authors such as Francine Pelletier will demystify their research and share the passion inspiring their work. For writers looking to pitch a book idea, we’re hosting the fair’s first ever speed-dating event for writers and editors, where up-and-coming and seasoned wordsmiths will have the opportunity to deliver their pitches directly to publishers.

The Fair will offer plenty of fun for young booklovers in a cozy, book-filled Kids’ Nook both days, and a special reading and guided yoga practice for children with author Marlee Kostiner on Saturday afternoon. Other programming highlights include a panel discussion hosted by Italian community archivist Nancy Marrelli, and a showcase of publisher Guernica Editions’ latest Quebec authors and releases.

Stick around for our 5 à 7 opening cocktail on Saturday for delicious hors d’oeuvres and a chance to connect with Montreal’s vibrant literary community, with a special 10th Anniversary High Fidelity DJ set with local journalist and author Brendan Kelly.

Casa d’Italia is located at 505 Jean-Talon East, and is fully accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. The fair takes place on the second floor, accessible via stairs or elevator. Take the entrance on Berri Street, across the street from Jean-Talon metro (exit Jean-Talon Nord).

See events

See Author Signing Schedule

New Knowledge: Nonfiction Lightning Round
2025-12-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Casa d’Italia, 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, Quebec, H2R 1T6, Canada
December 6, 2025 at 12 pm – 1 p.m.Main Stage, Salle des célébrations

Nathalie Cooke

Martha Langford

Valérie Lefebvre-Faucher

Stephen Monteiro

Francine Pelletier

Catherine Richardson

Alex R. Tipei

Thomas Waugh

Andrei Zanescu

Moderated by Ryan Van Huijstee

Often, fiction gets the limelight, poetry gets the prestige. But nonfiction books are published every day that help illuminate, preserve and create the world around us. Join local authors as they share the passions that led them to investigate a single subject in depth and then write an entire book about it.

Nathalie Cooke is an English professor at McGill University and a specialist in literary food studies and material culture. Her research uncovers the hidden stories told by menus, textiles, and other everyday artefacts, revealing how their forms, codes, and designs shape what we remember, and how we read.

Catherine Richardson Kineweskwêw is a Métis therapist, family therapist, researcher and academic working at Concordia University. Her maternal relatives come from Fort Chipewyan and have ties to Red River. She holds a research Chair in Indigenous Healing Knowledges and teaches in First Peoples Studies and Creative Arts Therapies. She is a co-founder of the Centre for Response-Based Practice where she and her colleagues advance dignity-centered approaches to violence. Cathy is also interested in the broader and multi-dimensional aspects of healing, such as the person as whole being, a spirit in a body with emotions, intelligence, physicality and in relation to all beings in the natural world.

She has taught in various counselling and social work programs and is the former director of the First Peoples Studies program at Concordia University. She explores various approaches to well- being on her substack podcast, where she speaks with healers, activists and response-based therapists. She is a student of shamanic practice and the mother of three amazing adult children.

Martha Langford, FRSC, is the author of A History of Photography in Canada. The first of three volumes, Anticipation to Participation, 1839 1918 has just appeared. Beautifully produced, the book is both lively and comprehensive, with over 400 illustrations. Langford is a distinguished professor emeriti of Concordia University in Montreal. She is the former research chair and director of the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art. In prior lives, she was the founding director of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, an affiliate of the National Gallery of Canada, and before that, Executive Producer of the Still Photography Division of the National Film Board of Canada. She has organized photographic exhibitions for museums and festivals in Canada, the UK, and Europe.

Valérie Lefebvre-Faucher is editor-in-chief of Liberté. She has worked as an editor at both Remue-ménage and Écosociété, with a focus on environmental, anti-capitalist, and feminist work. In addition to having collaborated with numerous collectives, blogs, and magazines, she published Procès Verbal and Promenade sur Marx, published in English under the title Jenny, Eleanor, and Laura, et al., translated by Mélissa Bull.

Stephen Monteiro teaches and researches media and culture at Concordia University. He has written or edited several books, including Needy Media, The Fabric of Interface, and The Screen Media Reader. He has contributed as an expert on contemporary technology to CBC Radio and the Toronto Star, among other media outlets.

Well-known journalist, documentary filmmaker, teacher and broadcaster, Francine Pelletier, formerly of CBC’s the fifth estate, is the author of three books: Second début: Cendres et renaissance du féminisme, Atelier 10, (2015), a short personal history of feminism in Quebec; : L’Art de se mouiller : Chroniques pour nourrir le débat, Écosociété (2022), a selection of her columns in Le Devoir from 2013-22; and Dream Interrupted : the Rise and Fall of Quebec Nationalism, Sutherland House (2025).

A transnational historian, primarily focused on Southeast Europe and France, Alex R. Tipei is professor of history and international studies at the Université de Montréal. MQUP published her book, Unintended Nations: France’s Empire of Civilization, Southeast Europe, and the Post-Napoleonic World. Alex’s research has received funding from SSHRC, the Fulbright Program, and the American Council of Learned Societies. She has taught and researched at McGill and Princeton Universities as well as the Universities of Bucharest and Illinois. Alex is also a team leader on the European Research Council funded project Transnational Histories of Corruption in South-East-Central Europe based at New Europe College/Institute for Advanced Study in Bucharest.

Ryan Van Huijstee is the director of Concordia University Press. He previously held a range of roles at University of Toronto Press and McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Thomas Waugh is a writer, programmer, and activist who taught film studies and sexuality at Concordia University from 1976 to 2017. He is the author of The Romance of Transgression in Canada: Queering Sexualities, Nations, Cinema; and fourteen other books.

2025 Read Quebec Book Fair

Valentine in December! with Heather O'Neill and Arizona O'Neill
2025-12-06 14:00 - 15:00 | Casa d’Italia, 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, Quebec, H2R 1T6, Canada
December 6, 2025, 2–3 pmMain Stage, Salle des célébrations

The duo will take to the stage to discuss their collaboration Valentine in Montreal. The novel, written by Heather with illustrations by Arizona, is a sweet Montreal adventure in which our famous metro plays a starring role. The O’Neills will sign copies after their onstage appearance.

Heather O’Neill is a novelist, short-story writer and essayist. Her most recent novel is Valentine in Montreal. Her previous works include Capital of Dreams and When We Lost Our Heads, a #1 national bestseller and finalist for the Grand Prix du Livre de Montréal. The Lonely Hearts Hotel, won the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and CBC’s Canada Reads. Lullabies for Little Criminals, The Girl Who Was Saturday Night, and Daydreams of Angels were shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Scotiabank Giller Prize two years in a row. O’Neill has also won CBC’s Canada Reads and the Danuta Gleed Award. Born and raised in Montreal, she lives there today.

Arizona O’Neill is a Montreal-based author and illustrator. Her illustrations appear in Valentine in Montreal. She is the author of Est-ce qu’un artiste peut être heureux ?, a collection of graphic interviews, and illustrated Nelly Arcan’s L’enfant dans le miroir. Her comics have appeared in Hazlitt, Exclaim!, the Montreal Gazette and mRb. She has created animated videos for many outlets, including CBC. She is a regular contributor to Radio-Canada’s Il restera toujours la culture, and is one half of the bookstagram page @ONeillReads. She is currently working on a graphic memoir.

2025 Read Quebec Book Fair

NaMOOste Yoga for Kids
2025-12-06 15:30 - 16:30 | Casa d’Italia, 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, Quebec, H2R 1T6, Canada
December 6, 2025, 3:30 – 4:30 pmMain Stage, Salle des célébrations

Author Marlee Kostiner never fails to get kids giggling as she reads all the ways animals say “Namaste” with their animal sounds (the cow says naMOOste, the chick says namaSQUEEK). After an engaging reading, Marlee guides the kids through yoga poses they learned in the book, ending with a relaxing moment of silence (yes, the kids are quiet!). NaMOOste features 13 beautiful watercolour animals practising authentic yoga poses, and shows young readers ways to care for their bodies and minds. For kids ages 3–9.

Marlee Kostiner is an award-winning journalist, writer, editor, and the author of NaMOOste, a playful yoga book that helps kids build social-emotional skills. A passionate advocate for neurodiversity and mental health, Marlee brings these values into all her creative work. In 2021, she founded Garden Wolf Publishing House to help fellow purpose-driven experts, organizations and non-profits turn their ideas into meaningful children’s books. She lives in Montreal with her two sons, her husband, and their grumpy cat.

2025 Read Quebec Book Fair

Guernica Editions Showcase
2025-12-06 15:30 - 17:00 | Casa d’Italia, 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, Quebec, H2R 1T6, Canada
December 6, 2025, 3:30 – 5 pmRotunda

An event celebrating Guernica Editions’ longstanding presence in Quebec, featuring readings by authors with new releases this year, including fiction, memoir, and poetry. With the purchase of a book, guests will be entered into a raffle to win a selection of Guernica titles.

Michael Carin, Edisson & Jeremiah

Ann Cavlovic, Count on Me

Jonathan Kaplansky and Francis Catalano, The Origin of the Future

Andreas Kessaris, The Grand Tour of Park Ex

Bunmi Oyinsan, A Ladder of Bones

Meryem Yildiz, Backbone

Contributors from The Nuances of Love

Michael Carin trained as a political theorist at McGill University, where he also studied under the godfather of Canadian literature, Hugh MacLennan. He is the author of several novels, including Five Hundred Keys, The Kremlin Papers, and the work of alternate history Churchill at Munich. His non-fiction response to the Holocaust, The Future Jew, won him wide recognition as a provocative secular humanist. Mr. Carin lives in Montreal.

Poet, novelist, short story writer and essayist born in Montreal, Francis Catalano won the Quebecor Prize of the Trois-Rivières International Poetry Festival for Qu’une lueur des lieux (2010) and the La Métropole Prize of Excellence for Climax (2022). As a translator of Italian poetry, he won the John Glassco Prize in 2006 for Instructions pour la lecture d’un journal de Valerio Magrelli.

Ann Cavlovic’s fiction and creative non-fiction have appeared in Canadian literary magazines and news media, such as Event, The Fiddlehead, Grain, PRISM International, The Globe & Mail, and CBC. She lives in Western Quebec.

Connie Guzzo McParland, president and co-director of Guernica Editions, holds a BA in Italian Literature and a master’s degree in Creative Writing from Concordia University. She is the author of The Girls of Piazza D’amore (2013), The Women of Saturn (2017), Le Donne di Saturno (2019), An opera in 3 Acts/Un opéra en trois actes (2021), and The Twelfth Room, a translation of La Dodicesima Stanza.

Jonathan Kaplansky is a literary translator of French in Montreal. He won a French Voices Award to translate Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux’s Things Seen and was shortlisted for the David Booth Award for Jonathan Bécotte’s Like a Hurricane. He has also translated works by Hélène Dorion, Lise Gauvin, Louis- Philippe Hébert, Hélène Rioux and Lise Tremblay.

Andreas Kessaris grew up in Montreal’s Park Extension district, the son of Greek immigrants. He graduated from Dawson College and Concordia University, earning a BA in Communications & English. His column, Read On! with Andreas Kessaris, was a popular feature in the West-End community paper The Local Herald. His writing has also appeared on Suite101.com, in the literary journal The Write Place, on the Montreal entertainment website Curtainsup.tv, The Miramichi Reader, and The Montreal Review of Books. His first book, The Butcher of Park Ex & Other Semi-Truthful Tales, was released in 2020 to great acclaim.

Bunmi Oyinsan is a Nigerian/Canadian writer. From novels to scripts for radio, television, and the theatre, she has contributed to both the nonfiction and fiction canons of African literature. Oyinsan gained her MA focusing on orature and literature from Saint Mary’s University and a Ph.D. from York University. She is the writer, producer, and presenter for the Sankofa Pan African Series, which has over 100K subscribers and over 5 million views. She is a winner of the Matatu Prize for her YA novel Fabulous Four and has been nominated for THEMA’s Best Film Script. Her novel Three Women was nominated for the Flora Nwapa Prize for Women’s Literature in 2006. Born in Lagos, she lives in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Meryem Yildiz is a Turkish-Canadian poet from Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). Her poems have appeared in journals across the country, including Arc Poetry Magazine, The Ex-Puritan, PRISM International, The Fiddlehead, and yolk, among others. In 2022, she won The Malahat Review’s Far Horizons Award for Poetry as well as the Quebec Writers’ Federation’s carte blanche Prize. She’s also a poetry editor at LBRNTH, a queer literature and arts magazine, which she co-edits with Misha Solomon. In her debut collection, Backbone, Meryem explores the complexities of identity across geographies, and reveals how friendship and memory shape the search for home.

2025 Read Quebec Book Fair

Opening Cocktail
2025-12-06 17:00 - 19:00 | Casa d’Italia, 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, Quebec, H2R 1T6, Canada
December 6, 2025, 5 – 7 pmSalle des mémoires

Join us for a special 10th anniversary edition of the Read Quebec Book Fair’s 5 à 7 featuring a DJ set by journalist and author of Habs Nation Brendan Kelly, known for his popular High Fidelity in the Park events. New wave, old-school disco and you. Open to all!

Born in Glasgow, raised in Montreal and a fan of the Canadiens for longer than he can remember, Brendan Kelly was one of the founders of the late great alternative weekly the Montreal Mirror. He worked at the Montreal Daily News in the late ‘80s and had a weekly music column on CBC Radio for over 30 years. His Montreal Gazette column What the Puck is a controversial contrarian hot take on the Canadiens that elicits much hate and even more love. He has written for the Gazette since 1996. He also frequently contributes to various Radio-Canada cultural shows. He has published two books on the Montreal Canadiens – Le CH et son people (2024), and Habs Nation: A People’s History of the Montreal Canadiens (2025).

2025 Read Quebec Book Fair

Archives Out Loud: Italian-Canadian Literature
2025-12-07 11:30 - 12:30 | Casa d’Italia, 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, Quebec, H2R 1T6, Canada
December 7, 2025, 11:30 – 12:30 pmMain Stage, Salle des célébrations

Licia CantonLianne MoyesCarmine Starnino

Moderated by Nancy Marrelli

There is a significant body of excellent Italian-Canadian literature available from a variety of sources in English, French, and Italian. The panel will discuss some established works as well as new voices emerging from the next generation. This session is part of the Archives Out Loud series organized by the Italian-Canadian Archives of Quebec. The panel will be followed by a reception in the office of the Italian-Canadian Community Archives of Quebec, in the basement level of Casa d’Italia.

Licia Canton has published short stories, nonfiction and poetry in English, French, Italian and a Venetian dialect. She has been translator-in-residence at the University of Hull, UK, and Writer-in-Residence at Università della Calabria, Italy. She is co-founder of Accenti Magazine and co-director of the Queer Italian-Canadian Artists Research Project (U of Toronto). She is the director of the documentary film Creative Spaces: Queer and Italian Canadian (2021). She mentors emerging writers through the Quebec Writers’ Federation Hire-a-Writer directory. For her work in culture, she was awarded the Italy in the World Prize (2018). She holds a Ph.D. from Université de Montréal and an M.A. from McGill University.

Nancy Marrelli is Director of the Italian-Canadian Archives of Quebec at the Casa d’Italia, and Archivist Emerita, Concordia University. She is also co-publisher of Véhicule Press. Her family left Italy and settled in Montreal in 1909.

Professor of English Studies at the Université de Montréal, Lianne Moyes specializes in Canadian and Anglo-Quebec literatures. She is interested in the porous and contested borders between the literatures that emerge in Montreal and has worked on writers such as Antonio D’Alfonso, Fanie Demeule, Mary di Michele, Mavis Gallant, Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, A. M. Klein, Robert Majzels, Erín Moure, and Gail Scott. She has an ongoing commitment to women’s writing and to fostering spaces for reading across languages, and was co-editor at the feminist magazine Tessera from 1993 to 2003. Since the late 1990s, she has been a member of the Association of Italian Canadian Writers.

Carmine Starnino is the Editor in Chief of The Walrus. He is the author of eight books, including Dirty Words: Selected Poems 1997–2016.

2025 Read Quebec Book Fair

Acquiring Editors at Work
2025-12-07 13:00 - 14:00 | Casa d’Italia, 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, Quebec, H2R 1T6, Canada
December 7, 2025, 1 – 2 pmMain Stage, Salle des célébrations

Leila Marshy, Baraka BooksCurtis John McRae, Véhicule PressYashaswi Kesanakurthy, Simon & Schuster Canada

Moderated by Tawhida Tanya Evanson

Who gets to choose which books will be published – and how do they do it? Editors from three publishers will discuss how they decide what to publish, and how writers can improve their chances. Simon & Schuster children’s book editor Yashaswi Kesanakurthy, Baraka Books’ fiction and nonfiction editor Leila Marshy, and Curtis McRae, fiction editor at Véhicule Press, will give us the inside scoop on what acquisitions editors really do.

Yashaswi Kesanakurthy [yush-us-we kay-sah-nah-koor-thi] 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. Her publishing career began as Publishing Assistant at Tundra Books, PRHC. She then joined HarperCollins Canada as Associate Editor where she developed a vibrant list including The Garden of Lost Socks by Esi Edugyan and Amélie Dubois, The Hockey Skates by Karl Subban and Maggie Zeng, and Mortified by Kristy Jackson and Rhael McGregor. At Simon & Schuster Canada, she remains focused on publishing marginalized, Canadian voices that tell entertaining and transformative stories. Yash lives in Toronto with a magical, if unruly, library that just keeps growing.

Leila Marshy is the author of The Philistine (LLP, 2018) and My Thievery of the People (Baraka Books, 2025), and is editor of the anthology Razing Palestine: Punishing Solidarity and Dissent in Canada (Baraka Books, 2025). Daughter of a Palestinian refugee, Marshy lived in Cairo during the First Intifada and worked for the Palestinian Red Crescent and the Palestinian Mental Health Association. She has been a community and political organizer, including founding a dialogue group with the Hasidic community in her local neighbourhood, helping elect the first Hasidic woman to public office in the world. Marshy is Editor at Baraka Books and lives in Montreal.

Curtis John McRae is the fiction editor at Véhicule Press and the Co-Founder/Editor-in-Chief of yolk literary journal. He is the author of Quietly, Loving Everyone (Vehicule Press, 2025). His fiction has appeared in The New Quarterly, Prairie Fire, and others. He won the 2021/22 David McKeen Award, was longlisted for the 2025 DISQUIET Literary Fiction Contest, received an honourable mention in the 2024 Peter Hinchcliffe award, and was a finalist in the 2019 Quebec Writers’ Federation contest for emerging young writers. Curtis teaches English literature at John Abbott College and formerly served as a board member for the Quebec Writers’ Federation.

Tawhida Tanya Evanson is a poet, novelist, artist and Ashiq. Her work blends poetry, orality, music, movement and film around themes of African diasporic identity, Sufi spirituality and resistance to Western values. Born and based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, she has roots in Antigua, West Indies. Evanson’s novels include the French Livre des ailes (Marchand de feuilles 2023), and the award-winning Book of Wings (Véhicule 2021); her two poetry collections are Nouveau Griot (Frontenac 2018) and Bothism (Ekstasis 2017). She has an extensive history of spoken word performance, audio recordings and films including the multi-award-winning Afrofuturist concert film CYANO SUN SUITE (2024). Evanson’s work has travelled to festivals across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. She is past director of the Banff Centre Spoken Word Program; past president of the Quebec Writers’ Federation; and 2025 Poet Ambassador in Residence at the League of Canadian Poets. She moonlights as a whirling dervish.

2025 Read Quebec Book Fair

Speed Dating for Writers and Publishers!
2025-12-07 14:00 - 15:00 | Casa d’Italia, 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, Quebec, H2R 1T6, Canada
December 7, 2025, 2 – 3 pmArchives room, basement levelCasa d’Italia

Writers, bring your pitch and get ready to present it to a range of local publishers. Introduce yourselves, and then you’ll have three minutes to tell your publisher “date” what your book is all about. Don’t forget to leave time for questions or a little discussion. When the bell dings, move to the next available seat and do it again. Whether you find a home for your manuscript or not, you’ll make contacts and gather information that may serve you now and in the future.

How to Participate

This event has limited capacity. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at the book fair on the day of the event. Doors to the book fair open at 11 am, so arrive early to ensure your spot. See details and tips for participating.

Featuring:

Yashaswi Kesanakurthy, Simon & Schuster Canada

Firoze Manji, Daraja Press

Leila Marshy, Baraka Books

Curtis McRae, Véhicule Press

Shannae Nitti, Crackboom! Books

Dave Dufour, Flame Arrow Publishing (new addition!)

Moderated by Lori Schubert, Quebec Writers’ Federation

Yashaswi Kesanakurthy [yush-us-we kay-sah-nah-koor-thi] 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. Her publishing career began as Publishing Assistant at Tundra Books, PRHC. She then joined HarperCollins Canada as Associate Editor where she developed a vibrant list including The Garden of Lost Socks by Esi Edugyan and Amélie Dubois, The Hockey Skates by Karl Subban and Maggie Zeng, and Mortified by Kristy Jackson and Rhael McGregor. At Simon & Schuster Canada, she remains focused on publishing marginalized, Canadian voices that tell entertaining and transformative stories. Yash lives in Toronto with a magical, if unruly, library that just keeps growing.

Firoze Manji, PhD, is a Kenyan / Canadian, resident in Québec. He has spent more than 50 years in international development, health, human rights and political activism. He is the publisher of Daraja Press and is an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of African Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa. He is the recipient of the 2021 Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista Lifetime Achievement Award from the Caribbean Philosophical Association.

Leila Marshy is the author of The Philistine (LLP, 2018) and My Thievery of the People (Baraka Books, 2025), and is editor of the anthology Razing Palestine: Punishing Solidarity and Dissent in Canada (Baraka Books, 2025). Daughter of a Palestinian refugee, Marshy lived in Cairo during the First Intifada and worked for the Palestinian Red Crescent and the Palestinian Mental Health Association. She has been a community and political organizer, including founding a dialogue group with the Hasidic community in her local neighbourhood, helping elect the first Hasidic woman to public office in the world. Marshy is editor at Baraka Books and lives in Montreal.

Curtis John McRae is the fiction editor at Véhicule Press and the Co-Founder/Editor-in-Chief of yolk literary journal. He is the author of Quietly, Loving Everyone (Vehicule Press, 2025). His fiction has appeared in The New Quarterly, Prairie Fire, and others. He won the 2021/22 David McKeen Award, was longlisted for the 2025 DISQUIET Literary Fiction Contest, received an honourable mention in the 2024 Peter Hinchcliffe award, and was a finalist in the 2019 Quebec Writers’ Federation contest for emerging young writers. Curtis teaches English literature at John Abbott College and formerly served as a board member for the Quebec Writers’ Federation.

Shannae Nitti is a marketing and sales professional with a background in communications, business development, and brand strategy. Drawn to the publishing industry for its blend of creativity and purpose, she’s passionate about the business of books—from shaping ideas to understanding readers and trends. Shannae values the craft, collaboration, and evolution that make publishing such a dynamic and inspiring field.

Dave Dufour is the founder and publisher of Flame Arrow Publishing, a bilingual speculative-fiction press based in British Columbia and Quebec. He leads a growing catalogue of hopepunk, fantasy, and science fiction in both English and French, and is dedicated to championing bold, imaginative voices across Canada. With a professional background as an educator and linguist, Dave brings a deep understanding of language, culture, and storytelling to his editorial vision. He also oversees Brins d’éternité, one of Québec’s longest-running speculative-fiction magazines.

Lori Schubert is the executive director of the Quebec Writers’ Federation, where she has worked since 2003. From 1998 to 2017 she was also a member and general manager of VivaVoce, a professional chamber choir. Prior to her work in arts management, Lori was a singer and corporate communications trainer in the New York metropolitan area. She has taught written and oral communication at Columbia, McGill and Concordia Universities. She was instrumental in the founding of Quebec’s English-language Arts Network (ELAN) and has served two terms on its board of directors. Through QWF, Lori co-founded the National Juries and Awards Working Group in 2021. She has also served in an advisory capacity for YES Montreal, the Blue Metropolis Foundation and the Atwater Writers’ Exhibition, and currently chairs the Education and Skills Development Table for the Working Group on Arts and Culture.

2025 Read Quebec Book Fair

Art and Life in Graphic Novels
2025-12-07 15:00 - 16:00 | Casa d’Italia, 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, Quebec, H2R 1T6, Canada
December 7, 2025, 3 – 4 pmMain Stage, Salle des célébrations

D. BoydJuli DelportePascal Girard

Moderated by François Vigneault

Three of Quebec’s most distinctive voices in contemporary comics come together to explore the intimate connections between art and autobiography. Juli Delporte (Portrait of a Body), D. Boyd (Denniveniquity), and Pascal Girard (Pastimes) draw from personal experience to craft stories that are tender, funny, and deeply human. Join them for a conversation about turning life into art, the creative risks of vulnerability, and the evolving landscape of autobiographical graphic novels. Moderated by François Vigneault.

Montreal-based cartoonist D. Boyd hails from Saint John, New Brunswick – the setting for Denniveniquity and her first graphic memoir, Chicken Rising. Her work has appeared in the New Brunswick Chapbook Series (Frog Hollow Press), the Montreal Review of Books, and in unique collaborations with some exciting Canadian writers.

Juli Delporte is an author and multidisciplinary artist born in France in 1983. She now lives in Tiohtiá:ke/Montréal. She is the author of several graphic novels published by Drawn & Quarterly, including This Woman’s Work and Portrait of a Body. She has also published children’s albums, including the recent Grands oreilles (Éditions de la Pastèque), and a book of poems illustrated with etchings, Décroissance sexuelle (L’Oie de Cravan). She occasionally writes literary essays, produces illustrations for various magazines and publishing houses, and collaborates on collective publications. Alongside all this, Juli explores different printing techniques (serigraphy, risography, and etching), creates zines, gives creative workshops, and makes ceramic pieces.

Pascal Girard was born in Jonquière, QC, in 1981. He is a part-time cartoonist and part-time social worker. He is the award-winning author of several graphic novels, including Rebecca and Lucie in the Case of the Missing Neighbor, Nicolas, Petty Theft, and most recently the collection Pastimes. He lives in Montreal with his family.

François Vigneault is an American-born cartoonist living in Québec. He is the creator of the sci-fi graphic novel TITAN (Oni Press, 2020 / Éditions Pow Pow, 2017), the illustrator of books including Le gâteau empoisonée (Éditions de la Pastèque, 2025), Extraordinary Eyeglasses (Helvetiq, 2024), and Orcs in Space (Oni Press 2021-22), and also works as a translator and designer.

2025 Read Quebec Book Fair

Accent Vol. 127 with Lisa Pasold and April L. Ford
2025-12-07 20:00 - 22:00 | Bar Le Record, 7622 Rue St-Hubert, Montréal, Quebec, H2R 2N6, Canada
Join us for the launch of two new Cactus Press chapbooks with April L. Ford and Lisa Pasold.

As always, sign up for the open mic at the door!

RSVP on Facebook

Deep Story Design: Story-Craft Essentials for Longer Form Narratives
2025-12-08 17:45 - 19:45, 2025-12-15 17:45 - 19:45 | Online via Zoom
Ten Mondays, Oct 6-Dec 15, 5:45-7:45pm (No session on October 13) Open to allLimited to 12 participantsOnline Workshop*

This workshop delves into the five fundamental elements of story-making—structure, plot, character, theme, and scene building. Whether you’re writing a novella, novel, screenplay, or memoir, the skillful use of these elements allows all writers to create powerful stories that are meaningful and satisfying.

After introducing a basic three-act story structure that’s foundational for most stories, the workshop will progress through aspects of character, theme, and plot so that you can feel confident about completing fiction or nonfiction of any kind or length. We also touch on scene construction so your stories feel dynamic and alive on the page.

Weekly homework exercises help writers at different stages of your story-making process, whether you’re gathering material for a new story, drafting an existing work, or revising a project that is nearly ready to share with others. (Completed homework will receive instructor feedback and some in-class discussion.)

In addition to the focus on craft essentials, this workshop invites writers to make personal discoveries about what matters most deeply to them and how this connects with their writing. This connection between self and story is integral to Deep Story Design, because writers who know who they are, and what they care about most, are better able to access their unique creative voice.

Weekly meetings will look something like this:

a 90-minute lesson, including 15-30 mins of in-class exercises

a 10-minute break

20 minutes for Q&A/homework discussion

Completed homework assignments will be due 4 days after the meeting at which they are assigned.

*This workshop will take place online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants a week or so prior to the first session.

April Bosshard is a respected workshop facilitator and story coach who’s helped hundreds of writers develop and complete their projects. Sometimes called a “story whisperer” or “story genie,” she has a background in film and television and has written fiction and non-fiction for traditional and independent markets, which include publications in the US, UK, and Canada. April teaches at conferences and leads workshops internationally and online, while also working with individual clients as a story coach and developmental editor.

Deep Story Design: Story-Craft Essentials for Longer Form Narratives (Wednesday Cohort)
2025-12-10 17:45 - 19:45, 2025-12-17 17:45 - 19:45 | Online via Zoom
Ten Wednesdays, Oct 8-Dec 17, 5:45-7:45pm (No session on October 15) Open to allLimited to 12 participantsOnline Workshop*

This workshop delves into the five fundamental elements of story-making—structure, plot, character, theme, and scene building. Whether you’re writing a novella, novel, screenplay, or memoir, the skillful use of these elements allows all writers to create powerful stories that are meaningful and satisfying.

After introducing a basic three-act story structure that’s foundational for most stories, the workshop will progress through aspects of character, theme, and plot so that you can feel confident about completing fiction or nonfiction of any kind or length. We also touch on scene construction so your stories feel dynamic and alive on the page.

Weekly homework exercises help writers at different stages of your story-making process, whether you’re gathering material for a new story, drafting an existing work, or revising a project that is nearly ready to share with others. Completed homework will receive instructor feedback and some in-class discussion.

In addition to the focus on craft essentials, this workshop invites writers to make personal discoveries about what matters most deeply to them and how this connects with their writing. This connection between self and story is integral to Deep Story Design, because writers who know who they are, and what they care about most, are better able to access their unique creative voice.

Weekly meetings will look something like this:

a 90-minute lesson, including 15-30 mins of in-class exercises

a 10-minute break

20 minutes for Q&A/homework discussion

Completed homework assignments will be due 4 days after the meeting at which they are assigned.

*This workshop will take place online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants a week or so prior to the first session. Please note that this is the Wednesday iteration of the workshop; there is also a group meeting on Mondays. The material covered will be the same, but note that due to limited spots, we cannot facilitate transfers between groups.

Montreal launch of SHARP PINK CLAWS
2025-12-11 19:30 - 22:00 | Co-op Bar Milton Parc, 3714 Avenue du Parc at des Pins, Montréal, QC, Quebec, H2X 2J1, Canada
Skip your awkward holiday party and come celebrate with us instead! Metonymy Press is launching a new two-volume anthology featuring 11 of our authors you’ve come to know and love. On the evening of December 11, there will be readings! Drinks! Prizes! Tearful goodbyes! If you’ve placed a preorder, you can pick up your books (and any other merch) on site. And if you haven’t, you can do so on the night of.

Come for the gay lit, stay for the partyyyyy.

Co-op Bar Milton-Parc is wheelchair accessible and has gender-neutral washrooms. Mask-wearing is highly encouraged and we will have air filters at the event. Please get in touch with us about any accessibility questions.

QWF Holiday Book Giveaway
2025-12-12 13:00 - 16:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, Dec 12, 20251:00-4:00 pmQWF Office (1200 Atwater Ave, room 3, top floor)

Join us for a holiday meetup and book giveaway at the QWF office!

Stop by between 1:00 and 4:00 pm on Friday, December 12, before we close for the holidays. Light refreshments will be available, and QWF members can take up to three free books (while supplies last).

New this year: QWF tote bags will be available for purchase for $20 each. Cash (exact change only), cheque, or card accepted.

Not a member? No problem. Come sign up and get your three free books. Either way, enjoy a casual holiday hangout with your fellow writers and the QWF staff.

RSVP on FAcebook

Getting to the QWF Office

Our office is located on the top floor of the Atwater Library and Computer Centre, in Room 3.

Address: 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3Westmount, QC H3Z 1X4

Closest Metro: Atwater Station

Closest Bus lines: 24, 63, 90, 104, 138, 144, 150

Accessibility:

The QWF Office is fully accessible by wheelchair from the basement entrance. From the Tupper Street sidewalk, follow the painted blue lines that lead down a slight slope to the Atwater Library basement. To enter, press the buzzer on the right-hand side of the door, and continue forward to the elevator. The QWF office is on Floor 1, the top floor.

RSVP on FAcebook

The Craft of Medicine: A Book Launch
2025-12-12 17:00 - 19:00 | The Word Bookstore, 469 Milton Street, Montreal, Quebec, H2X 1W3, Canada
What does it truly mean to be a doctor today? I will say a few words on this question when I launch my memoir of 60 years in medicine at The Word bookshop on Friday, December 12, 2025.

Gender-Free Group Loop
2025-12-13 10:30 - 16:30 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Saturday, Dec 13, 10:30am-4:30pm Open to allLimited to 12 participantsIn-Person Workshop*

This lit workshop is housed in the assertion that sound has no gender and that our voices are tools for liberation, play, and, above all, communication. In pursuit of the fertile intersections of text and sound, Alexis O’Hara will lead participants in an intensive workshop of listening and writing exercises, vocal and sound-making explorations, technical tips, and collaborative sound creation.

Aimed at writers and artists wishing to explore how sound influences writing and how a writing practice is full of sonic potential, this workshop will empower participants to translate literary proposals into sound concepts, while demystifying the processes involved in bringing text from the page to the stage or the recording booth.

Activities include:

Introduction to existing sound art practices and approaches

Automatic listening and writing exercises

Knowledge of sound technology resources and tools available on the Web

Microphone technique and exercises to feel comfortable onstage

Bridge building between writing, sound art, experimental storytelling, radio drama, and sound installation.

Overview of basic live sound equipment

Participation in a series of creative and technical exercises

Creation of an original sound project.

Participants are encouraged to bring a short text (1 page max) and/or a sound-making object.

*This workshop will take place exclusively in-person at the Adair Auditorium (Atwater Library, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Westmount, Quebec).

Alexis O’Hara has travelled internationally with spoken-noise performances, large-scale performance works, and a sound installation that incited spontaneous musical collaboration between strangers. She has released four albums, a book of poetry, and enough helium-filled balloons to get her dress caught in a chandelier. In 2016, she was awarded the Powerhouse Prize by Canada’s longest-running feminist art gallery, La Centrale. In collaboration with Atom Cianfarani, Alexis is one half of Et tu, Machine, a collective dedicated to queer imagineering via interdisciplinary installations and actions. Their most recent work, The Cloud, premiered in May 2024 at the Festival TransAmériques. Alexis lives among tall trees in the Laurentians.

Travel Through Metaphor
2025-12-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Phoenix Books, 5928 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 1X7, Canada
Saturday, December 13, 20256:00–8:00 pm ET

Amplify your poetic curiosities with fresh takes on figurative language.

Many writers rely to some degree on figurative language, which offers the pitfall of cliché or the opportunity for imaginative travel. Strong use of metaphor helps us move away from what we think we know and come closer to a new understanding of what is possible. In this generative workshop, we will develop fresh approaches to metaphor and other figures of speech. You can expect to leave the workshop with tools for developing your own metaphorical and descriptive power. The workshop is open to writers of all levels and genres, but some basic experience with poetry writing is recommended.

Email sarahwolfsonwriter@gmail.com to reserve your spot in advance. Space is limited.

Sarah Wolfson is an award-winning poet and teaching artist. Her collection A Common Name for Everything won the 2020 A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry. Her poems have appeared in literary journals such as The Walrus, The Fiddlehead, Geist, CV2, Arc, TriQuarterly, and The Yale Review. She has taught poetry writing in a variety of contexts to people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2025-12-19 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, December 19, 2025, 12:30 pm–3:00 pmFree, In PersonQWF Office (Room 3, 1200 Atwater Ave., Westmount)

Register for the session by filling out the RSVP form below.

Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space?

Join us for an in-person Shut Up & Write session at the QWF office!

Do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do, and meet a few of your fellow QWF members. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25-minute bursts, with 5-minute breaks in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

12:30–12:55: Writing 112:55–1:00: Break1:00–1:25: Writing 21:25–1:30: Break1:30–1:55: Writing 31:55–2:00: Break2:00–2:25: Writing 42:25–2:30: Break2:30–2:55: Writing 5

To register, RSVP below.

Getting to the QWF Office

Our office is located on the top floor of the Atwater Library and Computer Centre, in Room 3.

Address: 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3Westmount, QC H3Z 1X4

Closest Metro: Atwater Station

Closest Bus lines: 24, 63, 90, 104, 138, 144, 150

Accessibility:

The QWF Office is fully accessible by wheelchair from the side entrance on Tupper Street. Once inside, there is an elevator to the second floor, where the QWF office is.

Learn more about the office location and accessibility.

If you registered and can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org to notify us.

Note: We are aware of a glitch rendering our RSVP forms unresponsive for some users. If you encounter difficulties registering for this session, email john@qwf.org, who will register you manually.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2025-12-20 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, December 20, 2025, 10:00 am–12:30 pm ETOnline via Zoom—RSVP below to receive the Zoom link

Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space?

Register below to do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25-minute bursts, with 5-minute breaks in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

The Zoom link will be sent out a day or two before the session.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

10:00–10:25: Writing 110:25–10:30: Break10:30–10:55: Writing 210:55–11:00: Break11:00–11:25: Writing 311:25–11:30: Break11:30–11:55: Writing 411:55–12:00: Break12:00–12:25: Writing 5

To receive the Zoom link, RSVP below. You will receive the Zoom link a few days before the session.

Note: RSVPs for virtual Shut Up & Write! sessions close 24 hours before the session begins. If there is no option to RSVP, RSVPs are closed.

Note: We are aware of a glitch rendering our RSVP forms unresponsive for some users. If you encounter difficulties registering for this session, email John Wickham at john@qwf.org, who will register you manually.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2026-01-09 12:30 - 13:00 | QC

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2026-01-09 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, January 9, 2026, 12:30 pm–3:00 pmFree, In PersonQWF Office (Room 3, 1200 Atwater Ave., Westmount)

Register for the session by filling out the RSVP form below.

Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space?

Join us for an in-person Shut Up & Write session at the QWF office!

Do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do, and meet a few of your fellow QWF members. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25-minute bursts, with 5-minute breaks in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

12:30–12:55: Writing 112:55–1:00: Break1:00–1:25: Writing 21:25–1:30: Break1:30–1:55: Writing 31:55–2:00: Break2:00–2:25: Writing 42:25–2:30: Break2:30–2:55: Writing 5

To register, RSVP below.

Getting to the QWF Office

Our office is located on the top floor of the Atwater Library and Computer Centre, in Room 3.

Address: 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3Westmount, QC H3Z 1X4

Closest Metro: Atwater Station

Closest Bus lines: 24, 63, 90, 104, 138, 144, 150

Accessibility:

The QWF Office is fully accessible by wheelchair from the side entrance on Tupper Street. Once inside, there is an elevator to the second floor, where the QWF office is.

Learn more about the office location and accessibility.

If you registered and can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org to notify us.

Note: We are aware of a glitch rendering our RSVP forms unresponsive for some users. If you encounter difficulties registering for this session, email john@qwf.org, who will register you manually.

Embodied Writing - The Frost Line (winter edition)
2026-01-10 14:00 - 17:00 | Studio 414, 10 Avenue des Pins West #414, Montreal
Winter asks the body to listen differently. Beneath the hush, beneath the cold, beneath the thickening dark, something essential begins to gather. The frost line is the boundary where frozen stillness meets the body’s hidden warmth, where subtle currents awaken, and truths emerge in crystalline patterns.

Writing begins here—invisibly, beneath the surface. Before language finds the page, it roots itself in sensation: tightness along the ribs, or warmth cupped behind the sternum—that quiet ember we protect from cold’s embrace. Our bodies know how to winter. They know how to pull inward, how to hold heat, and how to wait.

But waiting isn’t silence, and it isn’t death. Under the ice, rivers still move. Under the numb, stories stir. When we breathe deeper, stretch gently, soften the jaw and the belly, something time-locked begins to crack open and gleam.

This season, we gather at the frost line: that inner threshold where the deep freeze teaches lucidity, where contraction reveals clarity, where the smallest spark becomes a beacon. To write from here is to court the slow burn beneath it all, to trust the body as it reveals what is ready—no more, no less.

Whether you arrive as a longtime writer, a curious beginner, or someone simply craving a space to thaw and listen, this workshop invites you into the quiet power of wintering the body, wintering the word.

Our practice will interweave:

-Kundalini breathwork-Stretches & light movement-Creative writing prompts & exercises-Meditation-An optional sharing & discussion circle-Homemade chai & a sweet treat

What to bring:

Your journal, a pen, comfy clothes, and an open heart.

What to know:

Pens & paper will be available, as will floor mats, blocks, and cushions. Seating options include chairs, mats, and back jacks. There will be space to move, shift, and settle as needed. The space is on the 4th floor and there is an elevator in the lobby, however the lobby itself is up a few stairs.

About the facilitator:

Maya Khamala is a lifelong writer of many stripes. From poetry to grassroots journalism to creative nonfiction, word is her bond. She has collaborated with visual artists at a loss for words and spent the last decade working as a freelance copywriter and editor. She holds an MA in Creative Writing and is an emerging novelist. Maya has deep roots in feminist, anti-racist, climate justice, and Indigenous solidarity movements—work that shapes the way she wields language. She is also a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher and Embodied Writing facilitator offering regular classes and workshops in Montreal. Maya came to Kundalini as a way of healing from childhood trauma and its many manifestations in her body, and as a reminder to step away from the keyboard…and breathe.

Cost: $80All are welcome. Limited spots.Register: linktr.ee/heartfire.kundalini

Lunch & Learn with QWF
2026-01-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 12:00–1:00 pm ETOpen to all—register for Zoom link

Looking to learn more about QWF, what we do, and how we can help you as a writer?

Join us for a Lunch & Learn with QWF!

In this quarterly online orientation session, we provide a deep dive into our many programs and services and how we can help you in your writing journey. Whether you’re new to QWF, want to learn about a particular program, or simply want to meet the team, we welcome you to join us.

Riley Palanca (Membership Services Coordinator) will discuss QWF programs and services for emerging and aspiring writers, including our mentorship program, Shut Up & Write writing sessions, and writing workshops.

Lori Schubert (Executive Director) will explain QWF programs and services for more established writers, including the Writers in the Community program, the Hire a Writer Directory, and the QWF Awards.

John Wickham (Communications Officer) will provide a brief tour of the website, highlighting sections and resources that are particularly useful to QWF members.

Free and open to all. We hope to see you there!

To get the Zoom link: Fill out the registration form. You’ll receive the Zoom link by email shortly thereafter.

If you have trouble registering or joining the meeting, contact John at john@qwf.org.

Lunch & Learn with QWF is our quarterly orientation series to welcome new members and provide an overview of QWF’s activities. The next one after July 22 will be in October. Learn more about our Lunch & Learn series.

REGISTER NOW

The Words and Music Show Presents: Pigs&Wolves
2026-01-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Casa del Popolo, 4873 boul. St-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1R6, Canada
Thursday, January 15, 2026Doors: 6:30 pm, Show: 7:00 pm ET

Montreal-based poetry-rock group Pigs&Wolves plays Casa del Popolo (4873 Boulevard Saint-Laurent). Featuring special guest Tara McGowan-Ross.

Tickets available at the door (cash or card).

Part of the Quebec Writers’ Federation’s Words and Music series.

Listen to Pigs&Wolves EP The Unfortunate Waggle.
