2021-2022 Season: Online and accessible!
On March 6, 2022, Silmy Abdullah spoke with us about her gorgeous collection of stories, HOME OF THE FLOATING LILY From Dundurn Press.
On February 20, Cheuk Kwan joined us with his personal travel essays, HAVE YOU EATEN YET? from Douglas & McIntyre.
On February 6, Lindsay Zier-Vogel read from her novel, LETTERS TO AMELIA, part epistolary, part narrative. It is a beautiful love letter. Published by Bookhug Press.
On January 23 we sat with Ceilidh Michelle to talk about her memoir, VAGABOND: VENICE BEACH, SLAB CITY AND POINTS IN BETWEEN from Douglas & McIntyre.
On January 9, Nic Brewer returned to Junction Reads with SUTURE, her debut novel published by Book*hug Press. Suture is a book of three inter-weaving stories about three artists “tearing themselves to make art.”
On December 12 we got to sit and talk short stories with Frances Boyle. SEEKING SHADE was published by The Porcupine’s Quill and it’s a collection filled with women and men who “explore identity and independence, navigate complicated relationships and confront the fallibility of mind and body.” Read the Interview and Watch the Video.
We were thrilled to have Yejide Kilanko read from her novel, A GOOD NAME, on Sunday December 5. Published by Guernica Editions, this novel achingly human narrative that interrogates the ways men and women are bound by tradition, culture, family, and each other. Read the Interview and Watch the Video.
On November 21, we turned to hockey and history with, LETTERS FROM JOHNNY, a wonderful little book from Wayne Ng. Published by Guernica Editions this book appeals to readers of all ages. If you enjoy stories that place characters in Canadian historical moments, you’ll love this. Read the Interview and Watch the Video.
November 7, Hollay Ghadery joined us to celebrate the one-year book-iversary of FUSE. Guernica Editions published Hollay’s memoir, written as a series of essays that explore her experiences as a bi-racial girl, woman, mother. Read the Interview and Watch the Video.
Jessica Moore returned to Junction Reads on October 24 with her gorgeous narrative poem, THE WHOLE SINGING OCEAN. From Harbour Publishing, it is”part long poem, part investigation, this true story begins with a whale encounter and then dives into the affair of the École en bateau, a French countercultural school aboard a boat.” Read the Interview and Watch the Video.
S.M. Freedman joined us on October 10 with a reading from her thrilling novel, THE DAY SHE DIED. Another great book from Dundurn Press, I can’t wait to sit and chat about it. Read the Interview and Watch the Video.
Heidi von Palleske helped us kick off the new season on September 26 with a reading from TWO WHITE QUEENS AND A ONE-EYED JACK. Published by Dundurn Press, there is a lot happening for this fantastic book. Hope you can join us. Read the Interview and Watch the Video.
2020-2021 Season: All online. All fun!
June 13: We marked National Indigenous History Month with a conversation and reading with Darrel J. McLeod. His memoir written in short story form, Peyakow, was a smart and funny read that challenges the reader to understand our colonial history. Watch the Video.
May 30; Birds, birds, birds. Our conversation with Julia Zarankin went beyond writing a memoir. Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder from Douglas and McIntyre was an exploration of birds and finding oneself in a passionate hobby. Watch the Video.
May 16: My chat with Nora Decter who shared words and thoughts about her debut novel, How Far We Go and How Fast from Orca Book Publishers. Watch the Video.
April 25: The funny and super talented Marissa Stapley joined us for a fun evening with readings from Lucky, her latest novel from Simon and Schuster. Watch the Video.
April 18: Sharon Kirsch shared The Smallest Objective, a book of narrative non-fiction from New Star Books. Watch the Video.
April 11: Sarah Kurchak joined us with her enlightening memoir, I Overcame My Autism and All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder. From Douglas & McIntyre. Watch the Video.
March 7: Aparna Kaji Shah joined us with more readings from her collection The Scent of Mogra and Other Stories, published by Inanna Publications. Watch the Video.
February 28: The incredible Alicia Elliott joined us again and we talked about her new venture into poetry and work in progress If you haven’t read her collection of essays, Mind Spread Out On The Ground, you should. Watch the Video.
February 21: The fantastic Brent van Staalduinen returned to us with the second novel he’s had published this past year, Nothing but Life from Dundurn Press. Watch the Video.
February 7: The funny and fantastic Jess Taylor returned to JR with her latest collection of short stories, Just Pervs from BookHug Press. Watch the Video.
January 31: Faye Guenther joined us to with her collection of short stories, Swimmers in Winter from Invisible Publishing. Watch the Video.
January 24, 2021: Hannah Brown read and spoke about her debut novel LOOK AFTER HER. Watch the Video.
January 17, 2021: Becky Blake joined us for a chat about her new novel PROOF I WAS HERE. Watch the Video.
December 2020: We kicked off our new online season with Farzana Doctor and her new novel, SEVEN. Watch the Video.
February 2020: Our last indoor out in the real world gathering before the shut down. It was a pleasure to host Louise Ells: Notes Towards Recovery (Latitude 46), Laure Baudot: This One Because Of The Dead (Cormorant), Keith Ross Leckie: Cursed: Blood Of The Donnellys (Douglas & McIntyre), Carolyn Bennett: Please Stand By (Now or Never)
January 2020
We kicked off a new season in a brand new space! The Anansi Book Shop is the absolute BEST!! We were joined by Sally Cooper, Maria Meindl, David Albertyn and Dean Serravalle.
June 2019
We were thrilled to close out our season with FIVE talented writers.
Jarrett Mazza, Victoria Alvarez, Melissa Bull, MJ Cates (George Meanwell) and Anthony De Sa.
May 26 2019
Victoria Hetherington with Mooncalves
Erika Rummel with The Painting on Auerperger’s Wall
Lisa de Nikolits with Rotten Peaches
Christine Ottoni with Cracker Jacks for Misfits
April 28 2019
SK Dyment with Steel Animals
Tim Conley with Collapsible
Alex Boyd with Army of the Brave and Accidental
Pratap Reddy with Ramya’s Treasure
March 31 2019
Catriona Wright with Table Manners
Mary Lou Dickinson with The White Ribbon Man
Loren Edizel with Days of Moonlight
John Miller with Wild and Beautiful is the Night Cormorant, 2018
February 24 2019
Jen Chen with Super!
Aparna Kaji Shah with The Scent of Mogra and Other Stories
Jasmina Odor You Can’t Stay Here
Rebecca Higgins with The Colours of Birds
January 27, 2019
Priya Ramsingh Brown Girl in the Room
Adrian Michael Kelly The Ambassador of What
Kyp Harness The Abandoned
Jan Rehner Almost True
Adam Lindsay Honsinger with Gracelessland
Anubha Mehta with Peacock in the Snow
Kristen den Hartog with The Cowkeeper’s Wish: A Genealogical Journey
Elee Kraljii Gardiner joins us with her chapbook memoir Trauma Head
October 28, 2018
A Special Guest Maureen Medved
May 27, 2018:
David Huebert (Peninsula Sinking)
Mehri Yalfani (The Street of Butterflies)
Chris Laing (A Family Matter)
Lizzie Violet (New work)
Virginia Konchan (Anatomical Gift)
April 29, 2018
Glynis Guevara (Under the Zaboca Tree)
Ursula Pflug (Mountain)
Andrew Daley (Resort)
Sally Cooper (Smells Like Heaven)
Ele Pawelski (The Finest Supermarket in Kabul)
March 25, 2018:
Christopher Cameron (Dr. Bartolo’s Umbrella Memoir)
Kevin Hardcastle (In the Cage)
Karen Smythe (This Side of Sad)
Kasia Jaronczyk (Lemons)
Terri Favro (Once Upon a Time in West Toronto)
February 25 2018:
Tehmina Khan (Things She Could Never Have)
Sylvain Prudhomme/ Jessica Moore The Greats
Terry Watada (The Three Pleasures)
Catherine Graham (Quarry)
Lesley Trites (A Three-tiered Pastel Dream)
January 28, 2018:
Sarah Meehan Sirk (The Dead Husband Project); Emily Anglin (The Third Person); Christopher Gudgeon (Encyclopedia of Lies); Michael Mirolla (The Photographer in search of death)
What a start to a new year.
November 26, 2017: Brent van Staalduinen hosted this fun wintery event. with Sky MacKay Curtis, Grace O’Connell and Daniel Karasik.
October 29 2017:
A fabulous kick-off to our 4th season!! with Beth Gebreyohannes (Fire Walkers), Sam Shelstad (Cop House), Melinda Vandenbeld Giles (Clara Awake), Camilla Grudova (The Doll’s Alphabet) and Dane Swan (He doesn’t Hurt People Anymore)
April 30: Our first (and definitely not the last) YA event went spectacularly well!! We had such a great crowd and the authors were brilliant. The Q and A was our best ever. Many viewpoints on the state of reading and writing today.
Allan Stratton, KJ Rankin, Shalta Dicaire Fordin and Sarah Sahagian and Danielle Younge-Ullman
March 26, 2017: Our first reading of the Spring was another packed house with some fabulously intelligent authors! Thanks so much to Kate Taylor, Brent vanStaalduinen, Eric Beck Rubin, Mary Frances Coady and Diane Bracuk who each helped make this event as great as it is!
February 19 2017
A great month for an all female line-up. A great mix of genres and themes!
B.D. Ferguson, Lisa de Nikolits, Bianca Lakoseljic, Marissa Stapley and Zoe Whittall
January 22 2017
What an incredible evening! We had such a great evening listening to great fiction. Again, thanks so much to Jane Ozkowski, Marg Nowaczyk, Stephen Thomas, Anil Kamal and Valerie Mills Milde.
November 13 2016
I feel like I might be able to say this every single time, but the best reading so far!! Thanks so much to these fabulous writers!!
Shari Kasman, Heather Tucker, Colette Maitland, Malcolm Sutton, Daniel Perry and Vanessa Shields.
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November 2015
Brian Clarke, Shannon Page, Nicole Brewer, Janet Turpin Myers and Trevor Cole!
October 2015
3030 was closed for a fire, so our authors this month were merged into other months.
September 2015
With Loren Edizel, Marissa Stapley, Marianne Miller and J.R. McConvey!
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June 2015
Adam Abbas
C. Fong Hsiung
Jane Woods
Catherine Bush
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May 31, 2015
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April 19, 2015
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February 22nd 2015
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January 2015
An enlightening question and answer this evening. The fear every writer carries into each new work that we cannot create anything new, that there are no new ideas. Harold Bloom’s Theory of Poetry discusses the relationship between the individual artist and every great artist that has come before us. How can we escape the influence of every great author we’ve read? Because truth is, we were readers before we were writers and it is our love of reading that likely made us want to be writers. It was Of Human Bondage that made me want to write a story that I felt was as complicated as real life. And I am sure each of you can pin the spark of desire on one particular text or piece of art.
So this is what we talked about. Writing in your own voice and promoting platforms for all of the unheard (silenced) voices is the best way to escape the influence of the Maugham’s of the world, and create new art powerful enough to influence even greater work.
Thanks Stephen, Alicia, Ruth and Ben Stephenson for the lively discussion and for sharing your unique, funny, touching, “different” voices with us!
What a lively and fun afternoon with some great writers! Robert Shaw Jerry Levy Alisha Piercy Ray Robertson
Titillating subject in the Q and A. Is the short story still a valued and worthwhile style of fiction? Many agreed that it is the big publishers and their narrow focus on money that has caused the neglect of the short story collection. Big houses are only interested in publishing the next award winning novel and so have lost focus on the real world.
With young adults (our new and emerging readers) and their short attention span, you would think publishers could see the value in selling a short story collection. You are not only selling great fiction, but you are selling them back their own time. Without asking them to spend a week or two on one story, you can get them to read a story in less than half an hour.
Here are the collections I think you should be reading now!
Anything by Alice Munro. She is a Novel Prize Winner!
George Saunders, Tenth of December
Junot Diaz, This is How You Lose Her (and anything else!)
Emma Donoghue, Astray
Jess Walter, We Live in Water
And check out the reviews of other great collections on Good Reads, here.
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October 26th 2014
Chelsea Rooney
M.H. Callway
Marianne Apostolides
Naomi Elena Zener
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September 28, 2014
Carrianne Leung, Christine Ottoni, Chuck Crabbe, Jean Baxter and Janet Turpin Myers
June 2014
May 2014
Elyssa Marcoux-Bisoondath
Jim Moore
April 2014:
Mary Kim
March 2014
Junction Reads 
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