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Realists of a Larger Reality (Or Why I Read and Write Science Fiction)—By J. DeLeskie
I started reading science fiction young, before realizing it wasn’t suitable material for a girl with aspirations of fitting in with her fourth-grade contemporaries. It was the genre my dad and older brother favoured, and the surfaces of my childhood home were littered with paperbacks with lurid covers: a dinosaur riding an ichthyosaur across the Continue reading
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Writers Need Libraries; So Do Our Children—By Deborah Ostrovsky
Not long ago, during the Before Times, I received a small award to pursue a non-fiction project. I planned to dedicate an entire week, maybe two or three, to writing without interruptions. The morning I opened my laptop to begin—it was World Book Day, which seems ironic now—I found an email from my daughter’s primary Continue reading
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On Best-of Lists and How We Actually Read—By Genny Zimantas
I am a big believer in lists. Grocery lists. To-do lists. Lists on phones and bits of envelopes and bills. Lists are satisfying to write, and even more satisfying to work through. But best-of lists, the kind of lists which flood journals and newspapers towards the end of each year, summarising “The 10 Best Books Continue reading
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How Podcasting Took Over My Life—By Catherine Austen
If a podcast airs in a forest but there’s no one there to hear it, did it really make a sound? I started a creative-writing podcast in August to take the place of school visits during COVID-19. I write for children and teens, and I do a lot of writing workshops in normal years. During Continue reading
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Creating Community with Disabled Writers—By seeley quest
Now is a time to gather disabled writers and our allies in direct community together. Writing practice shared in company among disabled people expands our consideration of how embodied variations inform our writing perspectives, and how our writing helps us understand embodiment. Whether virtually through videoconferencing or in person, I am keen to encourage events Continue reading
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Poetry via Videoconference—By Louise Carson
Back in the old days—pre-March 2020—we used to have these literary events called book launches, festivals, and poetry readings, which often included open mics. People would gather at little cafes downtown, and/or, in my case, on or off the West Island of Montreal, or in art galleries, book shops, even people’s homes. Sometimes, authors and Continue reading
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The Importance of Being Silent—By John Arthur Sweet
A DIALOGUE. Persons: John Arthur and Pal. Scene: A deck in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, one summer day. JOHN ARTHUR: Would you like some more kombucha? No? … Hey, I’ve got a little story for you. A while ago, I submitted one of my monologues to a theatre festival where I was hoping to perform it. The comment Continue reading
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A Body Divided—By Joe Bongiorno
In April 2020, we invited writers in Quebec to submit a story of a single day during the strange, uneasy time of coronavirus and pandemic, of social distancing and self isolation, of lockdown and quarantine. We’re thrilled to announce that these stories have been gathered in Chronicling the Days: Dispatches from a Pandemic (Guernica Press). Continue reading
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The View From My Living Room—By Ariela Freedman
In April 2020, we invited writers in Quebec to submit a story of a single day during the strange, uneasy time of coronavirus and pandemic, of social distancing and self isolation, of lockdown and quarantine. We’re thrilled to announce that these stories have been gathered in Chronicling the Days: Dispatches from a Pandemic (Guernica Press). Continue reading
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Words Matter: A QWF Statement Supporting #BlackLivesMatter
The Quebec Writers’ Federation condemns racism. We hear and support those who are on the front lines fighting injustice. Anti-Blackness is systemic and exists in Quebec and Canada. What can we do with our heartbreak and outrage? As writers, we know that words matter. So do actions. QWF will use our platforms and advocacy position Continue reading