Here are 5 LGBTQ authors participating in Word On The Street this weekend (plus, their must-read new releases to add to your summer reading list)…
Toronto’s annual Word On The Street literary festival is back with a brand-new lineup of talks, readings, workshops and more from critically acclaimed and emerging authors. This year, the festival’s programme boasts an impressive list featuring several must-read LGBTQ authors.
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend (Saturday June 11: 12-7pm, Sunday June 12: 10-6pm), be sure to check out the Word On The Street literary festival in Toronto—and if you’re not in the city, or you can’t make it to the festival, don’t fret; you can still support the authors by reading their newest books from the comfort of your couch. Click here for the full programme and read on for more details.
Catherine Hernandez
Catherine Hernandez’s previous novels have earned her much-deserved awards and one, Scarborough, was made into a feature film. She has also penned several children’s books, and her new release for little readers is all about how we can show love to different feelings that we’re experiencing, encouraging children to show compassion to themselves.
Buy Where Do Your Feelings Live? on Amazon here. Catherine will appear at WOTS Sunday June 12 from 12:30 – 12:50 PM at the “Kids Literature” Stage.
Nic Brewer
Nic Brewer is a Kitchener-based writer, editor, and the co-founder of an online literary journal that features LGBTQI2SA writers. Her new book, Suture, tells the stories of three artists and the emotionally turbulent experiences that inform their art, exploring themes of family, forgiveness, and mental health.
Buy Suture on Amazon here. Nic Brewer will appear at WOTS Sunday June 12 from 10-11 AM on the “Across The Universe” Stage.
Natalie Wee
Natalie Wee is a Singapore-born queer creator and member of Toronto’s pan-Asian artist community. When not penning books she works as an editor for Climate Justice Toronto and offers free services for writers of colour. Her new release, Beast at Every Threshold, is a collection of poems that examines uses folklore and myth to deconstruct the idea of “otherness” and probe complex topics like marginality, nationhood, and the reinvention of self.
Buy Beast at Every Threshold on Amazon here. Natalie will appear at WOTS Saturday June 11 from 4-5 PM on the “Vibrant Voices of Ontario” Stage.
Brian Francis
Brian Francis’ work—including a new memoir and his previously published YA novel—were met with great acclaim by readers and media alike. As a writer, he also offers advice in a monthly column for Quill & Quire and contributes to CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter. Missed Connections: A Memoir in Letters Sent is a poignant reflection of his time as a young university student looking for love, still “very much in the closet,” through the years since, covering topics like body image, aging, and the courage to be oneself.
Buy Missed Connections on Amazon here. Brian will be appearing at WOTS Saturday June 11 4:30- 5:30 PM on the “Vibrant Voices of Ontario” Stage.
Candas Jane Dorsey
As far as writing goes, Edmonton-based author and editor Candas Jane Dorsey has done it all—her works range from novels to poetry to critical essays. Her latest book, The Story of MY Life Ongoing, by C.S. Cobb, tells the heartbreaking story of a nonbinary teen in 2007 and the traumatic experiences that resulted from her parents’ lack of understanding and support.
Buy The Story of MY Life Ongoing by C.S. Cobb on Amazon here. Candas will be appearing live at WOTS Saturday June 11 from Noon to 1 PM EST at the “Great Books” Stage. The Great Books Stage can also be streamed live by going to the WOTS YouTube channel.
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