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Writers Studio | 
Ticketed Event
25. Making Mischief: The Trickster Trilogy
Zoom WebinarFans of magical realism, compelling family dramas, supernatural battles, and dark, humorous coming-of-age stories are in for a treat with this refreshingly unique trilogy about an Indigenous teen who discovers he may be the son of the magical Trickster. The first book in Eden Robison’s trilogy, Son of a Trickster landed her a Giller Prize […]
26. On Property
Zoom WebinarIn On Property: Policing, Prisons, and the Call for Abolition, his 96 page pamphlet for Biblioasis’ Field Notes series, academic and writer Rinaldo Walcott offers an urgent, persuasive, and far-reaching call for a new ethics of care. In this event, Rinaldo will discuss the links between property, policing, and the ways in which the racism […]
GivingTuesday: Spinning a Good Yarn
Zoom WebinarCome Unwind With Us! On Tuesday, November 30th we are running our annual GivingTuesday campaign with the support of CanadaHelps. Anyone who’s ever been gifted a hand-knit item (or gone through the effort of making one) will understand the artistry, time, and care that goes into the craft. In Unravelling Canada: A Knitting Odyssey, author, […]
A Festive Fundraiser for Kingston WritersFest
Zoom WebinarLocal Flavours, Sip and Savour Looking for an experiential holiday gift, an early boost of festive cheer, or an excuse to curl up with a great glass of wine, all while contributing to a good cause? Join sommelier Ian Nicholls of County Sips along with special guest Ulrike Bender, author of Balancing Act: Growing Grapes and Making […]
Generation Dread: Confronting Eco-Anxiety with Britt Wray
Zoom Webinar“In this intriguing and engaging work, Britt Wray… shows finally that meaningful living is possible even in the face of that which threatens to extinguish life itself, and that addressing global climate change begins with attending to the climate within.” --Dr. Gabor Maté, author of When the Body Says No “A rare look at the internal […]
1. An Evening with Heather O’Neill 65% SOLD
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioIn When We Lost Our Heads, two young girls from vastly different worlds and world views forge a fiery, star-crossed, and complex relationship united by a passion for dark and dangerous games. Torn apart by family, and thrown together by fate, the conclusion is sure to rattle you. Join Heather O’Neill and Tricia Knowles as […]
WS1. Writing a Great Picture Book
Crawford Room, Holiday InnWriters Retreat Master Class with Cary Fagan A great picture book is a wonderful little secret shared with a child. And what is more joyful than talking about this beautiful form? In this workshop you will learn the structure of the picture book, how words and images need to enhance each other, how to search […]
2. Late Nights with KWF: Reality Derailed
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioPennie is living out a seemingly idyllic retirement in her new care home – surrounded by the woods, engaging with other residents in enriching conversations, and rediscovering her desire to paint. But is all as it seems? And is her mounting confusion really the effects of old age? Join Iain Reid in conversation with Aara […]
WR2. Life Lessons: Telling Your Story 85% SOLD
Crawford Room, Holiday InnAs a filmmaker, playwright, award-winning poet, biographer, and literary scholar, Armand Garnet Ruffo knows well that there is more than one way to tell a story. Whether you write fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, this workshop will provide insight into how to use kernels of experience to tell your story in your own unique way. […]
3. The Art of Positive Troublemaking 80% SOLD
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioArt has a profound ability to inspire, and when that art is used to develop activist and socially engaged projects, it can affect substantial change. In this presentation, Leanne Prain (The Creative Instigator's Handbook: A DIY Guide to Making Social Change through Art) explores impactful art projects from around the world and around the corner, […]
4. Otherworldly Adventures
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioJoin E.K. Johnston, bestselling author of Star Wars: Ahsoka for an exciting new adventure into space with Aetherbound. Meet Pendt and a cast of other ambitious misfits for a heartfelt, thought-provoking, hard, and hopeful exploration of the far reaches of the galaxy, and of their own potential. 9:30 - 10:30 am EDT Donations gratefully […]
TWS1 – Writing You *SOLD OUT*
Junction RoomTeenswrite! Masterclass with Susan Mockler. Documenting your experiences and personal history as memoir is a complicated thing. Our identity is shaped by many things - our likes, background, family, friends, hobbies, experiences, and beliefs. Every person is unique, and we all have a story to tell. Join memoirist, author, and psychologist Susan Mockler for a […]
7. Whose Dream Is It, Anyways? 75% SOLD
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioGrowing up is hard for any teen. Trying to forge your own path and realise your dreams is hard enough without the weight of parental, societal, and cultural expectations. In this event, H.N. Khan and Louisa Onomé will discuss their books Wrong Side of the Court and Twice as Perfect, basketball, poetry, arranged marriages, and […]
5. Runs with the Stars: Preserving Indigenous Stories 95% SOLD
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioJoin author Darcy Whitecrow and award-winning children’s author Heather M. O’Connor for a wide-ranging conversation on collaborating to create their gorgeous book on the history and cultural importance of the Ojibwe Horse breed, Runs with the Stars. In this presentation, the pair will discuss the process – and importance – of preserving and transcribing Indigenous […]
TWS2 – Worldbuilding *SOLD OUT*
Junction RoomTeenwrites! Masterclass with E.K. Johnston. Worldbuilding usually makes us think about epic fantasy landscapes, magic systems, or creative ways to break the laws of physics, but even contemporary books set in our world need shoring up sometimes. Learn how to take the same toolbox made famous by Tolkien and McCaffrey, and apply it to every […]
6. Beneath the Surface: How Can We Help?
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioClimate crisis, corporate greed, voracious consumer culture and its environmental impacts can feel like insurmountable dilemmas. So, are we all just doomed? In this event, acclaimed activist Maude Barlow (Still Hopeful: Lessons from a Lifetime of Activism) talks with Lawrence Scanlan about hope, humanity, and how the right people really can make a difference. Thank […]
TWS3 – Positive Troublemaking 101 *SOLD OUT*
Junction RoomAre you a creative (aspiring or otherwise) who is curious about how you can apply your skills to activist, socially engaged art projects? In this master class, Leanne Prain will help you explore how to take that big project you've been dreaming out - whether you paint, sew, sing, build, weld, or rhyme - and […]
WR3. Forging Your Creative Path
Crawford Room, Holiday InnIn this interactive workshop, Certified Integral Professional Coach Barbara Bell will lead participants through a series of activities that are part of the Creative Path Project. This is your opportunity to truly explore what creativity means to you, identify barriers to expressing your creativity, and investigate how to allow your Creative self to take its […]
8. Generations of Exile: Losing Tibet
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioIn We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies, a haunting debut work of historical fiction, Tsering Yangzom Lama takes readers on a heart-wrenching, decades-spanning journey of four Tibetan women from a harrowing flight across the Himalayas to escape China’s occupation, to modern day Parkdale. Tsering will talk with scholar Asha Varadharajan about culture, colonization, displacement, […]
9. Dogs and the Writing Life
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioNo stranger to the festival audience, Helen Humphreys (And a Dog Called Fig: Solitude, Connection, the Writing Life) is back with another beautiful, meditative work. Join Helen and author Sarah Tsiang for an intimate conversation on the writing life – from the inspiration that comes from solitude, to the self-doubt that threatens with too much isolation, […]
WR4. Writing Historical Fiction
Crawford Room, Holiday InnBringing history to life through fiction takes meticulous research and an artist’s eye for detail. In this masterclass, bestselling historical fiction author Eva Stachniak offers techniques to help you inhabit the world and period you are depicting. Eva will guide you through writing exercises, offer examples creative writing techniques from her and others’ writing, and […]
10. Beneath the Surface: The Myth of Normal SOLD OUT – Virtual Tickets Available
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioPresenting the marquee event in our new Beneath the Surface series, which gives our audience and authors the opportunity to take a deeper dive into the topics that are important to all of us. This year we will explore activism, mental health, and identity. We are delighted to welcome Gabor Maté, internationally renowned author and […]
WR5. Back to Basics 75% SOLD
Crawford Room, Holiday InnWriters Retreat Master Class with Lawrence Scanlan Whether it's for a memoir, a blog, fiction or non-fiction, journalism or creating a podcast, the writer needs some basic tools - foremost among them, interviewing skills. You need to post the right questions, in the right order, and you need to really listen, and respond. This class […]
11. Women Interrupted
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioA royal mistress to Louis XV and the wife of Siddhartha Gautama – who will later become the Buddha – learns hard lessons about the reality of living in the dark shadow of rich and powerful men. In times and places where falling out of favour threatens one’s entire mode of life, it takes strength […]
12. Bacon and Hamburgers
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioAli Hassan and Stuart Ross take to the stage with a pair of meaty memoirs exploring humour, grief, and identity. The authors of Is There Bacon in Heaven? and The Book of Grief and Hamburgers will chat off the cuff about their work, and how their backgrounds have inspired their work. You’ll hear how they […]
13. Book Lovers’ Lunch *SALES CLOSED*
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioDust off your notepads; Ben McNally is back in person with your backstage pass to the publishing industry! The proprietor of Toronto’s Ben McNally Books is ready to give you another year of insightful book recommendations for discerning readers – need we mention the charm, verve, and vigour with which he presents them? Always a […]
WS6. Writing Vivid Characters 85% SOLD
Crawford Room, Holiday InnIn this workshop, Giller and GGLA short-listed author Shyam Selvadurai will look at various techniques that can be used to bring characters alive on the page, both in fiction and non-fiction. He will illustrate with examples from his new novel Mansions of the Moon and demonstrate specifically how he dealt with certain problems of character […]
14. Death by Misadventure: A Backpacker’s Disappearance in the Himalayas
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioJoin journalist and author Harley Rustad and intrepid traveller Kate Kristiansen for a conversation on the fascinating life – and presumed death – of Justin Alexander Shelter. Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas investigates the enticing and perilous draw India has had on Westerners for centuries, […]
WS7. Writing Comedy 73% SOLD
Crawford Room, Holiday InnAli Hassan wears a lot of funny hats. He’s made his name as a stand-up comic touring Canada with Just for Laughs, as a film and television actor, and as a regular CBC radio host on numerous shows. He’s not shy, and he knows how to make people laugh. In this workshop, he’s here to […]
15. Mother Tongue: Identities in Verse
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioSadiqa de Meijer speaks with a powerhouse trio of poets in this dynamic event. In their latest collections of poetry and essays, Nancy Jo Cullen (Nothing Will Save Your Life), Gillian Sze (Quiet Night Think: Poems & Essays), and Sarah Tsiang (Grappling Hook) take a lyrical, unflinching look at the intimate and messy realities of […]
16. Author! Author!
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioInternational bestselling, award-winning author Guy Gavriel Kay has been writing for nearly four decades, producing over a dozen novels which have been translated into 22 languages. Dubbed “one of the world’s greatest living storytellers”, the author of A Brightness Long Ago and Children of Earth and Sky returns to the stage with his latest novel, […]
17. Trivia Night
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioHave you got the write stuff? If you’ve been waiting to put your knowledge of Giller prize winners and the CanLit canon to use, it’s time to fire up your library cards, embrace your inner bookworm, and gather together your book clubs or reading group pals for a novel night of literary trivia. Ali Hassan, […]
18. Late Nights with KWF: Phantasmagorical Emergences
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioIf words like brilliant, absurd, electrifying, kaleidoscopic, and transcendent pique your interest, you won’t want to miss this exciting late night event featuring John Elizabeth Stintzi with their sophomore novel My Volcano. In conversation with fiction and fantasy writer Adan Jerreat-Poole, JES – who has been likened to Haruki Murakami and Jeff Vandermeer by critics […]
WR8. Writing Through the “I” 70% SOLD
Crawford Room, Holiday InnWriters Retreat Master Class with Nancy Jo Cullen In this master class we will explore how to transform personal experience into poetry. Through discussion and using examples from other poets, we will develop and investigate strategies used to write autobiographical poems. With attention to craft, we will then work on creating a poem each within […]
19. To Whom the Wilderness Spoke: Louise de Kiriline Lawrence
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioJoin award-winning author Merilyn Simonds as she speaks with Eric Friesen about Woman, Watching: Louise de Kiriline Lawrence and the Songbirds of Pimisi Bay – a beautifully rendered hybrid memoir/biography. As-the-crow-flies neighbours in the Northern Ontario woods, and both avid birders, Merilyn met Louise as she was publishing her last book and Merilyn was writing […]
20. In a Perfect World: Good Moms and Bad Days
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioJessamine Chan’s explosive debut novel, The School for Good Mothers, takes a mother’s bad day to the dystopian extreme. Rattled by a series of disappointments and failures, Frida has a lapse in judgement that threatens to take away the only thing keeping her life together – her daughter, unless she can prove herself redeemable. Join […]
21. Restless States: Short Fiction
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioAcclaimed author Rawi Hage returns to the Kingston WritersFest stage with Stray Dogs, a globe-spanning collection of eleven stories featuring a motley crew of irresistible characters. Jason Heroux will talk with Rawi about his decision to explore the medium of short fiction with this publication (something Jason himself has on the horizon), the influences of […]
WR9. The Fine Art of Fictionalizing Our Lives 93% SOLD
Crawford Room, Holiday InnWriters Retreat Master Class with John Elizabeth Stinzi. This master class will consist of exercises and discussions to help participants get in touch with their own interests and beliefs, as well as to help develop pragmatic strategies for writing fictionalized accounts of very personal, emotional moments in their lives. This class will help participants see […]
22. Beneath the Surface: Identities in Rupture: Memoir
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioJoshua Whitehead with Marshall Hill Oji-Cree/nehiyaw, Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer novelist and poet Joshua Whitehead explores Indigeneity, queerness, the intersections of identity, and mental health in this captivating and much anticipated work of non-fiction, Making Love With the Land. With Marshall Hill, Joshua will discuss his emergence as major voice in the literary landscape following the publication of Jonny […]
WS10. There’s More Than One Way To Get Unstuck 75% SOLD
Crawford Room, Holiday InnDo you have a story to tell, but find yourself stuck on where, or how to start? Let poet, author, and creative writing instructor Stuart Ross get you out of that creative funk with this invigorating workshop. Using flash fiction, poetry, personal essay and experimentation, Stuart will show you that there’s more than one angle […]
23. Late Check-Out: Whodunit?
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioA sensation before it even hit the shelves, Nita Prose’s The Maid sparked a six-way bidding war and sold movie rights to Universal Pictures (the film is set to star British actress Florence Pugh). Not bad for an idea scribbled on a cocktail napkin. Join Nita in conversation with Aara Macauley about her desire to […]
24. La nouvelle vague de littérature Canadien français
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioDécouvrez deux voix émergentes de la littérature francophone pour une conversation franche et animée à propos de l'identité, la sexualité, des constructions sociales et de genres, et l'état de la nouvelle littérature au Canada francophone. Avec le célèbre femme de lettres Québécoise Chloe Savoie-Bernard (Sainte Chloé de l'amour) et artiste et poète non binaire originaire […]
25. The Big Idea: War of the Words
Bellevue Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioPanel Conversation: Mark Bourrie, Tajja Isen and Robyn Maynard with Carol Off Good words that once meant something – like freedom and free speech – have now been hijacked and used to inject odious ideas into the public space. Dictator and fascist are now used so liberally that they have lost their meaning. And the […]
26. Daughter of …: Making Her Own Path
Islandview Room, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, OntarioGrowing up in a famous household – Martha’s the daughter of folk legends Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III and sister of Rufus – has its advantages. But as the self-identified black sheep of the family, it can be hard to find one’s place. Singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright chats with Moira Demorest about her memoir Stories […]
WS11. How to Get Published
Lakeview, Delta Hotel 1 Johnson St, Kingston, OntarioYou’ve written the manuscript, polished your poems, and you’re ready to share it with the world. Now what? Join Kwame Fraser, president of Dundurn Press, as well as several of Dundurn’s star authors, Sifton Anipare, Jowita Bydlowska, Jerry Fontaine, Don McCaskill and J.J. Martin, to find out best practices, how to find your niche, and […]
27. The Last Chapter Brunch *SALES CLOSED*
Harbourview Room, Delta Hotel 1 Johnson St, Kingston, OntatioRaise a glass of mimosa (or a cup of coffee) as we celebrate the final event of our 14th annual festival with literary legend David Adams Richards and Wayne Grady. David has followed up his acclaimed Miramichi Trilogy with The Tragedy of Eva Mott - a powerful standalone novel brimming with his signature blend of […]
WR12. Blogging and Social: Finding Your Focus
Lakeview, Delta Hotel 1 Johnson St, Kingston, OntarioJoin Keep Up with Kingston's Tianna Edwards for an inside look at writing for a virtual audience. Learn how to work through the noise of blogging and social by finding your voice and streamlining your messaging. We'll word through content creation, curation, and search engine optimization. Ticket includes complimentary coffee, tea, and baked goods. **Please note: […]
00. Open Mic in Memory of Steven Heighton
The Broom Factory 305 Rideau Street, Kingston, ONPlease join Kingston WritersFest for this special, free community event in honour of the late poet, author, and musician Steven Heighton. Featuring a reading performance by a Poetry In Voice National Finals winner Lauren Altomare, we’ll then open the stage for others to recite their work and take a moment to reflect on Steve’s legacy […]
Magyk in the Moorlands: An Evening with Ann-Marie MacDonald
The Spire Sanctuary 82 Sydenham St, Kingston, OntarioJoin Kingston WritersFest for this special offseason event featuring author, actor, and playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald. Ann-Marie is back with the exciting new historical fiction novel Fayne - her first new work in 8 years. Head back to the late nineteenth century, where a curious and adventurous young Charlotte Bell has been growing up at Fayne, a vast […]
GivingTuesday 2022
Zoom WebinarLettuce Celebrate! On Tuesday, November 29th we are running our annual GivingTuesday fundraiser with the support of CanadaHelps. We are so pleased to have local author and food writer Lindy Mechefske join us for a very special event featuring hand-selected recipes from her Taste Canada Award-Winning book Out of Old Ontario Kitchens. Register for FREE (donations gratefully accepted), […]
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