Adrian Michael Kelly is a writer of short fiction, fiction, and essayist as well as a writing coach. He is the author of the novel Down Sterling Road. His short fiction has appeared in three compilations of Best Canadian Stories and in theJourney Prize Anthology, and his essays and journalism have appeared in The Globe & Mail, theCalgary Herald, CNQ: Canadian Notes and Queries, and other periodicals.  He holds a doctorate in English (with a creative writing focus) and has taught writing and literature to students and professionals worldwide. 

Adrian’s most recent work is his debut short fiction collection The Ambassador of What, a series of linked stories about fathers, sons, and the complicated reality that is family. A Canadian Notes & Queriesreview calls “the way Kelly wields (and welds together) words is astounding . . . When your brain finally clicks into Kelly’s rhythm, Ambassador accomplishes something rare: it feels fresh, a brand-new mode of storytelling; it rearticulates your way of seeing the world, reprograms your brain, gets your feet tapping to a different beat. And this is what makes it a book worth slowing down for.” 

Adrian was born in Timmins, grew up in Campbellford, and currently lives in Kingston. 

Appearing in: 24. A Brief Interlude: Stories of Music

Website: www.adrianmichaelkelly.com


Past Festival Appearances

2019: 29. Eternity in an Hour: The Power of Short Fiction