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Since 1999, Canadian Writers in Person has connected readers with over 200 of the country’s most talented writers, almost 50 of them winners of – or nominees for – the Scotiabank Giller or Griffin Poetry Prizes. This year, we’re thrilled that the Canadian Writers in Person lecture series will be continuing with 11 more sessions spanning from September 2019 until March 2020.

We are also celebrating an exciting new development! An endowment in support of Canadian Writers in Person will ensure the reading series is a permanent feature, covering travel expenses and honoraria to bring authors from across Canada to present their work to the York community.

On top of this year’s amazing lineup of authors, we’re proud to announce a celebration on October 23, 2019, commemorating the 20th anniversary of Canadian Writers in Person – featuring renowned poet, novelist, and essayist Dionne Brand.

Photo by Jason Chow

Through poems, essays, documentaries, fiction, and non-fiction, Brand’s own writing tackles a bevy of critical issues head on. Never afraid to explore topics such as gender, sexuality, feminism, and race, she raises important questions with her work – sparking relevant discussions about culture and experience. Her unyielding dedication to social activism both on and off the page inspires her peers and audiences alike.

We invite you to join us in celebrating the growth of Canadian Writers in Person over the past 20 years with a special presentation by Dionne Brand, “What does writing do.”

7:00PM – Doors open
7:30PM – Lecture in Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan Theatre
8:30PM – Reception in CIBC Lobby

Seats are filling up fast! Click here to RSVP

Please register each guest separately to ensure all guests receive the confirmation email with directions.

A special thank you to Quill and Quire for their promotional support.

About the author:

Dionne Brand's literary credentials are legion. Her latest novel, Theory, won the 2019 OCM BOCAS Prize for Caribbean Literature, and was a Globe and Mail Best Book. Her latest poetry collection, The Blue Clerk, was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize and won the Trillium Book Prize. Her collection Ossuaries won the Griffin Poetry Prize, and other collections have won the Governor General's Literary Award, the Trillium Book Award and the Pat Lowther Memorial Award. Among her novels, In Another Place, Not Here was selected as a NYT Book Review Notable Book and a Best Book by the Globe and Mail; At the Full and Change of the Moon was selected a Best Book by the LA Times; and What We All Long For won the Toronto Book Award. In 2006, Brand was awarded the Harbourfront Festival Prize for her contribution to the world of books and writing, and from 2009 to 2012 she served as Toronto's Poet Laureate. In 2017, she was named to the Order of Canada. Brand is a Professor in the School of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph. She lives in Toronto.

Bio courtesy of Penguin Random House.