If you love meeting talented writers and hearing them read their published work, or just want to soak up a unique cultural experience, don’t miss the Canadian Writers in Person Lecture Series, which continues Dec. 7 with a reading from Katłįà (Catherine) Lafferty’s debut novel, Land-Water-Sky/Ndè–Tı–Yat’a (Fernwood Publishing, 2020).
The series gives attendees an opportunity to get up close and personal with 11 authors who will present their work and answer questions. Canadian Writers in Person is a for-credit course for students and a free-admission event for members of the public. All readings take place at 7 p.m. on select Tuesday evenings via Zoom.
Lafferty is a Dene woman from the Northwest Territories. Previously serving as a councillor for her First Nation, Yellowknives Dene, she is an activist, poet and columnist, and law student in Indigenous legal orders. She writes about Indigenous injustices with a focus on the North.
Set in Canada’s far North, this layered composite novel traverses space and time, from a community being stalked by a dark presence, a group of teenagers out for a dangerous joyride, to an archeological site on a mysterious island that holds a powerful secret. Riveting, subtle and unforgettable, Lafferty provides a unique perspective into what the world might look like today if Indigenous legends walked amongst us, disguised as humans, and ensures that the spiritual significance and teachings behind the stories of Indigenous legends are respected and honoured.
This year’s Canadian Writers in Person Lecture Series lineup consists of a unique selection of emerging and established Canadian writers whose writing explores a broad range of topics and geographical and cultural landscapes. Featuring seasoned and emerging poets and fiction writers, the series highlights Canada’s ever-growing pool of literary talent.
Other readings scheduled in this series are:
- Jan. 18, 2022: Thomas King, Sufferance (HarperCollins Canada)
- Feb. 1, 2022: Zsuzsi Gartner, The Beguiling (Penguin Random House Canada)
- Feb. 22, 2022: Rebecca Salazar, sulphurtongue (Penguin Random House Canada)
- March 8, 2022: Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Mexican Gothic (Penguin Random House)
- March 22, 2022: Louise B. Halfe/Sky Dancer, Burning in This Midnight Dream (Brick Books)
Links for each reading can be found here.
Canadian Writers in Person is a course offered in the Culture & Expression program in the Department of Humanities in York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. For more information on the series, visit yorku.ca/laps/canwrite, or email Professor Gail Vanstone at gailv@yorku.ca or Professor Leslie Sanders at leslie@yorku.ca.