Program

The digital age is transforming how readers and audiences interpret and consume literary fiction. Zoe Whittall, Jean Hanff Korelitz and Shekhar Kapur discuss the evolving nature of text, script and screen narrative. In conversation with Shunali Khullar Shroff, they discuss how they create immersive narratives that reinterpret literary works. Award-winning film director and producer Shekhar Kapur has iconic films such as Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Bandit Queen among many others under his creative hat. Celebrated novelist and playwright Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel, You Should Have Known, was recently launched as an HBO limited series called The Undoing. Her latest book is The Plot. Canadian poet, novelist and TV writer Zoe Whittall, author of the recent book The Spectacular, has been a part of award-winning shows such as the Baroness Von Sketch Show and Schitt's Creek.

The people of Japan believe that everyone has an ‘Ikigai’ or ‘a reason to jump out of bed every morning’.

The international bestseller by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles shares the Japanese secret to a long and happy life and has helped readers around the world to find purpose, nurture friendships and throw themselves into their passions. The two co-authors have also recently written, The Book of Ichigo Ichie: The Art of Making the Most of Every Moment, the Japanese Way, which following the tenets of Zen Buddhism focuses on the need to use all our five senses to anchor yourself in the present. In conversation with writer Devapriya Roy, Miralles take us on an inspirational journey to find our Ikigai.

CanLitScape Poets and Storytellers

A session on speaking up, a session on silence.

Lebanese-Canadian activist, poet and writer Najwa Zebian’s book, Welcome Home, explores a revolutionary concept of home, your safe space. Weaving together memoir, poetry and storytelling, the narrative follows her journey of alienation from Lebanon to Canada and her experience of creating an independent identity for herself devoid of cultural expectations. Writer Shashi Bhat’s novel, The Most Precious Substance on Earth, follows the life of an Indian Canadian girl, from her teens to adulthood, and is a striking take on how silence can shape a life. A sharp commentary on the harsh realities girls and women face on a daily basis, the tale follows the protagonist's struggles at finding a voice under the shadow of trauma. In conversation with Aparita Bhandari, Zebian and Bhat undertake a quest of belonging, self worth and finding home.

CanLitScape Poets and Storytellers

How do you remember more and forget less?

How can you earn more and become more creative just by moving house?

Is there a shortcut to learning a musical instrument?

Writer, academic and mathematician extraordinaire Marcus du Sautoy’s recent book, Thinking Better: The Art of the Shortcut, is a thought provoking sociological and mathematical celebration of the art of the shortcut. Rooted in 2,000 years of data, du Sautoy’s guide explores how math lets us do more with less and attempts to solve the age-old question of hard work truly being the only key to success. In conversation with Roger Highfield, he offers a shortcut explanation on how shortcuts can change the world.

CanLitScape Poets and Storytellers

Michelin star chef Vikas Khanna’s upcoming book, Kitchens of Gratitude, follows the journey of his Feed India initiative often characterised as one the of world’s largest food drives in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. An expedition which began with a simple tweet has provided 40 million meals over 135 cities in India. In conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy, Vikas Khanna discusses the vision and connection between food, the concept of ‘Seva’ or service and belief.

James Thornton, Martin Goodman and Madhur Anand in conversation with Mridula Ramesh  With climate change rapidly escalating, a panel that seeks to answer the urgent questions around how far we have gone and how much time we have left, if at all. The latest report by The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that the changes the world has seen, be it wildfires or rising sea levels, has been unprecedented. Martin Goodman has co- authored Client Earth with his husband James Thornton, who helms a pioneering organisation of the same name that seeks to represent the Earth and advocate for its interests. Every bit as radical the name suggests, Client Earth continues to be a necessary intervention in times of rampant ecological devastation. Madhur Anand is the author of the book of poems A New Index for Predicting Catastrophes. She is the Professor of ecology and sustainability at the University of Guelph, and was appointed the inaugural director of the Guelph Institute for Environmental Research. A session which evaluates cutting edge technology, nature based solutions, environmental enforcement litigation and our responsibility to the planet in conversation with author and Founder of Sundaram Climate Institute, Mridula Ramesh.

CanLitScape Poets and Storytellers

A session which evaluates the transformative nature of language. It explores faultlines and pressures amongst conventional linguistic maps under colonisation and globalization. Writer and journalist James Griffiths’ book, Speak Not: Empire, Identity and Politics of Language, explores the decline and revival of languages across the world. In conversation with writer and translator Mohini Gupta, Griffiths examines methods of sustaining linguistic diversity and heritage. The session also keenly observes the steps forward for First Nations, indigenous people and minorities in their quest to preserve and renew their ancestral languages after years of neglect.

CanLitScape Poets and Storytellers

Two engaging novels look at the microcosm of the family.

Gail Anderson-Dargatz’s novel, The Almost Wife, is a tale of psychological isolation and family secrets set amidst the forests of Manitoulin Island and the shores of Lake Huron. The gripping thriller takes us through the journey of a woman faced with the question of trusting her loving fianće over his seemingly neurotic estranged wife. A Métis and nêhiyaw writer from Saskatchewan, Lisa Bird-Wilson’s latest work, Probably Ruby, is a searing fictional portrait of intergenerational trauma. Following the journey of a young adopted woman’s search for her indigenous identity, the novel creates a provocative yet compassionate mosaic of family, emotions and the sense of belonging. In a conversation with Meenakshi Alimchandani, Dargatz and Bird-Wilson speak of their inspirations and writing process.

CanLitScape Poets and Storytellers