gritLIT invites festival-goers to join our festival weekend book club! This year’s pick is All You Can Kill by Pasha Malla. Book club leader Annette Hamm will lead the author in an in-depth discussion about his latest novel. You are encouraged to read the book in advance and join in the conversation, but sitting back with a coffee and pastry to listen is okay too! Copies of the book are available to purchase at Epic Books or to borrow from the Hamilton Public Library.

$5 | Interactive Event

You've endured the gauntlets of actually writing and getting published, so you think you're in the clear. But then you get the call: now you have to read it. Out loud. In front of people. Maybe in front of a lot of people. If you're a writer, you're going to have to read what you've written. This workshop hosted by Trevor Copp, a multifaceted theatre professional with over 20 years of experience, gives you the chance to get feedback on how to extend your words out to a crowd. 

Each participant is asked to bring a couple pages of their own text plus an anecdote about it to share. Please note this smaller workshop will be capped at 15 participants. 

$25 | Limited Spaces Available

Capturing voice when writing for teens can be very intimidating. Adult writers venturing into the Upper YA space often worry about how to keep up with the ever-changing trends and slang common with teens without their writing sounding “boomer-coded.” In this writing workshop, YA novelist Maya Ameyaw will share her tips and tricks for honing a fresh, yet timeless, teen writing style that keeps young readers engaged. The workshop will delve into the complex emotional mindsets of modern teens, the responsibilities and issues they face, as well crafting characters and dialogue that feel authentic to the teen experience. Through examples, group discussion, and writing exercises, participants of all experience levels will have the opportunity to work on developing their teen writing voice.

$25 | Limited Spaces Available

Deyohahá:ge:, “two roads or paths” in Cayuga language, evokes the Covenant Chain-Two Row Wampum, known as the “grandfather of the treaties.” Famously, this Haudenosaunee wampum agreement showed how Indigenous people and newcomers could build peace and friendship by respecting each other’s cultures, beliefs, and laws as they shared the river of life. Join the book’s editors Daniel Coleman (Grandfather of the Treaties: Finding Our Future Through the Wampum Covenant), Ki'en Debicki, and Bonnie M. Freeman for a conversation about the significance of the Two Row Wampum and how it might restore good relations today. 

Hosted by January Rogers | $12 | Included in Weekend Pass

Join poets Farah Ghafoor (Shadow Price) and Hollay Ghadery (Speech Dries Here on the Tongue) for a reading and conversation about the deep connections between environmental collapse, mental health, and capitalism — and how poetry can serve as a powerful tool for resistance, reflection, and hope.

Hosted by Jaclyn Desforges | $12 | Included in Weekend Pass

It’s no secret that a story never really feels like it’s “done.” We can spend so much time adjusting a sentence, a word or even a comma (we’ve all been there), that we lose sight of the story-at-large. This workshop, hosted by Sadi Muktadir, will explore self-editing strategies, and the process of bringing a story or manuscript from a draft to completion. We’ll work through strategies to detach yourself from your own work, how to “kill your own darlings,” and committing to an idea. These strategies will help writers be more satisfied with their writing.

$25 | Limited Spaces Available

In his compelling memoir, Vinh Nguyen (The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse) shares his harrowing escape from Vietnam and the mystery of his father’s disappearance along the way. In Born to Walk, Alpha Nkuranga runs from her grandparents' home in Rwanda, joining a group of refugees fleeing to Tanzania. A. Gregory Frankson (Alphabet Soup: A Memoir in Letters) will share his poetic exploration of creative memoir in poetic prose to grapple with one’s past in th represent, with the hope it can help create a more satisfying future.

Hosted by Renata Hall | $12 | Included in Weekend Pass

Each year, gritLIT asks an award-winning established Canadian author to help us shine a light on a few new or emerging writers whose work deserves national recognition. Join 2025 Spotlight Series Curator Sarah Raughley in conversation with Maya Ameyaw (Under All the Lights) and Sadi Muktadir (Land of No Regrets). 

$12 | Included in Weekend Pass

Didn’t get enough of some of your favourite festival authors? Join us Homewood Suites by Hilton’s lounge for Drafts & Drafts for an exclusive sneak peek of some works-in-progress we’re sure will end up on your future to-be-read lists. Featured authors will include Maxie Dara, A. Gregory Frankson, and Paige Maylott.

Free Event