Speakers will include Domenico Capilongo, Konrad Eisenbichler, Eufemia Fantetti, Terri Favro, Darlene Madott, and Gianna Patriarca.
Following the presentation, there will be an open mic, where local writers are invited to deliver a 2-minute reading. Space is limited. Registration will take place on a first-come, first-served basis through Eventbrite. Please click on the "Register" button below to reserve your spot!
Showcased Writers:
Domenico Capilongo’s work has appeared in several national and international literary magazines. His first book of poetry, I thought elvis was Italian, was short-listed for the 2010 F.G. Bressani Literary Prize, and his hold the note collection was long-listed for the 2011 ReLit Award. His latest book of poems, 1972, won 3rd Place in the 2024 Pier Di Cicco Poetry Award, and in 2024 he won the Premio Italia Radici Nel Mondo International Literary Competition for his short story "Semi" ("Seeds").
Konrad Eisenbichler is a prize-winning scholar working on the intersection of literature, politics, and religion in Renaissance Italy, with a side interest in the literature and history of Italian immigration in Canada. His many contributions to scholarship have been recognized at the highest levels both in Canada and Italy. In 2023, he became a Member of the Order of Canada by appointment of the Governor General of Canada.
Eufemia Fantetti’s short fiction collection, A Recipe for Disaster & Other Unlikely Tales of Love was runner-up for the 2013 Danuta Gleed Literary Award and won a Bressani Prize in 2014. She’s a three-time winner of Accenti magazine’s annual contest and her work has been published in various anthologies. Her memoir, My Father, Fortune-tellers & Me: A Memoir, was a finalist in the 2024 Canadian Book Club Awards.
Terri Favro’s Sputnik’s Children was a Globe100 book, was longlisted for CBC Canada Reads 2020, and was shortlisted for the Sunburst Award. The Proxy Bride was the winner of the Ken Klonsky-Quattro Books Novella Prize. Terri was a finalist in the Broken Pencil Indie Writers Deathmatch and the CBC Canada Writes Literary Prize for Creative Non-Fiction. Her latest novel, The False Queen’s Archive, is upcoming in winter 2025.
Darlene Madott has written ten books, including Winners and Losers (2023), and her forthcoming book, Closing Ceremonies, includes a story short-listed in the inaugural Nona Heaslip “Best Canadian Short Fiction.” She has been shortlisted for the Carter V. Cooper Short Fiction Award three times, as well as being a frequent finalist for Accenti magazine competitions, among others.
Gianna Patriarca’s writing has been extensively anthologized and included on course lists for universities in Italy, Canada, and the United States. She is featured at the Pier 21 Museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Enigmatico, The Italian/Canadians, Invisible Voices and Three Women: Adapting Lives, Adopting Lines. Her first book, Italian Women and Other Tragedies, is in its 4th edition.
