Emma Donoghue, author of Room, The Wonder, and Pull of the Stars, returns with The Paris Express, a taut and suspenseful historical novel that reimagines an 1895 French railway disaster, an event famously documented in dramatic photographs. In this pre-festival event, gritLIT is thrilled to welcome Emma Donoghue to the historic Playhouse Cinema to sit down with CHCH Morning Live’s Annette Hamm. The Paris Express is a thrilling ride and a literary masterpiece that captures the politics, fears and chaos of the end of the nineteenth century.

$15 | This event is hosted at the Playhouse Cinema (177 Sherman Avenue North) | Not included in Weekend Pass

In this exploratory writing session, Mari Mendoza and Britt Smith from Firefly Creative Writing will help you kick off your festival by tapping into your own creative voice.  

They’ll lead the group through 2–3 reflective writing prompts (with some optional sharing — no pressure) to gather inspiration and connect to the joy of writing, leaving you primed and ready for a week full of the magic of words.

Everyone is welcome, whether you identify as a “writer” or not — no experience necessary!

This is an online event | $5 | Included in Weekend Pass

gritLIT has helped nurture many exciting new Canadian authors through our annual Short Story Contest. This year’s contest broke all previous records with nearly 125 entries! Join Contest Manager Paige Maylott and the 2025 Short Story Contest winners as they discuss their winning entries and share tips for other aspiring — and potentially award-winning — Canadian writers. 

This is an online event | Free | Included in Weekend Pass

Read the winning stories ahead of the event!

We all have a story to tell! Join gritLIT for a Festival Field Trip to the Hamilton Public Library's Local History and Archives, located on the 3rd floor of the Central Library (55 York Boulevard), for an informational session about the tools and resources available to help you delve into the past. This session is perfect for writers and storytellers looking to uncover and share their own stories—or the story of Hamilton—through research and historical records. You'll also be joined by Margaret Nowaczyk, author of Marrow Memory: Essays of Discovery, who will share insights from her own journey of uncovering hidden narratives and personal history through genealogical research.

Hamilton Public Library Central Branch| Free | Limited Spaces Available | Registration Required

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation. Her work breaks open the intersections between politics, story and song — bringing audiences into a rich and layered world of sound, light, and sovereign creativity. We’re so happy to welcome Leanne to the festival for the first time in celebration of Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead, a revolutionary look at that most elemental force, water. In this inventive work, Simpson artfully weaves Nishnaabeg story and tradition with her own deep thinking and lived experience — and offers a vision of water as a catalyst for radical transformation, capable of birthing a new world.

$15 | This event is hosted at the Playhouse Cinema (177 Sherman Avenue North) | Included in Weekend Pass (Pre-Registration Required.)

The mission of the Reader’s Advisory Divas and Dudes is to spread the word about all the hidden gems on publishing lists: the debut authors, the books that publishers are very excited about, and the quiet bestsellers. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while two of the Divas offer an exclusive sneak peek at their picks for the best reads for summer 2025.

$5 | Included in Weekend Pass

Each year we kick off our in-person festival with Hamilton Reads, showcasing just a few of the amazing writers that continue to put Hamilton on the literary map. Join local author Jamie Tennant as he sits down with Linzey Corridon (West of West Indian) and Maxie Dara (A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer) to talk about their new books and what it’s like to live and write in Hamilton. You’ll also get a sneak peek of the many other Hamiltonians gracing our stage during festival weekend. 

$12 | Included in Weekend Pass

Our lives, our culture, our community all start with and revolve around food and eating. However, we are entering an era of unprecedented change. Climate, technology, the global spread of crop diseases, droughts, and the loss of pollinators all threaten to change what we eat and how we eat it. Join the book’s editors A.G. Pasquella and Jeff Dupuis alongside contributors Gary Barwin, Anuja Varghese, and A.G.A. Wilmot. This is not the world of the distant future — this is tomorrow.

$12 | Included in Weekend Pass

Join picture book author Derek Mascarenhas (The Mango Monster, 100 Chapatis) for a morning of stories and art making at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market. Young ones and their families will delight in delicious tales, followed by creative fun inspired by Derek’s books.

This event is made possible by the support of the incite Foundation for the Arts. 

Free | Registration not required

In beautifully crafted essays, Chantal Braganza (Story of Your Mother) and Margaret Nowaczyk (Marrow Memory: Essays of Discovery) look inward, exploring themes of identity, family history, and memory. In this conversation with Erin Pepler, they’ll explore the unique power of essays to share intimate, through-provoking narratives that invite readers to marvel in the unexpected beauty of human experience. 

$12 | Included in Weekend Pass

What stories can images tell? What words do colour, shapes and forms suggest? What can visual art teach writers? In this walk- and write-around the Art Gallery of Hamilton, participants will discover the thousand words in pictures and, guided by award-winning novelist, poet, visual and multimedia artist Gary Barwin, create new writing inspired by what they see.

$30 | Includes Admission to the Art Gallery of Hamilton

This event is made possible by the support of the incite Foundation for the Arts.

In this intro to speculative poetry workshop by Terese Mason Pierre, participants will learn: the basics of defining, writing and identifying speculative poetry; how to use literary devices to enhance the speculative elements in their poems; and how to use poetic types to bridge speculative content and form. Time will also be allotted for writing exercises and sharing resources.

$25 | Limited Spaces Available

In 1913, Hoi Wing Woo’s dreams of an education are shattered when he is sent to work in a Chinese laundry. Decades later, Irena Marianowska’s dreams of attending art school in Paris are crushed when the Nazis invade Poland. Sit down with authors Edward Y.C. Lee (The Laundryman’s Boy) and Kath Jonathan (The Resistance Painter) for a conversation about coming of age, human resilience, and bringing the past to life through fiction. 

Hosted by Ann Y.K. Choi | $12 | Included in Weekend Pass

Drawing on the advice and experiences of writers dead and alive, world-famous and niche, award-winning author and coordinator of Humber Polytechnic’s Bachelor of Creative and Professional Writing Meaghan Strimas offers attendees an insider look at how published authors manage common obstacles like writer’s block, imposter syndrome, and rejections, through intentional writing practices, expectation management, and the building of critical relationships with writers and other creative professionals.

$25 | Limited Spaces Available

Folklore, cultural stories, magical realism, and the alike are brought to life by authors K.J. Aiello (The Monster and the Mirror), Terese Mason Pierre (Myth), and Liz Worth (Inside Every Dream, a Raging Sea). How does folklore interact with their life, how do they see folklore in their work, and what role do authors play in creating mythologies from the artifacts they make art with?

This event is presented by our Next Chapter Committee.

$12 | Included in Weekend Pass

What is plot and how is it related to character? How do writers create stimulating storylines and generate characters that spring to life on the page? What steps are necessary to formulate a plot that makes a book “unputdownable?” In this workshop, Edward Y. C. Lee, the author of The Laundryman’s Boy, will lead a discussion about plot creation and character development. He will talk about various methods used to generate plot, the classical three-act structure, brainstorming, backstory, limit-setting, and how strong characters can drive plotlines. The workshop will also explore how character needs and desires can fuel action and suspense. Examples will be drawn from published works and the workshop participants themselves.

$25 | Limited Spots Available

Join Anuja Varghese as she sits down with Farzana Doctor (The Beauty of Us), Rosena Fung (Age 16), and Sarah Raughley (The Queen’s Spade) for a lively chat about what makes a GREAT main character! Panelists will discuss the importance of capturing and reflecting complex young women characters on the page and what “main character energy” means in each of their books — and maybe their real lives too! Tackling revenge, rebellion, racism, and much more — these authors have crafted diverse and compelling characters that you’ll be talking about long after the conversation on stage ends. 

Hosted by Anuja Varghese | $12 | Included in Weekend Pass

In this workshop, author K.J. Aiello discusses the challenges, barriers, and strategies of safely writing trauma. Topics covered will include self-assessments, use of imagery, caring for yourself and your readers, and how to write about difficult people. Writing exercises (either in-workshop or take-home) will be provided.

$25 | Limited Spaces Available

gritLIT challenges Hamilton’s new or emerging authors to put their speed-writing skills to the test! You will be given a prompt and one or two required elements. Can you incorporate them into a 500-word-or-less story in one hour? The winner, decided by local author Nicola Winstanley, will receive a $50 gift certificate from Epic Books and have their story published on the gritLIT website.

$5 | Interactive Event

In her dazzling new novel, Hamilton’s Amanda Leduc (Wild Life) blurs the line between human and animal, as two walking, talking hyenas interact with humans over decades. Weaving between real and imaginary worlds, Terese Mason Pierre's debut collection of poetry, Myth, unearths the unsettling, exploring our jaded and joyful relationships to land, ancestry, trauma, self, and future. In conversation with Farzana Doctor, Amanda and Terese will explore the power of storytelling to challenge how we view the world around us.

Hosted by Farzana Doctor | $12 | Included in Weekend Pass

In their three chilling new books, Cheryl Isaacs (The Unfinished), Pasha Malla (All You Can Kill), and A.G.A. Wilmot (Withered) bring haunting narratives to life, each pulling readers into an unnerving psychological tale of suspense, mystery, and the unsettling feeling that something could be lurking around every corner.

Hosted by Jessica Peter | $12 | Included in Weekend Pass

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