Jessica Rose,
Artistic Director

When Jessica first started with gritLIT in 2013 as a committee member, it was only the beginning. She is a former Board Member and has been acting as the Marketing Manager since 2019. One of her most memorable festival moments was in 2015 when gritLIT hosted Richard Wagamese and she got to host his literary salon.

Outside of gritLIT, Jessica’s work as a writer, editor, and book reviewer has appeared in publications across Canada. She is working on a children’s non-fiction book scheduled to be released in early 2024. You can find Jes at jesrose.ca.

Favourite book/genre/literary quote: “Why can't I write something that would awake the dead? That pursuit is what burns most deeply.” ― Patti Smith, Just Kids

Jennifer Rawlinson,
Director of Operations

Wanting to be more involved with the literary community in Hamilton, Jennifer joined the gritLIT team in 2018. Her most memorable moment thus far has been either when she was volunteering in the hospitality suite and listening to the conversations between authors who were hanging out, or when Vivek Shraya thanked her for spending $100 on books.

Outside of gritLIT, Jennifer works as the Production Coordinator for Wolsak and Wynn and the Digital Editor for the Hamilton Review of Books.

Favourite book/genre/literary quote: “My favourite type of book to read is anything that gets weird. I loved Bellevue Square by Michael Redhill, The Tiger Flu by Larissa Lai, Bunny by Mona Awad, and so many others.”

Samantha Terry,
Volunteer Coordinator

Samantha Terry is a freelance writer whose passions include volunteering, reading, and spreadsheets. Samantha has been a gritLIT Ambassador, a director on the gritLIT Board of Directors, is an active participant on various gritLIT committees, and has now taken up the mantle of Volunteer Coordinator.

Samantha's favourite book genre is fantasy and she loves getting new book recommendations to add to her ever-growing TBR pile. Reach out to talk about books and/or becoming a gritLIT volunteer at any time at volunteers@gritLIT.ca! 

Paige Petrovsky,
Operations Team

Paige covered the 2016 gritLIT festival for a school project during her first year of Journalism at Mohawk College. She has been hooked ever since and her favourite festival memory is getting to interview Lawrence Hill.

Aside from volunteering with gritLIT, Paige is the owner of Preserve Your Words – a biography writing service.

Favourite book/genre/literary quote: “Standing there, staring at the long shelves crammed with books, I felt myself relax and was suddenly at peace.” ― Helene Hanff, Q's Legacy: A Delightful Account of a Lifelong Love Affair with Books

Nichole Fanara,
Operations Team

Nichole Fanara is a writer and high school teacher living in Hamilton, Ontario. She has been published in Hamilton Arts and Letters and volunteers with gritLit to help promote literacy in the city and has been a featured author at the event. When taking a break from collecting pineapple artefacts, Nichole choreographs and participates in local musical theatre. In the Moment is Nichole’s debut book.

Joe Criger,
Operations Team

Joe got involved with gritLIT during the spring of 2019.

One of his most memorable moments during the festival occurred when he was running sound for an event Vivek Shraya was hosting with Arielle Twist and Téa Mutonji reading from their most recent works. “Arielle Twist read a poem of hers about growing up lonely and depressed in Winnipeg and it was the first time I can remember being so deeply affected by poetry.”

Favourite book/genre/literary quote: Joe gravitates towards Stephen King. However, “Other than those, I have a real weird soft spot for trashy novellas about young marketing professionals.”

Aside from gritLIT, Joe works as office manager for a court reporting firm in downtown Hamilton. In his spare time, he enjoys playing Magic: the Gathering and film criticism and is trying to get back to jogging regularly.

Paige Maylott,
Writing Contest Manager

Paige joined the gritLIT team in the fall of 2021. She is a local author and winner of the Hamilton Arts & Letters Award for Creative Non-Fiction. Represented by Chelene Knight of Transatlantic agency, Paige’s upcoming memoir, My Body is Distant features topics of digital identity, gender transition, and critical illness. Paige’s book is set for release on September 2023 through ECW Press.

A lifelong resident of Hamilton, Paige collects rabbit paraphernalia, retro games of the 80s and 90s and is surrounded by an adorable, but demanding, menagerie of furry friends. You can find her website at: paigemaylott.com

Favourite book/quote: "You know how you let yourself think that everything will be all right if you can only get to a certain place or do a certain thing. But when you get there you find it's not that simple." – Richard Adams, Watership Down.