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Two Currents Meet in Ottawa: Mekyle Ali Qadir Launches Crescendo at Octopus Books July 7, 2026 – Posted in: Highlights, Poetry, Readings & Excerpts

Some launches announce a book; others announce a voice. The launch of Crescendo, Mekyle Ali Qadir’s debut poetry collection with Mawenzi House on June 29, 2026, at the Mauril-Bélanger Social Innovation Workshop (The Atelier) in Ottawa was firmly the latter. The evening drew more than forty readers, writers, scholars, family and friends, with thirty copies of the collection finding new shelves by night’s end. Mekyle opened with a reading of the collection’s introduction, “Two Currents,”…

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Where the River Finds Her Voice: Saraswoti Lamichhane Launches Karaikhola Flows at Audrey’s Books, Edmonton June 3, 2026 – Posted in: Highlights, Readings & Excerpts

There are book launches, and then there are evenings that feel like the land itself called them into being. The launch of Karaikhola Flows — Saraswoti Lamichhane’s debut poetry collection with Mawenzi House at Edmonton’s beloved Audrey’s Books was unmistakably the latter. Held at one of Canada’s most storied independent bookstores, the event brought together Edmonton’s literary community to celebrate a collection that has been a long time coming. Karaikhola Flows (Mawenzi House, 2026) is…

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BIRTH OF A BOOK – The Origins of I Left You Behind by Nazneen Sheikh October 9, 2025 – Posted in: Inspiration

I Left You Behind, my collection of short stories, arose from an accident. During Covid, I had spent hours gazing at old family photographs of my father whom I adored. Then I took this a step further and wrote down my earliest memory of him. The story flowed like silk. I was stunned that I was able to finish it. I sent it off as a sample with the application of a Toronto Arts Award…

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We grieve the passing of Mawenzi author Lien Chao (1950 – 2025) October 1, 2025 – Posted in: Uncategorised

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Mawenzi House author Lien Chao in Toronto. Writer, poet, critic, inter-arts artist, and arts educator and promoter, Lien Chao was born in Hangzhou, China, in 1950 and grew up during the tumultuous period of the Cultural Revolution led by Mao Zedong. She came to Canada in 1984 for graduate studies at York University, Toronto and became a Canadian citizen a few years later. Her…

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2025 Summer Book Recommendations June 11, 2025 – Posted in: Book Club, Book Recs, Uncategorised

From Mawenzi House Publishers to our devoted readers, summer has officially started! This summer we want to shine some sunlight on our fiction titles. From teenagers attempting to destroy Shakespeare’s manuscripts, to small Indian Muslim communities torn apart by archaic social customs, embark on a journey with these six books. 1. The Blessed Curse by Sarmad Sehbai  We start our summer reading list with a dark comedy about searching for a male aphrodisiac. A group…

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Holi: Spring Festival of Colours March 8, 2023 – Posted in: Readings & Excerpts

From Mattress Makers, by Sasenarine Persaud. May there always be spring in our eyesand fingers, feet: pink ixoras, red hibiscusmauve madar—green buds everywhere Even live oaks’ allergenic dust coating everythingyellow, golden gainda, daddy said, not marigoldspani re pani tera rang kaisa—is it rain—or Water what is your colour? Or plucked stingsMukesh mixing easily with jhaals chimingfrom UP: Holi Khele Raghuvira Awadh Mein May we sing for a thousand years—more—chowtals, olaras—Mamas crafting coconut gojiasdholaks in arteries, hearts,…

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Thanksgiving November 24, 2022 – Posted in: Readings & Excerpts

From Mattress Makers by Sasenarine Persaud, forthcoming from Mawenzi House. Sun dances through clear-glass doorflagged by palm fronds wavingwebbed arms to bladed bananaLeaf-shadows lounging on fence—a morning thief dropping red petalson clipped lawn Indian orchid heartsrolling wind circumambulatingmy south and yours warm jamunleaves gyrating on weathered paling

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