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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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Book Launch of “The Alphabet of Aliens” by Sabayasachi Nag November 25, 2025

Join us for an enlightening and thought-provoking event as we celebrate the book launch of “The Alphabet of Aliens” by Sabyasachi Nag. This event promises to be an engaging evening of literature and dialogue, featuring a reading by Sabyasachi, followed by an insightful conversation with Mary Ellen Koroscil. Books will be on sale Location: Benares Historic House The dreamlike, eerily atmospheric prose poems in this collection interrogate margins and melt points of migrancy. Intensely personal, funny, enchanting,…

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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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Toronto International Festival of Authors: Searching for Eastman October 5, 2021

Poet, playwright and performer charles c. smith unveils an evocative programme of theatrical storytelling from the wind in the leaves collective, a dynamic and diverse group of accomplished and passionate artists. smith’s latest work, Searching for Eastman: A Performance Poem, is a multidisciplinary performance in four acts, based on the interpretation of four of Julius Eastman’s compositions through poetry, theatre, music, dance, video and digital. Don’t miss this multi-disciplinary interpretation of the life and work of…

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