Book banning across the country continues to concern the Canadian literary community, especially in Alberta where certain books are slated to be pulled from school shelves this Fall. What do these types of bans mean for writers and for readers, now and in the coming months? Years? What calls to action might help prevent the banning of books in the future? Join our panelists and experts as they explore the ramifications of banned books and more this August.
The Panelists
Gail de Vos
Storyteller, author, librarian and educator, Gail de Vos has been an active promoter of the oral tradition of literature in Alberta for over three decades. Gail teaches courses on storytelling as well as courses on Canadian Children’s Literature, Indigenous Literature for Young Readers, Comic Books and Graphic Novels at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Library and Information Studies. Gail is the author of ten award winning resource books on storytelling and folklore in popular culture intended for educators working with students in Grade 6 and above as well as numerous guest chapters on comic books and graphic novels, storytelling, monsters, and folklore in popular culture for academic monographs. While her specialty is telling contemporary legends to young and not so young adults, she is equally at ease telling stories to young audiences. She is an active champion for intellectual freedom in her storytelling, writing, course material, and on social media.
http://storytellerdevos.com/
Ira Wells
Ira Wells is a writer and associate professor of literature at Victoria College in the University of Toronto, and the President of PEN Canada. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Globe and Mail, Guardian, The New Republic, and many other venues. His most recent book is On Book Banning. He lives in Toronto with his wife and children.
You can find him at Unacknowledged Legislation on Substack.
Peter Midgley
Peter Midgley is the author of several books of poetry, children’s literature, non-fiction, and plays. He has received national and international recognition as a writer and editor. His latest book, let us not think of them as barbarians, is an elegy for Namibia, the country of his birth, and a meditation on the multiple legacies of colonialism. His scholarship includes investigations into the relationship between writing, publishing and ideology, and he has spoken internationally on the subjects of censorship and writing as resistance.
https://www.midgley.ca/
Malcolm Azania
Malcolm Azania (Minister Faust) is an award-winning novelist, award-winning print journalist, radio host-producer, television host and associate producer, sketch comedy writer, video game writer, playwright, and poet. He has spoken and taught workshops widely.
ministerfaust.com
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Book banning across the country continues to concern the Canadian literary community, especially in Alberta where certain books are slated to be pulled from school shelves this Fall. What do these types of bans mean for writers and for readers, now and in the coming months? Years? What calls to action might help prevent the banning of books in the future? Join our panelists and experts as they explore the ramifications of banned books and more this August.
The Panelists
Gail de Vos
Storyteller, author, librarian and educator, Gail de Vos has been an active promoter of the oral tradition of literature in Alberta for over three decades. Gail teaches courses on storytelling as well as courses on Canadian Children’s Literature, Indigenous Literature for Young Readers, Comic Books and Graphic Novels at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Library and Information Studies. Gail is the author of ten award winning resource books on storytelling and folklore in popular culture intended for educators working with students in Grade 6 and above as well as numerous guest chapters on comic books and graphic novels, storytelling, monsters, and folklore in popular culture for academic monographs. While her specialty is telling contemporary legends to young and not so young adults, she is equally at ease telling stories to young audiences. She is an active champion for intellectual freedom in her storytelling, writing, course material, and on social media.
http://storytellerdevos.com/
Ira Wells
Ira Wells is a writer and associate professor of literature at Victoria College in the University of Toronto, and the President of PEN Canada. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Globe and Mail, Guardian, The New Republic, and many other venues. His most recent book is On Book Banning. He lives in Toronto with his wife and children.
You can find him at Unacknowledged Legislation on Substack.
Peter Midgley
Peter Midgley is the author of several books of poetry, children’s literature, non-fiction, and plays. He has received national and international recognition as a writer and editor. His latest book, let us not think of them as barbarians, is an elegy for Namibia, the country of his birth, and a meditation on the multiple legacies of colonialism. His scholarship includes investigations into the relationship between writing, publishing and ideology, and he has spoken internationally on the subjects of censorship and writing as resistance.
https://www.midgley.ca/
Malcolm Azania
Malcolm Azania (Minister Faust) is an award-winning novelist, award-winning print journalist, radio host-producer, television host and associate producer, sketch comedy writer, video game writer, playwright, and poet. He has spoken and taught workshops widely.
ministerfaust.com
Folks in the writing world continue to talk about AI and how they are using – or not using – it as a tool, a test, or even a novelty party trick. The writing seems to be on the wall when it comes to the inevitability of AI and its use in everyday life, but have writers and readers had their say about how AI creates new works of art? Some groups of writers are speaking out against the use of their writing to train Large Language Models (LLMs) without recognition and compensation, but is that enough? Are writers and consumers of literature willing to say they are not interested in purchasing new stories and books that are written entirely by AI? Is there a strong enough case for Human Intelligence and Human Creativity or is there just no stopping technology?
Join us for a spirited discussion of what we value as writers and as humans and the ways in which we can fight back.
Panel includes: Alison McBain, Christine Taylor, Matthew Stepanic, and Travis Croken.
Matthew Stepanic – Moderator
Matthew Stepanic (he/she/they) is a queer writer who lives and works on Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton. He edits and designs chapbooks for the recently launched Agatha Press. He is a co-author of Project Compass (Monto Books, 2017) and the author of Relying on that Body (Glass Buffalo, 2018). His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Queer Little Nightmares (Arsenal Pulp, 2022), Plenitude, FreeFall, and others.
Social handles on Twitter & Instagram are: @mlstepanic
Alison McBain- Panelist
Alison McBain’s novels are the recipients of over 13 awards, including the Foreword INDIES. When not writing for herself, she’s a ghostwriter who has penned over two dozen books for clients, as well as an award-winning editor who has worked with both celebrity and NY Times-bestselling authors. She’s currently pursuing a project called “Author Versus AI,” where she’s writing a book a week over the course of a year, using NO AI at all (52 books total). When not writing, Ms. McBain is associate editor for the magazine ScribesMICRO and draws all over the walls of her house with the enthusiastic help of her kids. She lives near Edmonton in Alberta.
Author Versus AI website
Author website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube
Christine Taylor – Panelist
Christine Tsai Taylor is a writer, storytelling consultant, and diversity specialist. The biracial daughter of a Taiwanese mother and American father, Christine grew up in the US, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland. She moved to Edmonton in July 2021 after seventeen years in The Netherlands. Her Substack newsletter is Wanderings.
Travis Croken – Panelist
Travis J. Croken lives in Ottawa, Canada and writes in a variety of genres. He is the National Co-Chair of the Canadian Authors Association, a member of the Ottawa Independent Writers, and Society for Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators. Croken hosts several writing programs including the Writer’s Chat, Scribe’s Journey Podcast, and After the… literary talk show. He owns Wax Seal Productions where he designs literary cocktails and helps authors reach their goals through coaching, editing, and other supports.
Socials:
Instagram: @thecalmscribe
Twitter: @thecalmscribe
TikTok: @thecalmscribe
Writers' Guild of Alberta Podcast
Book banning across the country continues to concern the Canadian literary community, especially in Alberta where certain books are slated to be pulled from school shelves this Fall. What do these types of bans mean for writers and for readers, now and in the coming months? Years? What calls to action might help prevent the banning of books in the future? Join our panelists and experts as they explore the ramifications of banned books and more this August.
The Panelists
Gail de Vos
Storyteller, author, librarian and educator, Gail de Vos has been an active promoter of the oral tradition of literature in Alberta for over three decades. Gail teaches courses on storytelling as well as courses on Canadian Children’s Literature, Indigenous Literature for Young Readers, Comic Books and Graphic Novels at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Library and Information Studies. Gail is the author of ten award winning resource books on storytelling and folklore in popular culture intended for educators working with students in Grade 6 and above as well as numerous guest chapters on comic books and graphic novels, storytelling, monsters, and folklore in popular culture for academic monographs. While her specialty is telling contemporary legends to young and not so young adults, she is equally at ease telling stories to young audiences. She is an active champion for intellectual freedom in her storytelling, writing, course material, and on social media.
http://storytellerdevos.com/
Ira Wells
Ira Wells is a writer and associate professor of literature at Victoria College in the University of Toronto, and the President of PEN Canada. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Globe and Mail, Guardian, The New Republic, and many other venues. His most recent book is On Book Banning. He lives in Toronto with his wife and children.
You can find him at Unacknowledged Legislation on Substack.
Peter Midgley
Peter Midgley is the author of several books of poetry, children’s literature, non-fiction, and plays. He has received national and international recognition as a writer and editor. His latest book, let us not think of them as barbarians, is an elegy for Namibia, the country of his birth, and a meditation on the multiple legacies of colonialism. His scholarship includes investigations into the relationship between writing, publishing and ideology, and he has spoken internationally on the subjects of censorship and writing as resistance.
https://www.midgley.ca/
Malcolm Azania
Malcolm Azania (Minister Faust) is an award-winning novelist, award-winning print journalist, radio host-producer, television host and associate producer, sketch comedy writer, video game writer, playwright, and poet. He has spoken and taught workshops widely.
ministerfaust.com
