REFLECTION & REASON

In what has become an annual tradition, Kya Publishing partnered with Cleveland's Elevated Waves Publishing to present a special Writing Workshop for the Toronto Public Library last week, in association with their Black History Month programming. Over the years, the workshop has evolved from discussing the idea of Urban Fiction, to providing information about Urban Fiction...and then with increased participation, we established a format of having a panel discussion followed by one-on-one author chats in the latest editions of the cultural writing workshop. One thing has been consistent, and that is our dedication to letting writers know about the importance of staying true to their authentic voices, and also honouring their personal experiences. Whether writing Urban Fiction, Black Narratives, or developing cultural writing projects, all writers have entered the environment and left with the same spirit: one of increased creativity. This year's workshop highlighted a pan...

We are fortunate to live in a time where walking into a bookstore and finding an ethnically diverse selection of children's books is no longer an anomaly. The past decade has brought a vibrant increase in visibility to the characters that fill the pages of children's literature, and with each generation we will surely see the social effects of this inclusive representation. As a child, bestselling children's author and storyteller Angelot Ndongmo didn't have the literary luxury of choosing between culturally reflective texts at the library or through her local bookseller. In fact, selecting books was less tied to personal reflection and instead focused on plot and theme. A fictional adventure is always satisfying for a young mind with a healthy imagination, but it was an avoidable misfortune for the generations who never had the added bonus of being able to receive that extra boost of culture through literature at a young age. If you happen to live in Toronto an...

History is constantly being documented year-round from various perspectives, voices, and parts of the world. As writers, we recognize the longevity of our work in print, whether it's online or in a library, we know that our words will last far beyond the moments they are created. As readers, we have looked to the words of our predecessors to learn from their environments, find out how they persevered through circumstances they were placed in, and we gain wisdom from their written knowledge and shared processes. Through fictional accounts, or non-fiction instruction, the words are powerful and lasting. As a group of Black writers, we thought it fitting to gather during Black History Month at the Toronto Public Library to reach out to our peers who are also crafting books and memoirs, poetry and other writings, and provide a space for us all to share the importance of writing cultural stories, and the importance of letting your personal experiences and perspectives shine thr...