Welcome to Vol XXI, the April 2023 Issue, featuring craft essays, discussions and author interviews about the latest fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. As with previous issues, we are pleased to share with you a diverse array of voices, politics and sensibilities from across Canada and the globe.
Featured novelist, short story writer, teacher and author of two novels and two short story collections Shaena Lambert, talks to Sabyasachi Nag about her craft and artisanal habits. Winnipeg based poet Hannah Green talks to Emily Cann about her debut poetry collection Xanax Cowboy (House of Anansi Press, April 2023). Philadelphia based poet John Wall Barger talks to Sabyasachi Nag about his newest poetry collection (Smog Mother, Palimpsest Press, Sept 2022); Vancouver based writer Gail Kirkpatrick talks to Lucy Black about her debut novel Sleepers and Ties (Now Or Never Publishing Co, April 2023); retired Toronto detective Steve Ryan talks to Anna Liza Kozma about his debut non-fiction work The Ghosts That Haunt Me, Dundurn Press, Sept 2022); where he reflects on six homicides among the more than hundred that he investigated. Ontario based mother-daughter writing duo Alie and Hejsa Christensen talk to Lucy Black about their debut novel Stealing John Hancock (Turnstone Press, Oct 2022).
During the past month, we had the pleasure of reviewing submissions received in response to the open call for craft essays and book reviews from across the world. From the accepted submissions, we are excited to share The Joys of Cutting, Betsy Robinson’s refreshing take on self-editing.
In this issue, we are proud to present the second episode of a monthly reading series featuring the bravest and sassiest Canadian voices in fiction, poetry and non-fiction from around the country. In this episode, hosted by Amelie Laura Francis, author Gail Kirkpatrick reads from her newest collection of stories, Sleepers and Ties on AW Live (AW’s vodcast channel on You Tube).
We hope you will enjoy this issue and feed us back with your comments and ideas to make AW more effective in serving the community of writers and readers. Many thanks for being here!