FOLD: The Writing Life with Amanda Leduc, Denise Da Costa and Suzan Palumbo

Presented in partnership with The Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD)

FOLD 2025 authors Amanda Leduc, Denise Da Costa, and Suzan Palumbo talk about their writing processes and publishing careers. Join us for a lively conversation about the life of a writer.

In conversation with Jael Richardson, Executive Director of the FOLD Festival.

About the Authors

AMANDA LEDUC is a disabled writer and author of the non-fiction book Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space, which was shortlisted for the2020 Governor General's Award in Non-Fiction and longlisted for the 2020 Barbellion Prize. She is also the author of the novels The Centaur's Wife and The Miracles of Ordinary Men. Her new novel, Wild Life, is forthcoming in Spring 2025.

DENISE DA COSTA is a writer and visual artist based in Ontario. She writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry exploring identify, love, mental health and the complexities of the human experience. And the Walls Came Down is her debut novel.

SUZAN PALUMBO is a Trinidadian-Canadian dark speculative fiction writer and editor. Her short stories have been nominated for the Nebula, Aurora, and World Fantasy Awards. Her debut dark fantasy/horror short story collection, Skin Thief: Stories, published by Neon Hemlock. Her novella Countess was published in fall 2024. She lives in Brampton, ON.

About the Host

JAEL RICHARDSON is the author of The Stone Thrower: A Daughter’s Lesson, a Father’s Life, a memoir based on her relationship with her father, CFL quarterback Chuck Ealey which was adapted into a children’s book in 2016. Her debut novel, Gutter Child is a dystopian story of courage and resilience and became an instant bestseller in January 2021. The novel was shortlisted for three Word Awards and was a finalist for the 2021 Amazon First Novel Award. Her most recent title, Because You Are, is a touching picture book written as a letter to her younger self. Richardson holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph and lives in Brampton, Ontario where she founded and serves as the Executive Director for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD).

Note: This is an in-person event taking place in the theatre at our Central Library location (85 Queen St. N.).

The talk starts at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30pm.

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Reminder! We oversell these events to make sure that the most people have an opportunity to attend. Tickets are only guaranteed until 15 minutes before the show starts, at which point we will start opening up available spots to the rush line.

Accessibility at Kitchener Public Library

Kitchener Public Library has assistive listening devices available for library program participants who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Please call or email us if you would like more information on this equipment, or to request to use it in this program. Please let us know as far in advance as possible and we will do our best to meet your request. Phone 519-743-0271 or email events@kpl.org.