Welcome to the King's Author Series!
Come join us at the Joanne and Peter Kenny Theatre, King Student Life Centre for an exciting event featuring Indigenous author and poet, Melissa Schnarr. Melissa is the author of Secondhand Moccasins, her debut collection of poetry. Melissa’s keynote, “We’ll Always Be Here” will take a look at Indigenous art including taking a look at writing as a form of resistance. The first 50 people at the door will receive a free copy of Secondhand Moccasins!
As chair of Western’s Indigenous Writers’ Circle, Melissa Schnarr offers profound insights into storytelling as resistance and teaching practices that support equity and decolonization. Her debut poetry collection, Secondhand Moccasins, reflects on themes of resilience, identity, and reconciliation, offering a powerful exploration of personal and ancestral memory.
In her keynote, Melissa will explore the power of Indigenous art and storytelling as forms of resistance. Drawing from Secondhand Moccasins, she will reflect on themes of resilience and identity, weaving vivid narratives inspired by personal and cultural memory. Described as a heartfelt thank-you to generations of Indigenous women, the collection features striking imagery, from moccasins found in an attic to ‘glass castles’ along the 401. This presentation offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the enduring strength of Indigenous voices in shaping pathways to reconciliation.
Mark your calendars. You won't want to miss an unforgettable evening at the King's Author Series.
Refreshments provided. Parking is free in lots P1 and P2.
If you have any accessibility needs, please email edid@kings.uwo.ca.
This is a hybrid event. Please find the webinar link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87350075180
About the author:
Melissa Schnarr is an Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee writer, artist, and scholar from Deshkan Ziibii (London, Ontario), with family ties in Bkejwanong Territory (Walpole Island First Nation) and Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Her work has appeared in TNQ (The New Quarterly), the Windsor Review, Luna Station Quarterly, and Yellow Medicine Review, with her first collection of poetry, Secondhand Moccasins, just released. Her poem “Rough Cut” received a Pushcart Prize nomination in 2020. Currently, she is an instructor and PhD candidate at Western University and serves as the chair for the Indigenous Writers’ Circle.
