Diaspora Dialogues

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Diaspora Dialogues is Thrilled to Announce the “It Begins With a Book” Shortlist

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DD is thrilled to announce the shortlist for the It Begins with a Book project, celebrating four works from contemporary writers from Africa, Asia and Australia!

An Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon
The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber
How We Disappeared by Jing Jing Lee
Dark As Last Night by Tony Birch

The nominated books will be shared with our jury, Melanie Florence and Derek Mascarenhas. The final book chosen will serve as the foundation stone for a series of activities including the creation and presentation of new artistic works by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia, Thea Lim and Helen Knott, as well as musical composition by Lucas Haneman at a literary salon March 31, 2022.

The Public Lending Right with TWUC

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Attention writers! Are you considering joining The Writer’s Union of Canada? Join us for a workshop hosted by TWUC’s Executive Director John Degen and chair Rhea Tregebov. They will further explain what TWUC does and offers Canadian writers, as well as explain what the Public Lending Right is and how it can be beneficial.

Rhea Tregebov’s second novel Rue des Rosiers was short-listed for the 2020 BC and Yukon Book Prizes Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and won the 2020 Nancy Richler Memorial Prize for Fiction. An award-winning poet and celebrated author of children’s picture books, Tregebov has also edited numerous anthologies.

John Degen is Executive Director of The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC), and Chair of the International Authors Forum (IAF) in the UK – serving and representing over 700,000 authors worldwide. He is a poet and novelist with three published books. His novel, The Uninvited Guest, was shortlisted for the 2007 Amazon First Novel Award.

To register for the event, visit our Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-public-lending-right-with-twuc-tickets-224862789657

Diaspora Dialogues Lauches New Project “It Begins with a Book”

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Diaspora Dialogues is thrilled to announce a fresh and exciting project, It Begins with a Book, funded by Canada Council for the Arts.

As the world around us has gotten more intimate in the face of this unprecedented pandemic, DD seeks to spark travel of the imagination through the exploration of global fiction. We are currently holding a contest to choose one book of fiction (published originally in, or translated into, English within the past two years) from a contemporary writer in Africa, Asia or Australia. We invite you to submit your recommendation(s) along with a one-paragraph description of why that book would be important for Canadians to read. Deadline is December 20, 2021.

With the help of our community of diverse writers/artists, as well as with partners, arts organizations, and the general public, we’ll be requesting submissions of English language or translated work. People will be asked to submit their recommendation, and a one paragraph description of why that book would be important for Canadians to read.

The nominated books will be shared with a jury consisting of Reema Patel, Melanie Florence, and Derek Mascarenhas to consider and the final book chosen will serve as the foundation stone for a series of activities including the creation and presentation of new artistic works by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia, Thea Lim and Helen Knott, as well as musical composition by Lucas Haneman at a literary salon on March 31, 2022.

To submit a book for consideration, visit our submission form here.

ARCHIVED EVENT: Introduction to Self-Publishing

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With more writer’s looking for alternative options to traditional publishing, this workshop will provides an introduction to the essential elements of independent publishing. In the workshop, participants will learn about their publishing options, how to format and prepare their work for submission portals, royalties, important tools to help them along the way, marketing, and what comes after publication. The goal is to help answer common questions, demystify the independent publishing process and allow participants to make informed decisions about how to publish their work.

Tiara Jade Chutkhan is a book blogger. writer and editor born and raised in Toronto. Her love of literature led her to start blogging and sharing her reads, particularly those by BIPOC authors. Through her blogging, Tiara has had the opportunity to review books for HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Simon and Schuster, Dundurn Press and ZG Stories.

Tiara is the Editor-in-Chief at The Brown Girl Diary and Marketing Coordinator at Diaspora Dialogues. She is a regular contributor for The Brown Girl Diary and Caribbean Collection Magazine. Tiara is also working towards a certificate in Creative Writing from University of Toronto.​

Tiara’s first book, Two Times Removed: An Anthology of Indo-Caribbean Fiction, was released in May 2021.

To register, visit our Eventbrite below:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/introduction-to-self-publishing-tickets-195626804037

In Conversation with Sumaiya Matin

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Join us for a live conversation with social worker and writer, Sumaiya Matin as she discusses her debut memoir The Shaytan Bride.

The Shaytan Bride is the true coming-of-age story of a girl navigating desire and faith. Through her journey into adulthood, she battles herself and her circumstances to differentiate between destiny and free will. Sumaiya Matin’s life in love and violence is a testament to one woman’s strength as she faces the complicated fallout of her decisions.

Sumaiya Matin is a writer and a strategic advisor for the Ontario government, working on anti-racism initiatives. She lives in Toronto.

Register for FREE on our Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/in-conversation-with-sumaiya-matin-tickets-175800854087

Call for Submissions: GTA and National Long Form Mentorship

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Diaspora Dialogues is thrilled to invite submissions from emerging writers for our GTA and National Long Form Mentorship in 2022!

This mentorship is for those who currently have a full or near-full draft of an original full-length novel, or collection of short stories, or collection of poems. We are now also accepting works intended for young adults. Full or near-full draft means that the writer has up to 85,000 words or 300 double-spaced pages of prose; or up to 25 poems (50 pages maximum).

Diaspora Dialogues is committed to supporting a literature of Canada that is as diverse as the country itself. Writers are encouraged to keep this mandate in mind, but it is not essential in the submission.

Submission Guidelines include:

• Work from which the excerpt is submitted must be in a full draft or near-full draft stage.
• Samples submitted can be one chapter from the novel or one short story from the collection (up to but not exceeding
5,000 words); poetry can include up to 10 poems but not exceed 15 pages.
• Submissions must include a one-page description of the novel, short story or poetry collection.
• Submissions must include a short biography in paragraph form (no more than 250 words.)
• The work must be original and not previously published.
• Submissions must be in English.
• Each writer may submit only one manuscript.
• A completed submission form must be included.
• Submissions will be accepted by email.
• Commentary/feedback is not available on submissions.
• Writers must not have a previously published full-length manuscript (although appearances in magazines
and/or anthologies are acceptable).
• Any writer of any age can apply.


Deadline: November 1 2021 at 11:59 pm.

The mentorships will begin in January 2022 and run for six months. Assigned mentors
are at the discretion of Diaspora Dialogues.


Please read all of the guidelines carefully before submitting. If you have questions, email: zalika@diasporadialogues.com


Find out more info on the program here: https://diasporadialogues.com/mentoring-program/

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