Books within books, protagonists who are also their authors, plot twists about the narrator: some of the most celebrated writers in history—from Pynchon to Atwood to Jemisin—have used deeply creative ways to change the boundaries between reader. Three authors with anticipated new books in this style explore the joys of such playfulness and the literary challenges of subverting common styles. Kevin Chong’s The Double Life of Benson Yu follows a graphic novelist who loses control of his own narrative. Hollow Bamboo follows two William Pings in Newfoundland—the lost millennial and the grandfather he knows nothing about. Sam Shelstad’s The Cobra and the Key is a hilarious creative writing guide… with a twist. Clever, invigorating, and not to be missed. Moderated by Eddy Boudel Tan.

Event Participants:

Kevin Chong

KEVIN CHONG is the award-winning author of several books of fiction and nonfiction. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The Rumpus, and more. He currently lives in Vancouver and is an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus.

William Ping

WILLIAM PING is a Chinese-Canadian writer from Newfoundland. After completing his Master of Arts at Memorial University in 2020, he was named a Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies. He received the 2022 Cox & Palmer Creative Writing Award as well as the 2021 Landfall Trust. His debut novel, Hollow Bamboo, which he wrote for his master’s degree, received the Award for Thesis Excellence from the English department. His work has previously been featured on the CBC, in Riddle Fence, and in the anthologies Us, Now and Hard Ticket.

Emerging Authors presented thanks to the support of RBC

Sam Shelstad

SAM SHELSTAD's debut novel, Citizens of Light, won the 2023 Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best First Crime Novel. He is the author of the short story collection Cop House and his fiction has appeared in magazines including The Walrus and The New Quarterly. He contributes to McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. You can find him online at samshelstad.com.

Eddy Boudel Tan

EDDY BOUDEL TAN is the author of two novels: After Elias, a finalist for the Edmund White Award and the ReLit Awards, and The Rebellious Tide, a finalist for the Ferro-Grumley Award. In 2021, he was named a Rising Star by Writers’ Trust of Canada. His short stories can be found in Joyland, Yolk, Gertrude Press, The G&LR, and two anthologies. He lives with his husband in Vancouver where he’s currently writing his next novel while listening to the language of birds from his balcony.