Field Notes from Biblioasis are slim, pocket-sized books with insightful forays into topics of importance. They’re as brilliant as they are concise. Four authors of recent Field Notes will each speak to the subject of their book and passion. We hear from Toronto Star Books Editor Deborah Dundas (On Class) on why we don’t about talk about poverty or class—and what will happen when we do; Jason Guriel (On Browsing), in defence of the dying art of losing an afternoon—and gaining new appreciation—amidst shelves of bricks-and-mortar shops; Stephen Marche on the topic close to our hearts, On Writing and Failure; and Casey Plett (On Community)—what it looks like, and why it sometimes feels like it’s slipping away. Hosted by Bill Richardson.

Event Participants:

Deborah Dundas

DEBORAH DUNDAS grew up poor in the west end of Toronto. She is now a writer and journalist, has worked as a television producer and is currently an editor at the Toronto Star. Her work has appeared in numerous publications in Canada, the UK and Ireland including Maclean’s, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Canadian Notes and Queries, The Belfast Telegraph and The Sunday Independent. She attended York University for English and Political Science and has an MFA in Creative Non-fiction from the University of King’s College. She lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter and their loving, grumpy cat Jumper.

Jason Guriel

JASON GURIEL is the author of On Browsing, Forgotten Work, and other books. He lives in Toronto.

Stephen Marche

STEPHEN MARCHE is a novelist, essayist and cultural commentator. He is the author of half a dozen books, and has written opinion pieces and essays for the New Yorker, the New York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, The Walrus, and many others. He lives in Toronto with his wife and children.

Casey Plett

CASEY PLETT is the author of A Dream of a Woman, Little Fish, A Safe Girl to Love, the co-editor of Meanwhile, Elsewhere: Science Fiction and Fantasy From Transgender Writers, and the Publisher at LittlePuss Press. She has written for the New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, The Guardian, Globe and Mail, McSweeney’sInternet Tendency, and other publications. A winner of the Amazon First Novel Award, the Firecracker Award for Fiction, and a two-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award, her work has also been nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. She splits her time between New York City and Windsor, Ontario.

Bill Richardson

BILL RICHARDSON is the author of Last Week, an illustrated children’s book that sensitively portrays medical assistance in dying (MAiD); I Saw Three Ships, a collection of stories set in Vancouver’s West End; and Hare B&B, a picture book with illustrations by Bill Pechet.