Jael RichardsonTag

The Joys and Challenges of Writing for Adults AND for Kids

I’ve had May 2 circled on my calendar for months and months—it marks the pub date of my debut picture book, Dear Street. As the launch approaches, I’ve been thinking about how different the processes ...

New Year's Resolutions - Literary Style! Writers Share Their 2019 Goals

Every December, we make a list - not the one for Santa, but the other one: our resolutions. Whether it's hitting the gym more (*muffled laughter*), meal prepping every Sunday, or always taking the stairs, ...

"There's a Stronger Awareness of the Shortfalls in CanLit" The FOLD's Jael Richardson on Turning Three, Craft, & Going Forward

The Festival of Literary Diversity (better known as the FOLD) is one of the country's youngest literary festivals (now going into its third year), but it's rapidly becoming one of the most well-known ...

Publishing the Unpublished

A closer look at an instigating moment in Canadian booksThe evening of June 22, Harbourfront Centre hosted a special International Festival of Authors event. Though the series is best known for presenting ...

Combatting Oppression With Community

Two months ago, I attended Fuel for Fire, a professional development conference for writers of colour, organized by the Ontario Arts Council. The event provided a venue for discussions about writing and ...

Six With Lynx Sainte-Marie

Six questions on identity, activism, Afrofuturism, #BlackSpoonieSpeak, and disability justice with Poet and Activist Lynx Sainte-Marie.ONEAs writers, our names and our bios are how we’re introduced ...

It's Black History Month and I'm tired already

A recommendation for a new kind of BHMWhen I was in high school, February was always a busy month. Every January, the black students who were dancers and musicians, writers and performers, would get together ...

Six Tips For the Tired Activist

Earlier this year, Quill & Quire referred to me as an activist on the cover of their February 2016 issue. I felt flattered, invigorated. I felt motivated by the call and the work. Today, just nine ...

6 Reasons to Go to a Canadian Litfest

While kids enjoy the first days of school, September also marks the start of the busiest season on the CanLit calendar. There are book launches and reading series and literary award announcements galore. ...

Tokenism vs. Inclusion

Last month, I wrote a piece about my frustrations with the lack of diversity in Canada’s publishing industry. In the comments, it was mentioned that while some folks are trying to make improvements, ...