Brockton Writers Series: January 14, 2026

Schedule

Wed Jan 14 2026 at 06:30 pm to 08:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

32 Lisgar St | Toronto, ON

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An evening of reading with Tamara Jong, Jes Battis, Leslie Shimotakahara, Maurice Vellekoop, and guest speaker Kirk DeMatas
About this Event

The Brockton Writers Series (#BWS) is a bi-monthly literary reading series, hosted on the second Wednesday of every second month, funded by the Ontario Arts Council. The reading is PWYC (suggested $3-$5) and features a Q&A with the writers afterward. Books are available for sale. Join us for an exciting hybrid event: in person at Glad Day Lit on Lisgar St in Toronto, ON, Canada, or virtual over livestream. This is a must-attend gathering for all literature enthusiasts!

Guest Speaker: Kirk DeMatas, with the topic "Shapeshifter: Manifesting your poetry across mediums."

Readers: Tamara Jong, Jes Battis, Leslie Shimotakahara, Maurice Vellekoop


Kirk DeMatas is a Toronto-based multi-disciplinary artist, dancer, actor, poet, and the author of the collections Wordspeak and Conversations with Skeletons. In 2022, he incorporated poetry with original music for his first EP. His poetry also features in his music videos and the 2024 award-winning short film “Coffee, Black.”


Tamara Jong is a Tiohtià:ke (Montréal) born writer of Chinese and European ancestry. Her work has been published in literary magazines, and long and shortlisted for various creative non-fiction prizes. She is a Writer’s Studio graduate and lives on Treaty 3 territory, (Guelph, ON). Worldly Girls is her first book.

Jes Battis is the author of the award-winning fantasy novel The Winter Knight (ECW), as well as the Occult Special Investigator series (Penguin), and the Parallel Parks series (Penguin). They are a Canada Reads finalist, and their work has been shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award, the Sunburst Award, and the Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize. Their recent book of poems, I Hate Parties, won the Saskatchewan Book Award.

Leslie Shimotakahara is an award-winning author of three novels and a memoir, as well as numerous short fiction and essays. She won the Canada-Japan Literary Prize and has been shortlisted for the K.M. Hunter Artist Award. Her fourth novel, THE BREAKWATER, will be published in April 2026 by Cormorant Books.

Maurice Vellekoop is a Toronto illustrator and cartoonist. His work has appeared in major magazines, books and advertising for 40 years. His graphic memoir, I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together, won the Toronto Book Award and the Trillium Book Award.

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Where is it happening?

32 Lisgar St, 32 Lisgar Street, Toronto, Canada

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

CAD 0.00

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