‘Upon A Midnight Clear: More Christmas Epiphanies’ Book Launch

Join us on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. to launch , edited by acclaimed memoirist JJ Lee.

Featuring five writers from Metro Vancouver, this second volume of the Better Next Year non-fiction series collects even more true-life memories of dashed holiday hopes, Christmas catastrophes, and slender, heartbreaking shards of joy.

The Tyee said of the first volume, “There’s catharsis in shared pain, and this is especially true around this time of year, when the wassailin’ ways of those around you can magnify your angst… a welcome gift for anyone who has complicated associations with the yuletide season.”

Margaret Gallagher of CBC’s North by Northwest noted, “It gave me a new perspective on Christmas. It made me feel not alone… What is it about the darker side of Christmas that keeps [JJ Lee] coming back?”

Anthology editor Lee and contributing authors Lillian Au, Averill Groeneveld-Meijer, Jill Maynard, Jennifer Pownall, and Léa Taranto will discuss why bad holiday stories can feel so good.

More about the editor:

JJ Lee is the author of the memoir The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son, and a Suit, which was a finalist for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-Fiction, the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, the BC Book Prize’s Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize, and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction. He is also the editor of the nonfiction anthology Better Next Year. He teaches creative nonfiction at The Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University and writing at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby, British Columbia.

More about the contributing authors:

Lillian Au is a former spokesperson and TV journalist. She works in radio as a traffic anchor. She received an honourable mention for one of her stories for the International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir. Lillian lives with her husband and two children on Vancouver’s North Shore.

Averill Groeneveld-Meijer grew up in The Hague before moving to Vancouver. She has BA and MA in Historical Geography from UBC and a certificate in creative writing. She has been published in The Maine Review, shortlisted for the place-writing issue of Hinterland magazine, and is currently completing a memoir of her experiences growing up in the Netherlands as a Canadian.

Jill Maynard has deep connections in her communities of Deep Cove and Saltspring Island. She writes about her experiences as a mom of three, a teacher of at-risk youth as well as her explorations in nature. A student of creative writing, this is her first formal publication.

Jennifer Pownall has had her writing published in the New York Times, the Globe and Mail, and several anthologies. She lives in Port Coquitlam where she serves as the arts council’s Director of Literary Arts and recently had a piece installed on the Donald Storywalk. Jennifer is passionate about checking items off her ever-expanding bucket list.

Léa Taranto is a disabled Chinese Jewish Canadian writer who lives with OCD and comorbid disorders. An MFA graduate of the University of British Columbia, her debut novel, A Drop in the Ocean, will be published in May 2025. She resides on traditional, unceded Halkomelem and Squamish territories in B.C.

This is a free event, but spots are limited! Reserve your tickets here.

More about Upstart & Crow:

Located on Granville Island, Upstart & Crow is a not-for-profit literary arts studio for curious readers and creative storytellers alike. We are international in our outlook, and local in our sensibilities. We create opportunities to surface new talent and champion bold ideas through events, workshops, literary launches, unique partnerships — and yes, we also sell books!

Health precautions:

We want this event to be safe for all. Masks are welcome, though we won’t enforce them. We hope that folks who come will be vaccinated and boosted and will stay home if they feel ill.

Accessibility:

The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees. The bar will be stationed in our loft mezzanine, though we will have runners available to bring down drinks.

Questions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.

Host or Publisher Upstart & Crow