Our amazing volunteers will be flinging the April/May issue onto doorsteps on SATURDAY & SUNDAY APRIL 20 & 21.
Round two of Fiction at the Phoenix is upon us! We’re opening our doors, letting the spring air into our lungs, and the words of our readers into our hearts!
For the spring edition of Fiction at the Phoenix, we’re thrilled to present Harriet Alida Lye and Rob Benvie!
Harriet Alida Lye is the author of The Honey Farm, a slyly seductive novel set on an eerie but beautiful farm being marketed as an artists’ colony in order to save it from a terrible drought; Natural Killer, a memoir braiding together her experience of a rare form of leukemia as a teenager with her first pregnancy, with echoes of what it means to find oneself as an artist and a woman in the wake of that experience; and Let It Destroy You, a historical novel about the fallout of a marriage and the invention of the bomb. She also co-authored an absolutely charming children’s picture book about a slug called Serge on an epic journey of self-discovery. The Honey Farm is currently in production as a limited series for television. Harriet’s work has been published in Canada, America, Australia, England, France, and Korea, her books have been widely reviewed, and her essays and reporting have been published in The Globe & Mail, The New York Times, and more. She lived in Paris for eight years and has also spent extended periods in New York, Amsterdam, Halifax, and various cities and villages in England, where both of her parents are from. She now lives in Toronto with her partner, their two children, and two dogs. Harriet will be reading from her new novel Motherclown.
Rob Benvie has worked as a dishwasher, gas station attendant, rock ‘n roll musician, memoir ghostwriter, soundtrack producer, screenwriter, financial editor, and advertising “creative,” among myriad other humiliations. He has CanSail Level 2 certification. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, he currently lives in Toronto.
Doors open at 7 PM, with readings starting at 7:30.
Entry is cash only, by donation at the door!
RSVP to reserve a spot at hello@westendphoenix.com
Greg Macpherson live at WEP Central, April 26 at 7 PM
On Tuesday, May 14th, join us as we welcome in the spring air with the final Poetry at the Phoenix of the season!
Our poets for this month: Anna Lee-Popham and Paul Vermeersch!
Anna Lee-Popham is a writer, editor, and creative writing instructor. Her debut poetry collection, Empires of the Everyday, will be published by McClelland & Stewart in March 2024. Her writing has appeared in Arc Poetry magazine, Cathius, Riddle Fence, Room magazine, and others. Anna holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Guelph.
Paul Vermeersch is a poet, multimedia artist, creative writing professor, and literary editor. He is the author of several poetry collections, including Shared Universe: New and Selected Poems 1995-2020. He has been a finalist for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award and the Trillium Book Award, among other honours. He holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Guelph for which he received the Governor General's Gold Medal. He teaches in the Honours Bachelor of Creative Writing & Publishing program at Sheridan College where he is the editor-in-chief of The Ampersand Review of Writing & Publishing. He is also the senior editor of Wolsak and Wynn Publishers where he created the poetry and fiction imprint Buckrider Books. He lives in Toronto.
We are blessed to be able to host poets of such immense talent at our lovely space at 3 Bartlett, we hope you’ll join us!
Doors open at 7 PM, show starts at 7:30 PM, tickets are Pay What You Can at the door, no one turned away for lack of funds! All funds raised will be split between the poets and the house.
Please RSVP to reserve a seat as there is limited space available: hello@westendphoenix.com !
How do you make relationships come alive in a story? How do you write sex scenes that do more than titillate? Join authors Victoria Hetherington and Patricia Westerhof for a workshop that will give you strategies for making the romantic and sexual relationships in your stories character-driven, tasteful, and compelling.
join us at WEP Central (3 Bartlett) for an uproarious evening of unforgettable stand up, featuring three seasoned west end comedy vets: Jackie Pirico, Tamara Shevon and Adam Christie!
Our amazing volunteers will be flinging the June issue onto doorsteps on SATURDAY & SUNDAY JUNE 8 & 9.
Ring in the springtime at WEP Central with Poetry At The Phoenix
Our poets for this month: Ben Meyerson and Conor Mc Donnell!
Join us at WEP Central (3 Bartlett), our cozy downtown office, for the inaugrual Fiction at the Phoenix kickoff: March 28th with Dave Hurlow and Jamaluddin Aram.
This month, we’ve invited former premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne to sit in conversation with author and journalist Elizabeth Renzetti to discuss the peaks and valleys in the story of our city, and how best we might work towards an equitable future.
On Friday, March 15th we’re hosting a beautiful show at WEP Central; an evening of songs with dear friends, compatriots of the road and song singers Steven Lambke and José Contreras.
Poetry At The Phoenix prepares for spring on March 5 with this months poets: Faith Arkorful and Jacob McArthur Mooney!
a series of conversations with great thinkers in our city, to ask them what they think we can do to put the pieces of the city back together. To launch this series of conversations, we have a one-of-a-kind kickoff event: the journalist and 26th Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson sitting in conversation with her partner, writer and philosopher John Ralston Saul, moderated by city columnist Edward Keenan.
an evening of acoustic tunes from local faves the Golden Dogs AND a an unforgettable collection of hits from Beatlejuice, the Beatles cover band feat members of the Golden Dogs and Zeus!
Our amazing volunteers will be flinging the February/March issue onto doorsteps on SATURDAY & SUNDAY FEBRUARY 24 & 25.
Spend your Valentines Day eve, February 13, with us at the for Poetry At The Phoenix. Our poets for this month: Linda Berner and A. F. Moritz!
VALENTINE’S DAY COOKING CLASS: Chocolate Babka with Alissa Kondogiannis
Spend your Valentines Day eve, February 13, with us at the for Poetry At The Phoenix. Our poets for this month: Linda Berner and A. F. Moritz!
Poetry At The Phoenix returns in 2024! Our first even of the winter season is January 16th at WEP Central! Our poets for this month: Manahil Bandukwala and Sonja Greckol!
Our amazing volunteers will be flinging the January issue onto doorsteps on SATURDAY & SUNDAY DECEMBER 23 & 24.
Poetry At The Phoenix returns for one last show this year on December 12th at WEP Central! Our poets for this month; Jim Johnstone and Susan Glickman!
On Sunday, December 3rd, West End Phoenix and Ontario Place for All are joining forces once again to organize, educate and rally as we continue our fight for the future of Ontario Place!
Our amazing volunteers will be flinging the December issue onto doorsteps on SATURDAY & SUNDAY NOVEMBER 25 & 26.
Come and learn techniques for building memorable characters in your narrative writing with author, speaker, and writing coach Patricia Westerhof!
On Thursday, November the 16th, we’ve got the one and only Jim Bryson gracing the stage at WEP Central for a beautiful evening of music to warm our hearts as the days cool around us!
Poetry At The Phoenix returns November 14th for a warn and cozy evening of poetry to warm the heart.
Our poets for this month; Phoebe Wang and Chris Banks!
Join us Sunday November 12th at 1 PM for a once-in-a-lifetime chat between 2 time Blue Jays manager John Gibbons and PUP guitar player Steve Sladkowski! The two will chat about Gibbon’s recent memoir Gibby: Tales Of a Baseball Lifer, the Jays, and so much more!
On Saturday, November the 4th, we are pleased to present you with a one-of-a-kind afternoon at WEP Central with the legendary Art Bergmann!
On Sunday, October 29 at 1 PM, Join us at WEP Central for an evening with Leo Rautins, in conversation with Wayne Parrish!
On Thursday, October 26th, we’re thrilled to host David McPherson for the launch of his book, 101 Fascinating Canadian Music Facts!
We are excited to announce that the one and only Paul Vermeersch will be gracing the walls of WEP Central with a stunning new show : Cloud Errors!
Poetry At The Phoenix returns for round two on October 10! We’re so excited to tell you about this months featured poets: Sanna Wani and Dennis Lee!
We’re hosting an event in order to raise funds and keep the West End Phoenix growing into an uncertain future. With our friends at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, we are presenting an evening of food, beverages, a live auction of one-of-a-kind experiences, an intimate conversation between Sarah Polley (Women Talking) and hockey legend Ken Dryden, music by Julian Taylor and hosted by West End Phoenix publisher Dave Bidini.
We’re pleased to have the one and only Ritchie Henman (April Wine) popping into WEP Central in celebration of his new book, High Adventure (Tales of Canadian Rock and Roll Survival)! The book tracks the ups and downs of one of Canada’s best and hardest-working drummers, from early years in Chester Basin, Nova Scotia to April Wine’s wild days on the road—and everything since.
Our amazing volunteers will be flinging the October issue onto doorsteps on SATURDAY & SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30 & OCTOBER 1.
on Sept. 22, Friday Things and the West End Phoenix are co-hosting an honest conversation about the pros and cons of social media for Toronto creatives, with practical insight on building community, setting boundaries and learning how to give ourselves grace from three brilliant panellists
Join MPP Chris Glover, Globe and Mail architecture critic Alex Bozikovic, mayoral candidate Chloe Brown and Ontario Place For All’s Norm DiPasquale as they discuss the current status and potential next steps with the embattled section of waterfront.
