Panel to hash out all things horror, speculative fiction
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/07/2025 (410 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Summer months are generally slower when it comes to author readings and similar events, but Raven’s End Books (1859 Portage Ave.) has a doozie in store for Thursday.
The Spec-Fic Midsummer Spectacular takes place from 6-8:30 p.m. and will feature a discussion on horror and speculative fiction by Susie Moloney (A Dry Spell, Things Withered), S.M. Beiko (Scion of the Fox, the Brindlewatch Quartet series), Free Press reviewer Keith Cadieux (Donner Parties and Other Anti-Social Gatherings) and Ottawa’s James K. Moran (Fear Itself). Moloney will also serve as host; there’s no charge to attend.
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Little Shoes
Simon & Schuster Canada has announced the first three books from its new publishing program for children’s books, co-edited by Yashaswi Kesanakurthy and Winnipeg’s katherena vermette.
The trio of books will land in fall 2026, and include the middle-grade fantasy novel The Shapeshifter’s Guide to Gym Class by Toronto’s Kai Cheng Thom, the first book in a dystopian young-adult series called The Kin Trilogy from Saskatchewan-based Michif author Tonia Laird, and a young-adult novel inspired by Frankenstein called The Isle of Teeth, by Vancouver Filipina-Canadian author Tessa Barbosa.
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Have a teen in your life that seems to have picked up the writing bug? The Manitoba Writers’ Guild’s youth program offers 13-19 year-old scribes the chance to connect and learn through monthly Zoom sessions.
The group recently released the 2025 anthology Nothing Is As It Seems, which features contributions from active participants as well as alumni.
Signing up for the youth program costs a measly $10 — for more information on the youth program and to sign up, click here.
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If the young people in your life are more readers than writers, it’s not too late to get in on the fun with the Free Press Summer Reading Challenge for Kids.
A spinoff of the Free Press Book Club, the Summer Reading Challenge has gotten help from partners at McNally Robinson Booksellers to choose books for kids ages 7-9 years, 10-12 years and 13-15 years. Readers blast through the book (or books) and can rate and review the titles, with the chance to get their reviews in these very books pages.
The first batch of Summer Reading Challenge reviews will appear in the July 26 Free Press books section, with the second batch slated to run in late August.
For the list of books, to register and more, click here.
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One of the featured Summer Reading Challenge for Kids authors is local Swampy Cree writer David A. Robertson, whose 2024 middle-grade novel The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage is on the 10-12 year-old list.
Robertson’s next release for young readers is a picture book, Little Shoes, illustrated by Maya McKibbin and published by Tundra. The book will hit shelves on July 29.
Robertson also wrote the introduction to the new edition of the late Richard Wagamese’s Medicine Walk, originally released in 2014 and re-released on July 15 along with five other books as part of the Kanata Classics line.
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The Prairie Comics Festival is looking for gently used graphic novels, manga, comic books and more for the group’s big book sale, which takes place Sunday, Aug. 10.
Donations can be dropped off at the festival office at 611-70 Arthur St. during business hours (Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.), or can be left in the nearby donation bin anytime.
books@freepress.mb.ca
Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks writer
Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.
In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks writer
Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press‘s literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.
In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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History
Updated on Monday, July 21, 2025 10:52 AM CDT: Adds links
