As part of the Cavendish Literary Festival, I’ll be taking part in a fun lunch event on Saturday, September 26 from 11:30am-1:30pm, along with fellow Newfoundland authors Wayne Johnston and Donna Morrissey. Moderator Karen Mair will be leading us in a conversation about history, memory, and story. Tickets are on sale now. (Lunch includes turkey or vegetable soup, Turkey Tavern biscuits, choice of sticky date or vegan brownie dessert with Cow’s Ice Cream, and a beverage.)

As part of the Cavendish Literary Festival, I’ll be on stage in conversation with Laura Chapin on Friday, September 25th from 1:15-2pm at the Watermark Theatre in Charlottetown, PEI. Tickets are on sale now.

I’m honoured to be taking part in a panel discussion at the YWCA Circle of Distinction Award Ceremony, which honours the accomplishments of women and gender-diverse people. In addition to the panel discussion, this breakfast event includes a drumming performance, award ceremony, and raffle. Tickets are on sale now.

Doors open: 8:30 am
Breakfast: 9am
Location: Emera Innovation Exchange, Signal Hill Campus
100 Signal Hill Road, St. John’s, NL

I’ll be at the Winterset in Summer Festival in beautiful Eastport, Newfoundland, taking part in a panel called “Changing Families, Changing Homes” with memoirist Brittany Penner, moderated by author Michelle Porter. Winterset is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary and the roster is STACKED. Tickets are on sale now.

Saturday, August 8, 2026
10:30am-noon
Beaches Theatre & Gallery
8-10 Church Street, Eastport, Newfoundland

I’m reading at Ochre Fest, an annual celebration of books and culture in lovely Ochre Pit Cove, Conception Bay, Newfoundland. This event is held in a converted church and in the evening it feels almost holy. Early bird tickets are on sale now.

I’ll be taking part in a delicious conversation about the trapdoor of good intentions, along with fellow author Karma Brown. This event, called “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” is part of the MOTIVE: Crime & Mystery Festival. It’s put on by The Toronto International Festival of Authors and takes place at the University of Toronto (my alma mater!). Tickets and more info are available now.

Emmanuel College, Room 119 
75 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto, ON

Who doesn’t love a little murder mystery dinner? The MOTIVE: Crime & Mystery Festival is putting on this one. I’ll be taking part as one of the (totally innocent, of course!) suspects. Tickets and more information available now.

Saturday, June 6, 2026
7:30pm - 1:00pm
Alumni Hall, Victoria College
91 Charles St W, Toronto, ON

I’m excited to be taking part in McClelland & Stewart’s annual author salon, especially because this is also a celebration of the house’s 120th anniversary. This event is in partnership with The International Festival of Authors and Flying Books.

Paradise on Bloor
1006 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Pre event reception: 6:30pm
Event: 7pm - 8:30pm

As part of the Ottawa Writers Festival, I’ll be taking part in a panel discussion about intentions, motivations, and choices. Hosted by author and book reviewer Jennifer Whiteford, the panel will also include authors Emily Austin and Y.M. Abdel-Magied.

I’ll be taking part in this conversation as part of the Festival of Literary Diversity in Brampton, Ontario.

What happens when the fictional stories we read feel truer than the world around us? In this in-person panel discussion, authors Liann Zhang, Sharon Bala, Yiming Ma, and Antonio Michael Downing gather at the Rose Theatre for a compelling conversation about the impact of good intentions, the instability of perception, and the unsettling moments when we can’t trust what we see.

This event will be followed by a meet and greet with the authors at the Rose Theatre. Free underground parking is available at the venue (1 Theatre Lane).

$15/person. The schedule is live and tickets are on sale now.

In this popular annual event, six authors appearing at the festival read a sample of their work accompanied by a live jazz band. Whether you're a regular festival attendee, a casual or compulsive reader, or simply a lover of live entertainment, witness the power of storytelling and the magic of a live musical performance at this collaborative event featuring Brampton's own Carmen Spada and the B-Jazzed band.

$25/person. Tickets available until April 26.

I’m very pleased to be joining the Stratford Arts & Lectures Book Club at the Bruce Hotel. Get your tickets!

Thursday, April 30, 2026
6:00pm-8:00pm
The lobby of the Bruce Hotel, Stratford, Ontario

In an era shaped by public reckoning and digital call-outs, how do we navigate the work of a problematic creator or work of art? Can art be separated from the artist — and should it be? In this virtual panel discussion, Sharon Bala, Elamin Abdelmahmoud, and Farzana Doctor join moderator Jael Richardson for a nuanced conversation about ethics, consumption, and responsibility in contemporary culture.

I’m taking part in this conversation as part of the Festival of Literary Diversity’s online programming. Full details and tickets are available now.

I’ll be leading an online workshop on The Art of the Opening Line, as part of the Festival of Literary Diversity’s online festival. NOTE: the times listed are EST. Tickets are on sale now.

I’ll be on a panel with author Otoniya Okot Bitek at the SPARKS Literary Festival on Sunday, April 26th from 2:30-3:0pm in Gushue Hall at Memorial University in St. John’s, NL. Admission is free.

I’ll be at Running the Goat Books & Broadsides (50 Cove Road in Tors Cove, NL) to celebrate Canadian Independent Bookstore Day. They’re having a 15% off sale on all books (in-store and online) and I’ll be kicking around from 11:30am to 1pm to sign your copies of Good Guys (or recommend another book I love). There are door prizes and a contest and more!

Come celebrate the launch of Good Guys on Friday, January 23 at Bannerman Brewing, 90 Duckworth Street (2nd floor), St. John’s.

There will be books for sale (courtesy of Riddle Fence), door prizes, and a cash bar. I’ll read a couple of excerpts from the novel, have a conversation with journalist and writer-extraordinaire Jamie Fitzpatrick — which will definately be brilliant — and sign as many books as you like. The party is free and all are welcome. Bring your lovers, friends, frenemies, and enemies. It’ll be a time!

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This 1.5-hour hands-on workshop will teach you how to revise a piece of prose and give you time to put your new skills to use.

This 1.5 hour workshop for young writers (aged 13 - 19) teaches the basics of storytelling by examining a series of popular literary devices.

This 1.5-hour workshop is all about opening lines. By reading examples from fiction and non-fiction, we'll discuss prologues, red herrings, and how to get a piece off to a strong start. This is a hybrid workshop which will be held online via webinar and in person at the AC Hunter Library.

This interactive 1.5-hour workshop functions like a biology lab. Together, we will dissect a short story, first by listening to the story, and then by taking it apart piece by piece to examine the various aspects of craft.

Join me on Saturday, January 28 (12:30 NDT) for a virtual 1.5 hour workshop on dialogue. By parsing examples from literature, this workshop will go beyond the fundamentals to explore how dialogue can multi-task: convey speech, advance plot, reveal character, add atmosphere, and enhance setting. We’ll also consider the philosophy of quotation marks, body language, action, subtext, and how to revise a long passage of direct dialogue.

Space is limited so sign up early here. Tickets are $17.

This interactive three-hour workshop functions like a biology lab. Together, we will dissect a piece of short fiction from the New Yorker, first by listening to the author read the story, and then by taking it apart piece by piece to examine the various aspects of craft. Specifically we will discuss: point-of-view, psychic distance, plot, structure, prose, and dialogue. This workshop will be primarily conversational, almost like a book club. This an in-person event and will be held at The Lantern (35 Barnes Road) in St. John’s. Attendance is capped at 30 and participants must register here. Deadline to register: January 4, 2023 @ 5 p.m. NST. Selected participants will be contacted by: January 9, 2023 @ 5 p.m. NST. 

As part of my time as Memorial University’s Writer in Residence, I’m hosting a small group session for writers of colour living in Newfoundland and Labrador. This session is not a workshop but rather an informal conversation. Subjects discussed will be determined by the participants’ interests and curiosities so bring your warm drink and burning questions. Does my novel need a glossary? Can I write in dialect? Should non-English words be italicized? How is marketing different for writers of colour? Is it true we get paid less? What’s a diversity panel? These are some of the topics we could cover but this conversation belongs to the participants. My role is to answer questions and facilitate open conversation, not teach, so we will follow your noses. If you are a writer of colour (or a person of colour who is curious about writing) and living in NL, this session is for you. Registration is open.

This workshop will explore dialogue in its three forms - summary, indirect, and direct - by reading and discussing examples of each. We will see how dialogue can multi-task, be used not just to convey speech but also advance plot, reveal character, add atmosphere, and enhance setting. We’ll also explore the philosophy of quotation marks, consider body language, action, and subtext, concluding with a tip sheet. Registration is open.

This workshop will explore dialogue in its three forms - summary, indirect, and direct - by reading and discussing examples of each. We will see how dialogue can multi-task, be used not just to convey speech but also advance plot, reveal character, add atmosphere, and enhance setting. We’ll also explore the philosophy of quotation marks, consider body language, action, and subtext, concluding with a tip sheet. Registration is open.

I’m hosting a webinar led by author Lauren Carter. This online event is part of a series put on by The Writers’ Union of Canada. Note the times listed are NDT. Here’s the elevator pitch: Writing, rewriting, revising, editing — how do you know when you’re done? Join award-winning writer and writing teacher Lauren Carter for a discussion about what being finished with your writing project might look like. Sharing her own process, Lauren will cover stages of finishing, appropriate appraisal of the work (by yourself and by others), revision, editing, and — finally — submission. The focus will be on long and short prose, including novels, memoirs and other creative nonfiction, short fiction, and essays. Hosted by bestselling novelist Sharon Bala, this webinar runs 60 minutes and includes a Q&A period. Free for TWUC members, $10 for everyone else. Registration is open.