Francine Cunningham & Helen Knott
- Literary
7PM
The Koffler is proud to present the Toronto launch of two powerful debut books by Indigenous women authors.
Francine Cunningham is constantly reminded that she doesn’t fit the desired expectations of the world as a white-passing, city-raised Indigenous woman with mental illness. In her debut poetry collection On/Me, Cunningham explores, with keen attention and poise, what it means to be forced to exist within the margins. In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience is Helen Knott’s unflinching account of addiction, intergenerational trauma, and the wounds brought on by sexual violence. It is also the story of sisterhood, the power of ceremony, the love of family, and the possibility of redemption.
Presented with the support of University of Regina Press, and Judith Moses & Peter Lyman.
Koffler Centre of the Arts’ Books & Ideas series spotlights provocative writers, artists and thinkers, celebrating literary excellence and fostering critical dialogue through compelling book launches, author talks and on-stage interviews.
With a thematic focus on counter-narratives, the fall series features books that employ memoir, poetry, and the graphic novel form as tools of resistance.
Books & Ideas Fall season presented in partnership with Ben McNally Books and Diaspora Dialogues.
With generous support from Dorothy Shoichet & Family, the Estate of Joseph Koenig, the Koffler Family Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council and CIBC Wood Gundy.
