Muskoka Authors Association is thrilled to welcome acclaimed author Terry Kirk as the keynote speaker for a Writers’ Craft Workshop on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in Bracebridge, Ontario.

A storyteller who first honed her craft in the courtroom, Terry Kirk has transformed her talent for weaving gritty facts into compelling narratives into a flourishing literary career. Her debut historical novel, Pitfall, published by At Bay Press in 2025, was named one of CBC Reads’ Top Books to Read This Spring, and her much-anticipated follow-up, Plunder, is slated for release in spring 2026.

Kirk brings her signature blend of intellect, creativity, and humour to this engaging, hands-on workshop titled “Five Steps Toward Writing Your Novel.” Designed for both emerging and seasoned writers, the session will explore:

• How to settle on your story using the seven basic plots
• The debate between plotters and pantsers
• Practical writing tools and strategies
• How to write and polish using your whole brain
• The journey from laptop to bookstore shelves

Participants can expect an informal, interactive evening that blends inspiration with actionable guidance, enriched by behind-the-scenes insights from Kirk’s own writing process on Pitfall and Plunder.

With an impressive background that spans law, journalism, and technology—where she served as Vice President at Bell Canada and later Founder & CEO of her own firm—Kirk has been recognized as one of Canada’s top female entrepreneurs and innovators by the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance. She’s also a sought-after speaker who’s appeared on CTV’s Canada AM, BNN-Bloomberg’s The Pitch, and delivered a TEDx Talk without notes.

To learn more about Terry Kirk visit https://terrykirkbooks.com/about-terry-kirk

Event Details:

Location: Bracebridge United Church, 46 Dominion Street, Bracebridge, lower level. Enter by door on the southside driveway.

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm

Fee: MAA Members: Free, Non-Members: $20

For more information and to register, Please email your contact information and etransfer payment to info@muskokaauthors.ca.

You can also reach out for more information, to Wendie Donabie at info@wendiedonabie.com

The post From The Courtroom To The Debut Novelist: Author Terry Kirk Headlines Muskoka Authors Association Keynote appeared first on Muskoka411.

With 29 bestselling novels, countless critical accolades, and an international following, Joy Fielding stands among the giants of contemporary fiction. Her gripping thrillers have captivated readers worldwide, cementing her reputation as one of the most successful and enduring voices in modern literature.

The Muskoka Authors Association is proud to host this literary icon for an exclusive evening of storytelling and insight. Author of See Jane Run, Someone Is Watching, Now You See Her, Mad River Road, and more, Fielding is celebrated for her razor-sharp suspense, unforgettable characters, and masterful exploration of human psychology.

At this event, Joy will read from her highly anticipated new novel, Jenny Cooper Has a Secret, before offering a rare behind-the-scenes look into her writing process, the craft of creating popular fiction, and the surprising moments when her characters seize control of the story.

A true icon of the literary world, Fielding brings wit, candor, and decades of wisdom to every conversation. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for readers, writers, and fans of psychological suspense to engage with one of the most influential storytellers of our time.

Don’t miss this chance to experience an unforgettable evening with Joy Fielding—a writer whose novels prove that while facts belong to nonfiction, the deepest truths are often revealed through fiction.

Event Details:

Location: Bracebridge United Church, 46 Dominion Street, Bracebridge, lower level. Enter by door on the southside driveway.

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm

Fee: MAA Members: Free, Non-Members: $20

For more information and to register, Please email your contact information and etransfer payment to info@muskokaauthors.ca.

The post Muskoka Authors Association Welcomes International Bestselling Author Joy Fielding appeared first on Muskoka411.

Described as “an innovative and revelatory work of autofiction,” Starry Starry Nightexplores the complexities of family secrets, trauma, race, class, and loss with Mootoo’s signature depth and lyricism. The book is already attracting attention as one of her most powerful works to date.

Mootoo’s literary accomplishments are as impressive as they are inspiring. She is a four-time Giller Prize nominee, and her writing has been both longlisted and shortlisted for some of the world’s most prestigious awards, including the Booker Prize, the Lambda Literary Prize, and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. In addition to her six novels, she has published three poetry collections and a short story collection, further cementing her reputation as a versatile and fearless storyteller.

Her accolades include an honorary Doctor of Letters from Western University, the Lambda Literary James Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist Prize, the Writers’ Trust Engel Findley Award, and the Library and Archives Canada Scholar Award.

Born in Ireland, raised in Trinidad, and now living in Southern Ontario, Mootoo brings a global perspective to her work, one that resonates deeply with readers across cultures and continents.

This event offers a rare opportunity for Muskoka’s literary community to engage with one of Canada’s most celebrated voices in contemporary literature.

Location: Bracebridge United Church, 46 Dominion Street, Bracebridge, lower level. Enter by door on the southside driveway.

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm

Fee: MAA Members: Free, Non-Members: $20

For more information and to register, Please email your contact information and etransfer payment to info@muskokaauthors.ca.

You can also reach out for more information, to Wendie Donabie at info@muskokaauthors.ca

The post Award-Winning Author Shani Mootoo To Speak At Muskoka Authors Association appeared first on Muskoka411.

Entry is by donation with proceeds supporting the purchase of books and supplies for the host libraries.

This year’s events kicked off at Bracebridge Public Library on May 24 with events in Gravenhurst in June, Baysville in July, Bracebridge in September, but don’t worry, you have two more opportunities to hear the work of talented local writers. The next events take place at

·         6:30 pm, Thursday, October 16, Huntsville Public Library

For more information and updates, watch the Muskoka Authors Association FACEBOOK page or contact Wendie Donabie at 705-646-3663.

The post Muskoka Authors Association Presents Tall Pine Tales 2025 appeared first on Muskoka411.

Bold, vital, and unmistakably of the moment, Skin is the blistering new book of short fiction by Catherine Bush, one of Canada’s most celebrated novelists. Released April 22, 2025, Skin offers a moving exploration of survival and tenderness in a world threatened by cascading crises. Bush, a master of Canadian eco-fiction, poses urgent questions about humanity’s response to the ongoing influence of climate disaster, probes relationships between the human and more-than-human, and delves into a world where touch and intimacy are both longed for and fraught.

Spanning flash fiction to novella-length, these stories capture a society grappling with viruses, climate change, and ecological upheaval. Known for her intelligence and daring prose, Bush brings us something urgent, timely, and breathtaking. Skin is a striking addition to her widely celebrated body of work.

Catherine Bush is the author of the story collection Skin (2025) and five novels, including Blaze Island (2020), a Globe and Mail Best Book, and The Rules of Engagement (2000), a New York Times Notable Book. Her books have been shortlisted for the Trillium Prize, City of Toronto Book Award, and Books in Canada First Novel Award. She served as the 2024 Writer-in-Residence at the Rachel Carson Centre for Environment and Society. An associate professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph, she lives in Toronto and eastern Ontario.

Location: Bracebridge United Church, 46 Dominion Street, Bracebridge, lower level. Enter by door on the south-side driveway.

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm

Fee: MAA Members: Free, Non-Members: $20

For more information and to register, Please email your contact information and e-transfer payment to info@muskokaauthors.ca.

You can also reach out for more information, to David Bruce Patterson at davidbrucepatterson.maa@gmail.com

The post Muskoka Authors Association Welcomes Catherine Bush On August 28 appeared first on Muskoka411.

Entry is by donation with proceeds supporting the purchase of books and supplies for the host libraries.

This year’s events kicked off at Muskoka Lakes Public Library in Port Carling on May 24 with events in Gravenhurst in June but don’t worry, you have three more opportunities to hear the work of talented local writers. The next events take place at:

·         6:30 pm, Wednesday, July 30, Lake of Bays Public Library in Baysville

·         1:00 pm, Saturday, September 20, Bracebridge Public Library

·         6:30 pm, Thursday, October 16, Huntsville Public Library

For more information and updates, watch the Muskoka Authors Association FACEBOOK page or contact Wendie Donabie at 705-646-3663.

The post Muskoka Authors Association Presents Tall Pine Tales 2025 appeared first on Muskoka411.

Zafar has been recognized among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, the Top 25 Most Inspirational Women in Canada, and the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants. Her book A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose, based on her journey of escaping an abusive child marriage to pursue her freedom, sheds light on gender-based oppression, and was a national bestseller and a CBC Best Book. One of the youngest alumnae to serve as governor at the University of Toronto, she is currently on the board of the Women’s College Hospital Foundation and a celebrated ambassador for Plan International. She is also the founder and executive director of Brave Beginnings, a national charity that provides mentorship to women who have escaped abuse. Her work has impacted millions and has been extensively featured in national and global media. Samra Zafar’s speaking portfolio includes four successful TEDx Talks and many leading organizations around the world.

Location: Bracebridge United Church, 46 Dominion Street, Bracebridge, lower level. Enter by door on the southside driveway.

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm

Fee: MAA Members: Free, Non-Members: $20

For more information and to register, Please email your contact information and etransfer payment to info@muskokaauthors.ca.

You can also reach out for more information, to David Bruce Patterson atdavidbrucepatterson.maa@gmail.com

The post Award-Winning, Internationally Renowned Speaker, Physician, Author And Educator Samara Zafar, Guest Speaker At Muskoka Authors Association appeared first on Muskoka411.

Entry is by donation with proceeds supporting the purchase of books and supplies for the host libraries.

This year’s events kicked off at Muskoka Lakes Public Library in Port Carling on May 24 but don’t worry, there are four more opportunities to hear the work of talented local writers. The next events take place at

·         6:30 pm, Tuesday, June 24, Gravenhurst Public Library

·         6:30 pm, Wednesday, July 30, Lake of Bays Public Library in Baysville

·         1:00 pm, Saturday, September 20, Bracebridge Public Library

·         6:30 pm, Thursday, October 16, Huntsville Public Library

For more information and updates, watch the Muskoka Authors Association Facebook page or contact Wendie Donabie at 705-646-3663.

The post Muskoka Authors Association Presents Tall Pine Tales 2025 appeared first on Muskoka411.

How to Survive a Bear Attack: A Memoir is at once an intimate portrait of an extraordinary animal, a bracing chronicle of pain, obsession, and love, and a profoundly moving exploration of how we can understand and survive the wildness that lives inside us.

Cameron’s most recent novel, The Last Neanderthal, was a national bestseller and a finalist for the 2017 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Her second novel, The Bear, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and was a #1 national bestseller. It won the Northern Lit Award from the Ontario Library Service, which her first novel, The Line Painter, also won.

Claire has led canoe trips in Algonquin Park and worked as an instructor for Outward Bound, teaching mountaineering, climbing, and whitewater rafting in Oregon and beyond. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Guardian, and she is a monthly contributor to The Globe and Mail. She lives in Toronto.

Location: Bracebridge United Church, 46 Dominion Street, Bracebridge, lower level. Enter by door on the southside driveway.

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm

Fee: MAA Members: Free, Non-Members: $20

For more information and to register, Please email your contact information and etransfer payment to info@muskokaauthors.ca.

You can also reach out for more information, to David Bruce Patterson at davidbrucepatterson.maa@gmail.com

The post Interview With Best Selling Author, Claire Cameron About Her Debut Memoir, How To Survive A Bear Attack appeared first on Muskoka411.

Based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, Nancy O’Rourke has a PhD in sociology, specializing in human rights and social justice; she has written widely on issues affecting the rights of women and children. An emerging creative writer, she has won several awards for her essays, and is published in carte blanche, Prairie Fire and Dreamers Creative Writing, among others. Her writing has been supported by the Access Copyright Foundation, the Banff Centre’s Emerging Writers’ Intensive, as well as the Canada Council for the Arts. In her spare time Nancy paints—abstracts and portraits—sometimes of the characters she writes about.

For more information visit her website: https://www.nancyorourke.com/

Location: Bracebridge United Church, 46 Dominion Street, Bracebridge, lower level. Enter by door on the southside driveway.

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm

Fee: MAA Members: Free, Non-Members: $20

For more information and to register, Please email your contact information and etransfer payment to info@muskokaauthors.ca.

You can also reach out for more information, to David Bruce Patterson at davidbrucepatterson.maa@gmail.com

The post Award-Winning Creative Non-Fiction Writer, Nancy O’Rourke In Conversation With Muskoka Authors Association appeared first on Muskoka411.