JCUF VOL 5 NO 1 (2018) - FIRST YEAR: Seeking a "Black College" Experience in Canada through the University of Windsor

FIRST YEAR (1999) - Freshman year in college is always an intriguing concept for teens. Like many, at that age I watched the television program "A Different World" and marvelled at the Black college experience as a social paradise filled with culture shows, exciting relationships, and academic challenges. Higher education seemed glamourous, and the possibility of being placed in a similar situation like the campus of Hillman College was an amazing concept. Living in Toronto, the option of attending an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) wasn't there. Applying to Spellman University in Atlanta or Howard University in Washington, D.C. were pipe dreams for many of us. Factoring in international student fees, room and board, and applying for student visas were a big process for a Canadian teenager without a strong support system or knowledgeable foundation of the process. Submitting inquiries to other diverse-but-hip schools in the United States like UCLA in California, or Florida State University were possibilities, but not always practical.

And then there was the University of Windsor. It appeared in event clips on Much Music ("The Nation's Music Station"), in exciting word-of-mouth tales of Sports Weekend, and in party flyers and adjacent teenage fantasies. It was possibly the closest thing we had in Ontario (or across Canada, for that matter) to an "all Black" college, and around the time that I attended this Southern Ontario university, it lived up to its hype in every way possible.

The novel "First Year" was written during my second year of attendance at the University of Windsor, from 1998 to 1999 while I lived in Windsor, Ontario. Like the majority of Black students on campus, we had left our families and homes in Toronto to move into dorms, bungalows, and old apartment buildings on the lower-income side of town, in exchange for a great education, and even better extra-curriculars.

It was fascinating. Taking students from Toronto, as far east as Oshawa and far west as Brampton, and integrating us with students from small Ontario farming towns, from other parts of the country, and occasionally a student from across the border in our sister city, Detroit, Michigan. The Black students from Toronto had the opportunity to reinvent themselves and explore current identities, hundreds of kilometres away from home. The infiltration of Americans, fundamentally different than the peers we were used to, added an interesting element and cultural contrast to our behaviours and customs. The social gatherings were intimate, but exhilarating. The campus clubs were the hub of activities and events, and the nationally revered "Sports Weekend" gave us the opportunity to invite our friends from back home to our school environment, and integrate comrades, fun, and freedom into a few days of cultural celebration. Sports Weekend was centred around Caribbean-centric fashion shows, talent shows, and parties. Lots (and lots) of well-attended parties with the top DJs from Toronto and occasionally a special guest performer. For example, during my first year in Windsor we had an exclusive performance from Toronto hip hop artist Kardinal Offishall. This was the era of the phenomenal Howard Homecoming weekend in D.C., and the infamous "Freaknik" in Atlanta...Sports Weekend was our Canadian version of the Black college extravaganza.

As a teenager entering adulthood, moving away from home was a life-changing experience, as can be expected. There were lessons in independence, paired with academic expectations. There were career aspirations and life goals established, while old childhood friendships were expiring and new adult ones were brewing. It was a change in era, and a shift in reality. The book "First Year" was a fictional look at a University of Windsor-like institution called Essex University, and the drama, challenges, jubilation, and lessons in maturity that took place under these circumstances.

THE GENERAL THEME OF "FIRST YEAR": A young couple seeking a cultural education and personal independence through a campus community experience

THE SOCIAL THEME OF "FIRST YEAR": The introduction to independent living and future construction, for first year university students

Urban fiction can be used as a guideline, a road map, and even as a cautionary tale for young adults preparing to enter post-secondary educational institutions. The importance of higher education is evident across races and across cultures, however, when highlighting specifically appealing elements of the experience, I believe there are elements outside of the classroom that will appeal more to some students than to others. Urban fiction can play a role in making the college experience appealing, by showcasing the day-to-day elements of interaction that can complement the learning experience.

Whether it's a football team or a great music program, high-tech digital facilities, or environmentally-progressive practices, or maybe it's a strong cultural foundation. In the case of the fictional Essex University in Windsor, Ontario, the setting of the book "First Year," the draw to this campus environment was the social scene and the attendance of others. The main character, Michelle, has an older cousin as well as a childhood sweetheart that attend Essex U, when she finally decides to accept her admission and join them on campus, one semester into the term. A hesitant scholar, Michelle chooses to move away to attend school to be near her boyfriend and the social advances he is making on his own, and avoid the "fear of missing out" as he grows in life experiences, while she remained back in their hometown of Malvern, just east of Toronto.

The Durham Technical Community College Library's website (in Durham, North Carolina) defines urban fiction as street literature that presents "realistic characters in realistic environments, often focusing on the characters' everyday lives and their relationships with other characters and their urban environment. This focus on realism makes the books easy for readers to understand and relate to or understand." In the definition is the appeal: the realism. The site goes on to define the genre by outlining that: "Not all street lit is based in the U.S., and it includes a variety of cultural, social, political, geographical, and economical aspects. Street lit set in New Orleans will differ greatly from that based in Tokyo, but they will have similar issues."

Moving away to attend college/university is a process that is similar for all young people leaving home in that they are leaving their parents and oftentimes direct supervision, in an attempt to establish their independence and begin their career training, to build a foundation for their adult lives. This is consistent, however, just like the campus of an HBCU will differ from, say, a small Christian college in the American mid-west, the highlights of each environment will vary. Needless to say, when selecting a school to attend, most prospective students have an idea about the desired campus culture, social scene, and reputation in mind.

In the case of Essex University, the reputation was that of a "party" school, popular with African- and Caribbean-Canadian students from across the province of Ontario. It was far away from the big city living of urban Toronto, yet so close geographically to the true urban experience of inner-city Detroit. The paradoxes between environments were exciting, and the unique blend of American and Canadian urban cultures made for vibrant social interaction and down-time exploration.

"First Year" is a love story between high school sweethearts who are forced to mature and trust one another when their relationship and personal boundaries are tested in a new environment. It's a story of career aspirations, and making new friends. It's a story about college life, dorm life, and the balance between attending classes and maintaining a social life. It is what you would imagine any story about the freshman year of college to be about, written from a specific urban and Black Canadian lens.

Urban fiction, as defined by the Durham Technical Community College Library, contains a few other specific characteristics, that can be found in the telling of this particular college campus story. These characteristics include: (1) fast-paced stories often including flashbacks with vivid descriptions of the urban environment; (2) the street itself as a place where action occurs, with young adult protagonists often in the age range of 19-25; (3) a focus on relationships, including surviving abuse, betrayal by friends, or perhaps plans to take revenge; (4) a focus on name-brand items or the accumulation of tangible wealth; (5) surviving street life and overcoming the street lifestyle.

It was also noted that street lit can blend with other genres, and contain elements of romance, mystery, or even science fiction, while also covering gritty themes like drugs use, domestic violence, or stereotyped gender roles. Because the characters in this novel are college-aged, they are still figuring out their identity as Black Canadians, as first-generation West Indians, carrying on the Caribbean traditions of their parents, and also as scholars who have been removed from their home neighbourhoods and now placed in an industrial working-class town like Windsor to learn. So while the book resembles "street lit" in detail, it is taking the elements of the Toronto urban environment and lifestyle, and applying these habits and lessons to their new temporary home.

Throughout the book, they re-visit Scarborough for holidays and school breaks, and there you find contrast and comparison between the campus life and the home life. The goal of "First Year" is to take the common urban fiction issues like drug usage, domestic violence, and "street life," and transfer them to the students on the campus. While the students are not aggressively from the streets, in that they are suffering from limited means or engaging in illicit activities, they are definitely coming from an urban locale, and are forced to challenge their beliefs and habits and upbringing in an environment that is otherwise supposed to nurture them into adulthood.

A classic urban story, I believe that "First Year" presents in literature what A Different World or the fantasy of attending an HBCU may have presented in television or imagination: an up close look at the "Black" college experience, in an exciting and intriguing manner that reminds you that the experience is much more than just books and assignments, but that there is a greater element of cultural socializing taking place that will also determine the student's success and future movements. Covering the first year of this experience, it allows for the readers to take this snapshot for the specific moment that it is in a college student's life, in hopes that the remaining years of the degree program continue to be progressive, and aimed directly at their imagined success. It is a reminder that higher education has its challenges, but there are also enjoyable elements and important cultural aspects that are equally as crucial to manoeuvring and mastering the process at hand.




Written by Stacey Marie Robinson for Kya Publishing's "Journal of Canadian Urban Fictoin."

JCUF VOL 5 NO 1 (2018) - EIGHTEEN: Writing the Black Canadian Childhood Experience

EIGHTEEN (1993) - I have mixed emotions about this novel. It is the longest book I have ever written, and the one that I put the most time into. I started composing "Eighteen" when I was ten years old, on lined paper, with pencil, in a baby blue Finder Binder. I still have that binder, and I still have the character charts, the graphs, and the hand-written architecture of fantasy planning that I engaged in night after night. I eventually graduated onto a word processor, and finally a desktop computer. I transferred the text meticulously, and never lost a word in technical transition.

Looking back, it was definitely an exercise in narrative assumption, as I took the lives of adolescent bi-racial triplets (their mother was Scottish, their father hailed from Ghana) and tried to project their experiences with identity, school, family, relationships, and growing up...through story. This was my one of my favourite hobbies. This was my entertainment.

What "Eighteen" lacks in actual structure (at 294 pages long, it covers a span of 5 years of the characters' lives through first-person narrative from each of the three main characters), it makes up for in cultural accuracy through adolescent fodder. I'm somewhat embarrassed to share the immature aspirations of my childhood with a public audience, but always a little nostalgic when I remember how completely legitimate the storylines and character arcs were to me at that time.

This story represents what I thought life would and should be like; I was able to humour myself for hours and hours on end designing and plotting the hijinks of the Osei triplets and their jovial web of multicultural friendships over their adolescent and teenage years. Until they turned eighteen.

When I actually entered high school and was faced with a new social reality and constructive creative tools through excellent English classes and keyboard training, the novel came to an end and a new era of shorter stories and controlled structure began. Over the years, "Eighteen" has been edited for grammar and formatting, but I have left the thoughts, the dialogue, and the intention as pure as possible for authenticity sake. It reads and remains in the late 80's and early 90's, and reflects the realities of a young Canadian at that exact moment in time.

THE GENERAL THEME OF "EIGHTEEN": Siblings coming of age and redefining their identities and friendships as they transition between schools and living environments.

THE SOCIAL THEME OF "EIGHTEEN": Canadian adolescents learning to navigate culture, identity, and related social expectations and norms.

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) published an article on the "Narrative Significations of Contemporary Black Girlhood" in 2010 that reminded me of my journey writing, and understanding the book "Eighteen." While finding books now with young Black characters and a multicultural array of friends is commonplace, looking back to the late 80's when my novel was initially conceived, that definitely wasn't the case. The NCTE authors outlined how there were only a "small yet noteworthy number of young adult African-American narratives that have undergone school-sanctioned literary canonization." Therefore, young Black girls (like myself, in 1988 when I began writing "Eighteen") would seldom encounter racially relatable characters in my Canadian classroom, let alone in a similar American classroom. To be an African-American at that time was to at least be partially acknowledged in media. To be a Black-Canadian, it was a reach just to find the American references!

Those images that did exist outside of the neighbourhood, family, or classroom, were of older Black men and women, often objectified, and/or frequently perpetuated negative stereotypes, according to the authors. From the onset of adolescence [and womanhood], Black children would have to form their identities without literature or positive media to counteract or explain the influence of common exposures to "risk and stress, and changes within a range of contexts such as school, and family." Cultural values were in development at this time, along with figuring out relationships...and schooling of course. The conclusion: that positive, cutting-edge portrayals of expression and identity formation for Black girls (in this particular assessment) were rare, but necessary. They needed these images. They needed something to round out their development, and did not have enough tools to reach for.

The NCTE article goes on to look at discussions from the 80's about Black females in rap videos, and the Black female experience in general, as "situated within multiple intersecting oppressions (racism, classism, sexism) along with growing tension and victimization". These were the most publicly obvious examples at the time, and the subject of many controversial debates. In the study, the writings of Sharon Flake, Rita Williams-Garcia, Nikki Grimes, and Jacqueline Woodson were analyzed. Black female protagonists in urban settings were observed through their decisions-making abilities, and situational depictions of their demographic. The study found that kinship identity was of utmost importance, as were relationships with boys, sexuality, etc. In these stories, "urban girls came to life," they were multi-layered, and spoke to the Black girls' human experience.

Before the late 90's era of urban fiction where Black females could see realistic representations of themselves in books, they were forced to compromise by investing in the lives of white characters, and projecting their own wishes and assumptions through fantasies. Looking at the progression of the novel "Eighteen," I can now see how even as the characters came of age, their access to cultural artefacts increased and their opinions on beauty, on acceptance, and their career goals changed with their ability to define themselves. Essentially, this novel served as my own discussion of Black Canadian childhood, and interpreted life as a Black Canadian adolescent, in the absence of reflective texts, programming, and media.

The NCTE article took a look at the above-mentioned authors and the ways in which they took the time to understand the Black girl's experience and what it meant for the girls who were able to access these books as entertainment, and also as tools for growth.

In the November 3, 2011 edition of The Guardian, Carlene Thomas-Bailey wrote that urban fiction author Teri Woods (who independently sold over 300,000 copies of her bestselling novel "True to the Game") said that many young Black women continually give her credit for their interest in reading. Woods told Bailey: "I have a lot of young women approach me and say that other that school books, this is the first thing they read cover to cover."

Teri Woods, and other emerging urban fiction writers in the 90s, noted that their books became popular because they reflected the reality of the Black experience, and that readers could identify themselves with the characters and specifically relate to their stories.

Authenticity is key, when it comes to urban fiction. Thomas-Bailey's article "Is Urban Fiction Defined by Its Subject--Or the Skin Color Of It's Author" noted that publishing companies have books presented to them that speak very differently to very different audiences for a reason. When urban fiction re-emerged in the late 90's, it was an era when Black authors were choosing to speak specifically to Black audiences, and the "content was shedding light on people who were, for many years, swept under the rug." Teri Woods described: "[Urban fiction is] showing you its world. It's giving you the whole lifestyle. If you want to sweep that exposure under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist, then that is not going to fix this problem."

While African-American authors and musicians were gaining underground momentum, as well as mainstream exposure for telling their cultural stories through hip-hop and urban fiction (aka "hip hop literature"), in Canada the Black experience was not as widely communicated or accessible. In Cheryl Thompson's 2007 Master's thesis "Situating Hybridity and Searching for Authenticity in Canadian Hip-Hop: How do we 'keep it real?' " she concluded that with the status of hip-hop in Canada at the time, the genre's dominant themes were actually "centred on the lack of definition of the Black, White, and Native Canadian identity, ownership, and how corporate annexation impedes the genre's ability to transcend."

Dionne Codrington, also navigating her Black female Canadianess through literature noted: "It was only when I read Maya Angelou, however, that I knew I had finally come home," in Concordia University's student publication, The Link, in her 2007 article "Black Women Writing History." With Angelou: "Even thought her portraits of Black women were not always gracious or glamorous, they were real..." continuing to say that "I was a young Montrealer of West Indian descent, far removed from their realities, but I heard them. Reading their novels was a conversation among sisters."

I can relate to the confessions of Black women from the U.S. and also here in Canada, expressing their love for reading, but the lack of recognition in books. Their appreciation for literature, but their longing for familiarity. So although I now scoff at the amateur construction and naive ideals of my young adult novel "Eighteen," I can also clearly recognize that its innocent composition was an exercise in necessity and survival. An eager reader, regularly tearing through Sweet Valley High, V.C. Andrews, Nancy Drew, Babysitter's Club, and the other popular texts for young girls of my era, I was thirsty for familiarity and had to call on my own creativity to fulfil that need.

Vanessa Irvin Morris wrote in the University of Pennsylvania's "Scholarly Commons" that urban public librarians were empowered by reading urban fiction, and discovering what their students and patrons read as part of their identity. Reading texts like "Eighteen" helped the librarians as they unpacked, questioned, and transformed their perceptions towards their library patrons, as well as how they began to modify their approaches to professional practice in the library such that they were more invested and involved in community life.

"I learned how to more gently regard my students' reading habits and effectively apply them to my pedagogical practices in the classroom as a means to encourage pre-service librarians to be active readers of what the patrons read as part of their professional identity," said Morris. Her study was created to understand what could happen when librarians read what the young folks were reading, as a form of "practitioner inquiry to inform their professional practices."

For librarians and teachers, urban fiction texts like "Eighteen" can be an example of  transformative tools, as well as identity-forming guidelines for students. Marcelle Haddix and Detra Price-Dennis in the English Education journal, published by the National Council of Teachers of English (Volume 45, Number 3 in April of 2013) also noted that similar texts can prepare educators from a diversity perspective for critical encounters with literature, to help shape the learning of students.

The authors noted that written works depicting Black children were helpful, in: acknowledging multiple world views, honouring diverse backgrounds and student histories, and responding to racist ideologies and structures. They stated: "Critical encounters with literature can shape their learning," and that appropriate stories need to be selected to help students "interrogate interplay between race, gender, sexuality, class, language, and to examine how this interplay affects the lives of adolescent learners."

Students have shown to enjoy the non-standard use of language, familiar "slang," and references to real cities and neighbourhoods, in urban fiction. These texts help students to better understand how their personal histories can influence texts, and also provide "cautionary" tales to young readers, where necessary. Most importantly, the humanizing power of literature was acknowledged and how much it means for self-esteem and identity formation.

As a young writer, I attempted to form social reality through literature, and understand identity through a range of characters. I didn't have culturally-specific texts to rely on during the years 1988 and 1993 when I was writing, planning, restructuring, and projecting into the characters of "Eighteen." There were a few multi-racial television shows, and occasionally African-American  characters in books, but it was the existence of Afia, Naki, and Kwame Osei (the triplets) that made me feel like I wasn't alone as a young Black girl, and that somewhere out there in Toronto there were similar kids doing similar things, and learning practical lessons about life. I learned through them, and through my imagination, as best I could. Looking back I realize that this story is probably more important to me, personally, than it will ever be to any other reader.

The technology in the text of "Eighteen" is outdated, the music, the practices, and even the city has changed since then. But what remains consistent is the need for self-reflection that other Black Canadian children are most likely experiencing, and the hope that there continues to be enough content and progressive narratives available for them. They deserve to feel confident, valued, and seen...and feel that their experiences are as normalized as possible, to help them get through the most confusing and internally challenging years of their young lives.







Written by Stacey Marie Robinson for Kya Publishing's Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction.

JCUF VOL 5 NO 1 (2018) - The Value of Kya Publishing's "Urban Toronto Tales" Collection

It's been 26 years, and I continue to write and endorse my "Urban Toronto Tales" novel and short story collection with the eager enthusiasm of my 14-year-old self, and the dedicated ambition of my 40-year-old self. Self-published out of necessity, these books are written in real-time as I have come of age in the urban locale of Toronto (by way of Ajax and Windsor, Ontario). It's been 26 years, but I still feel the need to defend, justify, and validate the Urban Fiction that has been curated from the depths of my soul.

I often doubt my literary prowess. I question my artistic merit. I lament that I will most likely never win a Giller, Roger's Trust, or [insert-Black-woman-of-Toronto-award-here] based on my creative abilities. I don't have any best seller lists to brag about or really any other accolades of merit to boast. I went from submitting query letters and manuscript samples to the great publishing houses of North America with 100% confidence...to creating "Kya Publishing" as a personal vehicle of expression and hope.

It's been 26 years, and I continue to write and endorse my "Urban Toronto Tales" collection, because I truly believe that somewhere in the adolescent fantasies and young adult realities are a truth about growing up Black in Toronto that means something to someone. Even if that someone is the 12-year-old version of me who would have LOVED to stumble upon a collection like this to work through issues of identity, belongingness, Blackness, Canadian-ness, and womanhood. Even if that someone is a teenage version of me, who would have benefited from reading about other teenagers living in the Durham Region and navigating this diverse and dynamic city from east to west. Even if that someone was an adult me, experimenting with career options, relationships, and friendships, and looking for a Caribbean-Canadian reflection of a similar experience somewhere. Anywhere.

I'm currently finalizing my tenth novel, even though I have yet to verify if the first nine had any tangible impact...anywhere. I'm clinging to the classification of "Urban Fiction" because I've seen the research indicating that this form of writing really helps young people with literacy and developing positive, lasting reading habits. I have accepted that my position within the Canadian literary landscape might just have to remain one of reclusivity and obscurity, but I so believe in the underlying messaging and intent of these novels that I will continue to produce, and publish, and write, and share them, as long as I am able to construct the fictional characters in my mind.

Like most writers, my books are an exercise in fantasy, psychology, sociology, and history. Fantasy, because I'm able to take fictional people and hypothetical scenarios and see what happens when you add particular elements together. Like a social experience, the narratives allow me to play with factors that I can't adjust in real life, but still allows me to exercise the outcomes, the conversations, and the predicaments that may occurs as a result.

The psychological and sociological elements come with the human interaction, primarily. The majority of the "Urban Toronto Tales" have a focus on relationships and friendships. Without getting into the areas of mystery, science fiction, thriller, or crime, these novels and short stories stay on the fringes of romance and explore relationships from a variety of angles and personalities.

The elements of personal change and growth, and pursuing these lanes from various perspectives are entertaining, and at times challenging when forced to ensure that the processes and outcomes are realistic and authentic to the time and space they exist within.

I view these books a historical reference, because 26 years from now, I may not be able to remember the feeling, culture, mood, language and trends of this moment...but I do want them to exist and live on. "This moment" has occurred steadily for me from I wrote my first novel in 1992 ("Eighteen"), up until the present time where I am finishing my tenth novel "Bonafide Toronto Love."

Each book is written from the perspective of a character that is exactly my age at press time, so I can specifically relate the trends, the life cycle, and the priorities according to the exact moment in time, from an individual at a specific age. While writing outside of your personal demographic is a key challenge of writing, perhaps it is a skill I am too stubborn to develop, to transport myself into another age or city. On a biographical level, I do like to use my books as cultural reference as to what was hot and common at any particular moment in time, and know that it is authentic.

I love to read the vernacular used in my high school books, like "The Way We Used to Be." It entertains me! It's nostalgic for me to remember the issues and thought processes of adolescent girls, when I re-read "Eighteen." With the more recent novels, it's still interesting to see the thought processes and happenings of my characters in the present time...while I am still living in this time.

Self-serving? Possibly! Irrelevant? To some. Necessary? I believe so.

There is a part of me that can not stop writing, no matter how much I realize that my writing isn't receiving the attention or merit that most authors dream of. I've passed that moment as an artist, where the validation and acceptance is my primary goal. I'm at the point where I simply want my writing to exist in historical context, and mention matters that were important, scenes that were entertaining, and cultural phenomena that were really, really crucial to someone. Even if that someone is...me.

I've dedicated this edition of the Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction--in the most selfish of ways--to my books. I've researched, and brainstormed, and thought about how I could prove to myself that for the past two and a half decades, that my writing had a purpose. TAnd for the decade before that, that 10-year-old Stacey wasn't writing her heart out, for nothing.

I imagine that somewhere down the line in history, someone, somewhere will care. Perhaps? Someone will be pleased to find a fictional account of what it was like to party in the 90s in Toronto, or attend high school in Pickering. Someone, somewhere, will want to read the language and "slang" of a young person growing up in Toronto in the early 2000s. It is my hope that the words I've written will not exist in vain forever...and I am patient enough to let my work exist digitally, knowing that one day, they may have value that exists beyond my own ego and amusement.

I have always admired the way our African-American neighbours have utilized the wonders of Urban Fiction. Like most, I was drawn to the genre through Terry McMillan and Sister Souljah. I have yet to dive back to the 1970s Iceberg Slim to get the true, true roots of Urban Fiction, but I do value and appreciate the spirit with which his stories were recorded. I love the relevance they still hold.

Aside from the most prominent authors, it is difficult to find professional reviews of many Urban Fiction novels. Despite the best selling books from the above-mentioned authors, and the hundreds of other contributions from small presses and independent authors across America, there is still a bit of a void when it comes to research in this area. The Kya Publishing Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction exists as a preliminary attempt to institutionalize the study of Urban Fiction, and to chronicle the academic and social importance of the books, once the reader puts it down.

Existing research (many studies that will be referenced in this edition of JCUF), declare that the teen protagonists appeal to many teen readers. Despite the sometimes controversial placement of these books in school and public libraries, there has been evidence that Urban Fiction has a high appeal to otherwise reluctant readers, and is a valuable way to connect with young patrons.

In the "Readers' Advisory Guide to Street Literature," author Vanessa Irvin found that Urban Fiction (also known as "street literature") is a great way to promote library use, and has been helpful with assisting library staff with establishing their credibility by giving them the information they need to knowledgeable guide their young readers.

Its impact in the United States of America is fundamentally more powerful, based on the number of Urban Fiction authors, as well as the availability of books in bookstores, libraries, street corners, and online. This grassroots promotion and hustling of books has made the Urban Fiction industry in the U.S. an interesting model of entrepreneurship, as well as community independence.

In an assessment of Canadian writer George Elliott Clark's 2000 book, "Odysseys Home: Mapping African Canadian Literature" Andrea Davis noted that "What black Canadian literature offers is the convergence of multiple African diasporic voices, coming from different ethno-cultural, linguistic and national spaces, but together articulating a deliberately transgressive Canadianness that not only takes cultural differences into account, but also positions the lived experiences of Black Canadians as an essential part of a wider discussion about what it means to live and be in this country."

Davis mentioned that while African-american literature was defining itself within the American canons, according to "Black nationalist and Black aesthetic traditions," that Black Canadian literature to some extent is is a projection of the imagination, because it is representing various identities within "coherent national narratives."

The identities represented in the "Urban Toronto Tales" are not a specific Black Canadian experience, or Caribbean-Canadian lifestyle, but a combination of what I have observed from my own Black/Caribbean-Canadian lens, and my interpretation of how these events play into the greater narrative of living in this country and the ways in which the cultural context impacts that experience.

Music has, and always will, play a huge factor in the development and understanding of the mood of my stories, and how I try to convey that mood. A reflection of the urban musical experience--be it hip hop, R&B, reggae, or soca music--the stories often exist within that framework: in the presentation and enjoyment of the music as a root to understanding the culture.

As a means of understanding the experience, the culture, the music, the race politics, the identities, and the interpersonal relationships, it is just my hope that the Urban Fiction novels of the "Urban Toronto Tales" collection can serve as a catalyst for youth to enjoy reading, a reflection in identity construction for young people and young adults, and a documentation of the African-Canadian voice in a specific space in time.

It's been 26 years, and I hope to continue to write for 26 more, as I age, as I learn, and as I continue to respect the value of story and the importance stories have in how history remembers even the most routine and casual of occurrences. To some of us, it is this experience that make up the beauty of our lives.




Written by Stacey Marie Robinson for Kya Publishing's "Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction."

JCUF VOL 4 NO 1 (2017) - "Next Steps for the Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction" by Stacey Marie Robinson

This is the fourth volume of the Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction, which leads me to contemplate the next steps and the long-term vision for this publication as we move into the fifth year for 2018. Next year also marks the fifth year of the Toronto Urban Book Expo. With five years of celebrating urban Canadian literature, and five years of studying it...the next steps have become an urgent and necessary brainstorm.

I've been institutionalized, admittedly. Years of university and post-graduate thinking have me conditioned to believe that if it doesn't exist in a "research journal" then it isn't legitimized as a topic worth researching, advancing, and documenting. If it can't be verified, corroborated, or if there isn't any statistical information or data to back up the claims...then what is the point of reporting it?

As a student at Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan), I remember attempting to study Black Canadian Literature, and being faced with the rude awakening that outside of Canada...the resources in this topic were extremely limited. In fact, the resources even IN Canada were extremely limited. It was 2003, and I had hoped to see enough documented processes that would validate my personal aspirations. There were anthologies. There were published novels, and great lecturers and authors in the Black Canadian academic landscape who had committed their lives to the topic as well. Blogs, yes. Personal websites, yes. Passion, plenty. But published research...scarce.

Now, a university education nearly 15 years ago hardly classifies me as an expert in research or statistics, but as a writer-slash-editor who has dedicated her life to building the genre thus far, I recognize that the research element is an important one that must now be improved upon, and tightened.

Therefore, the informal brainstorm has led me to the following list of next steps as JCUF embarks upon its fifth year, and for the next five years of its development:

01) Continue to publish JCUF as an annual online periodical.
02) Seek funding towards the eventual development into a print publication.
03) Provide opportunities for additional guest writers, and peer reviews.
04) Increased marketing/outreach outside of Ontario, and within similar spaces internationally.
05) Regular review of Canadian authors, and new books.
06) Increased effort to improve the national discourse surrounding urban fiction.
07) Additional study of the independent publishing market, and sales impact internationally.
08) Dialogue with other Canadian niche journals of literature and culture.
09) Support of Canadian student research and current academic discussion.
10) Re-define and strengthen JCUF objectives, and measurable impact.

I appreciate those of you who have been reading this Journal for the past few years, and those who have taken the time to contribute to its development. I thank you for supporting my publication vision, and I strive to make this Journal less about "my" personal objectives, and more about the overall benefits that it can have for urban Canadian writers, editors, publishers, readers, and of course, academics.


~Stacey Marie Robinson, Editor

JCUF VOL 4 NO 1 (2017) - Downtown Winnipeg and Urban Culture Across Canada

The term urban is one that takes on many forms, like many monikers, based on when it's being used and why. It's been both an issue of controversy and celebration at times in the Kya Publishing context, as our use of it is fluid.

The dictionary definition also goes in two directions. From the Canadian Oxford Dictionary we have 1) of, living in, or situated in a town or city, and 2) designating music, or radio stations playing it, performed by Black artists, especially R&B, hop hop, reggae, etc.

Terms like urban planning, urban renewal, and urbanization can be applied to basically any city and its development--that is commonplace. While we as writers claim "urban culture" as a central tenet of our existence, we realize that the majority of Canadians searching for urban anything, are probably searching on a city tip...and less likely on a cultural tip.

Statistics Canada used the term "urban area" to describe towns that had a population of at least 1000, and a population density of no fewer than 400 per square kilometre. More than familiar with the urban landscape of Toronto, both physically and culturally, we thought it best to expand our urban horizons to a densely populated city that wasn't within the borders of Ontario.

Admittedly Ontario-centric, as Toronto-based writers we tend to equate our experiences (urban and otherwise) as the Canadian norm. While Toronto is easily the biggest urban area in our country, we would be remiss not to mention the cities of Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton that round out the top 5, population-wise.

Down the list, at number 7 is Winnipeg with a population of approximately 700,000. Much less than Toronto's 5.4 million, but yet still greater than the majority of Canada's other urban centres like Hamilton, Halifax, Saskatoon, and St. Johns. For the sake of our research and cultural expansion, we decided that Winnipeg would be the next space to explore on our journey to fully understand the urban Canadian experience.



On the agenda: the Winnipeg Public Library, the University of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba, various bookstores, and a general exploration of the city, the culture, tourist attractions, common areas, and the essence of urban (downtown) Winnipeg.

Our hotel was centrally located, right on Portage in the heart of downtown. Adjacent to the University of Winnipeg, and unbeknownst to us, also in the middle of the most feared part of town. Security personnel, police sirens, and an active street culture greeted us on our first night downtown. It wasn't the tourist-laden Yonge Street we were used to in Toronto, with active storefronts and crowded sidewalks. This was different.

The home of the Canadian Journal of Urban Research (founded in 1992), the University of Winnipeg is dedicated to the study of urban Aboriginal people, related social issues, and urban issues like homelessness intervention, and downtown planning. With a focus on issues of housing and income inequality, the Journal has a legacy of training policy makers and contributing to the revitalization of Winnipeg's urban areas. One of the the few independent scholarly journals in Canada with a focus on urban culture, the Canadian Journal of Urban Research and the makeup of Winnipeg quickly let us know that Toronto's "urban" and Winnipeg's "urban" could easily mean different things.

While Toronto, like most densely populated cities, will have to address issues of housing, homelessness, and other social concerns that were brought to our attention in Winnipeg, we realized that the urban "style" and urban "culture" that we were used to representing would take on a different form in this prairie province of Manitoba.

Yes, there is an undergound hip hop scene in Winnipeg, with hip hop artists and a tangible "street" arts culture...but the underlying commonality in Winnipeg was not so much the "urban culture" as it was the First Nations culture. It was a culture that was underexposed in Toronto, yet everything in Winnipeg. A culture that was so fundamentally Canadian, yet still so foreign to us. Almost embarrassingly so.

Maneuvering the bookstores and universities, looking at the courses, and sections, the themes, content, and pervasive cultures brought us to the same conclusion repeatedly: to know urban Winnipeg is to intimately know its Aboriginal culture. Both universities, and also the McNally Robinson bookstore (Canada's largest independent bookstore) had awesome resources dedicated to this culture, as did the Winnipeg Public Library.

In Toronto, we would search for "Black writers" or "urban culture"...but in Winnipeg, this wasn't the case. It wasn't even close. And while we know that "Black" and "urban" are not always interchangeable, coming with our Caribbean- and African-Canadian lens, we were reminded that the definition of urban is not constant at all. It had already taken on an entirely new meaning.

Winnipeg is unique in that 11% of the population is of First Nations descent, which is vastly higher than the national average of 4.3%. Winnipeg also had the highest percentage of Aboriginal residents for any major Canadian city of over 100,000 people. The highest percentage of Aboriginal residents living off of the reserve. These facts created a new framework for us to view Winnipeg with.

As Canadian-born writers of Jamaican descent, in Black skin, and urban cultural spirit, Kya Publishing writers Kamilah Haywood and Stacey Marie Robinson approached this site visit with the optimism and openness for knowledgeable exploration. Having been educated by a Canadian school system 100%, and Canadian citizens to the core...it was a reminder that outside of  Toronto's strong cultural influence, were major cities with entirely different realities.

Yes, Winnipeg and Manitoba celebrate Black History Month, as the entire country does officially since the Government declaration in 1995. Winnipeg hosts many cultural organizations, and a few annual Afric-centered events and gatherings. While the Black community is small, casual conversation and a surface surveillance led to the conclusion that the "Black" impact as a culture wasn't as pervasive as that of the First Nations community. And rightfully so.

It brought back the details of a 2015 article from MacLeans Magazine that declared Winnipeg was the most racist city in Canada. Recalling numerous Facebook debates, and online discussion where many African-Canadians objected to this declaration in defense of their own discrimination...it was interesting to note the racial climate in Winnipeg. As mentioned in the article, the city was "deeply divided, ethnically" and also there was obvious (and disturbing!) "sub-human treatment" of the Aboriginal community.

Living in Canada with Black skin, Caribbean heritage, and an "urban" soul...both authors expected to feel their race while navigating the city. Surprisingly, the race they felt the most was that of the First Nations people...and the discrimination was overt, and disgusting.

Derogatory comments. Open glares. Dismissive attitudes. Racially charged statements. For a weekend visit anywhere, to openly witness this type of behaviour was shocking. While experiencing racism as an individual of colour is "nothing new"...this level of overt shunning was appalling.

The intention was to seek out urban writers, urban culture, writers of colour, and a unique cultural experience outside of Toronto that would reinforce our commitment to representing Canada in our writing and actions. Instead, the journey went straight to the core of our consciousness as we had to reevaluate what we believed our place to be in Canadian society, what we perceived the place of the Aboriginals to be, and how we could reconcile the similarities, the differences...and what this would mean for the way we created and communicated literature.

Obviously, discrimination exists. Of course, the First Nations communities of Canada have had a less than acceptable history of treatment and equality in our country. These are facts we have always known. However, to FEEL racism against someone else in a way you have never even experienced yourself hit home in an unexpected way.

The MacLeans article noted that Winnipeg yielded the highest proportions of racist Tweets and online commentary. It mentioned the visible division of the city by the CP rail yard, which led us to explore the city's notorious North End. The part of town that many locals have never seen with their own eyes, or driven the streets of. The part of town where police cars, and trouble roam the streets after dark. Where the commotion is. Where the violence is. Where the name "Murderpeg" originated, due to the fact that this area contains 2 of the 3 poorest postal codes in Canada, and the highest rate of violent crimes as well.

No shops or enterprise. Prostitution. High rates of suicide. Solvent abuse. Alcoholism. It was called a "bruised generation" of citizens, only two generations removed from the residential schools of the past. A damaged ego. Lack of trust. These were concepts we were familiar with, with a landscape and face we rarely witnessed in Toronto.

And at the shores of the historical Forks, sat a majestic new museum, with a focus on Human Rights. With floor after beautiful floor dedicated to the suffering of women, various ethnicities, and stories of perseverance and rebellion. The Canadian Museum of Human Rights, just a few kilometers from Winnipeg's notorious "North End" packaged the city of Winnipeg in the most perplexing way.

It was a city of beauty, flat lands, cooler temperatures, and a simple skyline. A city of friendly folks, with deep, deep resentments and anger towards their most influential citizens. A city that barely made the top ten list of Canadian populations, but easily had an impactful history and future.

What did the city of Winnipeg do for Kya Publishing's vision of urban culture across Canada, and the influence on the writers? It just reminded us of how location and experience is so extremely intimate. How the writers and communicators of each area are strongly influenced by the immediate social concerns and historical influences of their communities.

It wouldn't be easy to draw parallels between our urban writing, and say, the research of the Urban Studies department at the University of Winnipeg. We were writing about urban culture as a style, and as a culturally-specific set of rules, language, behaviours, and expectations. Our urban culture was definitily urban, both in locale and in spirit...but it wasn't comparable to the urban culture of a city like Winnipeg.

Chances are, visits to Halifax, and Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Vancouver would also reveal significantly different urban experiences.

Our working definition of urban, based on how we perceive our Toronto experience to be as Black citizens, and individuals who have grown up in and around the city have a strong Caribbean influence. Musical influence. Behavioural influence, and societal appreciation for African-American culture as well. Our urban looks and feels like a combination of the various influences that we are used to absorbing as Torontonians with access to so many other powerful cultures each day.

The urban culture of Winnipeg, is Winnipeg-centric. Looking out from the top floor observatory of the Museum of Human Rights, we couldn't see anything but land, regardless of what side of the 360 degree view we took in. It was a city in the middle of the plains, in the middle of our country, that was still feeling the sensitivities and historical impact of their divisions. Out loud. Still trying to reconcile between the strong and spiritual First Nations presence, and the rejuvenating urban presence of the residents.

In just a few days, we found ourselves deeply touched by the experience, in awe at our ignorance to some of the most commonplace realities of Winnipeg life, and inevitably flying back to Toronto with a new appreciation for our abundantly diverse urban culture...yet with a sadness for the citizens of the North End, and the verbal and cultural abuse they experienced daily.

Just as we explored Winnipeg, we look forward to exploring other areas of our country, and the intricacies of their makeup. Until then, we can hardly claim to represent "urban Canada" because even using the divisive word "urban" itself still doesn't compare to how dramatically different the urban experience is from one town to another. We will specify our Toronto-ness. Our Black-ness. Our Caribbean-ness, and all other signifiers that make the urban Toronto experience what it is, in the majority of cases.

We will not forget what we saw, and what we felt in Winnipeg, and we will remember that when we write from a Canadian perspective, that it is much, much deeper than we could have ever imagined. We will strive to make the writing and communicating of these experiences a standard...regardless of the location in this country, that we still deem to be the best in the world.





Written by Stacey Marie Robinson for Kya Publishing's Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction.

JCUF VOL 4 NO 1 (2017) - The 2014 Toronto Urban Book Expo, Event Review

Inspired specifically by a trip to Houston, Texas, to attend the National Black Book Festival (NBBF), the Toronto Urban Book Expo (TUBE) began as a concept of duplication. The owner of the NBBF, Gwen Richardson, was approached by Kya Publishing's Stacey Marie Robinson, and asked if she was interested in expanding her brand north of the border. Ms. Richardson graciously declined, as she had her hands full with her annual Book Festival. Hosting over 100 authors each year, the NBBF has become a staple in the urban/Black book fair circuit, with steady growth and positive national awareness.

While there were dozens of similarly-themed book fairs across the United States, there was nothing comparable in Toronto or Canada for black and urban authors to gravitate towards--the conversation didn't end there. Ms. Robinson and Ms. Richardson continued to chat, and Ms. Richardson was more than happy to provide recommendations, tips, and an overview of the development of her book fair. This was 2010, and the beginning of TUBE's planning.

Notes multiplied, ideas spawned, and eventually (after an exploratory 2013 panel discussion at the Toronto Public Library entitled "Defining Canadian Urban Fiction," the inaugural Toronto Urban Book Expo took place on Saturday, February 8, 2014 at the Malvern Branch of the Toronto Public Library (TPL). A call was put out to local authors via word of mouth and social media, and details were coordinated with the branch librarian, Joanne Bainbridge.

A small event, there was a modest but steady stream of friends, supporters, library patrons, and curious onlookers for the duration of the four hours.

Sean Liburd, writer, and owner of Knowledge Bookstore was present to speak, and share his wisdom on urban fiction and cultural literature. Entertainment expert and event producer Ian Andre Espinet spoke about his experiences within the industry, and his views on urban culture. Reggae artist and CHRY 105.5fm staff member Mel Dube shared her perspectives on urban culture. Author and cultural expert Dalton Higgins also shared his views on the connotations of the word "urban," as well as provided the keynote address for the afternoon. The four selected cultural experts were interviewed by journalist Angela Walcott:


Remarks were shared from event coordinator Stacey Marie Robinson, as well as from event host Keishia Facey, while MC Brenton B provided the musical soundtrack to the day's event. The additional participating authors each spoke to the gathered folks about the books they had on sale, their experiences in publishing, and the inspiration behind their individuals works.

These featured authors also included:

Three representatives from the "7 MasterMinds" including Lloyd Richards, Maurice Burnside, T. Peter James, Amatus Forsac, Fitzroy Grossett, Curline Bennett, and Angelita Barnswell

Representatives from "Basodee: An Anthology Dedicated to Black Youth" featuring Mutendei Nabutete

Author John Robinson Jr.

Author Matthew L. Taylor

Children's Writer Angelot Ndongmo

Author Stacey Marie Robinson

The informal gathering was an introduction to many for this type of event in Toronto. While Liburd's Knowledge Bookstore and other landmarks in Toronto like A Different Booklist and various branches of the TPL had hosted many book launches, celebrations, and author gatherings, this particular event was specifically dedicated to "urban" fiction and culture. This was indeed a first.

Through discussion, peer-to-peer connections, and attendee feedback, it was determined that the model of TUBE and the intent behind celebrating urban fiction, authors, and culture was something worth continuing to pursue. A participant survey was collected and collated, with plans set in motion to continue the tradition the following year.

With the support of Joanna Bainbridge, and the TPL communications staff, and the Kya Publishing team of volunteers and event facilitators (Telisha Ng, Angela Walcott, Brent Kitson, Camille Ramnath, Jackie Beckford, Jenelle Diaz, Keishia Facey, Kevin Williams, Marsha Mohammed, Pam Robinson, Pat Diaz, and Rea Ganesh), the formula was established. The mission, ignited by the enthusiasm and inspiration of the African-American writers in Houston, Texas, was now going to become a reality in Toronto for years to come.

EVENT PHOTOS POSTED HERE...enjoy!

JCUF VOL 4 NO 1 (2017) - The 2015 Toronto Urban Book Expo, Event Review

For year two of Kya Publishing's Toronto Urban Book Expo (TUBE), the group of writers expanded, and again gathered at the Malvern Branch of the Toronto Public Library. As a part of the Library's Black History Month celebration, the event took place on Saturday, February 28, 2015.

Participants and attendees both saw a nice increase, over the year. Many of the same Toronto-based authors returned to set up vendor tables in the auditorium, as well as friends and associates who had heard about the event over the months. The group of authors included:

Akwasi Afriyie
Simone DaCosta
Bernadette Hood
Mutendei Nabutete
Kamilah Haywood
Matthew L. Taylor
Randall Mitchell
Kwame Osei (representative)
Nadine Chevolleau
Angela Walcott
Jennylynd James
Lavern Lewis
Stacey Marie Robinson

Also participating were the Black Starline Readers book club, who were treated to a special Q&A session with urban fiction author Kamilah Haywood.

For this edition of TUBE, there were giveaways added: a gift card to Chapters, a Kobo e-reader, a few books, as well as donated Raptors swag. Included was Toronto's DJ Majesty to officially provide the urban musical soundtrack to the afternoon, as well as video coverage by OSC Photography.

Word was spreading. Interest was gaining momentum, and there was a supportive crowd of approximately 150 throughout the afternoon, who came to visit with their friends, purchase reading materials, and learn about the various projects on display.

With the same concept, the conversation had now changed. What would the following year bring? Perhaps Kya Publishing could bring sponsors on board. Perhaps guest authors, and celebrity appearances? Authors and visitors alike were beginning to feel invested in the process, and were eager to share their feedback, opinions, and well wishes for the future of TUBE.

Unlike the previous year, this year there were no formal presentations or guest speakers. Instead, the music played and set the urban ambiance for the day, refreshments were served, and there was a relaxed atmosphere for conversation, socializing, and education about urban fiction.

The momentum was tangible, as well as the need for writers to gather in a culturally specific space to celebrate the inspiration for their words, as well as project their hopes for the future of their literary careers.

As a special treat, children's authors Angela Walcott and Simone DaCosta also featured book launches as a part of the festivities.

By now, most of the authors are acquainted with one another. Having connected on the literary circuit in town, the energy of support and mutual respect was evident. Everyone wanted to do well with their writing pursuits, and everyone wanted to ensure that the visibility of their efforts continued.

At this stage, there were advertising dollars invested, postings across the internet, and media interviews sought out to help spread the word. Kya Publishing's vision was becoming more defined, and the steady growth was evident.

JCUF VOL 4 NO 1 (2017) - The 2016 Toronto Urban Book Expo, Event Review

There was a unique energy to the third installment of the Toronto Urban Book Expo (TUBE), held on Saturday, February 13, 2016 at the North York Central (NYCL) branch of the Toronto Public Library. Having outgrown the capacity available in the Malvern Branch auditorium over the previous two years, the NYCL provided a new auditorium space, breakaway rooms for additional programming, and an increase in awareness for new library patrons and community folk.

An added incentive for authors from out of town, who had expressed interest in participating in the event in response to online marketing: the NBA All-Star Game was to take place in Toronto the same weekend. The focus on urban fiction and culture of TUBE resonated specifically with African-American authors, Caribbean-based authors, and urban fiction writers across the continent. Many reached out to Kya Publishing following the 2015 event, with hopes of expanding their readership across the border and gaining international supporters.

Registration was overwhelming both from urban writers, and urban cultural organizations, independent business owners, and small publishers. In total, 50 vendors were participating in an awesome display of community creativity and support.

The added incentive of the festivities of the All-Star weekend brought an added energy to the travelers. There were many noted urban celebrities in town, a plethora of special events, and an overall feeling that Toronto was the "place to be" for urban entertainment aficionados. DJ Majesty provided a free special urban mix CD for all attendees, and there were giveaways again from Kya Publishing's favourite brands: The Toronto Raptors, Chapters, and Kobo.

The energy was fantastic, with attendees reaching approximately 350 throughout the afternoon. Conversation, promotional opportunities, and community exposure felt incredibly positive for participants and visitors alike. There was an auditorium hosting the majority of the vendors and authors, the main hallway was where the businesses and reception desk were staged; one breakout room hosted children's authors with live readings, crafts, and treats, while the second breakout room was designated for presentations and readings from participating authors.


For photos from the 2016, and contact information for the participating vendors/authors, please visit the Kya Publishing Facebook Page.

Vendors included:
DJ Majesty

Guernica Editions

Northridges Publications

Riddim Fit

Roots to Curls

The Fold

Toronto Public Library

Up North Naturals

Canadian Authors:
Adrian Sterling

Akwasi Afriyie

Andre Nicole

Angela Walcott

Angelot Ndongmo

Ava Knight

Brentt Hood

Dalton Higgins

Jaden Amber Taylor

Janine Carrrington

Jennylynd James

Josephine Casey

Kamilah Haywood

Kareative Interlude

Kebrina Morgan

Latania Christie

Lavern Lewis

Makini Smith

Robert Small

Simone DaCosta

American Authors:
Chase Monet

Christopher Signal

Dominique Pequet

Ebony Stroder

Fanchon Stylez

J. L. Cheatham

Jalissa Monique Brown

Jedah Mayberry

Jessica Tamara

Kamesha Shropshire

Queen Rella

Sammodah Speaks

Sheila L. Brown

Tawanda Amos

JCUF VOL 4 NO 1 (2017) - The 2017 Toronto Urban Book Expo, Event Review

With the news that the North York Central branch of the Toronto Public Library was going to be under construction for most of 2017, Kya Publishing embraced the opportunity to continue to feature their event in the heart of North York, adjacent to the Library in the beautiful Toronto Centre for the Arts. A generous sponsorship through North York Arts provided the spacious atrium/hall area for participating vendors of the Toronto Urban Book Expo to set up tables, present their books, and communicate with one another.

The sub-zero temperatures of the February weekend when the 2016 event was held was re-evaluated, when Kya Publishing organizers noted that most of the visiting American authors would not get to fully enjoy and appreciate the beauty and vibrancy of Toronto at that time of year. For many, it was their first trip to Canada, and Toronto specifically, and it seemed unfair to have them remain in hotel rooms and malls to escape the cold. An August event date was determined, and the holiday weekend of the annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival was selected as a suitable time to schedule the Book Expo.

Much like the excitement, tourist-friendly events, escalated international profile, and increase in tourists that the previous years' NBA All-Star Weekend provided, the Carnival weekend also allowed for visiting authors to experience the best of Toronto's urban culture and entertainment, as well as bring additional people to the city of Toronto who could potentially attend TUBE.

The increase in travelling American authors could not be ignored by Kya Publishing's coordinators. The previous year had participation from American authors growing exponentially, and their presence was a benefit to writers and readers alike. Authors from the U.S. outnumbered Canadian authors for the 2017 event, and the reach was expanding.

While the previous year brought mainly travelling authors from urban centres close to the border like Ohio, Michigan, and New York, the 2017 installment had writers flying in now from the south, like Florida, and Texas. There were many familiar faces, as about half of the attendees had participated in the 2016 far...but there were also many new faces. A joy for authors to network, exchange contact information, and build on the already established urban writing network.

Again, DJ Majesty was present to provide the urban musical soundtrack to the afternoon's event. Held on Sunday, August 6, it was a new day of the week, as well as the first time TUBE had been held without the co-sponsorship and additional communications support from the Toronto Public Library. Consistent was the partnership established with the Novotel North York Hotel, who had graciously provided discounted accommodations and other perks (free breakfast, parking) to Book Fair attendees. The familiar location made it a comfortable return for many American visitors, and a less-hectic alternative to the downtown hustle and bustle for the holiday weekend.

The staff of the Toronto Centre for the Arts, and the volunteers from North York Arts were amazing. On hand to help set up the event, and escort authors to their tables, while helping them unload from awaiting cars was a fabulous addition to the festivities, remarked upon favourably by all respondents to the follow-up survey.

The venue: stunning. High ceilings, detailed flooring, and the broad windows and designs that only a Centre for the Arts could bring made for an elegant setup, and spacious grounds to browse and chat about the range of books that were available for purchase.

Attendees ranged from aspiring authors, community members, family and friends of the vendors, to arts professionals from the city. Traffic began slowly, increasing as the afternoon continued on, however, the notable lack of participants was evident, in comparison to past Expos being held within an open library.

Spirits were positive, nonetheless, as the authors and attendees shared projects and aspirations, and the city outside the doors of the TCA prepared for another day of carnival festivities.

A follow-up survey determined that the majority of authors preferred the switch from February to August, and recommended that the event remain during Carnival weekend so they could maximize their marketing potential, participate in surrounding events (which was a bonus to visiting authors), and also to be a part of the bigger cultural celebration...in their own way. They were pleased to announce suggestions and their hopes for the following year--they were invested in the process, and the Kya Publishing vision.

The afternoon affair was a great exercise in execution for the organizers of TUBE, who were increasingly gaining visibility in the Canadian book media, were expanding their advertising reach, and were also mastering the preparation and execution for the vendor services and volunteer roles, with each additional year.



Moving into the fifth year of TUBE, the overall impact that writers were hoping to have on the city, the response from book professionals and community members, and also the execution and management of the Expo were now reaching a place of comfort and experience. TUBE 2018 would be a new challenge, to take the lessons, feedback, and objective of the Book Expos of the past, and channel them into an improved version of the book fair, beneficial and productive for all involved, in all capacities.