Happy Book Birthday to Junie by Chelene Knight!
Today, we celebrate the release of Junie by Chelene Knight! Read on to learn all about this highly anticipated debut novel from one of the Rising Stars of CanLit and for news on a series of exciting upcoming events featuring Chelene Knight!
Happy Book Birthday to Junie by Chelene Knight! This work of literary historical fiction follows on the heels of Knight’s award-winning memoir Dear Current Occupant, picking up on many of the same themes, from complex and nuanced mother-daughter relationships, towards creative liberty, to our deep connection with those places we once called home.
The subject of much literary buzz, Junie is a 2022 Fall Fiction pick from the Toronto Star, CBC Books, 49th Shelf, Daily Hive, The Tyee, and the Scotiabank Giller Prize’s Craving CanLit, and a Must-Read Queer Book from Book Riot! We are confident that this tender coming of age story, which paints a portrait of a young artist, set against the backdrop of Hogan’s Alley—Vancouver’s former thriving black and immigrant community—will stick with readers long after the final page.
“Fittingly for a coming of age story, Junie’s challenges and growth are Junie’s central concerns,” writes Brett Josef Grubusic for The British Columbia Review. “Knight captures her as keenly observant and wonderfully conflicted. She aches with yearning, intuiting—if not yet able to name—places and roles where her adult self will be fulfilled.”
Watch the video below for an introduction to Junie by the author herself. Enjoy!
Praise for Junie:
This fall, catch Chelene Knight on the literary festival and events circuit talking all things Junie! Below is only a highlight reel of upcoming readings and panels, with more events to be announced soon!
TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY, RUNNYMEDE BRANCH – Wednesday, September 14 | 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm ET | 2178 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON – Chelene Knight in conversation with moderator David Chariandy. This is an in-person event. Drop-in, no registration required. More information here.
AFTERWORDS VIRTUAL CONFERENCE FOR WRITERS – Sunday, September 15 | 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm AT | Online – Hear keynote speaker, Chelene Knight, in conversation with writer and Afterwords Literary Festival co-founder Stephanie Domet. Free. Tickets can be reserved here.
WINNIPEG INTERNATIONAL WRITERS’ FESTIVAL – Tuesday, September 20 to October 18 | Online – #THINAIR2022 will be a hybrid festival again this. Check out the unique festival website packed with terrific video content from featured writers throughout this month-long book party, including from Chelene Knight! Free. More information about the hybrid festival here.
VICTORIA FESTIVAL OF AUTHORS – Saturday, October 1 | 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm PT | Metro Theatre, 1411 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC – Epics and Echoes, a panel and reading event, with Chelene Knight, Tsering Yangzom Lama, J.M. Miro, and Danny Ramadan. Live music by Peach Pyramid/Jen Severtson. In-person event. Livestreaming option is also available. Tickets are available for this hybrid event via Eventbrite.
WHISTLER WRITERS FESTIVAL – Thursday, October 15 | 4:0 pm – 5:00 pm PT | Fairmont Château Whistler, 4599 Chateau Blvd., Whistler, BC – Join moderator Charles Demers for Writers of Fiction, a panel discussion featuring Chelene Knight, Guy Gavriel Kay, Shaena Lambert, and Zarqa Nawaz. The event will also include the winner of the Whistler Independent Book Awards for fiction. This hybrid event can be attended both online or in-person. Tickets are available for this hybrid event here.
❧
That’s all for now, dear reader. Please join us again in wishing a very Happy Book Birthday to Junie by Chelene Knight. Purchase a copy from our online shop or your local independent bookstore today. Happy reading!
