The sun is shining, birds are singing, and the air smells like rotten twigs and mildewed leaves. It must be spring! 

In the first full month of spring, we are celebrating the work of poets who strip the familiar from the everyday. Our poetry roots run deep. 

We could not let women’s history month pass without acknowledging Alexa McDonough, the first female leader of a mainstream Canadian political party. Alexa helped transform Nova Scotian and Canadian politics, but she did a lot more than that too. In recognition for everything she has done, we wanted to share an excerpt with you from her forthcoming authorized biography Alexa! Changing the Face of Canadian Politics.

It was the Spring of 1976 and Alexa McDonough — chair of the YWCA’s newly formed social action committee — and a group of women had made plans for a women’s centre in Halifax. They just needed to find a home for it.

You saw its trailer, celebrated its pub day, and now it’s nearly time for its launch! Join us on March 25 with Michelle Butler Hallett and Tyler Enfield for Constant Nobody’s virtual launch.

You can click here to RSVP or find the livestream link by clicking here.

It’s been a thrilling adventure to get here, but don’t worry if you’ve missed any of our stops along the way; you can find it all here, from readings to interviews and more.

Northern Light is now available at your favourite bookstore! In celebration, we wanted to share an excerpt from the book, and a link to the American launch with Milkweed Editions and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop for anyone who missed it. You can watch the launch by clicking here.

We have more events planned for Northern Light, so take this time to pick up a copy and read ahead! We’ll be waiting for your wonderful questions at our next event. Till then, enjoy this excerpt. 

Women have been making literary history for centuries. The first known novel was written in the early 11th century by a woman, Murasaki Shikibu. Phillis Wheatley’s poetry challenged the historic claim of intellectual inferiority among African Americans. At 18, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, one of the earliest examples of science fiction. Today, women continue to empower and change the world. 

This month, we are celebrating the voices of women past and present in a curated Women’s History Month collection.