Upcoming Event

In this intimate Q&A evening, members of the Writers in Exile network will be invited to talk to Ann Y. K. Choi, author of All Things Under the Moon, Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety, and Once Upon an Hour.

These days, Ann is living her dream as a full time, award-winner writer. She is deeply embedded in the Canadian literary world, serving as a juror for several major literary awards, a program advisor for GritLIT in Hamilton, and teaching a popular novel writing class at U of T.

But her journey to get here hasn’t always been clear. An immigrant to Canada as a child, Ann faced many of the challenges other immigrants face, including learning to read and write in a second language. Writing her books took many years, and so did publishing. But by staying true to her vision, facing down a lot of rejection, and most importantly, finding other writers to walk the path with, Ann arrived at what she told her first university career counselor she wanted most – to be a full-time writer.

Ann is offering this evening with the Writers in Exile community to share what she has learned. She will speak candidly about the hard work of being a writer in Canada, as well as the many joys. She is deeply invested in helping writers define success in their own ways and build the kind of buoyant, resilient, joyful writing community that they need to see keep them going. 

Ann will be hosted by Chris Fraser from Firefly Creative Writing, another writer committed to building community around the written word. Chris will introduce Ann, get the conversation started, and then moderate the rest of the evening, letting members of the Writers in Exile program ask Ann all their questions. From finding the right mentor, to the pro’s and con’s of writing programs, to what it means to “find the side door” to publishing – Ann’s wisdom, generosity and life experiences have to offer to writers of all stages.

Registration

This event is free for any member of the PEN Canada Writers in Exile group to attend. Register to receive the link to join:

About the Speakers

Ann Y. K. Choi

Ann Y. K. Choi is a Toronto-based author and educator. She serves on the program advisory committee for gritLIT, Hamilton’s literary festival; mentors emerging writers in a group she founded called Writers in Trees (WiT); and teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto. Her new novel, All Things Under the Moon, was published in September 2025.