What happens when the fictional stories we read feel truer than the world around us? In this in-person panel discussion, authors Liann Zhang, Sharon Bala, Yiming Ma, and Antonio Michael Downing gather at the Rose Theatre for a compelling conversation about the impact of good intentions, the instability of perception, and the unsettling moments when we can’t trust what we see.
Author
Sharon Bala (she/her) is the author of the novels Good Guys and The Boat People. Her short fiction has been widely published and won the Journey Prize.
Author
Yiming Ma (he/him) is the Toronto-based author of These Memories Do Not Belong to Us, longlisted for the Goodreads Choice Award and featured on Electric Literature’s Best Books of 2025 list.
Author
Liann Zhang (she/her) is a second-generation Chinese Canadian. Her debut novel, Julie Chan Is Dead, was an instant bestseller.
Author
Antonio Michael Downing (he/him) wrote Saga Boy (2021), Stars in My Crown (2023), and Black Cherokee (2025), his debut novel. He host’s CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter where he discusses books.
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