Thin AIR 2025
September 20 – 28
THIN AIR / Livres en fête is an annual fall celebration of books and writing. Discover some of the most exciting new books, both English and French, from writers across Canada. Our line-up is eclectic! Spend some time with fascinating people, and find your new favourite book!
Our Featured Writers
Are you into novels? Short stories? Poetry? Non-fiction? Graphic novels? Picture books? We’ve got a stellar line-up of writers from all over Canada who are eager to share their new work with you.
David Bergen
David Bergen is a bestselling author who has been described as “one of Canada’s best writers” (Montreal Gazette). The author of fourteen works of fiction, including his recent novels Away from the Dead and Out of Mind, Bergen has won the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award, the Margaret Lawrence Award for Fiction, and the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award, as well as many other awards. His work has also been shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award, the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and the Pushcart Prize, and he has personally received the prestigious Matt Cohen Prize from the Writers’ Trust of Canada in celebration of his writing career. He lives in Winnipeg.
Jo-Ann Roberts
Jo-Ann Roberts is an award-winning journalist passionate about democracy, public broadcasting, and fighting climate change. She spent 20 years as a CBC Radio host, covering the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2011 NHL Riots in Vancouver, and numerous elections. She has been a candidate in four elections over the past six years, a runner-up but never a winner. She is also the former Interim Leader of the Green Party of Canada.
She has an MFA in Creative Non-fiction from King’s College, class of 2023. Her book, Storm the Ballot Box: An Insider’s Guide to a Voting Revolution, came out in March this year, just before the federal election was called. Her goal is…
jaye simpson
jaye simpson (she/they) is an Oji-Cree Saulteaux Indigiqueer from the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation. simpson is a writer, advocate and activist sharing their knowledge and lived experiences in hope of creating utopia.
she is published in several magazines including Poetry Is Dead, This Magazine, PRISM international, SAD Magazine: Green, GUTS Magazine, SubTerrain, Grain and Room. They are in four anthologies: Hustling Verse (2019), Love After the End (2020), The Care We Dream Of (2021), and Queer Little Nightmares (2022). Their first poetry collection, it was never going to be okay (Nightwood Ed.) was shortlisted for…
Featured Books
We like to think that books talk to other books, just as readers talk to other readers. In each lounge, you’ll find books we’ve curated around some idea—we invite you to join in their conversation.
Fall-osophy
Ardra Shepard
Histoire sentimentale de mes cheveux
Estelle-Sarah Bulle
Unwashed
Daniel Maluka
Upcoming Events
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“Made in Manitoba” Book Fair
“Made in Manitoba” Book Fair THIN AIR 2025 kicks off with a bang at our “Made in Manitoba” Book Fair. The Carol Shields Auditorium at the Millennium Library will be transformed into a market of Manitoba publishers showcasing the vibrant writing and publishing industry in our province. Across the hall at our Reading Lounge…
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Writer Studio with Daniel Maluka
The Writer Studio is a place to explore ideas and insights from some of the amazing writers featured at THIN AIR 2025. Embrace the Cringe: Poetry workshop This youth-oriented workshop by artist and writer Daniel Maluka will teach participants how to “embrace the cringe” when writing poetry. Participants will be given writing prompts based…
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Poetry Bash & Haiku Showdown
This year, our MainStage series takes place at the Rachel Browne Theatre in the historic Exchange District. Our first outing celebrates all things poetic! Our Poetry Bash poets—Daniel Maluka, Louise Marois, Charlie Petch, Cam Scott, and Jennifer Still—all bring their worlds into sharp focus with their linguistic gifts. Then Charlie Petch takes over the…
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Reading & Eating
Merchants Corner is a hub of Indigenous culture and community. Last year we gathered there for Reading and Beading; this year we’re back for Reading and Eating! We’ll welcome you with hot tea and some tasty treats! Wild rice, or manomin, is a staple food for many Indigenous nations, and is the focus of a…
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Writer Studio with Charlie Petch
The Writer Studio is a place to explore ideas and insights from some of the amazing writers featured at THIN AIR 2025. Love your embarrassment Bullied for their lateral lisp, Charlie Petch went from silent to feeling happiest onstage. Now an award-winning theatre and spoken word artist, Charlie will show you tips and tricks…
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Une soirée bilingue avec Louise Marois – Un rendez-vous littéraire incontournable à Winnipeg
Voix en lumière (bilingue) Le public de Winnipeg est invité à une rencontre bilingue exceptionnelle avec l’autrice et artiste québécoise Louise Marois à l’Alliance française du Manitoba. Poète primée et figure importante de la scène littéraire contemporaine, Louise Marois présentera son recueil Trêve ainsi que sa toute nouvelle traduction anglaise Ring of Dust. Le public…
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Signature Series with David Bergen
Join David Bergen as he celebrates the launch of his new novel, Days of Feasting and Rejoicing (Goose Lane Publications). Featuring a reading and a conversation hosted by Joan Thomas, followed by a book signing. Co-presented with McNally Robinson Booksellers. This event will be hosted live in the Atrium of McNally Robinson Booksellers, Grant Park and also available as a YouTube stream.…
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Une soirée bilingue : Atelier slam-science
Atelier d’ecrivain.e (bilingue) Atelier Slam-science avec Jean-Eric Ghia et Seream Le docteur Jean-Eric Ghia, professeur à l’Université du Manitoba, dirige la section de recherche fondamentale en biologie gastro-intestinale du Centre de recherche clinique sur les maladies inflammatoires de l’intestin du Manitoba. Seream, le poète-slameur, est un agitateur poétique depuis 1995. Ensemble, ils vous proposent d’allier…
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Afternoon Book Chats with katherena vermette & Griffin Bjerke-Clarke
The Afternoon Book Chats, hosted by our long-time Director Charlene Diehl, offer a glimpse into what’s behind the scenes in a writer’s life. Today’s featured writers are award-winning Winnipeg writer katherena vermette, and debut novelist Griffin Bjerke-Clarke, each sharing their deep roots in Métis culture. Co-presented with the Winnipeg Public Library. Wednesday, September…
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Big Ideas with Scott Oake
Our Big Ideas series offers a space for non-fiction writers to shine. Scott Oake, high-powered sportscaster and public figure, has become an outspoken advocate for addiction awareness and recovery in the face of his son’s tragic overdose death. He will talk about his new book For the Love of a Son: A Memoir of Addiction,…
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MainStage – Celebrating Voices in the Circle
This year, our MainStage series takes place at the Rachel Browne Theatre in the historic Exchange District. Voices in the Circle is our celebration of the extraordinary Indigenous writing from across the country, and tonight’s showcase is a case in point! We can’t wait for you to hear the stories of debut writer Griffin Bjerke-Clarke,…
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Afternoon Book Chats with Zilla Jones & Terry Kirk
The Afternoon Book Chats, hosted by our long-time Director Charlene Diehl, offer a glimpse into what’s behind the scenes in a writer’s life. Today’s featured writers are Zilla Jones and Terry Kirk, two fiction writers who ground their narratives in other historical times and places. Co-presented with the Winnipeg Public Library. Thursday, September 25, 1:30pm…
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Big Ideas with Ardra Shephard & Gabrielle Drolet
Our Big Ideas series offers a space for non-fiction writers to shine. Gabrielle Drolet is a journalist and cartoonist with disabling pain in her hands. Ardra Shephard is a writer, podcaster, and fashion television host who lives with MS. Both tackle the challenges of chronic illness and disability with candour and wit. Co-presented with…
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Signature Series with Bob Joseph
Join us for a very special evening with bestselling author Bob Joseph as he discusses his new book, 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government: A Conversation About Dismantling the Indian Act (PageTwo Books). Co-presented with McNally Robinson Booksellers. Bob Joseph’s 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of Canadians…
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Une soirée bilingue avec Estelle-Sarah Bulle – Deux romans, deux univers à découvrir
Voix en lumière (bilingue) Une soirée avec Estelle-Sarah Bulle L’Alliance française du Manitoba accueille l’écrivaine Estelle-Sarah Bulle pour une soirée littéraire bilingue autour de ses deux romans acclamés : Basses terres et Histoire sentimentale de mes cheveux. Avec une plume vibrante, Estelle-Sarah Bulle explore les histoires intimes et collectives de la Guadeloupe et des diasporas…
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Afternoon Book Chats with Kate Cayley & Liann Zhang
The Afternoon Book Chats, hosted by our long-time Director Charlene Diehl, offer a glimpse into what’s behind the scenes in a writer’s life. Today’s featured writers are Kate Cayley and Liann Zhang, both of whom create characters with intricate and sometimes contradictory inner lives. Co-presented with the Winnipeg Public Library. Friday, September 26, 1:30pm…
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Big Ideas with Jo-Ann Roberts
Our Big Ideas series offers a space for non-fiction writers to shine. Today, Jo-Ann Roberts, former journalist and one-time leader of Canada’s Green Party, shares her thoughts about the urgency of political reform, as detailed in her new book, Storm the Ballot Box. She’ll be in conversation with former CBC host Terry MacLeod. Co-presented…
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MainStage – Reliably Unreliable
This year, our MainStage series takes place at the Rachel Browne Theatre in the historic Exchange District. Fiction invites us into invented worlds, each with their own internal logic. What happens to us as readers, though, when we don’t know if we can trust the storyteller? Settle in for an evening of enticement with Giles…
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Salon du livre francophone
Salon du livre francophone Le Salon du livre du Manitoba revient en force dans le cadre du festival Livres en fête 2025 ! Une journée entière dédiée à la littérature francophone sous toutes ses formes : rencontres avec des auteur·e·s et éditeurs, entrevues publiques, dédicaces, et une foule de livres pour tous les âges et tous…
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Writer Studio with Jo-Ann Roberts
The Writer Studio is a place to explore ideas and insights from some of the amazing writers featured at THIN AIR 2025. Book Talk: The Secret to Great Interviews about Your Book A former CBC radio host with expertise in book interviews, Jo-Ann Roberts has done dozens of interviews for her new book, Storm the Ballot…
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Signature Series with The Land and Labour Poetry Collective
Join Winnipeg representatives of The Land and Labour Poetry Collective as they celebrate the launch of I’ll Get Right On It: Poems on Working Life in the Climate Crisis (Fernwood Publishing). Hosted by Collective members and editors Jamie Paris and Melanie Dennis Unrau. Co-presented by McNally Robinson Booksellers and the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition (MEJC). Featuring readings from contributors Levy Abad, Mike Bagamery, Myla Chartrand, Jean Clipsham, Renee…
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La Plume et le pinceau
La plume et le pinceau est un jeu d’improvisation créative alliant dessins et mots, organisé par l’Association des auteur·e·s du Manitoba français (AAMF) en collaboration la Maison des artistes visuels francophones et Livres en fête. La plume et le pinceau est constitué de quatre rondes. Lors de chacune des rondes, les artistes sont jumelé·e·s à…
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Nuit Blanche Promenade-slam
Nuit Blanche Promenade-slam (bilingue) À l’occasion des Nuits Blanches, la poésie prend la rue d’assaut lors d’un parcours inédit et vibrant ! Les deux collectifs de slam de Winnipeg — Winnipeg Slam (anglophone) et Manitobamo (francophone) — unissent leurs voix, leurs mots et leurs univers pour offrir une promenade- slam bilingue, ITINÉRANTE, engagée et surprenante.…
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Niizhotay Stories with Bruce McIvor honouring Theodore Niizhotay Fontaine
THIN AIR 2025 wraps up with Niizhotay Stories, our annual event marking Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Niizhotay Stories honours treasured Elder and tireless community-builder Theodore Niizhotay Fontaine, who called tirelessly for all of us to forge a healing path in the spirit of “two hearts.” For this year’s installment, we welcome…
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Terry Kirk “Pitfall” Book Launch
Join us on our final Sunday afternoon to celebrate the launch of Terry Kirk’s debut novel, Pitfall. Co-presented by Whodunit Books. Meet Terry’s colourful cast of characters including Frank Cork, a head trader at Chicago’s leading brokerage firm. Frank has made a killing trading wheat futures on Chicago’s commodities exchange. But on October 29,…
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