Join us at the Sunnyside branch for a conversation with Author, Poet, Speaker Leslie Roach.  

Leslie will discuss her experiences with racism in the past, and how she broke into the literary world. 

Leslie Roach is an Ottawa-based poet and writer. Born and raised in Montreal to thoughtful and loving parents who immigrated to Canada from Barbados, Leslie has lived and worked in Italy, Mali, Tanzania, Kenya and Senegal, shaping her perspectives and worldview. She then moved to Ottawa, working in the International and Interparliamentary Affairs directorate of the Parliament of Canada. 

As a lawyer, she previously worked for the United Nations for 10 years in law and HR, specializing in conduct and discipline related to sexual, physical and psychological abuse. 

She started writing and journaling at a young age as a form of therapy to process the racist experiences she had growing up. 

In 2020, she released her debut book Finish this Sentence, a collection of poetry about healing from the effects of racism, finding one’s voice and power, and claiming your human right to be happy. She has been featured on major media platforms, including CBC, CBC Books, and Pace Magazine, and has partnered with national brands like Deserres. 

Today, she is an advocate for finding your power through practicing mindfulness, both at work and at home, as a way to respond effectively to situations. She is also a workshop facilitator on journaling and mindfulness at work, and journaling to find one's true calling and purpose. 

Join us for the ultimate armchair travel around Europe. The European Book Club is offered in partnership with European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) in Ottawa to promote European authors and their works. 

This month we are presenting Tess Fragoulis and she will be talking about her latest book "The Goodtime Girl":

In the tragic events for Greeks, Armenian’s and Jews in Smyrna in  1922, Kivelli lost everything: her family, her friends, her social position, and her future. Stranded in the Greek city of Piraeus, populated by gangsters, prostitutes, fortune tellers, and other refugees, she finds herself living in the broom closet of a brothel. Luckily, the sound of her singing voice captures the attention of a local taverna owner, who suggests she come with him and perform for his customers. Kivelli’s time at the bar is short-lived, but gives way to a recording career and her slow climb up the economic and social ladder of this foreign city. Although life is certainly better for her — no longer the object of an auction at a brothel, no longer a singer in a disreputable taverna — Kivelli misses the magical world of her youth in the great port city of Smyrna.

Tess Fragoulis’ first book, Stories to Hide from Your Mother (Arsenal Pulp,1997) was nominated for the Quebec Writer’s Federation Best First Book Award.  Her novel, Ariadne’s Dream (Thistledown 2001) was nominated for the 2003 IMPAC International Dublin Literary Prize, and received an honourable mention for the Books in Canada/Amazon First Novel Award.  She edited Musings: an anthology of Greek-Canadian literature (Vehicule, 2004) and has published widely in literary journals. She has also written for film, television, radio and newspapers in Canada. Her latest novel, The Goodtime Girl, was published in Canada by Cormorant Books in Spring 2012, and in Greece by Psichogios Publications in Fall 2012.

Do you enjoy reading mysteries? Share the enjoyment of good mysteries in a relaxed atmosphere. Join us for discussion usually every third Friday of the month. 

Join in stimulating discussions on selected titles in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere on the last Friday of the month.