Licia Canton
Licia Canton is an author, editor and (self)translator. Her writing has been anthologized internationally in English, French, Chinese, Italian and Venetian dialect. She has published twelve books. She is the author of The Pink House and Other Stories (2018) and Almond Wine and Fertility (2008; 2018), published in Italy as Vino alla mandorla e fertilità (2015).
She is the founding editor-in-chief of Accenti Magazine, where she organizes the annual writing contest and “Capture an Italian Moment” photo competition. She is past-president of the Association of Italian Canadian Writers (2010-2014). She is also a mentor (for emerging writers and editors) and a writer-for-hire through the Quebec Writers’ Federation. Licia Canton is an Honorary Fellow in Translation (2018-2021) at the University of Hull, United Kingdom. In 2019, she was Visiting Professor and Writer-in-Residence at the University of Calabria.
She is the recipient of the Premio Italia nel Mondo 2018. Licia Canton holds a Ph.D. from Université de Montréal and an M.A. from McGill University. She lives in Montreal.
in her words
selected works
The pink house
and other stories
The Pink House delves into the lives of ordinary people who must contend with extraordinary situations: an elderly man is determined to renew his motorcycle license, a traumatized writer is unable to write, a middle-aged woman remembers her first love affair, a young woman is immobilized on a cold sidewalk after an accident, somehow Leonard Cohen is involved…
Licia Canton’s sober narrative voice powerfully conveys the emotions that drive characters to action and, in the process, compels readers to contemplate life and the challenges we all face.
almond wine and fertility
Almond Wine and Fertility, a lyrical and moving collection, showcases Licia Canton’s ability to craft entire worlds out of just a few pages. The author takes us to places where the fabric of human relations is woven: a bar in Sicily graphically celebrating fertility, a park in east-end Montreal where cultural values clash, a river bank where the course of two young lives is altered, a suffocating sixth-floor apartment with little way out for its occupant…
The stories in Almond Wine and Fertility, peopled with characters negotiating between languages and cultures, are imbued with sensitivity and optimism. Set in cities and in suburbia, in Canada and in Italy, these stories explore the subtleties, the humour and the complexity of modern life.
Marisa de franceschi
Marisa De Franceschi’s short stories, articles, and book reviews have appeared in various publications, including Canadian Author & Bookman, The Toronto Review, The Mystery Review, Investigating Women, Pure Fiction, Ricordi: Things Remembered, and The Dynamics of Cultural Exchange.
She has twice been the recipient of the Okanagan Short Story Award. She is the author of Surface Tension, the short story collection Family Matters (both with Guernica). She edited the anthology Pillars of Lace (Guernica) and the short story collection The Many Faces of Woman (River City Press). Random Thoughts is her prose poetry collection (Longbridge Books).
She has also contributed to various anthologies including Bravo (Quattro Books), Italian Canadians at Table (Guernica), Writing Cultural Difference (Guernica), and Exploring Voice (Italian Canadiana Volume 30, U.of T. Press). She is the author of Waiting for Chrysanthemums (Longbridge Books). She was recently awarded the Bepo Franzel Literary award.
Links
in her words
selected works
random thoughts
Random Thoughts is a collection of short prose sketches which express the often complicated feelings one may have for sons, daughters, husbands, sisters, friends, and the world at large. The sketches are sometimes light-hearted and whimsical, but they can also be poignant expressions of disappointment, disbelief, and distaste for what the writer is witness to.
Although the tone may vary from piece to piece, the overwhelming drive and goal is to spotlight situations that will cause the reader to ponder what is really happening beneath the surface. The author’s priorities are to entertain but also to encourage a rethinking of our relationships with our fellow man.
family matters
Illustrating the importance of family relationships, these short stories follow the life of an immigrant family through the eyes of Marlena. As the protagonist, Marlena struggles to uncover the dynamics of her family’s relationships and make sense of it all.
Yet in the course of studying her family, Marlena faces the reality of infidelity and other struggles. Through Marlena’s eyes and the pleasant prose, the stories demonstrate the eternal strength of family.
daniela sanzone
Daniela Sanzone is a journalist and a researcher, with a strong passion for education. She was born in Rome and came to Canada in 2000. In 2017, she published her first novel, La Guerra secondo Michele (The War According to Michele, Ed. Pagine, Rome, Italy), inspired by a real story. Among other publications, she co-authored Extravagant strophes by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia (published by All’insegna del pesce d’oro – In the name of the gold fish – by Vanni Scheiwiller, Milan, 1994).
She is a PhD candidate in Communication and Culture at York University, where she is a teaching assistant tutor. Her research interests are ethnic media, journalism and Canadian broadcasting policies.
Before embarking in her academic adventure, Daniela has also worked as a professional journalist and a film critic, for television and radio, print and online media.
in her words
selected works
La guerra secondo Michele
La guerra secondo Michele (The War according to Michele) is a novel based on the true story of Michele, who was a prisoner of the German army during World War II. The book delves into history, war, hope and eventually to romance when Michele meets Tamara.
