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The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild and the Regina Open Door Society are pleased to launch our chapbook, Opening Doors Through Stories: Family.Join us in-person or online from anywhere in the world. To register for the online event, please visit:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CJ09MMUSQnmadbD81dE9Pw
Read the current chapbook here: https://skwriter.com/programs-and-services/publications/other-publications/opening-doors-through-stories
Participants in our Opening Doors Through Stories series met in-person throughout November and December 2025 to develop creative writing for inclusion in this chapbook. These writers worked hard to refine their writing for publication with workshop facilitator and chapbook editor, Marie Powell.
This collection showcases the diverse identities and experiences of newcomers to Canada through creative writing, and this launch allows us to hear the power of their stories through their own voices.
Celebrate with us and these talented chapbook contributors: Hasina Nasrin, Isabel Carvajal, Mukta Jahan Banu, Munit Vikram, Rumaisa Khan, Sugandha, and Tehreem Tabbasum Iqbal.
This event is hosted by Marie Powell.
Accessibility
Physical Accessibility & Arriving at our Venue
-The Regina Open Door Society (RODS) (2314 11th Ave, Regina, SK) is a wheelchair accessible location (front or side or back doors) with wheelchair accessible lowered elevator buttons, ramps, and washrooms. The Chapbook Launch occurs on the main floor of the building.
-There is free street parking available after 5 p.m. or paid parkades in the area
-Most transit routes will take you to RODS as it is situated in downtown Regina. Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 30, 50, and 60 stop at the Cornwall Centre. (RODS is 240 meters west of the Cornwall Centre, down 11th Ave, approximately a 3-minute distance with self-propelled motion according to Google Maps.)
-Bike racks are also available nearby
-General seating available without tables
-Re-entry allowed
-Overhead fluorescent lighting
-No flashing lights
Digital Accessibility for Livestreamed Event
-Presenter self-descriptions (also available in-person)
-Presenter read-alongs (also available in-person)
-Live auto captions on Zoom
-Webinar format – no camera-on obligation for attendees
-Chat box function will be available for participants to send praise and comments to presenters digitally
-Transcripts of videos available upon request (for 30 days following the event)
-Recording of the event available on the SWG YouTube channel for 30 days following the launch
Contributors:
Hasina Nasrin is a warm-hearted and hardworking Bangladeshi woman whose life is deeply centred around her family. She is known for her nurturing nature and her unwavering commitment to ensuring her loved ones feel safe, supported, and truly happy. Her home is filled with care, positivity, and stability—reflecting the values she lives by every day.
Hasina is a passionate banker with over twenty years of experience. She enjoys travelling, exploring nature, and meeting new people. Hasina’s love for the world adds colour and excitement to her life and inspires her family to embrace new experiences. Above all, Hasina enriches the lives of everyone around her.
Isabel Carvajal was born in Medellín, Colombia, South America. She arrived in Canada, her new home, in the winter of 2021 and moved to the Regina prairies in 2022. She is a creative and passionate nature lover. She holds a degree in education and art. Passionate about books and writing, her poetry has been published in various magazines and anthologies in her country. She has also illustrated the covers of some books and magazines, as she is also a visual artist. She has worked as an art tutor with children, as an art therapist, and in Canada, she has worked in childcare. Most recently, she had the opportunity to contribute to the book "Hispanic Canadian Art and Literature" with her poetry and paintings at the Ibero-American Book Fair in Canada.
Mukta Jahan Banu is an experienced psychologist from Bangladesh, with more than fourteen years of practical experience in the field of mental health. She has received various international trainings in Nepal, India, France and Japan with a focus on mental health, humanitarian response and community support. She has worked extensively with marginalized and vulnerable populations and communities, utilizing her deep empathetic and trauma-informed approach. She has also written various interesting publications on migration and addiction, especially her MPhil thesis, which explored the lived experience of women with drug addiction problems and challenging societal discrimination. Being a passionate writer, advocate and community well-being supporter, Mukta continues to champion mental health with dedication.
Munit Vikram was born in Allahabad, a vibrant city in Uttar Pradesh, India. She currently resides in Regina, Canada and loves the quietness and calmness of the place. She has a master’s degree in human resources and psychology with a huge experience in Human Resources. She has an innate interest in human behavior which motivated her to write her first book, “Embrace Yourself,” about human behaviour within the corporate world. This is her third time contributing a short story for the “Opening Doors Through Stories” chapbook series, with work appearing in “ODTS: Home” and “ODTS: Community”. In addition to writing, she enjoys baking and crocheting.
Rumaisa Khan was born in Karachi, Pakistan and has resided in Regina, SK since February 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Dow Medical College, Karachi. As a compassionate doctor back home, she is driven by a deep ambition to practice medicine in her new country. Her hobbies include cooking, painting, travelling, writing, photography, volunteering and meeting new people. She finds ultimate comfort and satisfaction when she is around her husband and her adorable daughter, Ruqayyah.
Sugandha loves figuring out how things work. She comes from a science background with an interest in innovation and creativity. Sugandha likes researching new projects, and when she’s not nerding out over something new, you’ll probably find her trying to cook new recipes from different cultures or saying yes to exploring somewhere new, like being in nature or sitting at the riverside. Sugandha is a fun-loving person who loves meeting new people, laughs often, radiates positivity, and is a great friend. Emotional strength is her superpower, and curiosity is her anchor. Sugandha is always growing, always discovering, and always ready for the next adventure, be it big or small.
Tehreem Tabbasum Iqbal is a psychologist who worked in the field of training & development for over 5 years. Passionate & determined, Tehreem seeks freedom from the limiting expectations of patriarchal society. Her zeal for studying human behaviour—especially workplace dynamics, decision-making & perception— is motivated by the meaningful conversations she had with her mother. Thoughtful & creative, she is known for her steadfast loyalty to her loved ones. She moved to Regin, hoping to grow personally & build a meaningful future. Every night she enjoys the company of a good book with a cup of green tea & chocolate biscuits.
Editor and Host:
Marie Powell’s castle-hopping adventures across North Wales resulted in her medieval fantasy duology, Spirit Sight (Last of the Gifted: Book 1) and Water Sight (Book 2), set in 13th C Wales. Her picture book, Garden Song (Lilac Arch Press), will appear in 2026 to join her 40+ children’s books with such publishers as Scholastic Education and Amicus. With a publication history stretching over 30 years, her most recent travel articles appear in Travel and Culture. Marie lives on Treaty 4 Territory in Regina, where she experiments in gardening, medieval cooking, and cat whispering. Find more at mariepowell.ca
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Event Venue
Regina Open Door Society Inc., 2332 11th Ave, Regina, SK S4P 0K1, Canada
Tickets
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