About this Event
Join us for a moderated poetry reading featuring the works of four authors: Silvia Falsaperla, Susan Ksiezopolski, Barbara Palazzolo, John Ricciardi.
The event provides an opportunity for literary enthusiasts to meet established and emerging authors and discover their recent works.
Evening hosted by Joe Giampaolo. Light refreshments will be served.
Bios:
Silvia Falsaperla
Silvia Falsaperla has published a hybrid collection of poetry and short stories entitled “The Garden of Kolymbethra and Other Poems” and “Stories about Sicily” in 2024 by Legas Publishing. A second collection of poetry, “Persephone's Summer,” was published in 2025 by Ekstasis Editions. She has also translated a novel from Italian to English, “My Bare Face”, published by Guernica Editions in 2026.
Susan Ksiezopolski
Susan Ksiezopolski is an award‑winning Italian‑born Canadian poet whose work explores identity, resilience, and belonging. Arriving in Canada as a young child, she grew up navigating cultural complexities that shaped her voice as a writer. Her poetry illuminates emotional landscapes and invites readers to reflect on their own journeys of connection and self‑discovery
Barbara Palazzolo
Barbara Palazzolo is an Italian-Canadian author born in Ragusa and raised in Donnalucata, Sicily. She has lived in Toronto, Canada, since 2016.
She is the author of “Cracca il Codice della Ricchezza”, also published in English and Spanish. In 2025, her short story :Il Segreto delle Candele” won the Premio Letterario Internazionale “Lacrime nel Cuore” and was subsequently published in the anthology Tra ragione e mistero.
Her latest novel, “La vita che avevo dimenticato – Il coraggio di ricordare chi sei davvero”, marks her debut in long-form fiction. Set in a fictional Sicilian seaside village, the novel explores themes of identity, memory, loss, personal transformation, and rediscovery. Although she lives in Toronto, Sicily remains deeply rooted in her life and writing.
John Ricciardi
John Ricciardi is a retired professional who dedicated 50 years to the electrical consulting engineering industry. For four decades, he worked as an independent contractor, engaging with thousands of individuals from diverse cultural, political, and religious backgrounds. These encounters provided him with a unique vantage point on human behavior and the ‘caprices’ of world leaders. Born in Castelmauro, Italy, John’s writing is influenced by deep historical reflection and a lifelong observation of the systems that shape our multicultural society. He writes for the curious and the bold, inviting readers to look closer at the stories and songs that define our era.
Moderator - Joe Giampaolo
Joe’s publishing career includes twenty books and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles in both Italian and English. His books have garnered many international literary awards over the years and reached bestseller status on Amazon in the USA, UK, Canada, and Italy. In spring 2025, Joe served as a voting juror for Il Premio Strega, a highly esteemed literary award. He is an active member of the Association of Italian-Canadian Writers (AICW) and the Ontario Poetry Society.
Joe's books have been praised by The New York Review, USA News, The Manhattan Book Review, Indies Today, BookView, Reader’s Favorite, Self-Publishing Review, Literary Titan, The Chicago Book Review, BookShelfie, The Independent Review of Books, The US Reviews of Books, Feathered Quill, and The Prairies Book Review.
Presented in partnership with
Event venue & nearby stays
Columbus Room, Columbus Centre, 901 Lawrence Avenue West, Toronto, Canada
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