About this Event
Want to work on your personal story with an accomplished novelist? Join us at Upstart & Crow on Wednesday, August 14 at 6:30 p.m. for a “hermit crab” style mental health writing workshop with the wonderful Leanne Toshiko Simpson.
Hermit crab essays have emerged as exciting and generative containers for personal storytelling over the past two decades. As their popularity has grown, these creative pieces have taken the shape of family recipes, instructional manuals, obituaries and other familiar forms, offering a protective space to begin the writing process and a chance to reimagine the cultural expectations of each shape.
For workshop facilitator Leanne, narrating her life has been challenging in that she is often writing emotionally difficult stories AND stories that may be less recognizable for those who don’t share her lived experience. She finds that working within a “shell” — as she did in her debut novel, , which uses the shape of a romantic comedy to explore mental illness — helps her understand and question the “rules of the game,” whether it’s the guiding structures of family, relationships, illness or even just the choreography of going on a date. It also makes for a very fun reading experience for those outside the story!
This writing workshop is open to anyone trying to tell a “difficult” story in a creative and nonlinear way (fiction or nonfiction). No writing experience required, just life experience that you’re interested in reframing creatively. There will be peer support available on site for anyone who needs it, and proceeds from registration will be donated to Foundry, a local youth mental health organization.
Twenty spots available. Please RSVP on this Eventbrite for your spot!
About the facilitator:
Leanne Toshiko Simpson is a mixed-race Yonsei writer, educator and psychiatric survivor from Toronto. She loves writing joyful, messy, laugh-out-loud stories about living with mental illness, and the moments of hope that help us get out of bed day after day. Leanne is a graduate of UTSC Creative Writing and the University of Guelph’s MFA, and is currently completing an EdD in Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto. She teaches seminars in disability arts and BIPOC literature at Trinity College and is a co-founder of Mata Ashita, a national writing circle for Nikkei communities. Named Scarborough’s Emerging Writer in 2016 and nominated for the Journey Prize in 2019, Leanne also launched a reflective writing program at Canada’s largest mental health centre after being hospitalized for bipolar disorder. Her debut novel Never Been Better has been highlighted by CBC Q, Good Morning America, Electric Literature, The Toronto Star and others.
More about Upstart & Crow:
Located on Granville Island, Upstart & Crow is a literary arts studio for curious readers and creative storytellers alike. We are international in our outlook, and local in our sensibilities. We create opportunities to surface new talent and champion bold ideas through events, workshops, literary launches, unique partnerships — and yes, we also sell books!
Health precautions:
We want this event to be safe for all. Masks are welcome, though we won’t enforce them. We hope that folks who come will be vaccinated and boosted and will stay home if they feel ill.
Accessibility:
The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees.
Questions: [email protected].
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Upstart & Crow, 1387 Railspur Alley, Vancouver, Canada
CAD 0.00