THE SANDBOX SESSIONS
CUE Presents:
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About the Sandbox Mentors
Stop by to:
- Connect with other writers (emerging and professional)
- Experiment with new writing techniques and styles
- Receive feedback on your work
- Learn about publishing, and a career in writing
- Read, share, or write on your own
Facilitated by Whitney French.
With mentors, Sheniz Janmohamed and Cherie Dimaline.
Drop-in sessions are informal and organic - anything goes!
Be part of a unique literary community!
A note on accessibility: The Sandbox Sessions will take place at CUE's Margin of Eras Gallery (1684 Queen St W, Toronto ON) which is partially accessible — there is a ramp to get into the space, however there is no accessible washroom onsite. The closest accessible washroom is one block west at McDonald's, located at the corner of Queen & Roncesvalles.
Whitney French
Sheniz Janmohamed
Cherie Dimaline
(Georgian Bay Métis Community)
Whitney French is a writer, storyteller and arts-educator. Her writing has been published in Quill and Quire, Geist, Descant Magazine and anthologized in The Black Notes (2017) The Great Black North: Contemporary African Canadian Poetry (2010). Whitney also the founder and co-editor of the nation-wide publication From the Root Zine as well as the founder of the workshop series Writing While Black: an initiative to develop a community of black writers. Whitney French is presently working on an anthology of creative nonfiction by black Canadians for the University of Regina Press.
For more information visit http://www.whitneyfrenchwrites.com
Sheniz Janmohamed (MFA) is an author, artist educator and spoken word artist and occasional land artist. She has performed nationally and internationally for over 10 years and has been featured at various venues including the Jaipur Literature Festival, TedxYouth@Toronto, and the Aga Khan Museum. She is also the author of two collections of poetry: Bleeding Light (Mawenzi House, 2010) and Firesmoke (Mawenzi House, 2014).
Sheniz has visited dozens of schools and libraries to teach and perform. Sheniz currently serves as a Mentor-Artist for the Digital Media Arts Program at the Royal Conservatory, and was the 2015 recipient of the Lois Birkenshaw-Fleming Creative Teaching Scholarship. She is a firm believer in fostering community through collaboration, compassion and creativity. In her own practice, she strives to embody her words through performance, mandala-making and writing in the ghazal form.
Cherie Dimaline is the author of the novels Red Rooms, The Girl Who Grew A Galaxy, and the collection of short stories titled A Gentle Habit.
In addition to writing, Cherie has edited numerous publications including Spirit, FNH and Muskrat magazines. She was named the 2014 Emerging Artist of the Year – Ontario Premier’s Award, and was named the first Writer in Residence – Aboriginal Literature for the Toronto Public Library. Cherie also held the position of Writer in Residence for First Nations House at the University of Toronto. She sits on numerous literary and arts boards and councils and continues to advocate for Indigenous literature and writers globally, work which has taken her from the Banff, Alberta to Gujurat, India.
Her latest work, a dystopian YA novel 'The Marrow Thieves' was released by Cormorant Books in the spring of 2016. Marrow Thieves has won the US Kirkus Prize, the Governor General's, Globe and Mail Best Book,the White Pine Award, Quill and Quire Best Books of the Year, Canada Reads 2018 Finalists.