Simone DaCosta to Launch "I Am Beautiful: When I Look at Me, I See..." at Toronto Urban Book Expo

TORONTO, ON (December 2014) - Canadian writer Simone DaCosta will be launching her young adult non-fiction title I Am Beautiful: When I Look at Me, I See... at Kya Publishing's Toronto Urban Book Expo, taking place on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at the Toronto Public Library's Malvern Branch from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.

This inspirational book, created for middle school aged Black girls, aims to empower and liberate them to believe that they are beautiful, despite society's notion of what "beauty" is.

"In an era where the popular idealistic images of beauty are based on the western world's realism of beauty, it illustrates that beauty begins with knowing who you are, believing it, and accepting yourself as you are," said Simone.

A writer, author, and publisher, Simone DaCosta has published a devotional day planner Remember to Pray,  a 2013 Day Planner, as well as two children's books: A Silly Rhyming Alphabet Book About Animals from A to Z, and her recently published book Emily-Rose's Day at the Farm.

Readers of all ages are welcome to come and celebrate the launch of I Am Beautiful: When I Look at Me, I See... at the Toronto Urban Book Expo; this event is free of charge.

For more information about Simone DaCosta, please visit http://www.simonedacosta.com. For additional details about the Toronto Urban Book Expo, please visit http://www.kyapublishing.com. 

Angela Walcott to Launch Children's Book "I Want To Be" at Toronto Urban Book Expo

TORONTO, ON (December 2014) - Canadian writer Angela Walcott will be launching her children's book I Want to Be at Kya Publishing's Toronto Urban Book Expo, taking place on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at the Toronto Public Library's Malvern Branch.

The picture book, the second title in Angela's self-illustrated children's book series, was written in response to the social media campaign #WeNeedDiverseBooks, and will be a perfect fit for the second annual Black History Month book fair that will feature urban fiction, African-Canadian literature and self-help books from her writing peers from the Greater Toronto Area.

Angela, whose work has appeared in CPA Magazine, This, Sway, Marketing Edge, and Share was the founder and editor-in-chief of the Ryerson University-funded Perfect Bound Magazine; her creative writing also appears in "Re-Imaging the Sky," an anthology of newcomer women. A member of CANSCAIP and the African Canadian Writers for Children and Young Adults, Angela has also written and illustrated the children's book "Mix It Well."

The Northword Publishing story I Want to Be revolves around a young child who is imagining his future role within society. ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ is a universal question that every child will face, and this book encourages young children to investigate the possibilities. Common themes of looking ahead and staying focused are key while mini lessons about numeracy, history, pattern recognition, and multiculturalism permeate.

"This story isn't about a single child's dreams, it is about every child's right and ability to dream," says Angela. "It encourages early readers to follow along, actively participate, and anticipate what is to come next in a charming rhyming sequence."

Readers of all ages are welcome to celebrate the launch of I Want to Be with a book signing, reading, prizes, and activities for kids! Light refreshments will also be provided; this event is free of charge.

For more information about North Word Publishing, please contact northwordpublishing@gmail.com. For additional details about the Toronto Urban Book Expo, please visit www.kyapublishing.com. 


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I Want To Be" is available online at www.amazon.com and can also be purchased at Knowledge Bookstore, Accents Bookstore, and A Different Booklist. ISBN 9780991752027 | $14.99

New Video Posted - Experts Discuss Canadian Urban Fiction

Kya Publishing has just posted new video from the TORONTO URBAN BOOK EXPO 2014, featuring Journalist Angela Walcott as she chats with cultural experts Sean Liburd (Knowledge Bookstore), Ian Andre Espinet (IAE Entertainment), Mel Dube (recording artist), and journalist/author Dalton Higgins on the subject of Canadian Urban Fiction and culture. 


Video by Kevin Williams and Stacey Marie Robinson.
Location: Toronto Public Library (Malvern Branch)

The next TORONTO URBAN BOOK EXPO is scheduled for Saturday, February 28, 2015. #TUBE2015

KYA PUBLISHING TO HOST “TORONTO URBAN BOOK EXPO” BOOK FAIR AT TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY

TORONTO, ONT (November 2014) – Toronto publishing company Kya Publishing, in association with the Toronto Public Library, will be hosting the second annual Toronto Urban Book Expo on Saturday, February 28, 2015 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm at the Library’s Malvern Branch (30 Sewells Road at Neilson).

TUBE is the only Canadian event dedicated to celebrating Canadian Urban Fiction. The Expo will highlight published and self-published writers and their books—it will also feature publishers of urban fiction, and guests from the Canadian literary and urban cultural communities.

“Kya Publishing is Canada’s only dedicated urban fiction publisher, and we’re committed to the celebration of contemporary Canadian Urban Fiction and culture through books, research, events, and community initiatives,” said founder Stacey Marie Robinson. “Following in the tradition of our urban fiction counterparts in the U.S., we have established an annual venue for urban writers to sell their books and raise awareness for this genre of writing.”

Partial proceeds from TUBE will go towards the Rita Cox Endowment Fund for Black and Caribbean Heritage (in support of the Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection foundation at the Toronto Public Library). Proceeds will also support Kya Publishing’s Kya Keys Book Donation Program.

“Despite its growth, the genre of urban fiction still remains somewhat ambiguous and underrated in Canada,” said Robinson. “By gathering these talented writers and sharing their books, unique stories and experiences, we are excited to contribute to the development of the urban fiction infrastructure, and the culture that inspires it.”

TUBE will also feature live interviews, refreshments, giveaways/prizes from Canadian urban brands, and music by Toronto’s DJ Majesty; confirmed authors to be announced in January 2015.

For more information or to register for a vendor area at TUBE, please contact Stacey Marie Robinson at stacey@kyapublishing.com or 647-342-3040. Join the conversation online using #TUBE2015!

KYA PUBLISHING AUTHOR STACEY MARIE ROBINSON TO PARTICIPATE IN DIVERSITY PANEL AT THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR

TORONTO, ONT (November 2014) – Toronto author and founder of Kya Publishing, Stacey Marie Robinson, will be participating in the first annual INSPIRE! Toronto International Book Fair as a speaker on Dalton Higgins’ “Diversity, DJs, and DIY” panel. The panel, taking place on Sunday, November 16, 2014 from 4:00pm to 5:00pm will look at diversity in Canadian literature and its place and importance in the Canadian literary landscape. The panel will also feature Greg Frankson (aka Ritallin), Kayla Perrin, and Leonicka Valcius.

The Book Fair, taking place from Friday, November 14 through Sunday, November 16 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, features an exciting lineup of panels, workshops, a marketplace, and book signings.

As noted on the festival’s website: “INSPIRE! Toronto International Book Fair will be part exhibition, part market and part cultural festival, celebrating reading in all forms and embracing all facets of the book trade. It will be a place for readers to connect with those who write and produce the books they love—to learn, explore and be entertained, in all print and digital formats.”

Robinson, who has just self-published her ninth novel, Carnival Spotlight, is pleased to be a part of this national celebration, and also to help bring awareness to issues of diverse literature and the balance in Canadian literary perspectives.

“I write contemporary Canadian Urban Fiction, which is a genre that is relatively new in the Canadian publishing scene,” said Robinson. “Striving to see increased diversity in literature is a circumstance that many of us writers have been working through for years, and it is just as important as having diversity in business, politics, the education system, entertainment, and in the overall identity of this nation. Dalton Higgins is always on the cutting edge of Canadian cultural topics—I look forward to having this important discussion with him and the panel he has assembled.”

For more information about the Toronto International Book Fair, please visit www.torontobookfair.ca.

Kya Publishing contact: info@kyapublishing.com or 647-342-3040.

Kya Publishing Releases Novel Based on Toronto's Caribbean Carnival: CARNIVAL SPOTLIGHT

 

Kya Publishing Celebrates Toronto's Caribbean Carnival with new Novel, Soca Soundtrack, Junior Costumes & Children's Book

TORONTO, ONT. (April 2014) – Kya Publishing is honouring Toronto’s rich Caribbean Carnival culture with the release of carnival-themed products this summer: a novel entitled Carnival Spotlight, a groovy soca mixtape, children’s carnival costumes for the parade, and a children’s story book. This collection of releases will authentically take readers and participants through the preparation and enjoyment of this Canadian tradition.

“Every year, hundreds of thousands of people look forward to participating in the Caribbean carnival in Toronto,” said Robinson, who founded Kya Publishing in 2007 specifically to document Canada’s urban community and culture. “I love the energy of carnival, and I wanted to capture its essence in print, music, and costume.”

Carnival Spotlight, the novel, features 35-year-old Delia Chinn, a former high-profile reggae dancer who is enticed back into a seductive party lifestyle when she meets members of the Groovy Massive soca dance group and joins the Carnival Groove masquerade band.

The Carnival Spotlight soundtrack features an 80-minute collection of 2014 groovy soca hits, mixed by Toronto’s DJ Majesty and featuring MC Brenton B.

For the Junior Carnival, Kya Publishing will be producing children’s costumes (designed by Melissa Marshal-Drukarsh) for the Toronto Revellers masquerade band, the reigning Junior Carnival Band of the Year. This will be Robinson’s second time as a children’s costume Section Leader.

Along with the children’s costume, Robinson has created a children’s story and colouring book, Allyuh Eat Already, that will be made available to all youth participants in the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival’s Junior Carnival.

“All of Kya Publishing’s activities are inspired by the people, the music, the food, the events, and the culture of urban Toronto,” said Robinson. “Toronto’s Carnival has been—and continues to be—such a big part of my life. I wanted to make sure that Kya Publishing canonized the personal tales and arts surrounding this event so the wonderful experiences can continue to be celebrated over the generations.”

contact

info@kyapublishing.com
(647)342-3040

Kya Publishing Releases Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction

TORONTO, ONT (February 2014) – Toronto publishing company Kya Publishing has released the first edition of their Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction this month. Published bi-annually, the journal will feature editorials, articles, commentaries, and book reviews, highlighting research in the field of urban fiction and examining cultural and literary works from an urban perspective.

Created to advance Canadian Urban Fiction and literary scholarship for urban writers, the theme of the inaugural edition is "Defining Canadian Urban Fiction," which follows up on a Kya Publishing panel discussion from February 2013 at the Toronto Public Library where urban writers gathered to investigate the genre of fiction and what it means in the Canadian publishing landscape.

"Canadian Urban Fiction is a relatively new genre, and takes on a completely different form than American/international urban fiction," said Kya Publishing founder, Stacey Marie Robinson. "We have started this journal to clearly define the scope of Canadian Urban Fiction, identify the common themes and sentiments, and of course, to begin a body of research that will assist future writers in classifying their work and expanding this genre."

The Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction will also provide a venue for academic discussion, progressive debate, and critical analysis of issues surrounding the development and growth of Canadian Urban Fiction.

"The first issue features writers Angelot Ndongmo, General, Keishia Facey, Queeny, and Angela Walcott, and covers a range of issues about cultural identity and the role of literature in its development," said Robinson. "This journal will be a safe space for writers to discuss urban identity, deconstruct their culture and beliefs, and of course celebrate the writing that drives the culture forward."

The Journal of Canadian Urban Fiction is available online at www.CanadianUrbanFiction.com.

Kya Publishing Donates Toronto Urban Book Expo Proceeds to Rita Cox Endowment Fund (Toronto Public Library Foundation)

TORONTO, ONT (February 2014) – Toronto publishing company Kya Publishing has donated the proceeds of their first annual Toronto Urban Book Expo (TUBE) to the Toronto Public Library Foundation, in support of their Rita Cox Endowment Fund.

The TUBE took place on Saturday, February 8, 2014 at the Malvern branch of the Toronto Public Library (the home of the Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection), and was an exposition of urban Canadian writers, featuring presentations and expert sessions, with networking opportunities for Toronto-based authors and their supporters.

"Thanks to the Rita Cox Collection, writers like myself and many others have a home in the Toronto Public Library," said Kya Publishing founder, Stacey Marie Robinson. "It is an important part of Kya Publishing's mandate to support urban literature/writers, so this gift will help ensure that more opportunities are established for other Canadian authors."

Also available at the Maria A. Shchuka, Parkdale, and York Woods branches, the Rita Cox collection is "recognized as one of the most significant Black and Caribbean heritage collections in Canada. It is an invaluable resource for the Black and Caribbean community as well as students and researchers," according to the Toronto Public Library Foundation.

Dr. Rita Cox worked as a librarian with the Toronto Public Library from 1960 to 1995, and began her Heritage collection in 1973 at the Parkdale branch. A renowned storyteller, she is the recipient of the 1996 Canadian Library Association Public Service Award, and the Black Achievement Award, as well as honourary degrees from York University and Wilfred Laurier University. Dr. Cox was also appointed to the Order of Canada in 1997 for her work in literacy and storytelling.

"It is an honour for me to have my books in this historical collection," said Robinson. "The Toronto Public Library has been a great supporter of Kya Publishing's initiatives, and it is with pleasure that I present this donation to their Foundation."

To donate to the Rita Cox Endowment Fund, in support of the Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection, please contact the Toronto Public Library Foundation at (416) 393-7123 or visit www.tplfoundation.ca.