KONNECTION // January 2025

 

TOWN HALL // Missing Ontario Black Boys  Find Ontario’s Missing Boys Town Hall Meeting A call for community members to attend a town hall meeting for the Find Ontario’s Missing Boys movement. This is a critical opportunity to unite, share updates, and demand action for the boys who are still missing from our community.  Thursday, January 23, 2025  6PM - 9PM  Brampton City Hall, 2 Wellington St W  Sign the Petition: Change.org/findontariomissingboys SUPPORT FOR WRITERS // View Our Services Kya Publishing Inc. is dedicated to elevating diverse voices through professional writing and editing services, including: Copyediting your article, manuscript, paper, or other document Copyediting your children's book or novel Resume writing/updates Biography/profile writing Promotional content writing LEARN MORE AT KYAPUBLISHING.COM/EDITING view social media promo NATIONAL BLACK WRITERS CONFERENCE // Highlighting Black YA and MG Literature The Center for Black Literature's National Black Writers Conference Biennial Symposium (#NBWC2025) returns Thursday, March 27 to Saturday, March 29, 2025 held in-person and virtually at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York. Registration is now open; for more information and symposium details, visit the Center for Black Literature website. DANCEHALL IN PRINT // Authors and Academia We have curated a list of dancehall books (non-fiction, children's, and fiction) from the last 25 years. These texts support the culture by documenting history, analyzing trends and activities, and communicating recommendations, success, ideologies, and other elements of the dancehall reggae music culture. VIEW LIST OF DANCEHALL BOOKS HERE DANCEHALL REBEL // Books for Teens  In the novel Dancehall Rebel, a Caribbean-Canadian teen with big dreams and a love for reggae music navigates family expectations and cultural traditions. Available here from Lorimer Kids (2024). DANCEHALL REBEL is now featured in the Canadian Children's Book Centre's publication, "Best Books for Kids & Teens 2024! REFLECTION & REASON // Vybz Kartel's New Year's Eve Showcase in Kingston, Jamaica The New Year's Eve "Freedom Street" show at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica celebrating Vybz Kartel on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 was a must-see production for reggae and dancehall enthusiasts... READ OUR "FREEDOM STREET" OVERVIEW HERE WRITERS // Submit Your YA Book Proposal Canadian Publisher Lorimer Kids is currently open for children's and teen fiction proposals from experienced writers. Visit their website for complete details and submission guidelines, and join the growing list of diverse authors who are guiding and entertaining our youth through their fiction! RESEARCH PROJECT // Black Canadians To learn more about this project, please contact Kyla Simms at k.simms@mail.utoronto.ca or visit the PROJECT WEBSITE HERE. CONFERENCE // Ontario Library Association The Ontario Library Association is Canada’s largest library organization and OLA’s Super Conference is Canada’s largest continuing education event in librarianship. OLA Super Conference 2025 will take place from January 29th to February 1st, 2025 and is the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow library people and expand your knowledge in a fun and immersive environment. Don't miss out on this transformational experience! REGISTRATION DETAILS Be sure to check out the session: "Keeping It Real: Featuring Books with Lived Experiences into Children's and Young Adult Fiction" on January 30, 2025 from 2:15 PM to 3:30 PM Join us for a conversation with members of Sankofa’s Pen, Black Canadian kidlit creators as they discuss their work and explore issues of authenticity, integrity, and appropriation. What is the insight about their lived experiences that they bring into their work? VIEW FULL OLA SUPER CONFERENCE SCHEDULE HERE