Year in review: So long 2025!

As the year ends, I want to think everyone who has been a part of the Violet Hour community in 2025. In a time when connection often feels illusive, it’s truly heartening to meet others who still find value in the written word and in stepping out of their homes to engage with others in space. Thank you!!

Here’s a quick look back at some of what we did together this year.

Violet Hour Book Club

In 2025, we read a total of 13 publications together, including six novels, three memoirs, two zines, one book of short stories, and one book of essays. Our reading journey took us across genres and borders, with works in translation and international authors, alongside a selection of Montreal-based and Canadian writers. Did you have a favourite?

We also got too big for our britches and needed to change venues. I’ll always have fond memories of our meetings at the Archives gaies du Quebec (and those after-meeting drinks at Cabaret Mado) but we were testing the limits of what was possible in the space at the end of 2024. I brought in the New Year looking for a new home for our book club, only to end up causing a city-wide scandal. Do you remember the story?

It all worked out for the best because we discovered our new home base, the Espace des Possibles dans La Petite-Patrie. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better partner. It’s spacious, free, and accessible, with a mission that perfectly aligns with ours – to foster sharing and learning within the community. We also discovered another new place to collaborate with: the queer-owned used bookstore Mes Pants de Queer. We held our April meeting there, and I’m a huge fan of what Dustin and Antoine are doing. I’m certain this won’t be our last event with them.

Photos by Héctor Gálvez

Big thanks goes to Héctor Gálvez who has moderated discussions for me in my absence, and also for helping capture the visual story of the book club.

Finally, we also brought the book club to Toronto this year, with our first ever meeting at Another Story Bookshop in November. Fourteen people attended, including three folks who have been to VHBC meetings in the past. Thanks Anjula Gogia for welcoming us, and thanks to Elise Moser for making the introduction. We’ll be hosting another meeting there in the New Year. The Toronto chapter will also be reading How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones, and I’ll report back on February 22 in Montreal about how it went. Please tell your friends.

On the road: Frelighsburg and Kelowna

We brought Violet Hour to other Canadian cities/towns this year. In March, Queer Cantons invited us to present an event in the Eastern Townships, in Frelighsburg. The invite came from France Désilets, a longtime friend of mine and the former owner of L’Androgyne Bookstore, back when it was on St. Laurent. Joining us were writers Johanne Cadorette and Leila Marshy. We took to the stage at Beat & Betterave to read from our work, and then engaged in a bilingual discussion with each other and the audience. I had a great time.

I also took advantage of a trip to Kelowna to visit my partner’s family in September to program an evening of readings at the local gay bar, Friends of Dorothy Lounge. Joining me on stage were local writers Jennifer Moffatt, Meg Reyda-Molnar and Mackenzie “Ken” Shaw. A huge thank you to owner Dustyn, as well as my friend, the writer Michael V. Smith, for making it happen. Michael not only helped make the connections for me but also invited me to speak at his creative writing class at UBC Okanagan, which is not something I will soon forget.

Launches, readings and interviews

We got to return the favour to Michael V. Smith when he came to Montreal in November to launch his poetic memoir, Soundtrack, at Casa del Popolo (I sang Culture Club for him at his karaoke-poetry party). He also appeared the following night at Violet Hour: Readings at the Rocket Science Room alongside another BC poet in from out of town: John Barton. Joining the bill were local writers Su J. Sokol, Emilie Nantel and Jordan Coloumbe. These events took place during a massive snowstorm and city-wide transit strike, so I really appreciate everyone who went the extra mile to be there.

I also got to interview Jordan Coloumbe at Crooked DIX in October. Jordan is an old friend, and I was honoured when he asked me if I would take his confession while celebrating 10 editions of his blasphemous Crooked Fagazine (our November selection). To mark the occasion, Jordan rented a priest’s outfit for me to wear. I stuffed my questions for him in an old issue of Zipper Magazine, and pulled it out from beneath my robes. It was truly a beautiful one-of-a-kind queer night in Montreal.

One of our members programmed and hosted their first Violet Hour event this summer. Afrooz Zaad did an amazing job preparing for, and leading, a discussion on Love and Sex as Resistance: Writing Queer Romance and Erotica in a packed Pulp Books & Café (we were sweating, but it was not just because of the temperature). Big thanks to participating writers Gabriel Cholette, Leila Marshy and Jane Walsh.

Ben Ladouceur also came to town (from Ottawa) to speak about his latest book, I Remember Lights (our August selection) at Pulp Books & Café. I loved the book, and I really enjoyed talking to him about it – especially hearing about all the research that went into it. His novel is set in Montreal during the 60s and 70s and explores crucial chapters in our city’s history, namely the opening of Expo 67 and the infamous Truxx raid. Essential reading!

We also had the pleasure of helping Sky Gilbert launch his latest book, The Blue House, at Stock Bar. I’m pretty sure it was the first time live cello was played next to a stripper pole (prove me wrong).

At the beginning of the year, Éric Chacour accepted an invitation to join me at Pulp Books & Café to discuss the success of his debut novel, What I Know About You (our January selection, plus our first Toronto title). I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Finally, I had the opportunity to interview my first international author at an event at the Italian Cultural Institute. Claudio Rossi Marcelli is an acclaimed journalist and author, known for his widely read Dear Daddy column in Internazionale and his daily podcast, Il Mondo. He’s one of Italy’s most prominent voices on LGBTQ+ parenting and civil rights and we got to speak about his writing and what it is like to be a queer parent in Italy today.

Blue Metropolis Literary Festival

Once again, we helped program queer content for Blue Metropolis, Montreal’s international literary festival. This was the seventh time the Blue Metropolis Violet Literary Prize was bestowed to an established 2S/LGBTQ+ writer to honour their body of work. This year’s prize was awarded to Acadian novelist, poet, and playwright France Daigle.

We also ventured into storytelling at the festival (recounting true tales on stage without reading or notes). Drag queen Misty Waterfalls hosted a heartfelt and hilarious cabaret which saw Jennifer June Chapman, John Cotrocois, Kadi Diop, Thomas Mundinger, Johanne Pelletier, Lukas Rowland take to the stage to share personal dating horror stories in both English and French.

Community Day

Finally, we had a table at Community Day during Fierté Montréal this year. I have a lot of mixed feelings about what went down, but I don’t feel like unpacking them here. I’ve always loved this day and the chance it gives us to connect with each other during Pride week in Montreal, but I think I might do something else next year. Stay tuned.

Photo by Héctor Gálvez

Dad Bod and Italo Queer Montreal

I know these aren’t literary events, but in a way, they’re an extension of the work I’m doing to connect folks in the city. Along with my friends, I helped produce six Dad Bod Tea Dances this year (early evening dance parties for older queers) and cultural activities for queer Montrealers of Italian heritage (along with friends, families, and allies), many of whom still can’t fully be themselves in traditional Italian spaces. Thanks to everyone who came for a dance or a slice of pizza.

Once more, thank you!

As we step into the New Year, I’m already planning exciting activities for 2026. As some of you know, I operate without a budget, so a big thank you to everyone who donated to help fund Violet Hour programming this year.

I also want to extend my gratitude to my collaboration partners. I truly believe in the power of working together to make this city the kind of place we want to live in. Thank you to the following organizations that joined forces with Violet Hour this year: Pulp Books & Café, Mes Pants de Queer, EREQQ, Queer Cantons, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Paragraphe Bookstore, Archives gaies du Quebec, Espace des Possibles dans La Petite Patrie, Blue Metropolis Literary Festival, Friends of Dorothy Lounge, Expozine, and Another Story Bookshop. Looking forward to next year!!