Hamilton Public Library hosts book club celebrating award-winning Hamilton author, Anuja Varghese
By: Erica Boyle, Arts and Culture Contributor
The Hamilton Public Library celebrated the end of last year’s Hamilton Reads program on Nov. 14, 2024, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Valley Park Branch. This year, Hamilton Reads featured Chrysalis, Anuja Varghese’s debut book.
Chrysalis was published in 2023 and won both the Governor-General award and the Writers Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2+ Emerging Writers in 2023. Additionally, Chrysalis was awarded the Fiction Award at the 31st Annual Hamilton Literary Awards which took place at the HPL’s Central Branch on Dec. 12, 2024.
Hamilton Reads is an annual book club that celebrates reading and shines a spotlight on a recommended book each year. Readers can pick up the book and give their thoughts at the event. This is a great opportunity for the community to come together and bond over a shared love of reading.
“Doing Hamilton Reads over the past year has been so cool for me . . . I’ve got to spend time with a whole bunch of different book clubs, I didn’t even realize there were that many book clubs that the library runs. I got to do a writing workshop. So just so many cool things throughout the year that have both helped promote the book but also just allowed me to connect with different kinds of readers in Hamilton and that’s been really neat,” said Varghese.
[Hamilton Reads] allowed me to connect with different kinds of readers in Hamilton and that’s been really neat.
Anuja Varghese, Author of Chrysalis
The event included Varghese reading from Chrysalis and being interviewed by Sanaa Humayun, a Hamilton artist and artistic director at Hamilton Artists Inc., a local non-profit run by artists. The event was a great opportunity for readers to gather and have some fun. There were complimentary snacks and students from the Abhinaya Performing Arts Centre performed a traditional Bharatanatyam dance.
Varghese lives in Hamilton with her partner, two kids and two cats. She works for the YMCA in Hamilton in addition to being an author.
Varghese discussed what she hopes readers will take away from her book in an interview with The Silhouette. “I hope that anyone that picks up the book sees something of themselves somewhere in these stories. The stories all really focus on women and girls in moments of transformation. They focus on women of colour and queer folks and just the ways that we’re kind of robbed of power in different ways in our lives, and the ways that we can then pull some of that power back,” said Varghese.
I hope that anyone that picks up the book sees something of themselves somewhere in these stories. The stories all really focus on women and girls in moments of transformation.
Anuja Varghese, Author of Chrysalis
Varghese then mentioned her hope that McMaster students will discover an interest in short stories. “Short story collections are not something that a lot of people sort of naturally pick up. So, I hope that if it’s not something you would normally pick up, I hope it encourages people to give short stories a try,” said Varghese.
Currently, Varghese is working on a fantasy series set in medieval India. Readers interested should check out her website or social media for more information. More news about that will soon be released, so stay tuned! For the readers out there who want to get involved with the library, Hamilton Reads is the perfect program for you.
cw: this article references eating disorders/disordered eating
Body Brave Canada is a charitable organization that provides resources and support for individuals struggling with eating disorders/disordered eating. On Nov. 10, they will be holding a Book Swap at The Spice Factory (121 Hughson St. North) in order to being the community together and raise awareness about their work. There will be a reading by local author Anne Bokma for her new book, “My Year of Living Spiritually: From Woo-Woo to Wonderful” and a pop-up shop for the body-positive clothing brand Mettamade.
Julie Shea, the chair of Body Brave’s Board of Directors, says that she hopes the event will help people realize how important it is to have adequate resources for eating disorders/disordered eating.
“Eating disorders are sometimes not given the validation that they need to have. They’re a very serious mental health disorder and I don’t think enough people realize how serious and prevalent they are, and that they have a 10% mortality rate. This is in our community. There are people dying in our community, there are people suffering in our community, and there are no resources,” said Shea.
Body Brave Canada seeks to fill the gap left by traditional health care. They offer a number of accessible options and resources, both in-person and online.
Mettamade is a manifestation of the good work Body Brave has done for the community. It was created by mother-daughter duo Carol Davies and Morgan MacDonald, both of whom have worked with Body Brave in the past. They create clothing that is more forgiving for people who struggle to shop and find clothes that fit. They have designed a sizing system based around gemstones instead of numbers. Rather than a size eight or a medium, you might be a topaz. The fabric is bamboo-spandex, making it both comfortable and sustainable.
“When you wear them it’s like giving yourself self-compassion,” said Davies.
Mettamade frequently collaborates with Body Brave and donates a portion of their sales to the organization. For the Book Swap, 50 per cent of the proceeds will be donated to Body Brave.
“We’re giving back to a group that was instrumental in my daughter’s recovery,” said Davies.
Mettamade was in part created to make more forgiving clothes for MacDonald while she was struggling with an eating disorder. It was during that time that she and Davies started to work with Body Brave. MacDonald wasn’t able to find resources elsewhere, but Body Brave helped her.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4j2oHtHiCo/
The Book Swap takes place this Sunday Nov. 10 from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. at The Spice Factory. Tickets are $20 each. Bring five books with you and take five away. If you are interested in supporting Mettamade, they have a few pop-up shops coming up this month and a brick-and-mortar store in Westdale.
“We need people to know we’re here, and to support the cause,” said Shea.
To find out more about Body Brave Canada, you can take a look at their website or drop by the Book Swap. If you or someone that you care about is struggling with disordered eating and are not sure where to turn, reach out.
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