Here and Now: An Anthology of Queer
Italian-Canadian Writing, Volume I
(Longbridge Books, June 2021)
Edited by Licia Canton
Some Italian Canadians are still hesitant to openly identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. In some circles, being queer is still taboo. Relatively few writers of Italian heritage openly identify as queer through their writings and in interviews.
A new volume, Here and Now: An Anthology of Queer Italian-Canadian Writing, takes on subjects that are not traditionally discussed in the Italian-Canadian community. The vantage point of someone who identities as gay, lesbian, queer, or transgender and who is of Italian heritage, in Canada, may be quite different from the mainstream. Here and Now features short stories, poems, memoirs, and excerpts of novels, plays and film scripts in English. Its 35 contributors are established and prize-winning authors as well as emerging writers. This ground-breaking volume is the most comprehensive collection yet of queer Italian-Canadian writing, and a milestone in Italian-Canadian studies and Canadian literature.
The volume includes a three-part introduction by queer studies experts Domenic Beneventi, Michela Baldo and Paolo Frascà. The literary artists featured in Here and Now include Elena Basile, Tina Biello, Anthony Bonato, Anna Camilleri, Frank Canino, Jessica Carpinone, Rachele Clemente, Paul Coccia, Liana Cusmano, Amber Dawn, Luis De Filippis, Anthony DeFoe, Vanessa Di Gregorio, Christopher DiRaddo, Nikki Donadio, Matthew Fox, Paolo Frascà, Phoebe Fregoli, Steve Galluccio, Alessandro Giardino, Elio Iannacci, Erica Lenti, Ariana Magliocco, Violet Mayhew, Steff Juniper Mendolia, Monica Meneghetti, Anna Nobile, Anthony Portulese, Jeremy Saunders, Luca Cara Seccafien, Jonathan Settembri, CJ Volpe, Daniel Zomparelli and allies Michelle Alfano, John Calabro and Gianna Patriarca.
The writings in this anthology take readers on a journey that interweaves private and public spaces, eliciting love and anger, laughter and tears. By presenting thoughtful and thought-provoking narratives, Here and Now raises awareness as well as important questions. This is an essential volume for the public at large.
The volume has already garnered the support of the Queer Studies in Quebec Research Group (ÉRÉQQ), the Frank Iacobucci Centre for Italian Canadian Studies at the University of Toronto, the University of Calabria, the Association of Italian Canadian Writers (AICW), English Language Arts Network (ELAN), the Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian-Canadian Studies at York University, Longbridge Books and Accenti Magazine.
Here and Now: An Anthology of Queer Italian-Canadian Writing launched in June 2021, Italian Heritage Month and Pride Month. You can purchase a copy here.
For more information, or to support this project with a donation, please contact Licia Canton at lcanton@accenti.ca.
Reviews
“Caught Between Two Worlds.” Review in the Montreal Review of Books (Spring 2022)