HAMILTON READS
From a dazzling romantasy set in anciet Rome to a thoughtful look at the meaning of crisis, an exploration of labour arts history that centres Hamilton, and a unique modern fairytale set in New Brunswick, these are local books that should be on your fall reading list.
This Monster of Mine
By Shalini Abeysekara
If you’re a fiction reader, you’ve likely heard the term romantasy in recent bookish conversations. Bringing together elements of romance and – you guessed it – fantasy, it’s a fusion of genres that combines fantastical worlds with popular romance tropes. Some chart-topping romantasy authors include Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, each of whom has sold millions of copies of their popular series. However, you don’t need to look to the international bestseller list to find a page-turning example. Hamilton’s Shalini Abeysekara is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of This Monster of Mine, a dazzling ancient Rome-inspired debut that she calls a “bloodbath of manipulation, deception, and forbidden love.”
A former corporate lawyer turned writer, Abeysekara uses fantasy to interrogate reality, “exploring monstrosity – perceived and real – and centring neurodivergent women of colour reckoning with themselves and their place in a world that tells them they’re too much and not enough.” This Monster of Mine is centred on Sarai, a teenage protagonist who is hellbent on vengeance after somebody tried to kill her four years earlier. The result is a fast-paced adventure in which Sarai returns to the scene of the crime as a petitor, a prosecutor who can magically detect lies, drawing from Abeysekara’s experience as a lawyer.
Abeysekara recently appeared at Steel Town Love, a festival of romance hosted by the Hamilton Public Library, which welcomed around 300 attendees, proving that there’s a local appetite for swoon-worthy fiction. She’s currently working on This Blade of Ours, The Monster of Mine’s anticipated sequel which is expected in summer 2026.
The Art of Solidarity
Edited by Rob Kristofferson and Stephanie Ross
The Workers Arts and Heritage Centre (WAHC), Canada’s only labour history museum and multidisciplinary arts space, is located right here in Hamilton. So, it’s no surprise that the city plays a major role in The Art of Solidarity: Labour Arts and Heritage in Canada, a stunning new book edited by Rob Kristofferson and Stephanie Ross. Delving into the rich tapestry of labour arts and heritage in Canada, The Art of Solidarity is a thorough exploration of protest music, union banners, murals, and community theatre, among other work, told through colourful photos and oral histories. The book was born out of a national conference of labour arts and labour heritage activists held at WAHC in 2023. Hamiltonians will be especially interested in the book's second chapter: “The Workers Arts and Heritage Centre: Thirty Years of Challenge and Change, Celebrating Working People and Their Communities,” which traces not only the museum’s impressive history but also the 165-year journey of the Custom House, where WAHC is located.
In Crisis, On Crisis: Essays in Troubled Times
By James Cairns
In the first chapter of In Crisis, On Crisis: Essays in Troubled Times, James Cairns asks readers, and himself, the question: “What do we mean by the word ‘crisis’?” Fascinated by terminological debates, Cairns explores the wide and varied uses of the term, especially timely in a moment when, “We’re living through a period of unprecedented crises” is almost small talk. With ease, Cairns moves between social research, personal journalism, and ruminations on pop culture and literature, while exploring ecological and political crises against his lived experiences as both an alcoholic and parent. Told through 11 thought-provoking essays, In Crisis, On Crisis, which was published by Hamilton’s Wolsak and Wynn, is a vivid look at upheaval and what crisis looks like on a personal, local, and global level.
The Reign
By Shane Neilson
The Reign, Shane Neilson’s unique modern fairytale, takes place in Enniskillen, an expropriated New Brunswick community abandoned just before it became part of a military base. However, Neilson himself is no stranger to Hamilton. A former resident, he completed his PhD at McMaster, and he’s previously taken home the Hamilton Literary Award for Poetry for his collection Dysphoria, which draws from his experience as a physician. Told through lyrical poetry and prose, The Reign is the story of Willard, a child-like hero and “near-mute scholar of place, of peace,” who falls in love with Casey, a tyrannical industrialist who is also a magnificent whitetail buck. A tale of land, love, and language, The Reign defies genres, keeping readers guessing at what will happen next.
