LitLive: 30 years of Hamilton stories
The LitLive Reading Series began in 1995 and continues to be a showcase for new, emerging and established writers, while shining a light on the Hamilton literary community.
Reading is an activity of intimacy. The eye is directed to words on the page and a story unfolds from the mind of the author to the reader taking it all in. Even when the words are spoken aloud, in front of a microphone with an audience in a dimly lit room, the act of telling a story welcomes everyone to an intimate experience.
It’s an act the LitLive Reading Series has come to do very well.
It’s not often that a grassroots arts series can last as long as LitLive, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this fall. Curated, managed, and hosted by a small volunteer group of writers from all over the region, LitLive’s staying power lies in the simplicity of its premise.
For award-winning author Gary Barwin, who sits on the series planning committee, the secret to LitLive’s success is in bringing “exciting, significant writers to Hamilton where Hamiltonians can hear them read, and the writers can learn something about the Hamilton literary scene.”
By and large, most literary festivals are annual events, taking place every year over the course of a few days.
That LitLive has lasted this long as a monthly event is a milestone that Hamilton author Anuja Varghese says is important.
“A monthly reading series is very different than a once-a-year festival or a one-off event. Our role has really become a consistent literary presenter, introducing and promoting and supporting Canadian authors and books in Hamilton.”
Like Barwin, Varghese sits on the organizing committee, a role she took on three years ago at his encouragement. “I was really inspired by the way the group runs as a non-hierarchical volunteer arts collective,” says Varghese, “but also by the longevity of the series and the enthusiasm and dedication of the other committee members … it definitely felt like they were doing something right.”
It’s an achievement, adds Hamilton writer and committee member Brent van Staalduinen, that continues to inspire him. “LitLive has tirelessly promoted Hamilton as a literary destination, (where) writers always enjoy their experience and encourage other writers to come and check out this cool thing that the Hamilton wordy-scene is doing.”
For Varghese, LitLive is unique because “we present Canadian authors writing in different forms and genres — fiction, nonfiction, poetry, literary fiction, horror, romance, mystery, memoir — all on the same stage every month. It lets authors and audiences meet folks they might never have crossed paths with otherwise.”
The series’ legacy is uniquely Hamilton, too.
“We present established authors and emerging authors,” she adds, “while always presenting at least one Hamilton author at every event. The series has developed an excellent reputation among authors and publishers across Canada, and it has become a popular platform for writers to share work with an enthusiastic Hamilton audience.”
Brent van Staalduinen and Elise Bird. Photo: Janice Thiessen/Automatic Jane
Since joining LitLive, Varghese says the series has been guided by four key values. “Accessibility. We want to make sure it’s a welcoming space that is accessible for everyone. Diversity. We intentionally program the series to include a diverse mix of writers, genres, and forms. Experimentation. We invite authors at each LitLive to respond to a theme while aiming to create an environment that is safe for risk-taking. And support for artists. We are committed to paying participating authors fairly and creating a supportive platform for people to share their work.”
Founded by iconic local writer Kerry Schooley in 1995, the list of writers featured in the series is far too extensive to list here. But even a cursory glance at the current LitLive website (litlivereadings.com), and the older blogspot going back to 2007, reveals an expansive diversity of writers across multiple genres.
“We work hard to curate the series to include authors of colour, Indigenous authors, authors with disabilities, authors of different ages and at different career stages, in addition to authors specifically from Hamilton, as well as from cities across the province and the country,” says Varghese. “It's important for us to let Hamilton see itself reflected on our stage.”
Van Staalduinen further explains that many writers have made their start reading at LitLive before their career really took off. “My first appearance,” he says, “was in my pre-publication days, where I stood with a shaky printout of a short story that hadn’t yet found a home. I’ve been fortunate to be a reader at LitLive on a few occasions, and I’ve been back a few times to read from my published books.”
As Hamilton’s longest running literary series, LitLive has cultivated a number of partnerships, such that it has become one of the best hubs for writers to connect with the community’s literary scene. “We’ve been hosted by the AGH, the SkyDragon/Homegrown Hamilton, and The Staircase in its various incarnations and had a relationship with the Hamilton Arts Council,” says Barwin, “as well as the gritLIT festival, the library and bookstores of Hamilton.
“We’ve been a stalwart on the scene, and I think that’s important. We’re often the first place publishers contact when seeking a place to feature their writers in the city.”
But with years of operation have come years of challenges, too. “We are not a registered charity,” says Varghese, “so many funding opportunities aren’t open to us. LitLive also doesn’t sell tickets, we run on a PWYC (pay-what-you-can) basis, which ensures the cost isn’t a barrier for anyone to attend. We don’t have a lot of costs,” she admits “but we are committed to paying all 40 authors who participate in the series each year at the Writers’ Union of Canada rate. This means we rely on a few key grants and the generosity of our audience and community supporters to keep the series going.”
LitLive runs the first Sunday of every month from September to June at The Staircase, 27 Dundurn St. N.
Keeping the series alive remains the goal of the committee members as they prepare to celebrate the 2025-26 season and the 30th anniversary this fall. “Our mission,” says Barwin, “is to continue to make a place for local and national writers to read to an intimate audience.”
It’s a mission he thinks is increasingly relevant, “in these days of conservatism, increasing fear, and mistrust of curiosity and dialogue.”
And when asked what their goals are for the future of LitLive, Barwin, Varghese and van Staalduinen all responded the same way: Another 30 years of incredible writing.
