JACLYN DESFORGES is the queer and neurodivergent author of Danger Flower, winner of the 2022 Hamilton Literary Award for Poetry and one of CBC's picks for the best Canadian poetry of 2021. Selected for the New York Times-featured Lunar Codex Project, Danger Flower is now archived on the moon. Jaclyn is also the author of the picture book Why Are You So Quiet? and has received Canada Council for the Arts support for both her forthcoming short story collection, Weird Babies (Porcupine's Quill Press, 2026), and her novel-in-progress, Eyelash Person. A Bread Loaf alumna and RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award winner, Jaclyn teaches poetry at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Jaclyn’s collection of poetry, Danger Flower, and children’s book, Why Are You So Quiet?, will be available for purchase before and after the reading.

For more information about the free workshop Jaclyn will be leading at 3:00pm during the festival, click here.