Descriptions:
The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild is excited to present Talking Fresh 2026. This event originally aired on March 14 and will be available until April 14. Please note that staff have cleaned up the auto-captions, but some errors may still occur.
Our 2026 Talking Fresh theme is Foundations. Foundations exist everywhere in real life. They are the physical base of structures, rules for living our everyday lives, and agreed-upon procedures for our institutions. How does this show up in writing? Foundations give writers strength and connection to the craft of writing, literary traditions and communities of other writers. This festival asks us to consider what the important foundations for writing are. How can we lay foundations for others to join us in our multiplicity of stories and experiences?
“Sand and Stone: Let’s Talk about Foundations” panel discussion with Jes Battis, Anne Fleming and host S. Bear Bergman
Foundations exist everywhere in real life. They are the physical base of structures, rules for living our everyday lives, and agreed-upon procedures for our institutions. How does this show up in writing? Foundations give writers strength and connection to the craft of writing, literary traditions and communities of other writers. How do we understand our foundations, and when do we know to break away from traditions? How can we lay foundations for others to join us in our multiplicity of stories and experiences?
Jes Battis teaches literature and creative writing at the University of Regina. They are the author of The Winter Knight and the Occult Special Investigator series, as well as the poetry book I Hate Parties, which won the Saskatchewan Book Award. Their work has been shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award, the Sunburst Award, and the Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize, and they are the winner of an Independent Publisher’s Award and an Indie Foreword Award.
Anne Fleming is the author of six books of fiction and poetry, including, most recently, the novel Curiosities, as well as Gay Dwarves of America, poemw, and The Goat, a novel for children. Anne’s writing has been shortlisted for many nice awards, including the Governor-General’s Award, the Journey Prize, the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, Italy’s Premio Strega children’s prize, and the Giller. The Goat was named one of the ten best children’s books of the year by The Wall Street Journal and the New York Public Library.
S. Bear Bergman is an author, storyteller, educator and the founder and publisher of children’s book publisher Flamingo Rampant, which makes feminist, culturally-diverse children’s picture books celebrating LGBT2Q+ kids and families. He writes creative non-fiction for grown-ups, fiction for children, and gives parenting advice for both on CBC Radio. These days, he spends most of his time making trans cultural competency interventions anyway he can and trying to avoid stepping on Lego. His forthcoming book is THE FIRST JEW IN CANADA: A TRANS TALE, from Arsenal Pulp in Spring 2027.
For more information about the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild and our programs, please visit www.skwriter.com.