the new books in the media
Posted by Daniela Elza on Dec 21 2025 | Comment now »
I love when I hear back from people who are reading the new books. Thank you for all your thoughts on the essays and the poetry. These reflections and echos are little compasses for me, telling me what lands well with readers.
CBC posted a list of books by past CBC Literary Prizes winners and finalists that came out in 2025 . And Is this an Illness or an Accident? and Scar/city are on it.
Scar/city also made the BC Review Year-end Reviewer Picks. Thank you to the reviewers who selected my book for this list and this one sentence that says so much:
“These poems—on the tough topic of community and the forces that break it—dance through the streets with characteristic pitch-perfect timing, self-awareness, and sheer lyric exuberance.”
The latest issue of BC Book World newspaper had a paragraph on my twin book adventures this year and mention of the books, both of which speak of home and the fight we are in, but Scar/city exclusively focuses on what we are up against.
Here again is the first review of Scar/city in case you had not seen it. And I am looking forward to a first review of my debut prose collection: Is this an Illness or an Accident? I love firsts and the challenges and celebrations that come along with such moments.
Wishing every one a wonderful holiday season. May you rest, rejuvenate, and may there be much love and laughter and magic during this time of moving from the old year into the new.
Happy Solstice to all; may peace around the world grow with the light.
Fraser Valley Writers Festival – Nov. 7 & 8
Posted by Daniela Elza on Oct 20 2025 | Comment now »
November 7/8th, I will be part of this years Fraser Valley Writers Festival. Check out the line up and schedule and sign up for these free events. Hope to see you there.
I will be taking part in the Panel on Silence. Currently I am writing a piece for that panel.
SILENCE PANEL
Date: Saturday, November 8th, 2025
Time: 11:15 a.m
Venue: B Building, Room B101
Tickets: FVWFsilence.eventbrite.com
I will also be doing a workshop on Metaphor.
WORKSHOP:
To Carry Across: The Power of Metaphor in Your Writing:
Date: Saturday, November 8th, 2025
Time: 1:30 p.m
Venue: B building, room B161.
Author: Daniela Elza
“To Carry Across: The Power of Metaphor in Your Writing”: Participants will explore how to use metaphor to maximum effect in their writing, and approach the idea of metaphor as a way of thinking.
Register for this workshop here.
Check out the other workshops and events, including the keynote the day before and uign up early as there is likely limited space.
Double Launch in Burnaby – Nov. 6th
Posted by Daniela Elza on Oct 20 2025 | Comment now »
Next up: November 6th I will be doing the final launch planned for the year with guest reader JJ Lee and moderator Onjana Yawnghwe. We will have some fun discussing cross genres from fiction to nonfiction, poetry to essay, personal narratives to spoken word.
DOUBLE LAUNCH for
SCAR/CITY and Is this an Illness or an Accident? by Daniela Elza
Guest reader JJ Lee, author of Measure of a Man, and editor of the Christmas anthology Better This Year
Moderator poet Onjana Yawnghwe, author of We Follow the River and the artist’s book Cloud.
Date: November 6th
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Studio 103,
6450 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby
This will be the last launch for the year. Come and join in the readings and conversations and perhaps get some books for your seasonal gifts and readings. Hope to see you there Burnaby.
DOUBLE LAUNCH – One Author – Two Books
Posted by Daniela Elza on Oct 09 2025 | Comment now »
The final planned launch event for Vancouver is October 15th at the Book Warehouse on Main Street. This will be a DOUBLE book launch for both books with moderators Rob Taylor and Christina Myers to speak across the genres the books span.
You can reserve a seat at the link below. Just scroll to the bottom of this link. Seating is limited. For those who want a seat I would suggest reserve your seat. 
It should be fun and a first for sure.
Thank you Book Warehouse for hosting us. 
For those living in Burnaby, next up:
In November, I will do a similar event in The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts on Nov. 6th. Here is the poster for this upcoming event.
Frist review of SCAR/CITY + next two events
Posted by Daniela Elza on Sep 29 2025 | Comments Off on Frist review of SCAR/CITY + next two events
First review of SCAR/CITY is by Jane Frankish. Incidentally she also lives in a co-operative housing complex. Thank you Jane Frankish for engaging with the book, the themes and topics, and digging deeper. Click here to read the review ‘Another eviction season.’ Thank you also to the British Columbia Book Review for doing the good work.
Next up is October 3rd reading in Victoria at Planet Earth Poetry reading series. Details on the poster.
And my first ever DOUBLE BOOK LAUNCH – Two Books – One Author – Two moderators representing two genres.
Christina Myers (writer, editor, former journalist) and Rob Taylor (Poet, Editor, Creative Writing Instructor) will engage with some cross genre conversations across both books. This should be fun.
The event will be on October 15th, doors open at 6:30pm, event begins at 7pm
@Book Warehouse, 4118 Main Street, Vancouver.
Is This an Illness or an Accident? (debut essay/memoir collection) is a profound exploration of the conflicts and contradictions of what it means to belong, to work, and to find home. The Poems in SCAR/CITY walk streets and take snapshots of the impact financialization of our homes has on our sense of community and belonging.
Books will be available for sale at Book Warehouse for this event. Accessible venue. Event is free and open to the public.
You can also go directly to the the publisher’s websites to purchase books if you are not able to make the in-person events. Click here to go to Caitlin Press’ descrition and sales page: Is This an Illness or an Accident? and here SCAR/CITY for MQUP page.
SCAR/CITY at Planet Earth Poetry, October 3rd
Posted by Daniela Elza on Sep 25 2025 | Comments Off on SCAR/CITY at Planet Earth Poetry, October 3rd
October 3rd, I will bring SCAR/CITY to Planet Earth Poetry in Victoria. Here is the poster.
I will be reading with Jeremy Loveday.
Bio: Jeremy Loveday is an award-winning poet, spoken word artist, and community builder based in Victoria, BC, on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen People. As co-founder and former longtime Artistic Director of the Victorious Voices youth poetry festival, Jeremy has helped hundreds of young poets find their first stage. His work has appeared in publications such as CBC, National Observer, CV2, Funicular Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry 2023, and Claudia, a leading Brazilian magazine. Jeremy was the 2020 winner of the Zaccheus Jackson Nyce Memorial Award. After more than two decades of performing poetry, Maybe the Starling is his first full-length collection.
Essay Book Launch
Posted by Daniela Elza on Sep 24 2025 | Comments Off on Essay Book Launch
Today is the main launch day for Is this an Illness or an Accident?
Sept. 24th, 7pm.
Teck Gallery, SFU Downtown,
Harbour Front, 515 W. Hastings, Vancouver.
Maybe I will see some of you there.
Interview with *The Source*
Posted by Daniela Elza on Sep 08 2025 | Comments Off on Interview with *The Source*
First interview, in anticipation of this week’s launch of SCAR/CITY at the VPL tomorrow on September, 9th. Just found out the event is sold out.
Examining the life of a city: Poet Daniela Elza explores community and belonging
We got philosophical and spoke at length.
Thank you Lillian Liao for the time, the conversation, and the care.
Vancouver Launches in September
Posted by Daniela Elza on Sep 03 2025 | Comments Off on Vancouver Launches in September
First up:
- Sept 9th 6-8pm VPL, Montalbano Theatre, 350 West Georgia St.,Vancouver – Main launch for SCAR/CITY poetry book in Vancouver. Reading with Daniel Cowper. Renee Sarojini Saklikar will be our moderator. See attached event poster below for more information. To reserve a seat, ckick here.
Next:
- September 17, 6-8pm, Twisted Poets Literary Salon, 1661 Napier St, Vancouver, Reading from SCAR/CITY alongside Evelyn Lau, and Rahat Kurd who are also launching their latest books. Se attached event poster for more details. Here is the website link for more on the the event and bios.
Then:
- September 20, 11am, WORD Vancouver – Poetry InkWellTold – in conversation with Rahad Kurd. For more details on this event click here.
- Sept. 20 – 3:30pm, WORD Vancouver, UBC Robson Square, MEMOIR – Is this an illness or an accident? with Taslim Jaffer editor of Back Where I Came From. With Moderator Esmeralda Cabral, Author of How to Clean a Fish and Other Adventures in Portugal. Click here for more information on this event.
And next after that will be the main lauch for my debut memoir Is this an illness or an accident? Save the date – poster coming soon.
- Sept. 24th – 7pm, SFU TECK GALLERY, SFU Harbour Centre, 515 W Hastings St, Vancouver.