gritLIT is pleased to welcome Kate Quinn and Janie Chang to the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton (170 Dundurn Street South) on Saturday, March 7 at 1 PM. Hosted by Annette Hamm.

Janie Chang is a Globe and Mail bestselling author of historical fiction. Born in Taiwan, Chang has lived in the Philippines, Iran, Thailand, New Zealand, and Canada. Her novels often draw from family history and ancestral stories. She has a degree in computer science and is a graduate of the Writer’s Studio Program at Simon Fraser University. She is the author of Three Souls, Dragon Springs Road, The Library of Legends, and The Porcelain Moon; and co-author of the USA Today bestseller The Phoenix Crown, with Kate Quinn. Her most recent novel is The Fourth Princess.

Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of Southern California, she attended Boston University, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical voice. A lifelong history buff, she has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga and two books set in the Italian Renaissance before turning to the 20th century with The Alice Network, The Huntress, The Rose Code, The Diamond Eye, and The Briar Club. The Astral Library is her first foray into magic realism. She and her husband now live in Maryland with their rescue dogs.

Our wonderful bookseller, Epic Books, will be onsite during the event if you would like to purchase the books.

The gritLIT Next Chapter Committee will provide materials and guidance to capture communal memories. With gritLIT prompts, visitors can collect and share their thoughts, inspired by Frost Bites, Winterfest, and other Hamilton themes, in the form of poems on a “leaf.” They are welcome to peruse the poems left by others. With guidance from a gritLIT Next Chapter Committee member, visitors can bind several “leaves” into a “signature” (mini-booklet) using simple bookbinding techniques. Take the signature as a memento or donate it to the collection of community signatures, contributing to a grassroots story that represents gritLIT and Frost Bites 2026.

This workshop/event is FREE and NO TICKET IS REQUIRED. All workshops and events are offered on a drop-in, first-come first-served basis. Space may be limited.