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Breakfast Meeting, May 16, 2026

Gianna Patriarca

One of the exciting new voices in Italian-Canadian writing is Gianna Patriarca. Her first book of poems, Italian Women and Other Tragedies (1994) made a significant impact on many readers who could readily identify with her very accessible poetic lines. Her acute observations on the human condition and on ordinary immigrants make her book, Daughters for Sale (1997) very popular.

Gianna Patriarca was born in Ceprano, Frosinone, Italy, and emigrated to Canada in l960 as a child. She received a B.A. in English Literature and Italian and a B.Ed. both from York University and presently teaches for the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

Gianna’s poetry has been widely anthologized, her poems have appeared in many journals and magazines. Her poems have been heard on CBC, C.I.U.T., CHIN radios as well as TV Ontario, Imprint, C.F.M.T. TV and Telelatino. She has been a featured reader at Harbourfront International Reading Series and many universities including Yale and Calumet in the U.S., and Udine and Milan in Italy. Her books appear on the course lists of many Canadian and American universities.

Gianna’s poetry has been adapted for the stage in a production called Ciao, Baby. It had a very successful three week run at Canada Stage Berkley Street Theatre in Toronto in 2001 and received many great critical reviews.

Gianna Patriarca has appeared in the following Film Documentaries: Pier 21, 2001, Telelatino TV, Enigmatico, National Film Board 1997, The Italian-Canadians, 2003, Telelatino TV.

Isobel Raven Publishes New Novel

Version 1.0.0

2025-26 WEN Board


At the Annual General Meeting in June 2025, the new WEN Board was nominated to serve beginning September, 2025.

President            Maria Marchelletta
Vice-President       Jasmine Jackman
Secretary            Geetaa Sharma
Treasurer            Maurus Cappa
Membership Coord     Anna Stitski
Breakfast Coord      Anna Stitski
Director at Large    Aviva Mayers
Director at Large    Zohra Zoberi
Director at Large    Delsin Holder

WEN Plans 25th Anniversary Anthology

WEN was founded in 2001. Below is a photo of the founders.

Patricia Armstrong, Marilyn Fraser, Marjorie Ludlow-Green, Lawrence Coughlin and Mickey Turnbull-Coughlin

2026 will mark the 25th Anniversary of the Writers and Editors Network Association. To mark the occasion, WEN is planning to publish an Anthology of Poems and Short Stories by members. This will be our fourth anthology and the title will be Canadian Imprints, Volume IV, 25th Anniversary. WEN is currently soliciting entries from members and the target is to publish the anthology by the fourth quarter of 2026 and to celebrate our 25th Anniversary at the Annual Holiday Party in December, 2026.

Friends of WEN

Canadian Authors Association
CANSCAIP
Editors' Association of Canada
Mississauga Arts Council
PWAC Toronto
The Writers' Union of Canada
WCDR

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