From the Urban to the Epic: What Makes it Fantasy?

Lineup

• More details about Will Fawley

  Will Fawley

  Originally from Virginia, Will has called Manitoba home for over a decade. He holds an MFA from George Mason University, where he was assistant fiction editor for Phoebe Journal of Literature and Art. His fiction and poetry have appeared in various journals and anthologies, including Prairie Fire, CV2, Arlington Literary Journal, The Northern Virginia Review, Parallel Prairies, and Expanded Horizons. His debut urban fantasy novel, City of Stars and Shadows, was published in 2025. Will has taught writing at the post-secondary level, and has led community fiction writing workshops. He is the recipient of a grant from the Winnipeg Arts Council, and a former Sheldon Oberman Mentorship program mentee. When he’s not writing, he can often be found playing video games or herding cats.

• More details about Stephanie Caye

  Stephanie Caye

  Stephanie Caye lives in Montreal with her partner and two furry supernatural beings disguised as cats. She published her first urban fantasy novel, THE FLAWS OF GRAVITY, in 2022 and followed it up by putting out two more books in the GRAVITY'S DAUGHTER series. Books 4 and 5 are forthcoming. When not writing, she spends her time volunteering at a cat shelter, plowing through her massive TBR list and exploring the city via public transit. In 2025, THE FLAWS OF GRAVITY was included in THE GLOBE AND MAIL’s summer books feature, “Ten fantasy books that prove self-publishing has come a long way.”

• More details about Ash Kreider

  Ash Kreider

  Ash Kreider is a trans non-binary marketer, former blogger, and martial arts nerd who has been writing professionally for more than 10 years. From 2012 to 2016, they wrote the popular gaming blog Go Make Me a Sandwich, which has garnered nearly 3 million views to date. They have also written, designed, and published 11 tabletop roleplaying games. They are currently living in Canada with a teen, a spouse, and two slightly broken cats.

• More details about Sue Archer

  Sue Archer

  Sue Archer has been writing stories ever since she purchased a typewriter at age eight. She is on a lifelong quest to read all the things and has been spotted haunting the stacks in several towns throughout Ontario, Canada. While waiting for her chance to open a doorway to another world, she is writing about Bridgepoint, a town where magic and mayhem are always just around the corner.

• More details about HOSTED BY: N.P. Thompson

  HOSTED BY: N.P. Thompson

  N.P. Thompson is the founder/organizer of Canada Fiction Fest. She is also the award-winning author of River of Crows and the other books in The Arcanium saga. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with her two awesome kids and a very lazy cat.