About

Curated by Qissa, this panel brings together three newcomer and refugee writers for a candid discussion about the challenges and pressures of creating literature in a new cultural context. The conversation explores how their work evolves when removed from its original setting, how audience expectations and industry pressures impact what they write, and how labels like “emerging artist” affect perceptions of their work. The panel offers a critical look at the complexities of literary production for writers navigating shifting contexts and audiences in Canada.

Moderated by Anam Zakaria

About Qissa:

Qissa is a storytelling platform that archives and exhibits immigrant oral histories in Canada and is presenting its inaugural Newcomer & Refugee Literary Festival in Toronto in March 2026.

Speakers:

Mostafa Al-A’sar: an award-winning Egyptian journalist, human rights defender, and founder of REDWORD for Human Rights & Freedom of Expression, currently based in Toronto.

Salman Haider: a Pakistan-born poet, playwright, and satirist living in exile in Canada, whose work encompasses poetry, theatre, and political commentary.

Sana’a Jaber: a Lebanese writer, filmmaker, and refugee in Toronto whose award-winning work spans fiction, memoir, and storytelling for social change

Anam Zakaria (Moderator): Toronto-based author, oral historian, and Co-Founder & Strategic Director of Qissa, Anam is an award-winning writer whose work explores personal memories, state narratives and the processes of otherization.