About

Join us February 7 at Society Clubhouse as we celebrate Kate Gies and the launch of her memoir It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished (Simon & Schuster Canada). Kate will be in conversation with Adelle Purdham, author of I Don’t Do Disability and Other Lies I’ve Told Myself, and the conversation will include ASL interpretation.

Snacks will be provided, and drinks are available for purchase. Books will be available for sale courtesy of Another Story Bookshop.

Toronto Lit Up is a multi-year initiative, started in 2016 by the Toronto International Festival of Authors and the Toronto Arts Council, to spotlight Toronto writers and empower local artists with career-building opportunities. Between April 2016 and March 2024, Toronto Lit Up has presented over 200 events featuring over 250 Toronto authors and illustrators. Toronto Lit Up book launches take place throughout the year at venues across the city. They are open to the public and free to attend. Click here for more information.

This event will be followed by a book signing.

It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished

A raw, beautiful memoir of a girl born missing an ear, a medical system insistent on saving her from herself, and our culture’s desire to “fix” bodies. When Kate Gies was four years old, a plastic surgeon pressed a synthetic ear to the right side of her head and pulled out ... Read more

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Kate Gies

Kate Gies is a writer and educator living in Toronto. She teaches creative nonfiction and expressive arts at George Brown College.

Read more about Kate Gies

Credit: Will O'Hare