Events › Zena Sharman: The Power of Queer Families

How can queer collective care help heal the wounds from inherited trauma?

Zena Sharman's memoir Staying Power recounts her experiences of raising three children in a four-parent queer family. The essays explore the lessons of being raised by survivors of complex traumas, while challenging the notion that one must be healed to parent well. 

This book is a celebration of the transformative power of queer family-making beyond marriage and the nuclear family.

Zena Sharman will appear in conversation with author, podcaster, and academic Hannah McGregor.

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Zena Sharman is an essayist and non-fiction writer whose work explores themes of community, identity, and care. She is the editor of several anthologies, including The Care We Dream of and the Lambda Literary award-winning The Remedy. Staying Power is her debut memoir. She lives in Duncan, BC.

Hannah McGregor is an Associate Professor of Publishing at Simon Fraser University, where their research and teaching focus on the intersection of publishing and social change. McGregor is the co-director of the Amplify Podcast Network and the creator of its pilot podcast, Secret Feminist Agenda. They also co-host Material Girls, a scholarly podcast about pop culture; Witch, Please, a feminist discussion of the Harry Potter series; and The SpokenWeb Podcast. They’re the co-editor of the collection Refuse: CanLit in Ruins and the author of A Sentimental Education.

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Accessibility: VPL is committed to making our programs accessible for all. If you have an access need that we have not addressed here, please email us at programs@vpl.ca.

• Level 8 is accessible via the main elevators. 
• The Montalbano Family Theatre has three wheelchair accessible spaces in the front row.
• The theatre offers cinema-style seating, with limited space between seats. 

Participants are welcome to wear face masks, and N95 masks will be made available, but masking is not required.

For more information on physical access, view the Accessibility information on the Central Library page.