Multi-genre fiction where once again, we are the stars. Nothing Without Us Too follows the theme of Nothing Without Us (a 2020 Prix Aurora Award finalist), featuring more stories by authors who are disabled, d/Deaf, Blind or visually impaired, neurodivergent, Spoonie, and/or who manage mental illness. The lived experiences of their protagonists are found across many demographics—such as race, culture, financial status, religion, gender, age, and/or sexual orientation. We want to present these stories because diversity is reality, and it belongs in literary and genre fiction. So, whether we're on Earth or carted away to a fantastical plain, these tales can teleport us elsewhere yet resonate deep within.
Authors
Greg Frankson is an educator, subject matter expert, entrepreneur, activist, speaker, and award-winning literary artist and essayist based in Toronto, Canada. He is the editor of the critically acclaimed AfriCANthology: Perspectives of Black Canadian Poets (Renaissance Press, 2022) and the author of four poetry collections: Cerebral Stimulation (2006), Lead on a Page (2012), A Weekly Dose of Ritallin (2015), and Cerebral Confections (2021). Greg’s work also appeared in the anthologies Mic Check (2008), That Not Forgotten (2012), The Great Black North (2013), Nothing Without Us Too (2022), and African Leadership: Powerful Paradigms for the 21st Century (2023). Greg is a 2012 Canadian national poetry slam champion, a 2013 VERSe Ottawa Hall of Honour inductee, and was awarded Best of the Blog 2022 on All Lit Up for the essay Black Poets Across Canada. He previously was the poet laureate of the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership and a poetic commentator on CBC Radio One’s Here and Now Toronto. Dundurn Press will publish Greg’s first full-length work of creative nonfiction, Alphabet Soup: A Memoir in Letters, in January 2025.
Jen Desmarais is the creator of the sex education game Blush and co-author of "Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers." "Crushing It," coming in 2023, is her first solo novel, and she's not entirely sure how it happened; she had a novella and a couple short story ideas and then all of a sudden it was a full-length book. Jen started learning guitar because of this book so that she could write her own music to go along with her lyrics. You can also find a short story by Jen in "Nothing Without Us Too." Co-founder of JenEric Designs, she creates unique geeky crocheted items. Her blogs The Travelling TARDIS and How I Taught My Dragon have been nominated for the Prix Aurora Awards over 2018-2023. She lives in Ottawa with her author husband, daughter, son, and their library of over 3000 books.
Dianna L. Gunn has known she wanted to be a writer since she was eight years old. She wrote her first novel for Nanowrimo at the age of eleven years old, but quickly discovered that writing books is not an easy way to make a living. So she decided to broaden her horizons, seeking another career that still allowed her to work with words. Her freelance writing career started when she became a marketing intern at Musa Publishing(now defunct) in September 2011 and quickly became a staff writer in charge of multiple imprint blogs. Since then she has worked with a variety of small businesses and non-profits to improve their online brands and create long term marketing strategies. Some of her most notable work has been for the tech education non-profit STEAMLabs and natural dog care company ProPooch. She is extremely dedicated to helping her clients build successful brands and making their dreams come true. When she isn’t helping her clients bring their dreams to life, Dianna can be found busily working on her own dream of being a successful fantasy author. Her first YA fantasy novella, Keeper of the Dawn, is available now, and she hopes to announce a second release date soon.
