Book Publishing

A quiet evening of shared passages, meaningful conversation, glasses of wine and connection - because love deserves more than clichés. **Lovers and Readers** is an intentionally small, curated gathering designed for people who value books, meaningful conversation, and genuine connection. With only **12 guests**, this evening offers a rare opportunity to slow down, meet like-minded people, and engage in thoughtful dialogue about love, relationships, and the stories that shape us. **Get your ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/loves-readers-tickets-1981592179552?aff=oddtdtcreator** Your ticket includes more than entry to an event! It offers a fully facilitated, multi-sensory experience: * **Guided connection** through lightly facilitated introductions and conversations that make getting to know new people feel natural and comfortable * **Deep, meaningful discussion** around love in all its forms, grounded in literature and personal reflection * **A glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage** from **Neverland**, enjoyed in a cozy bookstore–wine bar setting * **A book of your choice to take home**, courtesy of **Flying Books** **What to Bring** Before the evening, choose a paragraph about love from a book you genuinely enjoy... the kind of line you underlined, dog-eared, or still think about. It doesn’t have to be about romantic love. We’ll be exploring love in all its forms: friendship, self-love, chosen family, devotion, longing, care, or however ***you experience and embody love***. You’ll be invited to read your passage aloud and share what it means to you - how it reflects your values, your experiences, or the way love shows up in your life. Think of it as a chance to let a book do some of the talking for you. First time at a Social Circuit event? You’re in good company. Everything is gently guided, there’s no pressure impress others, and curiosity matters far more than confidence. Come as you are - the room is designed to make getting to know each other feel easy and natural. This is not a book club, and it’s not a dating event. It’s a thoughtfully designed social experience for people who enjoy depth over small talk and connection over performance. Throughout the evening, facilitation will gently guide the flow - from introductions, to shared readings, to small-group conversations, creating an atmosphere that supports openness, ease, and authentic exchange. You don’t need to be an extrovert or a confident public speaker; the structure is designed to help everyone participate comfortably. Whether you come hoping to meet new friends, explore ideas about love and relationships, or simply spend an evening in good company with people who love books as much as you do, **Lovers and Readers** offers something meaningful to take with you, including a book you’ll choose yourself. **Accessibility** The bookstore is accessible directly from Queen Street West. Please note that the washroom is located downstairs and is accessed via a flight of stairs. If you have any accessibility needs, questions, or accommodations you’d like us to be aware of, please reach out to us in advance and we’ll do our best to accommodate. We are committed to creating thoughtful, inclusive events where everyone feels welcome and supported.

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $15 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

Facial recognition technology (FRT) is increasingly deployed across both public and private sectors – from policing, immigration, and administrative enforcement to loss-prevention in the retail industry – under claims of efficiency, objectivity, and technological neutrality. This presentation challenges those claims by advancing the concept of algorithmic racism: the structural embedding of racial hierarchy into ostensibly neutral algorithmic systems through biased data, design choices, institutional incentives, and opaque deployment practices. Drawing on documented wrongful arrests in the United States, Federal Court litigation in Canada involving refugee-status revocations, and the growing use of FRT in commercial settings, the presentation demonstrates how FRT disproportionately misidentifies Black individuals, particularly Black women. The presentation situates the well-documented racial bias in FRT within a longer historical arc, arguing that contemporary FRT mirrors the exclusionary logic of the Jim Crow era – reproducing systemic racial hierarchy through ostensibly neutral technological systems. Framed as a modern continuation of past forms of racialized control, FRT operates not through explicit racial classification but through code, data, and automated decision-making. The presentation contends that, absent robust legal safeguards, transparency, and meaningful accountability, the deployment of facial recognition technologies risks entrenching algorithmic racism across both state and market institutions, underscoring the need for urgent regulatory intervention. Gideon Christian https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/gideon-christian Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Calgary About the Speaker: My primary research interest is specifically in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and law, and generally in law and technology. My research work sheds light on the intersection of AI and law, from identifying and addressing legal issues arising from the adoption of new and emerging technologies in the justice system to identifying and addressing issues relating to racial bias in AI systems. **\* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \*** This is a talk with audience Q&A presented by the University of Toronto's Centre for Ethics that is free to attend and open to the public. The talk will also be streamed online with live chat here [to be posted]. About the Centre for Ethics (http://ethics.utoronto.ca): The Centre for Ethics is an interdisciplinary centre aimed at advancing research and teaching in the field of ethics, broadly defined. The Centre seeks to bring together the theoretical and practical knowledge of diverse scholars, students, public servants and social leaders in order to increase understanding of the ethical dimensions of individual, social, and political life. In pursuit of its interdisciplinary mission, the Centre fosters lines of inquiry such as (1) foundations of ethics, which encompasses the history of ethics and core concepts in the philosophical study of ethics; (2) ethics in action, which relates theory to practice in key domains of social life, including bioethics, business ethics, and ethics in the public sphere; and (3) ethics in translation, which draws upon the rich multiculturalism of the City of Toronto and addresses the ethics of multicultural societies, ethical discourse across religious and cultural boundaries, and the ethics of international society. The Ethics of A.I. Lab at the Centre For Ethics recently appeared on a list of 10 organizations leading the way in ethical A.I.: https://ocean.sagepub.com/blog/10-organizations-leading-the-way-in-ethical-ai

Let’s play some games to practice Japanese/English! The organizers will bring the games, but feel free to bring your own if you like. **All levels welcome!** 簡単なゲームをしながら日本語/英語を練習しましょう！主催者がゲームを用意しますが、お持ちになりたい方はご自由にお持ちください。**すべてのレベルの方歓迎** ————— **Schedule / スケジュール** * 6:30PM - 7:30PM: Group Game グループゲーム ("Codenames" for example) * 7:30PM - 9:00PM: New Groups and New Game (if you want) ————— Games Available / ゲームリスト: * [Codenames Pictures](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0FsQZqjPVY&t=1s) (4-10 players) * [Incan Gold](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nMJS94f5sKM)[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EzJWcuDLvc)(2-8 players) * [Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlqDjkER5Ws) (2-5 players) * [Camel Up](https://youtube.com/shorts/ga6nKaEhwDo?si=KrOtctKDbpjgsnN3) (3-6 players) * [Saboteur](https://youtu.be/fpxfCDYJbVA?si=-ljlNHVHVWWyj728) (4-10players) * [Cockroach Poker](https://youtu.be/6oN_jf0To2w?si=y9aFWlzF1N4CRj0r) (2-6 players) Board Game Words / ボードゲームの言葉: https://drive.proton.me/urls/9JNDDGXYD0#MIdKiGhDemRe ————— **General Etiquette and Harassment Policy:** We do not tolerate harassment of our members, and will operate under a \*\*zero-tolerance rule and will promptly ban members who break it\*\*. This is your community too, so be sure to make use of all that it has to offer while taking care of it. Please reach out to organizers via Meetup chat to address any questions, comments, or concerns that you may have. メンバーへの嫌がらせは一切許容せず、\*\*ゼロトレランス方針のもと、違反者は即時排除します\*\*。このMeetupは皆様のものでもあります。大切にしながら、提供されているすべての機能を活用してください。ご質問・ご意見・ご懸念がございましたら、Meetupチャットを通じて運営者までご連絡ください。 (DeepLの翻訳です)

**🥰 Deeper Connections Disguised as Game Night \|** STOP Swiping & START Playing\! \| Facilitated Games & "Cards FOR Humanity **= *Board Game foreplay"*** #### * 5️⃣ Welcome to **"Wildcard Wednesdays!"** *Inspired by "Timeleft*" we also curate tables of 5+ people based on your **"Play Personality"** a quiz we created exclusively for our events = Intimate Experience & every week is different depending on the group & games. * 🎲 **Board Game ForePlay!** \~ "Choose your own Adventure" **100+ Games** Collection \~ Something for everyone! = Variety of themes * ***🃏 BYOB \~ Welcome to Bring your own Board games/convo cards/tarot deck & Booze*** 🍺🍹 **[💌 PLEASE ](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1979316462822?aff=oddtdtcreator)*[CLICK ME ](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1979316462822?aff=oddtdtcreator)*[TO RSVP ON EVENTBRITE 🎟️](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1979316462822?aff=oddtdtcreator)** ### **👩‍❤️‍👨 OUR HOSTESS RAINBOW: She hosts this event partly because she is living proof that LOVE is REAL, she has been in a Healthy & Happy relationship for over a decade! & hopes to help others find true love as spontaneously as she did, make sure you ask her how she found LOVE?** ### **🤗 WHO IS THIS FOR?...EVERYONE! :)** * 👩‍❤️‍👨 **SINGLES** & Looking to Mingle? Curated Games for "Slow Connection" vs "speed dating" * 💝 **COUPLES** \~ New Date Nights vs "Netflix & Chill" \~ Discover something new! * 🙋‍♀️🙋🏽 **FRIENDS** \~ Fun way to reconnect & deepen friendships in a playful way * 🌎 **SOLO** \~ Easy to meet new people or **spend an evening as a local** if your a tourist * 🇨🇦 **NEW TO TORONTO? \~** Eager to learn english? Easier to learn while having fun! * **🌈 ALL-INCLUSIVE \~** LGBTQ2S+ & BIPOC & All Ages/Abilities) ⚠️ want more info? please find the full event description on Eventbrite

Welcome! Join us at the North York Centre to colour and chat. You can bring your own colouring books and colouring pencils. There’s a Dollarama across the street to buy them. If you’re coming empty-handed, no worries, you can use ours for $2 cash. You can do other art related projects such as sketching, crocheting, etc. As long as you bring your own materials :) We’re meeting at the North York Centre food court by 5:55pm, at the long table in front of the subway. Please contact me if you’re coming late, have trouble finding the place, or have any other questions. Hope to see you soon:) P.S. The group will grab some food after the event in a nearby area and socialize. It is totally optional.

Join us for our in-person Saturday critique session! We'll be meeting in the basement of **The Blake House**, which is located near Wellesley and Jarvis, about a 10-minute walk from Wellesley Station or Sherbourne Station. **In respect to the Blake House for hosting us, we humbly request that attendees purchase a meal, dessert, or drink if you are able to do so.** Feel free to bring in a piece of writing up to **2000 words** for reading and critique. Please bring paper copies so that listeners can easily follow and make notes. Dedicated listeners are equally welcome. In larger groups, please be mindful of giving everyone a fair chance to speak. Our group values and meeting structure can be found here: [https://www.torontosffwriters.com/sff-writer-rules-and-guidelines](https://www.torontosffwriters.com/sff-writer-rules-and-guidelines) We ask that writers provide content warnings when necessary. To limit the spread of diseases, we kindly ask that you stay home if you're feeling sick. We will be here every week! **\*\*We support the hard work and effort that goes into writing fiction, and do not condone the use of AI to replace the creative process.\*\*** And, that's everything! See you there!

\*\*NOTE: This meetup currently lacks a regular host. (The current hosts are volunteers for online organizational purposes; they show up in person occasionally.) If you arrive and there is no host, don’t worry. Whoever is the longest-running member (or whoever wants to) can set the timer for the writing session. In this way, the meetup is self-sustaining, and not dependent on any one person. Thanks for your understanding.\*\* Join us for an hour of quiet writing, followed by an hour of (optional) socializing. \*\*SILENT WRITING BEGINS AT 1:15 PM. IF YOU'RE LATE, WELCOME! WE WILL IGNORE YOU (BECAUSE WE'RE BUSY WRITING) UNTIL 2:15 PM.\*\* This meetup is open to everyone, whether you’re writing a novel, blog, class paper, or journal entry—or something completely different. Anyone interested is welcome to attend :) LOCATION: 5 Elements Cafe, basement level RSVP: Please be advised that seating is first-come, first-served, even if you have RSVP'd. Seats are not reserved and we can't control how many other people are in the cafe. We recommend coming down to the basement to grab a spot before you buy anything, just in case. SCHEDULE: 1:00 to 1:15 PM: Arrive and get settled in. 1:15 to 2:15 PM: Write in silence for an hour. \*\*If you arrive after 1:15, please silently find your own place to sit. We'll welcome you to join the group at 2:15.\*\* 2:15 PM: Introduce yourself. We'll go in a circle; just say your name and 1–2 sentences about what you're writing. (E.g., "I'm Rudolph and I'm writing a non-fiction book about reindeer.") 2:20 PM onwards: Chill/leave. Chat, hang out, keep writing if you want, leave whenever.

#### **This event page is for English speakers only.** **こちらのイベントページは英語話者の方向けです。** **日本人の方は、別のイベントページからお申し込みください！** *** We host a Japanese & English language exchange meeting every Sunday at 9:30 AM. Participants practice in pairs or small groups, with 50 minutes of Japanese practice and 50 minutes of English practice. The study materials used in our sessions are created by professional language teachers. ### **Before Signing Up, Please Read the Following** * **Please make sure to check the comments section of the event page, as all event details and materials will be shared there around Saturday.** * This meeting is intended for people who are genuinely interested in language learning. Participants joining for other purposes may be asked to leave. * We prioritize creating a safe and comfortable environment for all attendees. * Disruptive behavior, solicitation, or sales activities are not allowed. Anyone who does not follow the instructions of the organizer or staff may be removed from the group. * **Participation fee : Refunds and carryovers are not available.** ### **Participation Fee & Donation** Your participation fee will be used by Emiko Tanaka, a Yosakoi Ambassador, to promote Yosakoi Naruko Dance from Kochi, Japan, to the world. For more details, please visit our website: 🔗 [Yosakoi Ambassador Project](https://yosakoiambassador.com/) We look forward to seeing you at the event! 😊

Come join us at the lovely, well-lit, and cozy Theatre Centre Cafe for an hour and a half of silent writing (on whatever writing projects you will)! After silent writing is done, feel free to stay and chat or go as you please. If you are late you are welcome to join us (quietly and not disruptively). Please note this is a casual event, and we will NOT be critiquing each other’s work. **Other Important Details:** WiFi name/password: #TheTheatreCentre (no password, open access) Travel / Parking info: There is paid street parking as well as Green P underground parking located at 45 Abell St (2 mins walk from the venue) . Venue Guidelines: Please thank our hosts by purchasing something.

New Rules: Starting now, we are asking that each person contribute $2 towards maintaining this page. Without our space here on MeetUp, there is no group. So we ask that you bring a tooney when you come to keep us operational. Thank you very much! Thank you to everyone who has ordered something to eat or drink. It's very important that we each make a purchase, even just a tea or coffee, to maintain our welcome. Mil veces, gracias!

Struggling with motivation and focus as you hammer away on your manuscript at home? Want to join a community of writers as we embrace the joys and pains (mostly pains) of writing together? Bring your laptop, pen & paper, old-school typewriter, or futuristic writing gadget, and join an enthusiastic community of science fiction and fantasy writers as we work on our current projects in the same space. The format will be similar to our online writing sprints: 30-minute blocks of focused, quiet writing time (the sprints), interspersed with breaks where we can chat, ask questions, and share our writing experiences.

We are now at **Yonge Sheppard Centre** in the **food court** near **Dazzle Mi**. We start a bit past 1pm, so if you're late, please find a seat and start writing -- we'd love to hear about your story or your day -- afterwards. :) **Coworking for writers in your area!** Join us for some focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. When you show up, say hello to everyone, grab a drink, and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://shutupwrite.com) **Travel / Parking info:** Public Transit: 1. Take the TTC subway to Sheppard-Yonge Station. 2. Use the Yonge St. Sheppard Ave exit **Driving & Parking:** Parking Entrance to Yonge Sheppard Centre is located on Greenfield Avenue and Doris Avenue. Accessible parking is available on P1, P3 and Concourse. Be sure to check for parking limits or fees. **Location:** We gather around the tables in the food court near **Dazzel Mi**. If you spot a group of people with laptops out, that’s probably us! **RSVP:** Please do RSVP. But be advised that seating is first-come, first-served, even if you have RSVP'd. Seats are not reserved and we can't control how many other people are in the cafe. **SCHEDULE:** 12:45 to 1:15 PM: Arrive and get settled in -- come in early if you want to get lunch. 1:15 to 2:15 PM: Write in silence for an hour. \*\*If you arrive after 1:15, please silently find your own place to sit. We'll welcome you to join the group at 2:15.\*\* 2:15 PM: Introduce yourself. We'll go in a circle; just say your name and 1–2 sentences about what you're writing. (E.g., "I'm Rudolph and I'm writing a non-fiction book about red-nosed reindeer.") 2:20 PM onwards: Chat, hang out, keep writing if you want, leave whenever.

Calling all founders, CEOs, lawyers, doctors, and entrepreneurs to join our special *Founder Edition* of Sip & Read meetup event. Let's sip on fine wine and discuss our first book **The 5AM Club- Own Your Morning Elevate Your Life, by Robin Sharma**. We will pair this book with our favorite wine at **Wine on High** and engage in thought-provoking discussions on startup businesses and entrepreneurship, and network with like-minded individuals in a cozy book club setting. Come prepared to discuss this month's book. At the end of each book club meeting, we will take next book and venue suggestions from the participants for the next meeting. Whether you are a book lover, women entrepreneur, or a content creator, this event is perfect for sharing ideas and insights with other funders and founders in the entrepreneurial world. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together. Sign up now to reserve your spot! *Fun fact! This meetup was established in 2015 and had over 1,000 members. I had to shut down operations while attending law school, but we're back!!*

**Our February novel is: Julia by Sandra Newman** **This month is a classic, dystopian, fiction, literary fiction, women’s fiction, and science fiction novel. The book is 394 pages in print and 14 hours and 20 minutes on audiobook.** **An imaginative, feminist, and brilliantly relevant-to-today retelling of Orwell’s 1984, from the point of view of Winston Smith’s lover, Julia, by critically acclaimed novelist Sandra Newman.** Julia Worthing is a mechanic, working in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. It’s 1984, and Britain (now called Airstrip One) has long been absorbed into the larger trans-Atlantic nation of Oceania. Oceania has been at war for as long as anyone can remember, and is ruled by an ultra-totalitarian Party, whose leader is a quasi-mythical figure called Big Brother. In short, everything about this world is as it is in Orwell’s 1984. All her life, Julia has known only Oceania, and, until she meets Winston Smith, she has never imagined anything else. She is an ideal citizen: cheerfully cynical, always ready with a bribe, piously repeating every political slogan while believing in nothing. She routinely breaks the rules, but also collaborates with the regime when necessary. Everyone likes Julia. Then one day she finds herself walking toward Winston Smith in a corridor and impulsively slips him a note, setting in motion the devastating, unforgettable events of the classic story. Julia takes us on a surprising journey through Orwell’s now-iconic dystopia, with twists that reveal unexpected sides not only to Julia, but to other familiar figures in the 1984 universe. This unique perspective lays bare our own world in haunting and provocative ways, just as the original did almost seventy-five years ago.

Welcome, readers! Our February read is **_1984 by George Orwell._** In 1984, George Orwell imagines a world where the government watches everyone, rewrites reality, and punishes even private thoughts. Winston Smith dares to question this system, believing that truth and love might still exist. His rebellion draws him into a chilling struggle against a power that knows him better than he knows himself. The novel leaves readers asking whether freedom is possible when reality itself can be controlled. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

**I’m planning future book club meetups and would love your input. Please choose your top three from the list below—your picks will help decide what we read next!** **Book Options** *The Hong Kong Widow* – Kristen Loesch *American Spy* – Lauren Wilkinson *God of the Woods* – Liz Moore *Listen for the Lie* – Amy Tintera *The Swallows* – Lisa Lutz *The Drowning Kind* – Jennifer McMahon *The Eights* – Joanna Miller *The Quiet Librarian* – Allen Eskens Thanks so much for sharing your pick! Please **reply in the comments** with your top three. I can’t wait to see which books rise to the top and to discuss them together at our next meetups.

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, February 11 at Streetlight Guild. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.

Greetings writers! Come down and join your fellow wordsmiths for one hour of uninterrupted writing time in the upper level of the Market District Supermarket in Upper Arlington. The main entrance of the shopping center opens onto stairs/elevator leading up to the 2nd floor cafe section where we will have a table displaying a sign with the Shut Up & Write logo. Writing is largely a solitary craft. Practicing with others in a community setting may be the thing you need to fire your own routine. We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, starting the clock at 6:30, following a brief period of introductions. This is solid writing time and all inclusive. Any project is acceptable, be it fiction, non -fiction, work or homework assignment. All is welcome and will remain private to you. The market boasts a Starbucks, a full service bar and various affordable food options. Parking is plentiful, free Wifi is provided as well as outlets for charging your devices, though they are somewhat limited, so plan accordingly. Show up as early as you like, or stay late. This group tends to socialize some, both before and after the alloted time, but this is not mandatory to you. Feel free to come and go as you please and late arrivals are welcome. The cafe may be noisy on occasion so headphones/ earbuds are reccommended as you see fit. Please try to RSVP if possible so that we may grab enough seats for all—the venue can be busy at times. Feel free to message me privately wth any questions and/ or concerns you may have. Happy writing!