By Ross Murray
KNOWLTON – They were bringing chairs up from the basement at Brome Lake Books Sunday as the Quebec Writers’ Federation (QWF) hosted Writers Out Loud: Writing the Eastern Townships.
Nearly 50 people sat and stood at the back to hear authors Brenda Hartwell and Josh Quirion read from and talk about their works, with emphasis on the Townships as an influence. The session was moderated by writer and filmmaker Louise Abbott, with words of welcome from Brome Lake Books’ favourite patron, best-selling author Louise Penny.
This was a strategic venture into the Townships by QWF, which is looking to expand its profile outside of Montreal and better meet the needs of writers in the regions. In fact, Louise Abbot opened her remarks by noting that there currently seemed to be a renaissance in homegrown Eastern Townships voices.
Brenda began by reading an excerpt from her debut novel No Wrong Seasons (Inanna Publications 2025), rich with the sensations of the natural world that offers her character Hazel “as close to peace as she’s ever come.”
Nature, Brenda said, was always a part of her life, beginning in childhood divided between rural Canterbury and (by contrast) bustling North Hatley. Books and nature kept her busy in the country, she said, because there wasn’t much else to do. It was no surprise, then, that her work is infused by those influences.
Josh, meanwhile, read a full entry from his collection of flash fiction, Homebound (Lakeshore Press, 2025), a rollicking tale of a young man who moves to Montreal, quickly lands in jail, then comes back to where everybody knows his business.
The tales are funny and a little dark, and some depict the seedier side of Townships life, a stance Josh defended.
“A place isn’t complete if you don’t show the underbelly,” he said. “Plus it makes all the good stuff that much more valuable.”
Disputes between the French and English also colour his tales, and growing up in a bilingual household, Josh felt the tension of that dual citizenship – a need to pick a side.
“I settled on English because I couldn’t conjugate in French,” he joked.
Duality is also reflected in the title of his work – “homebound,” which can mean both “going home” and “stuck at home.”
“Home always remains a memory you’re itching at,” Josh said.
“The urge to leave is what every young person in the Townships feels,” Brenda added. “But when it comes time to start raising a family, they start to see the value of the place.”
While the stories in Homebound aren’t linked, some characters and places pop up multiple times. This too is a very Townships thing, Josh noted, where the simple act of getting groceries becomes a social activity.
“In the Townships, there’s not six degrees of separation but one,” he said.
The conversation with the authors covered a range of topics: mentoring, the writing process, getting published, factory work, reluctant readers, librarians, and the combination of darkness and comedy.
“I like to go to a place where emotion meets the comedy,” Josh said. “The marriage of both is an effective vehicle to solicit a more profound reaction.”
The event ended with Q&A from the audience, refreshments and a chance to meet the authors.
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