Geist is thrilled to present a two-hour writing workshop on August 19, 2026, facilitated by Minelle Mahtani, author of the memoir May It Have a Happy Ending and current Chair of Canadian Studies at the University of British Columbia.

REGISTER on our Eventbrite page.

Writing What We Cannot Fully Remember

Do you ever feel that you can’t possibly write your story because, if you’re honest, you feel like you can’t remember everything? Well, don’t let that stop you. Writing What We Cannot Fully Remember is a creative non-fiction workshop led by Minelle Mahtani and inspired by her award-winning memoir, May It Have a Happy Ending. Through guided prompts on memory, contradiction, objects, voice, digital traces and unfinished endings, participants will explore how to write from partial or uncertain recollection without forcing false certainty. The workshop treats memoir as inquiry and gentle exploration, offering practical ways to move between scene and reflection while writing ethically about family, loss and the past without judging ourselves. It’s a chance to be creative on your terms! Participants will leave with several short drafts and new strategies for turning fragments into compelling creative non-fiction.

About the facilitator:

Minelle Mahtani is a Muslim Iranian/Indian/Canadian writer, former TV producer, and radio host. She is Chair of Canadian Studies at the University of British Columbia. Her memoir May It Have a Happy Ending (Doubleday) has been called a “magnificent and stunning debut.” It won the 2025 Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize for best original work of literary non-fiction. She has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards and won a gold medal for Best Personal Essay in the Digital Publishing Awards. Mahtani is the author of the book Mixed Race Amnesia: Resisting the Romanticization of Multiraciality (UBC Press). Her work has appeared in The Walrus, Geist, Maisonneuve and Southeast Review. She is currently working on a book about erosion with UBC Press.

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Location: Geist Magazine office at 111 West Hastings Street (Woodwards Heritage Building)

Materials required: Please bring a pen and notebook.

Registration: $15

There are 12 spots available. Refreshments will be provided! There is elevator access to our office on the second floor, and accessible washrooms down the hall. Let us know if you have any other access needs, and we’ll do our best to meet them.

REGISTER HERE.

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Photo by Elliot Voilmy.