June 28th, 1.30pm – 2.30pm at Centre A
Featuring Bonnie Quan Symons
Join poet Bonnie Quan Symons for an inspiring, practical workshop on how to create your very own poetry chapbook, from first concept to finished form. Whether you’re a new writer curious about self-publishing or a seasoned poet ready to shape a cohesive collection, this session offers clear guidance and creative encouragement.
Bonnie will walk participants through the essentials of chapbook-making: selecting and sequencing poems, developing a unifying theme or arc, basic design and formatting considerations, and options for printing, binding, and sharing your work. Along the way, she’ll share insights from her own publishing journey and invite discussion about intention, audience, and care for the poems you bring into the world.
Participants are encouraged to bring a small selection of poems (drafts are welcome). Expect a supportive, generative space focused on craft, confidence, and the joy of making something tangible with your words.
Bonnie Quan Symons is an Asian Canadian poet whose poems have been published in journals in Canada, the United States, and Australia. Originally from Calgary, she has worked for two Canadian universities and two BC hospitals as a secretary and a program assistant. She lives in Vancouver and currently works at the BC Teachers’ Federation. She has written and self-published over thirty poetry chapbooks since 2014. She is a member of Pandora’s Collective, Poetic Justice, and Writers’ International Network (WIN) Canada.
Centre A, 268 Keefer St Unit 205, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X5
We would like to acknowledge that our festival takes place on the unceded traditional territories of the Skwxwú7mesh, Səl̓ílwətaɬ and xʷməθkwəy̓əm First Nations.
LiterASIAN 2026 