It’s little secret that the way to my heart is through my stomach, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that one of my favourite things about the holidays is the food.

All the ham (or turkey) you can eat. Concoctions only nominally vegetable that end up being so delicious—and so rarely nutritious—that proponents of the good old food pyramid can but shake their heads. A veritable cornucopia of carbs, from savoury stuffing (Stove Top, natch) to buttery shortbread and sugary snacks of every stripe.

The holidays are basically the Stanley Cup of gustatory delights.

Perhaps the attraction is the sheer scope of the occasion—number and variety of dishes for any holiday feast must surely be greater than that of any other occasion throughout the year. Or maybe it’s the faces around the table that make the meal such a delight. So many of us have learned to appreciate even more the warmth of friends and family around the table, especially over the past few years, when such gatherings are essentially verboten.

In fact, now that I think about it, my fervour for feasting reflects my literary appetites as well. I like to read a wide variety of genres, and have been known to binge on books, gobbling them up faster than is probably good for me. And I’ve written before about my love of sharing books with like-minded people, delighting in their delight over my favourites. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the extra downtime over the holidays makes room for more recreational reading.

To help make that a little easier, we’re bringing back our traditional PQL Holiday Giveaway—a month-long opportunity for us to thank you for sticking with us this year!

Keep reading to find out what you can win.

What’s happening this month…

At PQL.

Rolling off the press this month is the latest issue (#89) of our journal of the printing arts, the Devil’s Artisan! This issue features a fantastic profile of private press printer Will Reuter of The Aliquando Press but also articles about caricaturist and printmaker John Wilson (Jack) McLaren, bookbinder Robert Wu and former Toronto fixture, Don Black Linecasting. Plus, there’s a sneak peek of Wesley W. Bates’s Out of the Dark, coming next spring from the Porcupine’s Quill. You don’t want to miss this issue—buy your copy today!

On your screens.

Be sure to tune into Junction Reads on Sunday, December 12, featuring the wonderful Frances Boyle, reading from her short story collection Seeking Shade. The stories in this book explore creativity, identity, complicated relationships and strong emotions, giving us nuanced characters who find themselves in situations that are both extraordinary and plainly, painfully ordinary. Please register ahead of time on Eventbrite. Tickets are PWYC.

* * *

PQL Holiday Giveaway Alert!

In honour of this occasion, we’ll be giving away three digital copies of Seeking Shade.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Log in to the form below using email, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

2. Earn up to five entries by visiting Facebook and Instagram, tweeting on Twitter or by signing up to our newsletter. (If you’re already a newsletter subscriber, an avid social media follower, or an avid social media avoider, the bonus entry method is for you!)

3. Log out of the form to submit your entry.

PQL Holiday Giveaway 2021 Week 1: Frances Boyle’s Seeking Shade

* * *

In the world.

December 9 is Christmas Card Day. Why don’t you flex your literary might and pen a nice little note ones to loved ones near and far this year?

December 18 is Bake Cookies Day. That sounds delightful, and just the thing to do on a wintery Saturday. I’m in. Anyone else?

December 21 is Crossword Puzzle Day. Did you know that crossword puzzles were invented on December 21, 1913? Time to put on your thinking cap and exercise your brain!

From the porcupette’s corner…

You know how in suspenseful movies there always seems to be a character who succumbs to distraction? Like, in the middle of crossing a street, they hear a shout, turn their head instinctively, just for a moment, and boom, get hit by a bus. Or they’re creeping through a forest evading enemy pursuit and just as they think they’re safe, pow, they get attacked by a crocodile. That’s how I’ve been feeling lately.

I thought I had my eyes on the prize, completing edits for an upcoming book, but every time I went to get stuck in I got distracted by another project, a grant report, a phone call, something more time sensitive. I kept getting more and more behind until finally, finally, I managed to buckle down and get to the end! It feels good to move on to the next big editing project. Here’s hoping there will be no distractions on that one!

Season’s Greetings, Quill friends! I hope you enjoyed this latest update, and that you’re excited for one of our holiday traditions—the PQL Holiday Giveaway. Be sure to check back weekly for more gifts from us to you.

All the best,