Come see me read a story!
at the Best Canadian Stories 2026 book launch on Nov 26th.
Good morning everyone,
I’ll be reading my short story We Are Busy Being Alive next Wednesday, November 26th at Queen Books as part of the launch for the Best Canadian Stories 2026 anthology. If you’re in Toronto + available, I would love to see you there!
This piece was selected alongside fourteen others that, in the words of the editor, “provide a distinctive sample of the best Canadian short fiction published over the previous year.” The stories are indeed fabulous and delightfully strange. I am very honoured.
Four writers, including myself, will be reading excerpts from their stories. The anthology will be available for sale at the launch. It can also be ordered here.
PS
I know you consented to it, but I’ll never get over the presumptuousness of repeatedly violating your inboxes with 2,000 word emails, none of which have “actionable value propositions”. A quick reply rids me of this insecurity (unless you do, indeed, feel violated, in which case why are you still subscribed?).
Here is a sample of my favourite email replies so far. I encourage you to send or comment (though I know 95%+ of you are too smart to be using Substack dot com) something equally inspired. It makes my day.
—
“lol”
in response to Confessions of a Gallerina
“<3”
in response to Making Art in a Burning House
“you give off chill pedophile vibes like you lowkey like kids but you went to therapy and got impulse control so you would never hurt one if you know what i mean. im a pedophile too and it makes me happy when i read your emails cuz it feels like i can participate too. good on you bro thank you so much”
in response to When the Coffee is Ass
“forwarded to Deborah Treisman, fiction editor at The New Yorker, who is also my godmother”
in response to The Silence
“I like to creep around my home and act like a goblin I don’t know why but I just enjoy doing this. Maybe it’s my way of dealing with stress or something but I just do it about once every week. Generally I’ll carry around a sack and creep around in a sort of crouch-walking position making goblin noises, then I’ll walk around my house and pick up various different “trinkets” and put them in my bag while saying stuff like “I’ll be having that” and laughing maniacally in my goblin voice (“trinkets” can include anything from shit I find on the ground to cutlery or other utensils). The other day I was talking with my neighbours and they mentioned hearing weird noises and I was panicking the entire conversation. I’m 99% sure they don’t know it’s me but god that 1% chance is seriously weighing on my mind.”
in response to I Am Not a Violent Man
“please don’t quit your day job,
with love,”
in response to Confessions of a Gallerina
“nice one”
in response to Know thy Tree
“We know you used A.I. You obviously didn’t write that. No one on Earth uses the long dash “—” like that except A.I. Pathetic. Now everyone knows you’re a dumb, lazy, uninspired piece of shit.”
in response to Crying on the Treadmill
“haiku:
an absolutely
divine email the best yet
thank you. unsubscribed”
in response to High Art Brainrot
“are u a virgin”
in response to When the Coffee is Ass
—
Please send more haikus.
Bye for now,
Rishi
