Press Release: Campfire Kinship Press Publishes New Anthology -
The Fires We Lit, Illustrated Stories of Women Reimagining the Rules
Calgary, AB – July 28, 2026 – Campfire Kinship Press, with support from Calgary Arts Development, has published The Fires We Lit: Illustrated Stories of Women Reimagining the Rules, a new anthology featuring 25 women connected to STEM and innovation. The book is now available through Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.
Developed through a multi-part creative writing workshop series, the collection invited participants to begin with moments from their own lives and carry them into fiction, fantasy and speculative storytelling.
Each story is accompanied by an original black-and-white illustration created by Calgary fine artist Cynthia Cabrera, who also designed the book’s cover. Cabrera interpreted the emotional and imaginative world of each story, creating a visual conversation between one artist and 25 writers.
For many contributors, it was their first time writing fiction. “As someone trained in engineering, I have often been taught to rely on logic, evidence and what is already known,” says Gayathri Shukla, editor of the anthology and founder of Campfire Kinship Press. “This project reminded me that imagination is not an escape from reality. It is how we begin to see what reality could become.”
The anthology builds on Campfire Kinship’s earlier publication, Landed: Transformative Stories of Canadian Immigrant Women, while moving into new artistic territory through autofiction and visual art.
The official book launch and signing will take place on September 12, 2026, from 12 to 3 p.m. at the Strathcona Community Association in Calgary. The event will include author readings, book signings and an exhibition of Cabrera’s original artwork from the anthology.
Copies of the book can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1067907408#
More information about the book is available at: https://campfirekinship.com/storytelling-impact/book-2/
Tickets for the launch are available through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/campfire-kinship-book-launch-celebration-tickets-1984385011989
About Campfire Kinship
Campfire Kinship Storytelling Inc. is a Calgary-based social enterprise that uses story-based methods to support inclusive leadership, creative expression, and systems change. Through partnerships with community, corporate, and academic sectors, Campfire Kinship delivers public programming, training, research, and publications that elevate underrepresented voices and build capacity for belonging across diverse settings. Past projects include Landed: Transformative Stories of Canadian Immigrant Women, the Unlikely Friends video series, and the Hearth 2 Heart podcast at University of Calgary’s CJSW 90.9 radio station.