During times when uncertainty surrounds us — and hope feels out of reach — this project offers a space to reimagine bold new futures. Our genre is auto-fiction. Each author crafted stories (approx. 1,000-1,500 words) through a guided process led by Gayathri and her team.

Rooted in lived experiences, but infused with fiction, fantasy and imagination, The Fires We Lit is philosophically informed by bell hooks’ work Feminism is for Everybody, which inspires us to create spaces grounded in empathy, mutual care, and truth-telling. 

This was not a traditional anthology where participants simply submitted a story and waited to see if they were accepted We offered a three-part virtual workshop series combining guided autobiography with creative writing tools within a cohort process:

1. Story Sparks –  exploring lived experiences in STEM through story prompts inspired by feminist storytelling frameworks 
2. Story Arc –  playing with character development and world-building, using fiction approaches to plot 
3. Story Mechanics – refining story voice and short story narrative structure 

Participants also received the support of a professional editor, inspiration from guest speakers who shared their creative process, and a supportive community to share and receive feedback on their stories. 

Unlike other similar projects which typically charge participation fees (needed to cover costs of publication), this project was completely free of charge! We are fortunate to have artist funding support from Calgary Arts Development, awarded to Gayathri as the lead author and editor.

We opened a call for applications in Nov 2025 and welcomed applications from:

• Women and gender-diverse individuals (18+) of all backgrounds in Canada.

• With lived experience navigating STEM or an interest in STEM themes.

• Those who are open to exploring both autobiographical and fictional writing. Applicants did not need to be a professional writer to work with us.

• Those committed to the community process, which includes attending workshops, respectful and generous conduct in giving/receiving peer feedback, and last but definitely not least, an eagerness to have fun growing their voice within a supportive group.

For all who had applied to be part of the cohort – thank you for your interest! We did have a waitlist and hope to offer future writing opportunities on our newsletter.

Many! In this anthology, each co-author received:

• A limited seat in a three-part workshop series, facilitated by Campfire Kinship, which are at the heart of this project

• Access to creative prompts rooted in guided autobiography and speculative fiction

• Plenty of opportunities for group sharing and peer feedback

• Unique art illustration to accompany each story

• Editorial support to help refine final story

• Recognition as co-author in the published anthology

• Free book copy and ticket to book launch celebration 

• Features on our website, social media, and other media opportunities

• And above all, a story that’s wholly unique — imagined, shaped, and shared by each person, through the joy of writing in community – The way a story grows stronger when witnessed, and the magic of imagining futures together 🙂

The anthology was published in both digital and print formats on Amazon by Campfire Kinship Press on July 28, 2026. We also aim to make it widely accessible through community partners, local libraries or bookstores. Our Calgary launch happened on Sep 12 – catch the highlight reel here.

Fine artist, Cynthia Cabrera, created 26 original mixed-media works, digitally rendered into black-and-white illustrations, as visual interpretations of each story, in addition to its oil painting cover. Her style is one of magical realism – see originals here: https://cynthiacabreraart.com/collect/

Yes. As a core principle of equity, co-authors retain full copyright of their individual story and have granted us permission to publish their story in the anthology and related promotional materials.

All proceeds (including grant funds and book sales) go directly toward covering the costs of publishing the anthology — including artist honorariums, workshops, editing, design, printing, and launch activities. We were pleased at the time of book launch to donate additional books to LotusSTEMM, a women-in-STEM focused nonprofit.

We recognize the immense care and intention required in such community-engaged projects and are grateful to all our collaborators – many of whom go above and beyond what is offered as honorariums and volunteered their own time to make the project successful. This project has also been substantially subsidized by Campfire Kinship Storytelling Inc. through in-kind donations of Gayathri’s time to fully execute the project end-to-end, which are outside of CADA artist funding.

Campfire Kinship Press, an imprint of Campfire Kinship Storytelling Inc.

We would love that! Please get in touch and tell us more about your event. We are also open to setting up readings at local bookstores and libraries. 

For sure. Please get in touch and tell us about the quantity you have in mind to receive a quote. 

Absolutely! We would be happy to explore that with you – feel free to check out our workshops page. Alternatively, if you would like to host a writing workshop similar to the ones used for this book in fiction, fantasy, and feminist themes, please get in touch.