Left to Right: Klara du Plessis, Rebecca Salazar, A.F. Moritz, Wendy Xu, Rosebud Ben-Oni, Alexei Perry Cox, Virginia Konchan, Fabrice Koffy
Credit: Brian Campbell, Klara du Plessis

The Resonance Reading Series was a Montreal-based poetry reading series, founded and curated by Klara du Plessis on a monthly basis, Tuesday nights at 9pm, 2012-2018. It took place at the then vegan jazz bar, Café Resonance in the Mile End neighbourhood and grew to become an active component of Montreal’s anglophone literary community. Each reading hosted between four and six authors, performing poetry and prose fiction. Whereas it started as a single informal reading featuring fellow writer friends, the Resonance Reading Series developed into one of the leading literary forums in Montreal, recognized nation-wide. Writers, literary agents, and publishing representatives requested bookings, and the public knew they could rely on a consistently strong lineup of readers at any given event. The series hosted winners of the Griffin Poetry Prize and Governor General’s Awards, equally as aiming to feature a sample of writers from different stages of their careers. The Resonance Reading Series aimed to promote literary excellence within diversity.

Testimonials

“When I was new to Montreal, Klara and the Resonance Reading Series welcomed me and offered an invaluable space to hear work by writers who altered and expanded my understanding of poetics, opening doors to everything else that followed in my own work and helping make a life in poetry feel possible.”—Aaron Boothby, author of Continent 

"The Resonance Reading Series was the perfect resource to have as a new anglophone writer living in Montreal. From 2015 to 2018, I was exposed to a diverse array of CanLit's offerings in both poetry and fiction and was able to build personal and professional relationships with many of the writers passing through. Klara worked tirelessly and thanklessly to create and maintain this vital English-language literary institution while ensuring safety for the audience and a good time for the readers. Exceptional work, dearly missed.”—Jake Byrne, author of Celebrate Pride with Lockheed Martin

“The Resonance Reading Series represents one of the best reading experiences of my life: an intimate space full of listeners, all of us trying to build something together. Whether as a presenter or as an audience-member, it's a highlight of Montreal's contemporary literary landscape and an inspiring model for the community.”—Sean Michaels, author of Us Conductors, 2014 winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize

“The host/organizer was astute and engaging. The fellow poets were excellent, and curation and ordering were perfect. The audience was large and responsive. And, it’s Montreal.”—Madhur Anand, author of A New Index for Predicting Catastrophes

“The times I've read at Resonance have been among my favourite experiences of doing live reading in Montreal. Warm audience, wonderful hosts, and possibly the best stage lighting of my career.”—Anna Leventhal, author of Sweet Affliction

“I encourage all authors to do a reading at Resonance.”—Neil Smith, author of Boo