Dr. Cheryl Thompson, photo courtesy of the artist.
Join us for an engaging evening of nonfiction storytelling at this Literary Cabaret, a sharing of works in the Literary Journalism residency at Banff Centre. Across three nights, explore boundary-pushing readings from participants and faculty mentors.
The three-week residency brings together writers working on long-form journalism, narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, and reported essays. Participants focus on deeply researched, real-world storytelling—where reporting meets literary craft.
This chapter is hosted by Dr. Cheryl Thompson, a leading scholar and public intellectual whose work brings archival research, cultural history, and contemporary journalism into dialogue. Her books include Beauty in a Box: Detangling the Roots of Canada’s Black Beauty Culture and Canada and the Blackface Atlantic: Performing Slavery, Conflict, and Freedom, 1812-1897.
Enjoy a drink from the bar and immerse yourself in a vibrant literary atmosphere. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with readings starting at 7 p.m. Afterward, mingle with the writers and faculty until 9:30 p.m.
Literary Journalism is generously supported by the Flanagan Foundation, Fondation David R. Graham, and the Rogers Communications Chair in Literary Journalism Endowment.
About Dr. Cheryl Thompson
Cheryl Thompson
Dr. Cheryl Thompson is an Academic, Public Speaker, and Director, Research and Creative Strategy of Mapping Ontario’s Black Archives (MOBA), an Ontario Early Researcher Award, and Social Science Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funded project. She is also Director of Black Creative Lab, an incubator for the curation of public exhibits, speaker events, and YouTube content. Dr. Thompson has written three books: Beauty in a Box: Detangling the Roots of Canada’s Black Beauty Culture (2019), Uncle: Race, Nostalgia, and the Politics of Loyalty (2021), and Canada and the Blackface Atlantic: Performing Slavery, Conflict, and Freedom, 1812-1897 (2025). She has held a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Black Expressive Culture and Creativity, and in 2021, was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists for her contributions to Black Canadian studies.