Sheldon Oberman mentorship seeks emerging writers

Up-and-coming writers have a chance to hone their craft under the watchful eyes of established authors as part of the Manitoba Writers’ Guild’s Sheldon Oberman Mentorship Program.

Named after the late children’s author and Guild founding member, the program pairs emerging authors in fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction and writing for children and young adults with mentors who will help with manuscript development self-editing, the writing process, publishing and more.

Past apprentices include a number of authors who have gone on to successful publishing careers, including John Elizabeth Stintzi, Hannah Green, Joelle Kidd and Zilla Jones.

The deadline for applications and to submit supporting materials for the next program, which runs from January-June 2026, is Nov. 30. For more information about the mentorship see wfp.to/oberman.

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University of Michigan instructor Phil Christman is a Christian and a socialist, and feels the two naturally align.

In his new book Why Christians Should Be Leftists, Christman details his move away from conservatism, offering an impassioned call to fellow believers that the ideology of the right does not align with Christian values.

Christman launches Why Christians Should Be Leftists at McNally Robinson Booksellers’ Grant Park location at 7 p.m. tonight, where he’ll be joined in conversation by Winnipeg theologian Ryan Turnbull.

Buy on mcnallyrobinson.com

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Sasha, a 17-year-old pop sensation who shies away from the spotlight and plans to come out as non-binary after finishing their senior year of high school, has plans thwarted when they encounter the alt-rock band Wavelength — and sparks fly between Sasha and Lillian, the group’s singer.

Winnipeg author Cale Plett launches their debut YA novel Wavelength Thursday at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson’s Grant Park location and will be joined in conversation by Teresa Horosko, writer and executive director of Folk On the Rocks music festival in Yellowknife, N.W.T.

Buy on mcnallyrobinson.com

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Toronto author Joelle Kidd grew up attending evangelical Christian school in rural Manitoba, and has collected her thoughts on the experience in a new collection of essays.

Jesusland: Stories from the Upside Down World of Christian Pop Culture combines memoir, critical analysis and reflections on the pop culture ephemera that permeated her life growing up. She launches the book Friday at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson’s Grant Park location, where she’ll be joined in conversation by Once Removed and The Unger Review author Andrew Unger.

For a review of Jesusland, see page G4 of today’s Free Press books section.

Buy on mcnallyrobinson.com

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For nearly 40 years, Winnipeg political punk band Propagandhi have been pumping out head-banging songs with a conscience — and Buffalo, N.Y.’s Greg Soden, host of Unscripted Moments: A Podcast About Propagandhi, is hgetting set to hit town to launch a book of interviews with band members past and present.

Based on over 15 hours of interview material with members of Propagandhi, Unscripted Moments: Conversations with Propagandhi (2020-2025) will launch Sunday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at Public Domain (633 Portage Ave.). Soden will be joined by Witchpolice Radio podcast host Sam Thompson, with musical performances by Mike Koop and Paul Hodgert.

Tickets for the event are $10 plus fees and can be purchased at wfp.to/iJ7.

books@freepress.mb.ca