Special Guest - Shane Driver read an excerpt of "Scarface," from his newly published collection, Broken.

At a college house party, a student defies a behemoth who later calls him out and bashes him to a bloody mess with a nose so battered the bone just might need to be set from the back of his head.

Amna Bhutta read "Fakeer"
Ignoring her mother’s warning, a child befriends an old beggar and saves a few rupees to place in his bowl every day, until he disappears after her visiting cousins make disparaging remarks.

Claire Holland reading "Women's Rites"

When an evening full of sensuality and flesh in a Toronto nightclub gives way to a stark morning of dissatisfaction and aloneness, a story that many women will recognize unfolds.

David Kee reading "Ice Cream"

In a faltering romance, the underlying tension between a young couple rises when one offers the other an incorrect spoon during an innocent evening of video watching and ice-cream eating.

Evangeline Torres Sled reading "Cow Plops"

When a resemblance to her father convinces a child that she came from her father’s tummy, even a bathroom break separation from him seems unbearable.

Jason Swetnam reading "Ron's Smile"

A university student shares his last day on the job at a group home with a resident who displays particularly chilling behaviour after something has soured his mood.

Kimmy Vu reading "Our First Time"

The not-quite-legal actions of a mother during a shopping trip astonishes her young daughter and then leads to an embarrassing outcome for them both.

Nicholas Tsangarides reading "Italian Leathers"

A young man considering a career as a butcher visits the back rooms of a butcher shop, where the workers at the slaughterhouse stations and on the killing floor challenge his career choice.

Saeed Rahman reading "Behind Closed Doors"

An employee with a personal interest in learning who is suspected of stealing inventory sweats it out while store management and a man from head office carry on a closed-door meeting.