McMaster University Libraries are a new partner with Hamilton Reads, an annual program run by Hamilton Public Library.
Each year, Hamilton Reads invites the community to read a selected book written by a local author.
“We are pleased to be a new partner with Hamilton Reads,” said Vivian Lewis, associate vice-president and university librarian at McMaster University Libraries. “It’s wonderful to support the works of local authors and promote literacy in our community.”
The 2025 Hamilton Reads title is All You Can Kill by Hamiltonian Pasha Malla.
Malla has previous ties to McMaster University and Hamilton Public Library. He was the 2021-22 Mabel Pugh Taylor Writer in Residence, a program that gives Canadian authors writing time and the opportunity to mentor others. The writer in residence program is led by McMaster University's Department of English and Cultural Studies of the Faculty of Humanities in partnership with McMaster University Libraries and Hamilton Public Library.
Hamilton Public Library hosts numerous book club events for those interested in reading and discussing the selected novel. Those wishing to participate can find copies of All You Can Kill available for loan from the university libraries and Hamilton Public Library branches.
Community members can also participate in the Hamilton Reads short story contest, presented by McMaster University Libraries, McMaster Office of Community Engagement, Mohawk College Library, and Hamilton Public Library.
“The short story contest provides a chance for local writers to get creative and have some fun,” said Lynne Serviss, associate university librarian, User Services and Community Engagement. “We encourage everyone in the McMaster community, especially our students, to enter for a chance to have their work published on the Hamilton Public Library website and read their story at the Hamilton Reads closing ceremonies.”
The contest is free to enter. Submissions need to be unpublished works of fiction that are 2,000 words or less. Submitted stories must contain a theme within the Hamilton Reads 2025 book or are written in the genre of satire, humour, horror, or absurdism.
The submission deadline is Oct. 31, 2025.
Learn more
To learn more about Hamilton Reads 2025, including information on the short story contest, please visit the Hamilton Public Library’s website.
