Join us for an inspiring and thought-provoking afternoon at Stories of Resistance: A Conversation with Catherine Hernandez. This special event invites audiences into a powerful dialogue about resilience, identity, community, and the transformative power of storytelling.
Through an engaging conversation, Catherine Hernandez will reflect on the themes that shape her work — from confronting systems of oppression to uplifting marginalized voices — and explore how art can serve as both resistance and healing. Drawing from her acclaimed novel Scarborough and her work across literature, film, and theatre, she will share insights into the creative process and the responsibility of telling stories rooted in lived experience.
This event offers an opportunity to listen, learn, and connect through meaningful discussion about justice, representation, and the enduring strength of community. Whether you are a reader, writer, artist, educator, or advocate, this conversation promises to leave you reflecting on the ways stories can challenge, empower, and inspire change.
This event is open to all students, staff, faculty, librarians, and community members. Lunch will be provided.
Registration will close at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 30, 2026.
Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: The Catalyst Centre (EV -151 & 152), at UTSC
This session of Stories of Resistance is a collaboration between the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office (EDIO) at UTSC and the Sexual Violence and Prevention Centre (SVPS Centre). Stories of Resistance is a project developed by the EDIO at UTSC, the SVPS Centre, and the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies.
This event is part of the Stories of Resistance series—an initiative dedicated to centering conversations on gender, safety, and body politics. Through thought-provoking dialogue, we aim to unpack dominant narratives that influence how we see ourselves and others, and to imagine new possibilities for resistance and transformation.
This event also marks our final session of Reading as Resistance, a book club that explores difficult themes and challenges power structures through the discussion of book content. In 2026, Reading as Resistance has been reading Catherine’s 2017 book, Scarborough.
About Catherine Hernandez
Catherine Hernandez (she/her) is an award-winning author and screenwriter. She is a proud queer woman who is part of the Filipinx diaspora and married into the Navajo Nation. Her first novel, Scarborough was a finalist for several awards including Canada Reads 2022. She wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Scarborough, which was nominated for 11 Canadian Screen Awards and won 8 including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Her other critically acclaimed novels include Crosshairs, The Story of Us, and Behind You, which was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award. Both Behind You and The Story of Us are being developed into feature films, with Catherine writing the screenplay. She is working on several TV projects, including showrunning CBC Gem/Apartment 11/Avenida Productions’ The Unstoppable Jenny Garcia.
Accessibility Information
It is our goal to make this event accessible to everyone interested in attending. If you have any questions, recommendations, or requests to best accommodate your participation, please contact the SVPS Centre: svps.programs@utoronto.ca