Marco Melfi’s debut book of poetry, Routine Maintenance, is a marvelous must-read! Melfi has had work published in several magazines, is a graduate of Simon Fraser University’s Writer’s Studio, winner of Fiddlehead's 2021 Ralph Gustafson Prize, and an Edmonton Poetry Festival Board member. Take a break from your backyard garden preparations to sit down with Melfi’s poems and a fresh espresso.
The Queer Italian-Canadian Artists Project is seeking to give visibility to the lived experiences and creative production of Italian-Canadian artists who belong to the LGBTQ+ community. The project brings together writers, performers and visual artists who are exploring what it means to be both queer and Italian-Canadian.
On June 4, 2025, the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa officially unveiled a display that commemorates the internment of Italian-Canadians during the Second World War. The display is part of the “Canadian Experience Gallery 3: The Second World War” exhibit, one of the most visited galleries at the museum.
Domenica Martinello’s new collection of poetry, Good Want, was recently long-listed for the League of Canadian Poets Pat Lowther Award. It is a spectacular exploration of family, love, language, and understanding what’s behind what we really want.
The Italian-Canadian Collective is a new non-profit organization founded by Agata De Santis. Based in Montreal, the Collective’s mission is to create and promote cultural projects for and about the Italian diaspora of Canada. Our first initiative is a year-long Canada-wide survey to better understand today’s Italian-Canadian community.
What happens when you discover that you are the direct descendant of La Brigantessa, a southern Italian leader who opposed Giuseppe Garibaldi’s mission to unite Italy back in 1860? And… that you happen to have the same name as her? If you are Montreal playwright Michaela Di Cesare you write a play about it! Mickey & Joe (Good. Bad. Ugly. Dirty) is a modern-day spaghetti-western-style play that showcases a standoff between resistance fighter Dirty Mickey and her sworn enemy, Joe.
From May 9 until June 9, 2025, the Federazione delle associazioni molisane del Quebec, in collaboration with the Istituto italiano di cultura, Librissimi Toronto and Associazione Casacalendese di Montreal, presents Primavera Molisana, a series of events designed to celebrate the cultural, natural, and artistic richness of the Molise region of Italy.
“I’m unmistakably Italian, but not embarrassing. I’m truthful without being hurtful. It has to be funny first. Comedy is about punching up, not punching down,” Franco Taddeo explains. “There is a universality to ethnic comedy. We are a country of immigrants. We navigate the two cultures. We try to find the middle ground. It’s why ethnic shows do so well in Canada.”
After Italy declared war against Canada in 1940, the Canadian government interned hundreds of people of Italian heritage. Tens of thousands of Italian-Canadians were declared “enemy aliens.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will deliver a formal apology in the House of Commons for the internment of Italian-Canadians during the Second World War.
Yesterday (May 17, 2017), the Canadian Parliament passed a motion to officially recognize June as Italian Heritage Month.
In the north-east end of Montreal, you will find a small gym, DiBella Karate Kickboxing, founded by Canadian-born Angelo DiBella. He’s an unassuming man. At first glance you might not guess that he stood at the pinnacle of the International Sport Kickboxing Association (ISKA) with an impressive 26-1 record, effectively retiring as World Champion. Today, DiBella dedicates his full attention to teaching both children and adults.
Nino Ricci is a superstar of Canadian fiction. He has written some of the most powerful and award-winning novels of the last decade. His first novel, Lives of The Saints, won the Governor General’s Award and its trilogy was adapted into a television series starring Sophia Loren. Ricci also appointed a member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian literature. In his new novel, Sleep, Nino tells the story of David Pace’s struggle with sleep issues.