Torrey Peters’ 2021 novel, Detransition, Baby was one of the most exhilarating literary debuts in recent memory, a witty, moving, and irresistible account of three women, trans and cis, whose lives are upended by an unwanted pregnancy. It won the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and was named one of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times. It was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize, a finalist for the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize, and longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Peters’ long-awaited follow-up, Stag Dance, is even more adventurous and surprising. In this collection of one novel and three stories, Peters’ keen eye for the rough edges of community and desire push the limits of trans writing. In the titular novel, a group of restless lumberjacks working in an illegal winter logging outfit plan a dance that some of them will volunteer to attend as women. When the broadest, strongest, plainest of the axmen announces his intention to dance as a woman, he finds himself caught in a strange rivalry with a pretty young jack, provoking a cascade of obsession, jealousy, and betrayal that will culminate on the big night in an astonishing vision of gender and transition.

Three startling stories surround Stag Dance: “Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones” imagines a gender apocalypse brought about by an unstable ex-girlfriend. In “The Chaser,” a secret romance between roommates at a Quaker boarding school brings out intrigue and cruelty. In the last story, “The Masker,” a party weekend on the Las Vegas strip turns dark when a young crossdresser must choose between two guides: a handsome mystery man who objectifies her in thrilling ways, or a cynical veteran trans woman offering unglamorous sisterhood.

In this exclusive Canadian premiere, Peters joins artist, writer, and musician Vivek Shraya to discuss the writing of Stag Dance. Be the first to experience one of the most provocative and audacious books of the year, a collection that writer and filmmaker Miranda July describes as “hot, heartbreaking, and thrillingly victorious.”

Stag Dance will be available for purchase at the event from our friends at TYPE Books.

Thank you to our partners at Penguin Random House Canada.

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