Campfire Kinship

Campfire Kinship Story-based advisory, training and creative media to celebrate diversity and build inclusive cultures

09/09/2026

Apparently, books don’t launch themselves. You also have….

Decor, centrepieces, tables and chairs, tablecloths, flower arrangements, agenda, music, presentation, AV, speakers, posters, banners, bookmarks, BOOKS and more BOOKS because tickets are selling out and you didn’t order enough the first time (but successfully negotiated with customer service to expedite delivery…whew), invites, responding to invites, sponsors, event management system, registration, nametags, volunteer coordination, catering, gift bags, red carpet, door prizes, games, drinks, artist’s exhibit planning, deposits, vendor payments, Costco run, media interviews… and insert more hoops to jump through.

But you also have the most AMAZING team of volunteers and fabulous emcees Elena Esina and Kelly Kaur and all the authors, stories and artwork in the same room for the first time with 150+ guests to witness it.

So yeah, can’t wait to celebrate❤️❤️❤️

09/08/2026

It’s not often I get asked for an interview in my mothertongue, Tamil. Thank you RED FM Calgary for inviting me to share the story behind The Fires We Lit.

Host Vaishnavi Sadagopan asked such thoughtful questions, including how we selected the authors for this new anthology.:)

Besides helping me brush up on my Tamil, it made me reflect. When we opened the application process, we received far more interest than anticipated, expanding capacity by 20% and still having a waiting list. What has made the project special is that the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts.

The launch is about celebrating all 25 authors and artist, and I can’t wait to experience this moment alongside all our guests!

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/campfire-kinship-book-launch-celebration-tickets-1984385011989?

Ps. It was a blast joking around during songs, so this particular snippet which ends with a peptalk from DH didn’t make it live.😂

The beauty is always in the process…The Fires We Lit is that place where lived experiences get imagined into speculative...
09/06/2026

The beauty is always in the process…

The Fires We Lit is that place where lived experiences get imagined into speculative stories, and stories get reimagined into 26 custom illustrations.

Edited by Gayathri Shukla. Illustrated by Cynthia Cabrera. Stories by 25 contributors, many of whom from the University of Calgary community.

🔥Meet us at that place. On Sep 12 from 12–3 p.m. at Strathcona Community Association, see the original artwork, hear the authors’ stories, and get your book signed:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/campfire-kinship-book-launch-celebration-tickets-1984385011989?

doesn’t just choose between a book launch and an art exhibition. It’s an experience with food, games and door prizes to be won.

09/02/2026

It is hard to fit 5 years into a single episode, but the season finale of Hearth 2 Heart is now live!

Storytelling has never been simply about asking someone to share. A great deal of care goes into creating a space where another person feels truly witnessed...not interpreted or hurried toward a lesson.

And it takes courage to be the person on the other side too. To let parts of yourself be seen and trust that your story will be held with care.

Over 5 years, more than 55 guests came to the show and offered that trust. Their stories changed how I understand belonging - and I have gathered some those learnings in this episode - as well as how they led into The Fires We Lit.

While I am stepping away from monthly production, I am leaving the next chapter open. I would love to hear from you: What do you think the next season of Hearth 2 Heart should tackle?

Listen to the season 2 finale here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/hearth-2-heart-with-gayathri-shukla/id1579260488?i=1000787451527

Thank you to every guest, every listener who joined us around the hearth, and Kaamil Kareemi and his team at CJSW 90.9 FM team for giving this work a home and supporting the show over these 5 years.

Roselle M. Gonsalves, PhD, Adetola Adedipe aloT of poetry, Meghna Bhat, PhD, Monica Hernandez, Erin Thorp, Dr. Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley, P. Eng., Kathy Nelson, Stephania Romaniuk, Tarah Lynch, PhD, Roopali Chaudhary, PhD, Kinia Romanowska, Kalyani Pardeshi, Erin Davis, Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi, AccBD, Vidya Narasimhan , Ph.D, PMP®, Stanley Opara, MBA, PMP, Lina Bahlawan, Yemi Adefulu, Najah Al-Atassi, Amy Abe, Serena Arora, Claudia Gomez-Villeneuve, FEC FGC (Hon.), Sara Mighan, P.ENG., Carrie McManus, Andrea Silverstone, Elaine Alec Izzeddin Hawamda, PhD, Shivika Sharma, QAFP

08/08/2026

My first shipment of books is here… and these ones are gifts for my coauthors of The Fires We Lit. 🔥

What I’m most proud of is not just that 25 of us wrote stories. It’s how we got here.

This was not a typical anthology where people submitted finished pieces and waited to see if they were accepted. Many of us did not even come from literary backgrounds.

Instead, we did it as a community - being together in story, connecting through story, and using story not only to name the realities around us, but to reimagine them.

I am grateful for receiving a Calgary Arts Development artist grant that allowed me to host a series of workshops completely free of cost for writers. Thank you as well to my guest cofacilitators, Amy Abe, Lina Bahlawan, and Kelly Kaur (Bedi) who helped us think deeply about the craft of writing…everything from finding the emotional truth of your lived experience, building a character someone can care about, making their world relatable, and deciding what you want that world to reveal.

And wow, is that learning curve real!

Especially because we intentionally chose not to use AI generated text, as part of our artistic commitment.

Congratulations again to every one of my coauthors. It was a wild ride but we did it!

Amy Abe , Anshu Stephen , Charlotte Anyango Ong’ang’a, Ph.D.., Dania El Chaar, Ph.D., CCIP, Elena Esina, Bukola Ojemakinde, Géraldine Lo Siou, Carrie McManus, Humaira Waqar, Jane Desrochers, Jasmine Kang , Kelly Kaur (Bedi), Laleh Behjat, Kinia Romanowska, Lina Bahlawan, Maryann Deutscher, CPHR, FCPHR , Monica H, Morgan Garnett, Najah Al-Atassi, Navshina Savory, Puja Suri, Zoong N., Stephanie vanVliet-Wells, Miriam Fabijan

And if you’re in Calgary Sep 12, come celebrate with us. We’ll also be exhibiting the original artwork that complements each story (link to book and registration in comments). 🔥

08/05/2026

How often do we feel pressured to perform certainty just to prove that we belong?

We hesitate to ask the question. We worry about being judged for what we don’t know. And sometimes, we become so focused on following the responsible path that we forget to ask what we genuinely want.

In the latest episode of , Gayathri Shukla sits down with Sharma, Investment Advisor at Sharma Wealth, , for a conversation that reaches far beyond financial planning.

Together, they explore the the inherited rules of success that shape our choices, and the dreams we quietly learn to dismiss.

The conversation also connects with the upcoming launch of The Fires We Lit: Illustrated Stories of Women Reimagining the Rules, where Sharma Wealth is a proud sponsor. Like the stories in the anthology, Shivika invites us to question prescribed paths, reclaim our ability to dream, and reimagine futures that feel like our own.

Perhaps belonging is not about arriving with all the answers. Perhaps it begins when we feel safe enough to ask, receive help without shame, and be known as a whole person.

🎧 Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reimagining-the-rules-of-money-and/id1579260488?i=1000780085142

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