Four bestselling Canadian writers discuss the hidden wartime stories that shaped this country — and why they must not be forgotten.

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‍An evening of powerful storytelling in defence of historical truth

At a moment when misinformation distorts the past and public memory is under pressure, Remembrance as Resistance brings Canada’s Second World War stories vividly to life through powerful writers who transform archival fact into unforgettable narrative.

Anchored by the Toronto launch of The Resistance Daughter, Joanne Kormylo’s fact-based historical fiction debut, the novel follows a young Polish resistance fighter who rescues Jewish children, aids a downed Canadian airman, and survives imprisonment in Ravensbrück—a narrative inspired by the experiences of Kormylo’s father, a Canadian bomber pilot shot down over the North Sea and held as a prisoner of war for nearly three years.

Joining Kormylo are bestselling novelist Robert Rotenberg, Murdoch Mysteries creator Maureen Jennings, and journalist-historian Ellin Bessner, whose work recovers the overlooked stories of Jewish Canadians who fought Nazism abroad while facing discrimination at home.

Together, they make a compelling case: when facts are flattened and history is simplified, evidence-based storytelling becomes a form of civic protection.

Panelists:

Joanne Kormylo

‍Calgary based lawyer and Canadian debut novelist whose historical fiction book, The Resistance Daughter, was acquired by the UK’s legendary Hodder and Stoughton.

Robert Rotenberg

‍A Criminal Lawyer and bestselling Toronto based novelist best known for his internationally acclaimed Ari Greene detective series.

Maureen Jennings, O.C.‍

Beloved creator of the Murdoch Mysteries, and Bomb Girls, whose work has shown generations of Canadians that serious history can be explored with wit, warmth, and narrative drive.

‍Ellin Bessner‍

Journalist and historian, whose book Double Threat: Canadian Jews, the Military and World War II, uncovers the stories of Jewish Canadians who fought Nazism overseas while facing discrimination at home.