Nova Swoons 2026 is part of the Writers’ Federation (WFNS) Micro-anthology series that “provides publication opportunities and encourages Nova Scotia readers to discover local authors.” The 2026 edition was published in partnership with Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada (RWAC) with the support of Dartmouth Book Exchange.
On February 7th, 2024, Dartmouth Book Exchange had the honour of being the booksellers at the first Nova Swoons event, celebrating eight authors of romance fiction, held at the Carlton. The evening was filled with fun, flirty, and sexy readings, and hosted by local drag artist Anna Mona Pia. The event, which had more than 70 people in attendance, featured 8 Nova Scotian authors of romance fiction, from historical romance and rom-coms to the supernatural. “Halifamous” readers included NDP MLA Lisa Lachance, meteorologist Cindy Day, CBC’s Portia Clark, and the fabulous Anna Mona Pia, who did several readings. This ticketed event raised funds for WFNS programming.
Featured authors included Donna Alward (The House on Blackberry Hill), Katerina Bakolias (Luscious Love), Renee Field (The Heart of the Family), Deanna Foster (Post Mortem Management), Cathryn Fox (Kilt Trip), Deborah Hale (The Bonny Bride), Michelle Helliwell (A Captivating Caper), and Nicole Northwood (The Devil You Know).
The Nova Swoons 2026 micro- anthology expands on this successful WFNS event.
For this inaugural Nova Swoons micro-anthology, WFNS accepted submissions of up to 750 words of micro-fiction and excerpts from longer published works or works in progress. Entrants needed to be current residents of Nova Scotia, and their writing background did not matter, nor did their experience in being published.
Between December 16th and January 22nd, more than 30 romance fiction works were submitted. Personal identifiable information was removed before being judged by a selection committee. The following thirteen contributors were selected: V.J. Allison, Tina Capalbo, Grace Costa, Margaret Hastings-James, Deanna Foster, Cathryn Fox, Sophia Lindfield, Lex Lynn, Erin MacKinnon, Kaarina Mikalson, Heidi Tattrie, Christina Isabel Tellez, and Chris Turner.
The contributors to Nova Swoons 2026 showcase the talent and skill of Nova Scotian authors in writing romance fiction and creating a complete narrative in under 750 words. Developing characters and plots with such a short word count is difficult. Still, these 13 authors have achieved it successfully with stories set at the pharmacy, in an elevator, and even at a Meet Your Match event on Valentine’s. Hooking readers right away is hard, especially when you have to keep your words tight and economical, yet these authors did it with Tarot cards, misunderstood texts, and fake engagements.
The short stories contributed to Nova Swoons 2026 were all well-rounded and authentic, with meet-cutes happening at a pottery class, late at night in a radio station, on a tour bus with a timely pothole, in a cabin that was thought to be vacant, and a bar, with the words “Let’s Dance” mouthed against their ear. Many common romance tropes were represented throughout this micro-anthology, such as second-chance romance, with a protagonist who has improved with age, and a celebrity romance, with the protagonist’s mind in the darkroom.
When read, these 32 pages of romance fiction will likely encourage Nova Scotia readers to discover local authors, successfully fulfilling the overall goal of the WFNS micro-anthology series. I am looking forward to what Nova Swoons 2027 will bring.
Starting February 12th, Nova Swoons 2026 will be available for a free digital download, and a limited number of print copies will be available at Dartmouth Book Exchange or available to order from WFNS at the cost of shipping. Here is the link: ://writers.ns.ca/product/nova-swoons-2026/
For questions about The Micro-Anthology Series, contact program lead Andy Verboom at communications@writers.ns.ca or visit writers.ns.ca to learn more about the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia.