Love transforms us — sometimes through myth, sometimes through intimacy, and sometimes through danger and desire. In this reading, Katrina Kwan and Bal Khabra explore romance, identity, and emotional awakening across worlds both fantastical and real. From the seductive power of folklore and supernatural legend in The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox and Love Among Thieves, to the tenderness and vulnerability of contemporary romance in Embrace, these stories trace what it means to be changed by connection and to risk yourself in the act of loving.

Location: Room 485, UBC Robson Square

Type: Reading

Moderator: Nicole Beach

Readers: Katrina Kwan, The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox (Simon and Schuster), Love Among Thieves (Penguin Random House) | Bal Khabra, Embrace (Penguin Random House)

About The Moderator

Nicole Beach

Nicole is a queer sex therapist, recovering bookseller, and professional enabler of feelings, both in therapy and through books. She devours audiobooks at 2x speed or faster, believes reading diversely saves lives, and is delighted to moderate this wonderfully loving conversation. You can find her at @herebebookdragon on instagram.

About The Readers

Katrina Kwan

Katrina Kwan is a Vancouver-based fantasy and contemporary romance author. After graduating from Acadia University in 2017 with a BA in political science with honors, Kwan spent the next six years honing her creative skills as a freelance ghostwriter. With several ghostwritten romance novels under her belt, she’s ecstatic to finally be writing books under her own name.

Bal Khabra

Bal is the international bestselling author of the Off the Ice series. When she’s not filling up her notes app with different book ideas, she can be found exploring the Great Canadian Outdoors.