6-Minute Memoir: “Women Talking”
Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7 & 9 p.m.
(Live & Online)
The Staircase Theatre, 27 Dundurn St. N., Hamilton

The 6-Minute Memoir is back for another night of true stories, well told—in six minutes or less!

Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite:

$20 for live event (tickets are limited)
1st showing: 7-8:30 p.m.
2nd showing: 9-10:30 p.m.

$10 for livestreamed ticket (unlimited tickets available)

Featured storytellers:

Kristi Boulton is a Hamilton and Toronto-based writer, comedian, and storyteller whose solo shows have earned critical praise, including two Critic’s Choice Awards at Hamilton Fringe in 2024 and 2025. She’s performed across Canada, including at the Edmonton Fringe, where her first one-woman show, The Underwear Fairy (And Other Love Stories), gained a coveted 5-star review. She is always on the hunt for stories that connect audiences through laughter, love, and a little mystery.

Vivian Chong is a visual artist, dancer, singer-songwriter, graphic novelist, drummer, ukulele player, motivational speaker and the creator of the recent one-woman show “Blind Date.”

Pat Dickinson is a retired educator and author of the self-published memoir, “I Think I Can: An 85-year-old looks back on Life.”

Sonia Kumar is the CEO of Body Brave, a national charity supporting people with eating disorders. She lives in Hamilton with her husband, two young children, and rescue dogs.

Laura MacGregor is a writer, lapsed academic, and the mother of three sons, one of whom lived with profound disabilities and complex medical needs for two decades. Laura completed a PhD exploring the lives of mothers of disabled children in her early fifties, and after her son’s death enrolled in The Writer’s Studio (SFU), hoping that writing might help her navigate her grief. She is the author of several academic articles about mothering a disabled child and is a co-editor of Disrupting Stories and Images of Church to be published by Bloomsbury in 2026.

Ellen Malcolmson is a leadership coach who draws on 30 years of senior executive experience to support and challenge her clients. In both her coaching practice and her writing, she focuses on values-based leadership and authenticity, sharing her successes, failures, and hard-won lessons with wisdom and a healthy dose of humour. She is currently working on a memoir that explores what it feels like to go from being a rising star to a corporate pariah—and the profound lessons she learned along the way. Raised in Hamilton and a proud McMaster graduate, Ellen lives in Toronto with her husband and their dog, Paddy.

Lorie Rotenberg is a 76-year-old lesbian feminist who lives in Toronto. A social justice activist, she recently retired after 32 years in private practice as a psychotherapist. Nearing completion of her memoir with a working title “Piecing Myself Together,” she is embracing her role as an elder and delighting in her new love relationship.

Richelle Tavernier has more than 30 years of experience as a musical theatre performer bringing stories to life on stages across Hamilton, Toronto and New York.

Your host: Anne Bokma, a Hamilton-based journalist, author and memoir coach.

THE HISTORY OF THE 6-MINUTE MEMOIR

Anne founded the 6-Minute Memoir in 2013.

These storytelling evenings feature a dozen or so local storytellers who spin their tales on a common theme within the strict time limit of six minutes or less.

Live events are free with a voluntary donation. (Since transferring to Zoom during COVID-19, tickets are $10 each with all proceeds going to the selected charities.) Over the years more than 300 storytellers have taken to the stage and more than $70,000 has been raised for local organizations such as First Unitarian Church, The Eva Rothwell Centre, The Welcome Inn Community Centre, the Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton, Sacajawea Non-Profit Housing, the Refugee Sponsorship Committee of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara, Empowerment Squared, Wellwood Cancer Support and Body Brave.

Have an idea for a 6-Minute Memoir theme or a story you'd like to tell? Email Anne at annebokmawriter@gmail.com. We're always looking for new storytellers!

PAST EVENTS

6-Minute Memoir
”Trials and Tribulations”

Held on Saturday, October 21, 2023 from 7:30 -9:30 p.m. EST on Zoom.

The storytellers were: Karen Agro, Rev. Jamie Boyce, Vivian Chong, Pat Dickinson, Chris Farias, Tamara Kammermans, Sonia Kumar, Jeffrey Ng, David Renzetti, Lorie Rotenberg, and Katharine Viscardis.

The event also included musical performances by Lyla Miklos, J. P. Morrison, and Darcy Mitchison.

Proceeds from this event were shared between Body Brave, a Hamilton-based nonprofit offering online eating disorder treatment and support services, and The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton

6-Minute Memoir
"Missing"

Held on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. EST
12 storytellers on the theme of “Missing”

You can miss someone. You can go missing. Things go missing. You can miss the opportunity of a lifetime.

“Missing” will be the theme explored by a dozen storytellers who will share their personal true-life tales at the next 6-Minute Memoir event held on Zoom on Saturday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets to the event are $15 per household and proceeds will be split equally between the Eva Rothwell Centre, which provides programs and resources in the Keith neighbourhood, one of Hamilton’s most economically disadvantaged communities, and The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, a liberal spiritual community in the city.

Tickets can be purchased here:

https://uuhamilton.ca/6-minute-memoir-november-12-2022/

Storytellers include: Jeff Mahoney, Melanie Cummings, Gavin Stephens, Raza Ali, Aukje Byker, Brenda Poole, Catherine Schuler, Tamara Kamermans, Muthoni Kariuki, Patricia Trudeau, Elizabeth Gray and Paul Mitchison.

6-Minute Memoir
"Broken Hearts"

Held on February 11, 2022, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. EST
12 storytellers on the theme of “Broken Hearts”

Thanks to the more than 300 households who attended this event and raised $6,935.00 for our two designated charities!

Everyone has a broken heart story. Only a few people are brave enough to share theirs.

Celebrated Hamilton author Lawrence Hill (“Book of Negroes”), two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, Terry Fallis, queer, disabled, Cree non-fiction writer, Christa Couture (“How to Lose Everything”) and disability rights activist and Order of Canada member David Roche were among the 12 storytellers presenting their short true tales on the theme of “Broken Hearts” at the last 6-Minute Memoir “speed storytelling for a cause” live Zoom event on Friday, February 11 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. EST.

Other presenters include Theatre Aquarius artistic director Mary Francis Moore, Rev. Jamie Boyce of the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, academic Kieran Williams, teachers Jennifer Reid and Sandy Lubert, podcaster Linda McLachlan, lawyer Celia Chandler, and midwife Emme Corbeil.

All proceeds from ticket sales and optional donations will go to charity and will be shared between Mission Services, a Hamilton non-profit, multi-social service agency providing access to food and safe housing, and the work of the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton.

6-Minute Memoir
"COVID Confessions"

Held on September 24, 2021, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. EST
12 storytellers on the theme of “COVID Confessions”

Thanks to the more than 200 households who purchased a ticket/made a donation - we raised almost $5,500 for our two designated charities!

The last 6-Minute Memoir “speed storytelling for a cause” event was held live via Zoom on Friday, September 24, 2021, and all proceeds from ticket sales and optional donations were split between The Woodland Cultural Centre for their Save the Evidence Campaign and The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton.

The event featured 12 storytellers sharing their personal true-life tales on the theme of “COVID Confessions” in 6 minutes or less.

Featuring:

NDP MP Matthew Green
Unitarian minister Jamie Boyce
Death doula Sue Phillips
CHCH Morning Show host Annette Hamm
Medical ethicist Andrea Frolic
Woodland Cultural Centre executive director Janis Monture
Author Kathrin Bradbury, (The Bright Side)
ESL teacher Jenny Dunlop
LGBTQ journalist Jumol Royes
Lawyer Celia Chandler
Writer & gardener James McConnell
Former Chatelaine editor and author Rona Maynard, &
Yours truly as host.

6-Minute Memoir
"Turning Point"

Held on February 12, 2021, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. EST
12 storytellers on the theme of “Turning Point”

Thanks to the 400+ folks who purchased tickets to the
February 12, 2021 event and helped raise $7,600 for our two designated charities: Wellwood cancer support services and the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton.

Jesse Thistle, author of the number one Canadian bestselling memoir, From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless and Finding My Way, was one one of the 12 storytellers sharing personal true-life tales on the theme of “Turning Point” at the 6-Minute Memoir event held on Zoom on Friday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Other featured storytellers included:
Bill Russell, the 90-year-old father of animal rights activist Regan Russell who was killed by a truck driver during a protest this past year, filmmaker Cher Obediah, former Chatelaine editor Rona Maynard, performer Tracey Erin Smith, McMaster University student Palaash Pavdighada, anthropologist Treena Orchard, retired teacher and yoga instructor Bob Ryan, and writers Allyson McOuat, Virginia Ashberry, Michael Williams and Marg Heidebrecht.

All proceeds will be split equally between Wellwood, which provides cancer support services, and the First Unitarian Church, a liberal spiritual community in the city.