VANCOUVER BOOK LAUNCH: We Are Busy Being Alive by Rishi Midha
Come celebrate the launch of my debut story collection! All are welcome.
I'll be reading some work from the book and having a conversation with a fellow author, details TBA.
Drinks, snacks, and copies of the book will be available on-site.
About the Book
Set in a North American milieu of detachment and alienation, the stories in We Are Busy Being Alive document the attempts of disillusioned characters to re-enchant themselves with a seemingly indifferent world. Their flailing quests after a sense of purpose are equal parts tragic, absurd, frivolous, and touchingly human.
A drug-fuelled romance with a stolen painting; a sexual awakening at the dentist’s; a crisis of personality from the months-long haze of a forest fire. Small spectacles dangle outside the confines of the everyday, keeping the restless characters reaching.
The stories are a nudge out the door and into the lonesome night, with a wink and a shrug as if to say—what else to do? Through each quiet inflection of hope, mischief, and despair, We Are Busy Being Alive reacquaints readers with the magical qualities of their miserable, monumental lives.
Where Can I Buy the Book?
Thanks for asking! The book will be on sale at the event, but can also be purchase and read today your favourite local bookstore via the link here.
About the Author
Rishi Midha’s short fiction has appeared in Biblioasis’ Best Canadian Stories 2026, subTerrain, and The New Quarterly. We Are Busy Being Alive is his debut story collection.
More details: https://www.rishimidha.com/
Poster artwork credit: Adele Aproh. Rush Hour, 2025. Coloured pencil and pastel on paper.