Farah Heron on romance and representation ahead of Burlington library talk

Author Farah Heron will speak at the Burlington Public Library on Feb. 10 about the romance genre and her novel Just Playing House; she discussed balancing humour and emotional depth and centring South Asian characters.

Farah Heron will appear at the Burlington Public Library on February 10 to discuss the romance genre and her new novel, Just Playing House. Heron writes both young adult and adult romance and has been noted by outlets including CBC, Teen Vogue, USA Today and NPR. She blends humour, emotional depth and culturally nuanced storytelling. In a recent interview ahead of the event, she spoke about balancing light and heavy themes, writing for different age groups, and centring South Asian characters. Key points from Heron: - She began writing fiction in her late 30s after a career writing non-fiction and running a blog, and she turned to romance while recovering from medical issues. - Heron seeks a balance between humour and serious themes, and she rejects the idea that rom-coms are merely "fluff." - When writing for teenagers she shifts voice and style, avoiding adult self-deprecating humour and drawing on past work with troubled teens. - She chooses to centre South Asian characters and to tell stories beyond common immigrant-child narratives, including portrayals of grandchildren of immigrants. - Heron said that writing joyful stories about marginalized people can be political because it challenges perceptions of what it means to be a woman of colour in Canada. Summary: Heron's work brings representation and everyday nuance to contemporary romance while keeping humour and readability central. The Burlington Public Library event on February 10 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. will focus on these themes and her book Just Playing House. Further developments beyond the scheduled talk were not detailed in the interview.