Kathleen Winter and Daryl Sneath Explore the Rich Hidden Life of Women in History Through Undersong (2021)

From Giller-shortlisted author Kathleen Winter (author of the bestseller Annabel) comes a stunning novel reimagining the lost years of misunderstood Romantic Era genius Dorothy Wordsworth.

Kathleen Winter is a novelist, short story writer and screenwriter. Her novel Annabel was a Finalist for The Scotiabank Giller Prize, A long-time resident of St. John’s, Winter now lives in Montréal.

Daryl Sneath is the author of As The Current Pulls the Fallen Under and All my Sins. He was raised in a small town near a lake. Currently he shares his days with his wife, Tara, and their three children in another small town near a river, that being Seagrave, Ontario.

Undersong is a fictional account of the very-real sister of William Wordsworth, told through the eyes of fictional James Dixon as he witnesses the dramatic emotional and artistic struggles of the Wordsworth family. At the same time, Winter slowly weaves a darker, complex “undersong” through the novel, gradually revealing the pattern of Dorothy’s rich, hidden life—that of a woman determined, against all odds, to exist on her own terms despite societal norms.

Attendees joined Kathleen Winter and Daryl Sneath on November 2 at 7pm for an evening filled with rich discussion.