No one would have believed that it was possible. Back then, nobody believed in magic. So it came as a complete surprise to all of us when, one rainy night in June, an outbreak of magic spread across our city.

Read ten tales of magic and mystery, created by young local writers between the ages of 12 to 16. This amazing collection of short stories is the result of an innovative summer writing program in 2021. Participants worked virtually over the course of a summer to collaboratively design a world for their stories to inhabit, with award-winning illustrator Gareth Gaudin bringing their words to life.

Pockets of magic now lay hidden around our city, little reservoirs of wonder now merged with our own. We believed in magic again. We had no choice.

Now, it was our job to write the stories of these new places, and tell the tales of Imaginary Victoria.

(This program was made possible by a grant from the City of Victoria.)