Since 2007, brave adults across Canada have shared their own weird and wonderful childhood and teenage writing at Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids, a live, onstage storytelling event.
The show’s primary goal is to entertain. But beyond that, the aim is to invite everyone — readers, live audience members, and radio/podcast listeners — to reflect on their own lives, to connect with who they used to be, and to draw a line that connects the past and the present.
Embarrassing, moving, and hilarious, these readings are powerful reminders of who we used to be. They’re compelling stories, at once deeply personal, yet surprisingly universal.
Dan here. Let me tell you a story.
It was Christmas 2006, and my girlfriend Jenna (now my wife) and I were visiting her parents in Kingsville, Ontario. Jenna’s parents asked her to clear out some of the boxes she still had stored in the basement.
Going through those boxes, we discovered Jenna’s early teenage diary, written in those awkward years when she was just on the edge of puberty. With drinks in hand, we spent the better part of the afternoon reading diary entries out loud to one another. Some were funny. Some were bittersweet. But the thing that struck me most was how Jenna’s diary gave me a glimpse into a past I’d never seen before.
We figured that lots of other people probably had their childhood and teenage writing kicking around somewhere — in their parents’ basements, in boxes in the closet, in storage lockers…
So I asked my mom to send me some of my childhood schoolwork. Then we booked a night upstairs at the Victory Cafe in Toronto, invited some friends, and crossed our fingers. People showed up. We had some drinks. We laughed. And we’ve been doing live shows ever since.
Great question. If it isn’t listed on our Live Events page, we haven’t announced one yet. The first place we announce new live shows is our email newsletter, which you’re welcome to join.
From the very beginning, Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids has been a hobby. The live events are a side project, done after-hours, outside our day jobs.
In 2008, we started releasing individual stories as a podcast, which lasted for 18 episodes before running out of steam.
Then, in 2009, I pitched a 10-part summer radio series to CBC. I made a pilot that year, but the series never happened, and the idea was shelved.
Then in late 2013, I dusted off that pilot and re-pitched Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids to CBC. This time, they bit. During the summer of 2014, I travelled across the country, putting on live shows and turning them into radio with my CBC colleague Alison Broverman. We made 10 episodes for CBC. Then the summer ended.
We wanted to keep making episodes, so in December 2014, Jenna and I announced we were going to make the second season of the podcast independently.
Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids is a live open-mic event. Reader spots are first-come, first-served. We require all readers to sign up online, in advance. First, check the events page to see if there’s a live event coming soon to your area.
If there isn’t an upcoming live event listed in your area, sign up for the email newsletter. We always send signup and ticket information to the email list first. Then, watch your inbox closely for show announcements. While you’re waiting, you can check out some handy tips for readers, and get practicing!
Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids is all about original source material, read out loud by the person who originally wrote it. We don’t allow people to read others’ writing on stage. Even if it’s well-intentioned, reading other people’s material can come across as “laughing at someone who’s not in the room,” which a tone we’re keen to avoid.
Some GRTTWaK events are all-ages. Some aren’t (usually because of liqour licenses). If a specific event isn’t listed as all-ages or 19+, you can always check with Dan.
Content-wise, Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kid is intended for an adult audience. The show is an open-mic, and at past events, we’ve had readers share material that includes cuss words, sexuality, and some difficult subject matter (including racism, self-harm, eating disorders, suicide). If you’re familiar with the podcast, you probably already have a good sense of the range of material that’s presented on stage.
Due to the subject matter, we tend not to get a lot of kids. But, when the venue is licensed for all-ages shows, kids are most certainly welcome, at the discretion of their parents or guardians.
Advanced tickets for GRTTWaK go on sale exclusively through Tito. The first place we announce live event is through our email newsletter.
Warning: Advance tickets sell out quickly. Often within hours of going on sale. Act quickly.
A link to buy tickets is always sent ahead of time to members of the mailing list.
Yes, please. GRTTWaK is an open-mic event, and it only works when people actually bring things to read. Too many spectators makes for a short and boring night. If you read at GRTTWaK, your admission is free.
Spots are on a first-come, first-served basis, and if you want to read, you should sign up in advance online. A link to the sign-up sheet will be sent ahead of time to members of the mailing list, and you can find signup links at the event listing.
Please note that only those who sign up in advance will get free admission, and we can’t guarantee a reading spot unless you sign up. That said, it never hurts to bring some childhood writing along, just in case.
Basically whatever you want, so long as it’s yours and it’s short. Your reading needn’t be funny. It could be bittersweet, or sad, or touching. Here are the three rules that govern what you can read at a GRTTWaK event:
Time yourself. If you have more than 5 minutes worth of material, pick your favourite piece or two, and read that.
Kid = whatever you consider kid to mean. One of the best things about GRTTWaK is the wide variety of things people bring to read. We’ve had stuff from early elementary school all the way up to college age writing. Bring whatever you want.
Good question. Dan wrote a whole thing about that.
Short answer: we usually don’t know.
Depending on the schedule and season, can take several weeks (or months) between recording a live event, and releasing a podcast episode. We usually don’t have a firm podcast release date until very shortly before the episode is released. If we feature your reading in the podcast, we will give you a heads-up before the episode drops.
There are lots of juvenilia-based events out there, each with their own particular format and execution.
Chronologically, Sarah Bynoe’s Teen Angst Night (Calgary, then Vancouver) was the first event like this we’ve heard of. Mortified is another. Cringe (NYC and London) and Salon of Shame (Seattle) and Dear Diary (Toronto) are others. Obviously, there are similarities between these events, but each is unique in its format and execution.
Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids has been around as a live event since 2007, and as a podcast since 2008. There are older shows, and newer shows, and if you ask me, there’s room for more.
Of course, so long as you call it something other than Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids, to avoid confusion. It’s important to choose a meaningfully different name (e.g. “Adults Read Stuff They Wrote When They Were Young” isn’t meangfully different).
GRTTWaK isn’t a franchise. It’s a tiny passion project run by a married couple, part-time, evenings and weekends. We’ve been organizing GRTTWaK shows for almost a decade and in that time, we’ve developed enough esoteric ways of doing things that franchising just isn’t feasible right now.
Of course, that shouldn’t stop you from putting your own unique spin on a juvenilia-reading event. Nobody owns the idea of sharing cute/funny/embarassing juvenilia on stage, and there are lots of other events where people read childhood/teenage diaries, poetry, short stories, etc.
Chronologically, Sarah Bynoe’s Teen Angst Night (Calgary, then Vancouver) was the first event like this we’ve heard of. Mortified is another. Cringe (NYC and London) and Salon of Shame (Seattle) and Dear Diary (Toronto) are others. Obviously, there are similarities between these events, but each is unique in its format and execution.
Ariel from Salon of Shame wrote a great how-to guide called Start a diary reading event in your town! Also, Mortified’s FAQ has some good advice about making your event unique (scroll down to “Can I do a Mortified-inspired show in my city if I call it something else?”).
Finally, if you start your own GRTTWaK-inspired reading event, let us know. We’re always keen to hear from kindred spirits, and we’re happy to help wherever we can.
Often, our shows sell out quickly. We know this can be frustrating.
The first place we announce live shows is through our email newsletter. Often, live events fill up hours (or minutes) after they’re announced.
Our ticketing company, Tito, has a “waitlist” feature. If a show is sold out or the reader list is full, you can join the wait list. If a registered reader cancels, or more general admission tickets become available, we make them available to members of the wait list. Joining the wait list does not guarantee you a ticket, not does it give you any special privledges for the next available show.
Reader signup and general admission tickets are first-come, first-served. It’s not ideal for everyone, but it’s the fairest way we know how to do it. We appreciate your patience. And remember — kid writing doesn’t expire, and we’re planning to keep doing shows well into the future.
Yes, we have. Our goal is to book venues that can seat as many people as possible, without compromising the intimacy required to put on a good show. That’s the tradeoff: capacity vs. intimacy.
Many of our readers are not performers, and they’re not used to being on stage. Reading at Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids takes a lot of courage. We’re trying to create the conditions for people to be open, honest, and authentic on stage, and the intimacy of the environment is key.
That said, if you have a great venue recommendation, we’re all ears. Typically, we book spots that have:
Venue suggestions always welcome: [email protected]
If you can’t buy a ticket, we’re probably sold out. We know this can be frustrating.
The first place we announce live shows is through our email newsletter. Often, live events fill up hours (or minutes) after they’re announced.
Our ticketing company, Tito, has a “waiting list” feature. If a show is sold out, you can join the waiting list. If more general admission tickets become available, we make them available to members of the waiting list. Joining the waiting list does not guarantee you a ticket, nor does it give you any special privileges for the next available show.
Reader signup and general admission tickets are first-come, first-served. It’s not ideal for everyone, but it’s the fairest way we know how to do it. We appreciate your patience.
If you want to read at Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids, you must sign up in advance.
For each live event, there are a limited number of reader spots, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
If all the reader spots are taken, our website will show you a button that says “Join the Waiting List.”
If you add your name and email address to the waiting list, and a reader spot opens up in the days or weeks leading up to an event, we’ll be in touch by email. It might be very short notice. A spot on the waiting list does not guarantee you a reading spot.
If you don’t get a reader spot, there will probably be another event in the future you can read at. Remember — kid writing doesn’t expire.
For most GRTTWaK events, General Admission tickets are fully transferrable to another person. Simply follow the links in the email confirmation from Tito. As a general rule, we can process refunds but only up until one week before a live event. We cannot accommodate last-minute refunds.
A small handful of GRTTWaK events are part of festivals. In cases like these where we don’t directly control ticketing, refund and exchangepolicies may vary.
Yes.