My plunge into the dark world of true crime by Lorna Poplak – Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 7:00 pm (EDT)

In addition to discussing her circuitous journey as a writer and the importance of research in her work, Lorna will share stories and images of the Don Jail, and reveal how she copes when things get really dark.

Lorna Poplak is a Toronto-based writer, editor, and researcher drawn to the sombre side of history. With a background in law, literature, information technology, and technical communications, Lorna has written medical and historical articles, travel pieces, short fiction, and a radio play. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Mesdames of Mayhem.

Lorna’s two true crime books are Drop Dead: A Horrible History of Hanging in Canada (2017) and The Don: The Story of Toronto’s Infamous Jail (2021), which was nominated for the Ontario Speaker’s Book Award and shortlisted for both the Crime Writers of Canada Excellence Award and the Heritage Toronto Book Award. Her latest book, On the Lam: Great (and Not So Great) Escapes from Prison, will be published in Fall 2025.