Payton Todd

May 23, 2026

Brought to us by the one and only Pete’s Press is a new and exciting spot; Pete’s Bookshop. The ribbon was cut and a “Dragon’s Den style” pitch battle launched the shop for good. Writers presented their short stories or short story concepts to a panel of judges in hopes of coming away with a coveted publication in a new fiction anthology. I entered in a story myself, and I was initially nervous to how it would be perceived, as many authors are when they are putting their work out into the world. A few sentences into my pitch and I realized how great of a community this publisher and the Regina literary scene has built. The pitch battle took place at the shop, 2926 13th Ave in Regina right across from the Safeway (Excellent parking) at 7 in the evening on May 21st during the Cathedral Village Arts Festival. The themes were vast, and the company was good. Watch for the announcement of the anthology from Pete’s Press, and watch my socials to see if I got the job done or not!

We finished the night off right at Leopold’s Tavern and although I wasn’t able to personally attend any more events connected to the Cathedral Village Arts Festival this weekend, I was impressed with the amount of people partaking in them. I’ll be adding it to my calendar for next spring.