Overview

In Penguins Fly, Teren Hazzard's sweet, witty, narrative poetry collection, we meet Canadian University student Bill as he fights against the ""cis-tem"" working against him. Bill never thought that being transgender would interfere with his plans to become a penguin-ologist (or is it flightless ornithologist?). He studies hard in school, is the perfect employee at the aquarium gift shop, and was even offered a reference letter for the aquarium's highly selective summer internship. Things were going great-especially when he started falling for the cute artist working at the local Timmies. But coming out to the world comes with unforeseen consequences. When his professor revokes his reference letter, Bill must decide if being authentic to himself is worth losing his internship. All Bill wants is to study penguins and be himself. Penguins Fly shares how he fights for both.

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9781997770114

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Reviews

""Penguins Fly manages to weave whimsy, heartbreak, humour and queer angst within a ornithological student's quasi confessional. An unapologetically fun romp, unafraid of being real that struck me as just the type of book we need right now."" - Arienette Zak, St. Albert's Fourth Poet Laureate ""Penguins Fly navigates a careful tightrope, finding the right amounts of humour, wit, sincerity, and loss. Scientific, extinct, and personal names weigh heavy on Bill, our favourite penguin-ologist, but this debut collection ensures there is always the counterbalance of chocolate, sunshine, and love, reminding readers that this penguin can fly."" - Skylar Kay, author of There's Magic Here Too: A Trans Woman's Guide to Being Monstrous ""Teren Hazzard's Penguins Fly is an earnest and evocative coming-of-age tale about a certain ""penguin-ologist"" who will swiftly win your affection. Inviting readers to experience alongside him the intimacy and complexity of queer relationships, the heterogeneity of experiences in academia, and the joy and vulnerability of transition."" - Joy Love, author of the poem ""The Garden"" ""Hazzard perfectly captures both the innocence and the complexities of navigating the world, new love, and self- and queer identity as a young adult. Penguins Fly is a pure joy to read."" -Meaghan Archer, writer and editor

Author Information

Continuing to grow and learn, Teren Hazzard writes about his observations from living in Sherwood Park and Edmonton, Alberta. His choice to write place-based poetry about his perspective as a queer Canadian is inspired by other writers who were brave enough to share their personal worlds in the books he reads.Teren is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Conservation Sciences at the University of Alberta. His love for sciences and nature is often woven into his work. His poetry is featured in the Queer Toronto Literary Magazine, Beyond Queer Words, and Transit in Motion bus art. His poem, Dance with Us, Girly Girl, is the 1st place winner of the 2025 Centre for Literature in Canada Poetry Contest. He frequents open mic nights in the Edmonton-area, and was the 2024 and 2025 Strathcona County Pride Flag Raising featured poet. Outside of poetry, he writes for the YouAlberta blog and The Gateway student newspaper.Almost always busy, with a packed calendar of classes, work, and volunteering, he always makes time for writing.

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