| By the time of writing, WordFest’s Ian Rankin event was already sold out. By the time you read this, WordFest itself will be well underway. If you haven’t already made your plans, consider the following additions to last week’s suggestions. The mid-day sessions on Saturday, October 16 include a rare opportunity to hear renowned editors Patrick Crean, John Kinsella and Marcelo Uribe speak about what they look for in good books. (Lost in a Good Book at 1 p.m. at the Art Gallery of Calgary). At the same time, authors Robert Dessaix, Hiromi Goto and Johanna Sinisalo explore the sometimes delicate, sometimes shocking transformations of love (Love is a Verb in the Vertigo Theatre Studio). Later in the afternoon, three "crime writers" who are also more than that (Natalee Caple, William Deverell and Val McDermid) read in Down by Law (3 p.m. in the Vertigo Theatre Playhouse).
And what about Banff? This year’s Banff Distinguished Author Series is your only chance to hear Richard Wright, who reads with Colin McAdam, Beth Powning and Colm Toíbín on Saturday, October 16 at 7 p.m. in The Banff Centre’s Margaret Greenham Theatre. The Banff Poetry Cabaret immediately follows at 9:30 p.m., featuring editor-poet Kinsella, Wayde Compton, Patrick Friesen, Leslie Greentree, Pat Payne and Ian Samuels. And the finale event presents one of Canada’s most beloved and influential dramatists, Michel Tremblay ("and friends") on Sunday, October 17 at 3:30 p.m., also in the Margaret Greenham Theatre. (See this week’s Theatre section for more on Tremblay.)
WordFest isn’t the only literary game in town right now, either. At Pages on Kensington, Commonwealth Writers Prize winner Jeffrey Moore reads from his new novel The Memory Artists on Thursday, October 21. Earlier in the week, Elaine Dewar discusses her book The Second Tree: Of Clones, Chimeras and Quests for Immortality, on Tuesday, October 19. And on Wednesday, October 20, Laura Burkhart reads from Venus Rising, her debut poetry collection. All events are at 7:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, at McNally Robinson, it’s a pretty full week of readings. Helen Humphreys and Tessa McWatt read from their new books Wild Dogs and This Body, respectively. That’s on Monday, October 18 at 7 p.m. On Tuesday, October 19, Al Pope reads from Bad Latitudes, his first novel, at 7:30 p.m. Then Wednesday, October 20, sees Journey-Prize winner Jessica Grant read from the stories in her collection Making Light of Tragedy. That’s at 7:30 p.m. as well. And on Thursday, October 21, three Calgary Coach House authors, Jill Hartman, Derek Beaulieu and Louis Cabri, read at 7 p.m.
Nancy Lee’s short-story collection Dead Girls was chosen as Best Book of 2002 by The Globe and Mail. The book also won the VanCity Book Prize. Lee reads from her evocations of serial murder in East Vancouver at the W.R. Castell Central Library on Thursday, October 21 at 7 p.m. The reading is in Meeting Room No. 1, and you can call 260-2785 for further information. Lee is also at Annie’s Book Company for lunch on Friday, October 22. This event runs from noon until 2 p.m. and includes complimentary lunch and tea. Call 282-1330 to reserve your spot.
Anything inspired by both Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Julio Cortazar's Hopscotch has promise. Artist Joey Dubuc‘s literary debut Neither Either Nor Or draws on those influences and others to create a "disorientation generator" and "adventure" (according to Broken Pencil mag). With Dubuc, Lance Blomgren presents Corner Pieces, "a series of elegies to particular places, both real and imaginary." The pair of artist-authors read on Sunday, October 17 at 7 p.m. in The New Gallery (516D Ninth Ave. S.W.).
Best wishes to Jason Hammond, who many writers know through his position at the Writers Guild of Alberta. Jason, who also held down this corner of Fast Forward on several occasions, is heading back to Saskatchewan where he has accepted a post with the Saskatchewan Publishers Group. Cheers, Jason, and enjoy that free library card in Regina. |
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