Calgary International Spoken Word Festival

“Pour moi, les mots sont comme des pots de couleurs,” says François Charron. “Je travaille avec les mots comme les peindres travaillent avec leurs pots. Je travaille en fonction d’inventer des nouvelles techniques d’écriture.”

For the second year in a row, the Calgary International Spoken Word Festival presents Francophonétique, an all-French evening of poetry. For Charron, a Montreal poet and author of more than 40 poetry collections, this marks his first visit to Calgary. He’s bringing his latest collection, Nous aurons tout vécu, but plans to give the city a taste of his 25 years of poetic practise.

“My first books rejected, somewhat, the poetic tradition,” he says. “I used a great deal of parody to criticize ‘la grande poésie’ and to explore a Marxist politic.” In his more recent work, he has returned to questions of poetic form and tradition, focusing specifically on images of violence and death. “I feel crushed and confused by the idea that there can be such enormous hatred and intolerance around the world, while at the same time we can play, love and forget all about it,” says Charron. “I try to show the contradiction between the world’s beauty and the ugliness of war.”

Francophonétique, featuring Charron, José Acquelin, Tchitala Nyota Kamba, Pierrette Requier and Geneviève Robichaud, takes place at the Alliance Française de Calgary (1221 2 St. S.W.) on April 23, 8 p.m., $15 admission.

How are Saskatchewan’s uranium mines linked to public health, tar sands, aboriginal rights and nuclear weapons? In his new book, Canada’s Deadly Secret: Saskatchewan Uranium and the Global Nuclear System, Dr. Jim Harding paints a dark picture of Canada’s nuclear industry, and offers alternatives for a sustainable future. He reads at Pages Books (1135 Kensington Rd. N.W.) on April 17, 7 p.m.

Interested in the writing process? Local authors Rona Altrows, Susan Calder, Leslie Gavel, Lori Hahnel and Inge Trueman present their current works-in-progress at Writing in the Works, a reading at the Good Earth Café (1502 11 St. S.W.) on April 17, 7:30 p.m.

In her 1986 book, Controlling Interest, Diane Francis revealed that 32 families and five conglomerates controlled 40 per cent of banking, business and politics in Canada. In her new book, Who Owns Canada Now: Old Money, New Money and the Future of Canadian Business, Francis looks at how the nation’s financial landscape has changed. Presented by the Haskayne School of Business, Francis speaks at the Delta Bow Valley Hotel (209 4 Ave. S.E.) on April 18, 11:30 a.m., $40 admission.

Believe it or not, Anne of Green Gables is now 100 years old. Families are invited to celebrate this momentous anniversary with a Mother-Daughter Tea, featuring a poetry reading, crafts and, of course, tea. RSVP to 538-1794 and come in costume to McNally Robinson (120 8 Ave. S.W.) on April 19, 2:30 p.m.

Seven kick-ass female poets unite at Old School: Back it up at the Truck, a celebration of women’s voices featuring Brea Burton, Emily Cargan, Carmen Derksen, Jill Hartman, Natalie Simpson, Lindsay Tipping and Julia Williams. Join them at the Truck Gallery (815 1 St. S.W., lower level) on April 19, 7 p.m.

The Sustainable Calgary Book Club returns for another month. Originally focusing on the book by Diana Balmore, Herbert Bormann and Gordon Geballe, Redesigning the American Lawn: A Search for Environmental Harmony, the theme has now been expanded to include any and all lawn-based literature. Join the conversation at McNally Robinson on April 20, 2:30 p.m.

For more environmental goodness, Marian and Robin White present a lecture and slideshow based on their book, Wild Alberta at the Cross Roads, an exploration of Alberta’s vanishing wilderness. They speak at the Louise Riley Library (1904 14 Ave. N.W.) on April 22, 7 p.m.

There’s a delightful focus on sustainability this week, continuing with Lauren Maris and her book, Live Green, Calgary! Malis provides sustainable living tips to Calgarians, ranging from transportation and water use to waste and recycling, offering insights into local services, products and grants. She speaks at McNally Robinson on April 22, 5 p.m.

Calgary’s favourite food expert, John Gilchrist, returns with his latest book, My Favourite Cheap Eats. He signs copies of the budget-friendly volume at McNally Robinson on April 23, 6 p.m.

Sandra Gulland, author of the acclaimed Josephine B. Trilogy, comes to Calgary with her latest historical offering, Mistress of the Sun. The novel follows Louise de la Vallière, an equestrian who became a consort of King Louis XIV, the Sun King. Learn more about this captivating figure at the Memorial Park Library (1221 2 St. S.W.) on April 24, 7 p.m.