May 12, 2012
BC Book Prizes Gala
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Mary Novik, shortlisted for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize for her novel Conceit, will be appearing in the North Shore Writers Festival (April 21-26) with novelists Jen Sookfong Lee and June Hutton on Monday, April 21 at 7:30 pm at the West Vancouver Memorial Library, 1950 Marine Drive. Jen and June are Mary’s writing partners in a Vancouver writing group called SPiN.
Gillian Wigmore, author of Soft Geography, which was shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, is part of the Robson Reading Series at UBC’s Bookstore, 800 Robson Street, Vancouver, on April 10 at 6:30pm.
She is also reading with Steven Price, author of Anatomy of Keys (which was a BC Book Prize finalist last year) at Solstice Café, 529 Pandora Ave.,Victoria on April 12 at 6:30pm.
Mike McCardell, shortlisted for the BC Booksellers’ Choice Award in Honour of Bill Duthie for The Blue Flames That Keep Us Warm, is appearing at the North Shore Writers Festival (April 19-26) with humourist Arthur Black on Friday, April 25 at the West Vancouver Memorial Library, 1950 Marine Drive.
Rita Wong, who is shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize for Forage, is reading at the University of Northern British Columbia on Monday, March 31 at 1:00 pm (UNBC Room 5-168). Details at www.theculturemill.blogspot.com.
Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize finalist David Chariandy (Soucouyant) and Hubert Evans Non-fiction Prize finalist Theresa Kishkan (Phantom Limb) are readers at this year’s Words on the Water Festival in Campbell River, April 4-6.
They are appearing together at an event on Saturday, April 5 at 1:00 pm.
Photographer and publisher Chris Harris—shortlisted for both the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize and the BC Booksellers’ Choice Award in Honour of Bill Duthie—will be giving a multi-media presentation on his book Spirit in the Grass at Manning Park Resort on April 12, 2008, for The Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia.
Chris will share his vision for the book from both the photographer and publisher perspective, tell behind-the-images stories and discuss the future of the grasslands, prior to a 15-minute slide show with music.
For details, visit www.chrisharris.com/appearances.html
Every month, the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver hosts “Brunch for Books”, a family event with amazing food, local celebrities and more. In March, Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize finalist, Kari-Lynn Winters, will read her book Jeffrey and Sloth and sign copies for all the kids to take home.
Brunch is on March 30 at 11:30am, with the reading at 12:30pm. Reservations can be made through Herons restaurant (604-691-1991). Five dollars from each reservation will be donated to the Raise-a-Reader campaign. The event is sponsored by the Fairmont Waterfront and Gumboot Books.
Ron Smith, whose picture book Elf the Eagle, has been shortlisted for the Christie Harris Illustrated Literature Prize, will be teaching a young writers workshop at the Nanaimo Art Gallery (150 Commercial Street) on Thursday, March 20. Details at www.cre8youtharts.com/workshops.html
He will also do a reading and book signing from Elf the Eagle at The River Never Sleeps Festival on Sunday, May 4 at the Rosewell Creek Hatchery on Vancouver Island. The Rosewall Creek Hatchery is Berray Road, off Highway 19A, 1.8 km north of the Cook Creek exit.
Author Gail Anderson-Dargatz (Turtle Valley, A Recipe for Bees, The Cure for Death By Lightening) has invited all five of the finalists for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize—Claire Mulligan, Mary Novik, Shaena Lambert, David Chariandy and Heather Burt—to participate in her on-line forum “Gail’s Kitchen” on Sunday, April 6 from 10 am to 1 pm PST.
As her website says, you can bring a coffee and listen in on April 6, or join the chat by clicking on “register” at the top of the forum page. To get there, go to www.gailanderson-dargatz.ca and click on “forums”.
Note that if you intend to chat with the authors, you will have to register a day or two before the event, to allow time for your account to be activated.
In today’s Vancouver Sun, Stephen Hume has a feature article “A tribute to a vanished world: How a Vancouver Island writer came to tell his story of friend and neighbour Roderick Haig-Brown, conservationist and international literary icon”.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Roderick Haig-Brown’s birth. This article is an apt “slice of life” remembrance of our Regional Prize namesake. Enjoy.
