News & Events
January 24, 2011
Gurjinder Basran and Jack Hodgins (rescheduled from a postponed event during snow-vember) will be joined by Drew Hayden Taylor.
Drew will be launching his new collection of essays, News: Postcards from the Four Directions (Talonbooks, 2010). Gurjinder and Jack are two BC novelists with a special connection: Gurjinder’s first novel, Everything Was Good-Bye (Mother Tongue Publishing, 2010), was chosen by Jack as the winner of the 2010 Search for the Great BC Novel Contest.
Everything Was Good-bye centres around Meena, a young Indo-Canadian woman growing up in the Lower Mainland of BC and struggling with love, loss and self-acceptance amidst shifting cultural ideals. Gurjinder’s work has also been shortlisted for the 2008 Amazon
Breakthrough Novel Award and earned her a place in the Vancouver Sun’s annual speculative arts and culture article, “Ones To Watch.”
Jack will be reading from his recently released novel, The Master of Happy Endings (Thomas Allen, 2010), which tells the story of a man in his late seventies who conjures one more great adventure for himself by running an ad in his local newspaper. Alice Munro describes it as “an irresistible novel about the vagaries of youth, old age, Hollywood, family and the marvel of keeping going.” Jack has written eight novels and three story collections, including Spit Delaney’s Island and The Invention of the World. His fiction has won a Governor General’s Award, the Canada-Australia Prize, the Commonwealth Prize (Canada and the Caribbean) and the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, among others. In 2009, he was appointed to the Order of Canada.
Drew’s new book is fast on the heels of Motorcycles & Sweetgrass (Knopf, 2010), his first novel for adults and a finalist for the 2010 Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction. In News: Postcards from the Four Directions, Drew sends his readers fascinating and funny “postcards” from his global exploration of “the complexities of Native identity and perceptions of Native peoples by others.” The Vancouver Sun has said that Drew “has a deft touch for mixing comedy and commentary,” so be prepared for a riotous send-up.
Readings and discussion will begin at 7:00 pm at the UBC Bookstore/Library at Robson Square. Admission is free, refreshments are served. Books are available for purchase and signing.
Posted by Karen Green | Filed under: More Author Events | Permalink
January 12, 2011
Join the Vancouver International Writers Festival for a new series of illuminating readings and discussions with novelists, poets, non-fiction writers and more.
The VIWF will launch Incite: An Exploration of Books and Ideas, a twice-monthly reading series, in partnership with Vancouver Public Library, on January 26. The series, which is free to the public, will feature a wide range of Canadian and international authors in events for readers.
Posted by Karen Green | Filed under: | Permalink
January 12, 2011
Chris Harris, one of Canada’s most respected photographers will introduce his new book Motherstone: BC’s Volcanic Plateau on January 27, 2011 at an illustrated talk. Award winning author Harold Rhenisch did the research and authored the book.
January 27, 2011 | 7:30-9:30 pm
Unity Church, 5840 Oak Street, Vancouver
FREE | More info
Posted by Karen Green | Filed under: More Author Events | Permalink
January 06, 2011
Sitka Books & Art Ltd. announced today that the name of its flagship store, Sitka Books & Art , has changed to Ardea Books & Art effective immediately.
Ardea Books & Art opened its doors on West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano in early October 2010. The Vancouver reading community has welcomed the new bookstore with open arms and strong sales during the holiday season. Ria Bleumer, manager of the store and company’s president, stated that the name change was in response to concerns about a similarly-named local retail store and decided to change the store’s name at this early stage to foster good relations in the local business community.
The name “Ardea” is derived from the genus of the majestic Great Blue Heron, a featured resident of the Vancouver community and a beautiful reminder of nature’s grace and dignity.
Bleumer and her knowledgeable staff are committed to supporting Vancouver’s rich literary and cultural community by providing Vancouver’s readers a warm, welcoming place to explore books and meet authors.
The store’s events so far include book launches and readings by such noted authors as Annabel Lyon and Grant Lawrence. With its extensive catalogue of local authors and a unique offering of local art and crafts, Ardea Books & Art has begun what it set out to do — be a central hub of literary, artistic and intellectual exploration.
Bleumer praised her staff and gave thanks to the strong support she sees in the community, “We receive calls daily from customers who have waited for this store to open asking us to order their backlog of books.” said Bleumer. “We are grateful for the strong support from the community and know that we are bringing in new customers every day with our events, our excellent staff and our deep commitment to unparalleled customer service,” Bleumer added.
Ardea Books & Art is Vancouver’s largest independent full-service bookstore and fills the void created by the closing of Duthie Books. Ardea Books & Art carries a full complement of books and local arts & crafts and is located at 2025 West 4th Ave. in Kitsilano between Arbutus and Maple.
Posted by Karen Green | Filed under: Press Releases | Permalink
December 03, 2010
On Thursday, December 9 at 7:00 pm, the Robson Reading Series will host Deborah Willis, who will read from Vanishing and Other Stories (Penguin Canada), and poet Anna Swanson as she reads from The Nights Also (Tightrope Books), at UBC Bookstore/Library at Robson Square.
Vanishing and Other Stories was shortlisted for the 2010 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize.
Anna Swanson studied creative writing at the University of Victoria and Memorial University. Her poetry has appeared in PRISM international, The Antigonish Review, The Best Canadian Poetry in English 2008, and numerous other literary journals. She now lives in Vancouver, BC, and works as a children’s librarian. With poems that are at once deep and pithy, The Nights Also illuminates one woman’s experience of chronic illness, relationships and gender identity, and solitude. Lorna Crozier has described Anna’s poems as “smart, original, and daring.”
Deborah Willis was born and raised in Calgary, AB. Her fiction has appeared in Grain, Event, the UK’s Bridport Prize anthology, and she was the winner of the 2005 PRISM international fiction prize. Her first book, Vanishing and Other Stories, was named one of the Globe and Mail‘s Top 100 Books of 2009 and was nominated for a Governor General’s Award. She works as a bookseller in Victoria, BC. Vanishing and Other Stories explores emotional and physical absences, the ways in which people leave, are left, and whether or not it’s ever possible to move on. According to Alice Munro, “the emotional range and depth of these stories, the clarity and deftness is astonishing.”
Admission is free and refreshments are served. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Posted by Monica Miller | Filed under: More Author Events | Permalink
November 30, 2010
The Western Front’s annual craft sale, Toque, is taking a new angle on their craft fair this year with a focus on books, text and printed material. Very cool! You’ll be able to visit book publishers Arsenal Pulp Press, Simply Read Books, and Perro Verlag this weekend at the Luxe Hall.
Friday, December 3 from 6 pm – 9 pm
Saturday, December 4 from 11 am – 5 pm
The Western Front Luxe Hall
303 East 8th Ave, Vancouver, BC
Toque Blog | RSVP on Facebook
Nineteen vendors contribute to Toque this year, with wares ranging from books, zines, cards, handcrafted décor, jewellery, and other special gifts. Long-time Toque favourites return, such as local publisher Simply Read‘s children’s books, Perro Verlag’s wide selection of indie art publications from around the world, and Contexture Design’s map based mobiles.
These Toque regulars appear alongside exciting newcomers such as the West Coast classic Arsenal Pulp Press, Vancouver’s independent music collective Safe Amplification Society as well as legendary New York Based contemporary art publisher Printed Matter. Look for exclusive Western Front publications, as well as a limited edition commissioned tea towel and colouring poster by Jeff Hamada, Vancouver based artist and creator of the popular blog www.booooooom.com
On Saturday come by for shopping as well as a special collaboration with Collage Collage, a local children’s arts and crafts shop and teaching space. Bring your children for fun crafting and colouring! Fine baked goods will be available from Hatty Cakes.
Proceeds from Toque support the Western Front Society, an artist run centre and non-profit registered charity. Held in the warm heritage setting of the Western Front in Vancouver, this sale is a great way to support your artistic community.
Posted by Monica Miller | Filed under: | Permalink
November 29, 2010
In 2003, Carol Shields won the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize for her novel, Unless. On Friday, it was chosen by actor Lorne Cardinal as a Canada Reads 2011 contendor. We wish Lorne all the best in championing Unless by Carol Shields. See all five Canada Reads contendors and champions.
Posted by Monica Miller | Filed under: | Permalink
November 25, 2010
Yesterday, Mayor Gregor Robertson presented the 2010 City of Vancouver Mayor Arts Awards to valued members of Vancouver’s cultural community.
Everyone here at the BC Book Prizes wants to express our sincere congratulations to all those honoured. See a full list of honourees here.
Among those honoured were Brad Cran as Vancouver Poet Laureate 2009-2011, Rio Tinto Alcan for Support of the Arts (Business), Yosef Wosk for Support of the Arts (Philanthropy), and Evelyn Lau for Literary Arts.
For individual awards, such as Evelyn’s, the recipient then selected an emerging artist to share the award. Evelyn Lau selected Kaitlin Fontana, whose work has appeared in Event, Room, SPIN, Rolling Stone, and the Walrus, among many other publications.
Congratulations to all the recipients of the 2010 Mayor Arts Awards!
Posted by Monica Miller | Filed under: | Permalink
November 02, 2010
On Thursday, November 4th, the Robson Reading Series will present award-winning novelist Annabel Lyon at the colourful, autumnal UBC Point Grey Campus. Please join us for a special afternoon reading and conversation from 1-2pm at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Room 155 (Parliamentary Room).
Annabel Lyon’s most recent novel, The Golden Mean (Random House Canada, 2009), animates the relationship between the young Alexander the Great and his tutor Aristotle. It won the 2009 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Governor General’s Award for Fiction, and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Annabel’s previous work includes the short fiction collection Oxygen (McClelland & Stewart, 2003), a suite of three novellas, The Best Thing for You (2004), and the juvenile novel, All-Season Edie (Orca Books, 2008). She lives in New Westminster, BC.
Admission is free and refreshments are served. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Posted by Monica Miller | Filed under: More Author Events | Permalink
October 26, 2010
Congratulations to Masako Fukawa and Stanley Fukawa, whose book Spirit of the Nikkei Fleet: BC’s Japanese Canadian Fishermen has won the English 2010 Canada-Japan Literary Award. Spirit of the Nikkei Fleet was a finalist for the 2010 Bill Duthie Bookseller’s Choice Award.
The Canada-Japan Literary Awards, presented by the Canada Council for the Arts, recognize literary excellence by Canadian authors writing on Japan, Japanese themes or themes that promote mutual understanding between Japan and Canada.
Posted by Monica Miller | Filed under: | Permalink
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