BC Book Prizes On Tour
March 10, 2011
From April 7–20, 2011 a selection of finalist authors will hit the road On Tour, with FREE readings at bookstores, libraries and schools throughout BC.
Although the tour is over, we posting blog updates, photos and more as the authors visited the province. Make sure to Check out the On Tour Author Blog
Northern Leg
April 7-13, 2011
Stephen Collis | Gary Kent | Gina McMurchy-Barber
View the full schedule for the Northern Leg
- Kitimat
- Prince George
- Prince Rupert
- Quesnel
- Smithers
- Terrace
Okanagan Leg
April 15-20, 2011
George Bowering | Julie Flett | Derek Lundy
View the full schedule for the Okanagan Leg
- Kamloops
- Kelowna
- Oliver
- Penticton
- Salmon Arm
- Vernon
Lower Mainland Leg
April 16-20, 2011
Grant Lawrence | Sylvia Olsen | Meredith Quartermain
View the full schedule for the Lower Mainland Leg
- Abbotsford
- New Westminster
- North Vancouver
- Richmond
- White Rock
Posted by Monica Miller | Filed under: Tour Schedule |
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April 22, 2011
Sorry I haven’t been able to post along the way. I’m having trouble getting onto the blog. I visited many parts for the lower mainland as if for the first time because of the interesting people I met and the wonderful eating places we visited. Kristie was a great driver, host, planner, introducer (didn’t need notes after the first time), and booster for the book prizes.
We braved Vancouver Canucks territory during the playoffs and had some good turnouts. It was wonderful to meet Cowichan knitting enthusiasts carrying their old treasured sweaters and to hear their stories.
Thanks to Meredith and Grant for their readings—what could be better? I got to spend four evenings listening to the best story tellers in the province.
Posted by Sylvia Olsen | Filed under: Lower Mainland Leg 2011 |
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April 21, 2011
The Lower Mainland tour has now come to an end.
Our last two days were spent in Deep Cove, North Van, and White Rock. We had wonderful receptions in all of these communities, and our public events were very well-attended. The audiences certainly enjoyed both author presentations and chatting with Sylvia and Grant about their books.
Thanks everyone for coming out!
Sylvia and Grant had a great time visiting the schools in these communities as well. The kids at Dorothy Lynas Elementary were certainly excited when Sylvia handed out a piece of wool to everyone:
Meanwhile, the secondary students were captivated by Grant’s hilarious anecdotes:
You can read about Grant’s experience here.
This tour has been amazing. In addition to meeting a number of wonderful people, we also explored some new places that some of us had never been to. We definitely discovered some great places to eat, including Uli’s Restaurant in White Rock. Here’s Sylvia enjoying the Uli’s experience:
Alas, all good things must come to an end, and so our tour has. You can check out all our tour photos on our Flickr Photostream.
Posted by Kristie Poole | Filed under: Lower Mainland Leg 2011 |
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April 21, 2011
And it’s over. We had School and public library events yesterday in Oliver, south of Penticton, and all had good turnouts. It has been an excellent tour. And what could be better than making three new and good friends? The day’s highlight was a stop at Ticklebury’s ice cream joint near Oliver where a “Double” ice cream cone consists of four big scoops stacked up like myocardial-infarction bombs. (Then there’s the “Large.”) George was unusually restrained and ordered a “Children’s,” which has only two such scoops. We haven’t been able to help but notice his proclivity for prodigious food consumption - pretty much anything will do if it isn’t actually moving. George is from Oliver, of course, and, as we walked around, it was truly heartwarming to see so many people come up to him and ask him to repay the loans. Bryan the Boss fell asleep at the wheel only a couple of times, which was a huge improvement. We all feel that Bryan has real potential if he applies himself. Julie’s evening meal included both spaghetti and mashed potatoes, a combination this writer, wise in the ways of the world, has never seen before. And in a final bizarre development, Bryan dropped me off at the Oliver library, where a suspicious librarian wouldn’t hand over the washroom key, and implied that I was a vagrant. I spent two hours there in some discomfort from urinary urgency working on my next book. In the meantime, the Boss and Julie drove down to Osoyoos, visited famous Spotted Lake and other tourist sights and had a helluva good time. Today, as I said before, but it bears repeating, we head back to Vancouver to pick up our winning prizes. So long.
Posted by Derek Lundy | Filed under: |
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April 19, 2011
Dear Blog,
A sign that we’re nearing the end of the tour: can’t remember where we were when I blogged last, or where we were the day before yesterday for that matter.
Yesterday we were in Vernon at the Vernon Secondary School where no kids got thrown out—a first—and then at Gallery Vertigo for, once again, a small but enthusiastic crowd.
Today, we’re paying for our relaxed weekend with schools in Kelowna and Penticton (the name of which George insists on mispronouncing) as well as an evening event at Hooked On Books.
George continues to amaze me (we appear together) with his jazzy improvisations and funny-as-hell riffs. I’m his warm-up act. Bryan the Boss must be tour-drunk because his mental state appears to be deteriorating quite badly to the point where we’ve noticed people on the street staring at him in alarm. Julie continues to be the stable and sensible centre—holding for now.
Tomorrow we go to Oliver (the “wine capital of BC” which George insists is actually an official part of the town’s name). No doubt, he will make hay of this accidental connection in his irresponsible attempts to claim to rooms full of impressionable young people that poets make lots of money. Then, dear Blog, it’s back to Vancouver so we can collect our winning prizes.
Posted by Derek Lundy | Filed under: Okanagan Leg 2011 |
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April 18, 2011
Two great days driving through picturesque Fraser Valley, seeing a little of Steveston and Fort Langley.
Always on top of the day’s plans, Kristie steered us expertly to our destinations. Sylvia and Kristie were awesome travel buddies. We discussed everything from religion to when to have babies.
Best of all I had a wonderful time talking to the students at New Westminster Secondary (the earliest reading I’d ever done at 8:45 am), Robert A McMath Secondary, and R.E. Mountain Secondary.
We visited two libraries as well – Richmond Brighouse Library, where I discovered that independent bookstores like Black Bond are alive and well outside Vancouver – and FVRL, Clearbrook Library which has a thriving poets’ group. Thank you to everyone at BC Book Prizes.
Posted by Meredith Quartermain | Filed under: Lower Mainland Leg 2011 |
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April 17, 2011
The Okanagan tour group is now in Kelowna lounging around the hotel or strolling through the city. We have only one gig today at Mosaic Books, but will make up for it Monday and Tuesday with multiple school and evening events.
I’d like to praise BC Book Prizes and its organization which has been flawless and friendly. Bryan the boss is unfailingly helpful, drives extremely well, and maintains his composure in the face of writerly eccentricities, unreasonable demands and invariably faulty, unsolicited driving directions. (Note to self and George: the GPS is always right.)
Yesterday, we had a good reading / talk at the Salmon Arm library with a modest but lively crowd. I’ve just looked out my window to discover that it is snowing!
Posted by Derek Lundy | Filed under: Okanagan Leg 2011 |
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April 16, 2011
We are at the end of day three here in the Lower Mainland. Yesterday was an amazing day, and we met a lot of wonderful people. Visiting Lord Kelvin Elementary in New Westminster was certainly a highlight, as Sylvia mentioned.
Today Sylvia took part in Lit Fest New West alongside Morris Bates and Steven Galloway. All three gave fabulous presentations to a wonderful audience. Thank you to the Arts Council of New Westminster for inviting us to participate!
Sylvia and I have the next two days off from touring, but will be back on the road on Tuesday with Grant Lawrence. I’m looking forward to it!
Posted by Kristie Poole | Filed under: Lower Mainland Leg 2011 |
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April 16, 2011
It’s a crapshoot when four total strangers pile into a van one early morning for a 4 hour drive over the mountains with five more close-quarters days to go. Who knows what bores, whiners or crazies you might end up with. But of course, my tour partners (George and Julie, and Bryan the boss) turn out to be charming, kind, interesting, splendid people.
A good day at South Kamloops Secondary School where the kids asked good questions and only one got marched off to the vice-principal’s office for undisclosed crimes, and the library with an excellent turnout and discussion.
Posted by Derek Lundy | Filed under: Okanagan Leg 2011 |
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April 16, 2011
I’ve had two great days on tour with Kristie and Meredith. Thank you BC Book Prizes, the sponsors and the hosts.
We were at a school in New Westminster that has no funds or opportunities to have author visits. The kids’ attention and participation and the staff’s appreciation was wonderful to experience. The Prizes tour gave those children an important gift.
The people in Abbotsford had to make a choice Friday evening—an exciting BC Book Prize reading or the Canucks’ game. Tough decision.
Kristie, Meredith and I were always in the right place at the right time thanks to Kristie’s remarkable planning skills and to the help of the trusty little Englishman who resides mysteriously in her GPS. It was like flying—I had to suspend my muddled effort to understand and give way to the magic of what, to me, is incomprehensible. Amazing!
Posted by Sylvia Olsen | Filed under: Lower Mainland Leg 2011 |
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