Book News Vol. 5 No. 16

BOOK NEWS

Join us!
Our membership drive continues with exciting new incentives to join, as well as the benefits of membership:...discounts, earlybird tickets, we could go on... Click for more information, http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/supportus/joinus.

Every two weeks we will draw the name of a new member to win an exciting prize. The prize for April 16: two tickets to the Arts Club Theatre production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, June 21–June 30. Information: http://www.artsclub.com/.

Special Events

Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan will be interviewed by Jerry Wasserman. Details at http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/community/specialevents. VIWF members: Receive a $2 member discount for Ian McEwan event tickets! Join us: http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/supportus/joinus.

Peter Carey
The Vancouver International Writers Festival and Random House of Canada present the Man Booker Prize for Fiction winner and the author of Oscar and Lucinda and True History of the Kelly Gang in conversation with Hal Wake. Details at http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/community/specialevents.

AWARDS & LISTS

St. John's writer Jessica Grant has won the Winterset Award for her debut novel Come, Thou Tortoise.
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2010/03/26/grant-winterset-award-326.html

The inaugural Ted Hughes award for new work in poetry, founded by Carol Ann Duffy, goes to Alice Oswald.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/mar/30/alice-oswald-ted-hughes-award

The shortlists for two poetry prizes, the Gerald Lampert and Pat Lowther Memorial Awards have been announced.
http://www.poets.ca/linktext/awards.htm

More shortlists, this time for the Canadian Booksellers Association awards. Nominated in the fiction category: Michael Crummey, Annabel Lyon and Linden MacIntyre.
http://www.cbabook.org/files/LibrisAwards/CBALibrisShortlistAnnouncement10.pdf

The Alcuin Society announces the 30 best-designed books of 2010.
http://www.alcuinsociety.com/blog/index.html

AbeBooks presents the top ten books written by librarians.
http://www.abebooks.com/books/Newsletters/100322/000-librarB.shtml?cm_mmc=nl-_-nl-_-000-librarB-_-h-online

NEWS & FEATURES

With Yann Martel on the road promoting his new novel, Steven Galloway steps in to recommend Paul Quarrington’s novel King Leary to Stephen Harper. http://www.whatisstephenharperreading.ca/2010/03/15/book-number-77-king-leary-by-paul-quarrington/

The National Post talks with publisher Louise Dennys about Knopf’s Fresh Face of Fiction program which has launched many careers over the past 15 years, among them the abovementioned Jessica Grant.
http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=2730491

Some educators think that ditching the traditional class-assigned novel and letting students choose the books they want to read may make them better readers in the long run. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/family-and-relationships/letting-students-choose-books-could-make-them-better-readers/article1515629/

Five of the six largest publishers in North America are banding together to control e-book prices.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/cost-of-e-books-to-rise-as-publishers-band-together-to-control-price/article1518707/

Speaking of e-books, in the increasingly digital age, will we still be able to judge books by their covers?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/books/31covers.html?ref=books

BOOKS & WRITERS

The Globe & Mail profiles Canada’s latest publishing sensation, Chevy Stevens, a debut novelist from Vancouver Island.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/from-teddy-bears-to-crime-writing/article1513428/

Chitra Banerjee’s new novel One Amazing Thing developed out of her experiences working as a volunteer with Katrina evacuees and witnessing the contradictory ways people respond to disaster.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/review-one-amazing-thing-by-chitra-banerjee-divakaruni/article1513432/

Spanish author Javier Marias may just be “the best novelist you’ve never heard of.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/review-your-face-tomorrow-by-javier-maras/article1515793/

Darwin’s Bastards, an anthology of speculative fiction edited by Zsuzsi Gartner, receives a great review in the Globe & Mail.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/review-darwins-bastards-edited-by-zsuzsi-gartner/article1513441/

Vanity Fair weighs in on the hype about Stieg Larrson’s Millennium trilogy.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/12/hitchens-200912

The Guardian looks at The Dead Republic, the final book in Roddy Doyle’s trilogy featuring protagonist Henry Holt.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/mar/28/dead-republic-roddy-doyle-review

The Globe & Mail talks with Danielle Trussoni about her debut novel Angelology in which angels are the new vampires.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/danielle-trussonis-dark-angels/article1517644/

Zoe Whittall is moved by A.L. Kennedy’s collection of stories about “loners trying not to be.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/review-what-becomes-by-al-kennedy/article1513450/

A.L. Kennedy herself amuses us yet again, this week with her blog post about novel-writing which she likens to suffering “a long term illness.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/mar/29/al-kennedy-work-in-progress

The Guardian catches up with Michael Chabon in London to chat about his new collection of essays, Manhood for Amateurs, and what he’s working on now.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/mar/27/michael-chabon-interview-christopher-tayler

COMMUNITY EVENTS

ROBSON READING SERIES SPECIAL EVENT
Reading by Randall Maggs, author of Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems and poet Elizabeth Bachinsky, author of God of Missed Connections to celebrate Brick Books 35th anniversary. Thursday, April 1 at 7:00pm, free. UBC Bookstore Library, Robson Square, 800 Robson Street.

UP CHUTE CREEK
Melody Hessing reads from her book. Thursday, April 1 at 7:00pm, free. Meeting room, level 3, VPL Central Library, 350 W. Georgia. More information at http://www.vpl.ca/.

VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM
Vancouver Poetry Slam semi-final 1. Monday, April 5 at 8:00pm. Admission: $5/$3. Cafe Deux Soleils (2096 Commercial). More information at http://www.vancouverpoetryhouse.com/.

NEIL SAFIER
Author reads from his award-winning book, Measuring the New World Enlightenment Science and South America. Tuesday, April 6 at 3:00pm. Room 302, Dodson Room, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre (1961 East Mall).

BC BOOK PRIZES SOIREE
Mix and mingle with nominated authors while supporting the BC Book Prizes on Tour program. Enter to win great door prizes and bid for weekend getaways, prize-winning books, and other treats in a Silent Auction. Wednesday, April 7 at 7:00pm, free. The Listel Hotel, Impressionist Gallery Room, 1300 Robson Street, Vancouver. Information at http://www.bcbookprizes.ca/events/archive/soiree-2010.

PLAY CHTHONICS READING SERIES
Readings by Canadian poets Jeff Derkson and Adam Dickinson. Wednesday, April 7 at 7:39pm, free. Green College (6201 Cecil Green Park Road, UBC). More information at gjerome@interchange.ubc.ca.

WRITING THE NEW CANADIAN LANDSCAPE
Reading by Pamela Mordecai (Pink Icing and other stories) and George Sipos (The Geography of Arrival). Thursday, April 8 at 7:00pm. UBC Bookstore Library, Robson Square, 800 Robson Street.

THE BALLAD OF KNUCKLES MCGRAW
Launch of Surrey author Lois Peterson's new book for children followed by a writing/storytelling workshop for children 6 to 11. Saturday, April 10 at 1:00pm, free. Newton Library (13795-70 Avenue, Surrey). More information and registration at http://www.loispeterson.net/.

Upcoming

JACKIE TIMOTHY
Stories told by VPL's 2010 First Nations storyteller-in-residence. Wednesday, April 14 at 7:00pm, free. Mount Pleasant Branch, 1 Kingsway. For more information, phone 604.331.3603.

ANGELA LONG AND SUSAN MUSGRAVE
Poets read of what they've learned and observed from the tip of a remote archipelago at the north end of the world. Wednesday, April 14 at 7:30pm, free. Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye rooms, Lower Level, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia. More information at 604.331.3603.

VISITING POETS SALON & READING
Readings by Penn Kemp and Catherine Owen. Saturday, April 17 at 7:30pm. Josef & Heather's Place, Bowen Island. To RSVP, get directions and ferry information, email hshaley@emspace.com or call 604.947.9386.

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH
Celebration with Gillian Jerome, Laisha Rosnau and Gregory Scofield. Thursday, April 22 at 7:00pm, free. UBC Bookstore Library, Robson Square, 800 Robson Street.

WRITING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE READING SERIES
Visit the intimate living room at Historic Joy Kogawa House for a series of small salon evenings with five writers who use literature to call for social change and justice and as a tool for social transformation. The first writer in the series, Joan Macleod will read from and sign her works. Monday, April 19 at 7:30pm, admission by donation. Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 64th Ave. W. More information here: http://www.kogawahouse.com/node/181.

STUDIO ONE BOOK CLUB
Yann Martel's highly anticipated new novel beatrice & virgil is about to hit bookstores in early April, and you can meet him in the CBC Radio Studio One Book Club! The new book is a bewitching story about a famous, yet struggling author, an eccentric taxidermist, a donkey and a howler monkey. Meet the author of Life of Pi in the intimate setting of Studio One on Sunday April 25 at 3 pm. The only way to get in, is to win! Go to www.cbc.ca/bc/bookclub to enter for free tickets.

YANN MARTEL
Capilano University Pacific Arbour Speaker Series presents Yann Martel with Anosh Irani. Yann Martel is the author of the internationally acclaimed Man Booker prize-winning novel Life of Pi. Anosh Irani, the award-winning playwright and best-selling author whose novel, The Song of Kahunsha, was a 2007 Canada Reads finalist. Monday, April 26 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $15/$13. Kay Meek Centre, North Vancouver. More information at http://www.capilanou.ca/news-events/performing-arts/season-performances/Speaker.html.

STUDIO ONE BOOK CLUB
Canada's own international best-selling fantasy fiction author Guy Gavriel Kay is coming to the CBC Radio Studio One Book Club! His new novel "Under Heaven" is getting rave reviews! It's set during the glory of the Tang Dynasty in China and is an adventure that has everything readers around the world love about Guy's epic stories. Come join the discussion with Guy Gavriel Kay in the intimate setting of Studio One on Wednesday May 5 at 6:30 pm. The only way to get in, is to win! Go to www.cbc.ca/bc/bookclub to enter for free tickets.