Book News Vol. 8 No. 9

BOOK NEWS

Incite: An Exploration of Books and Ideas

Join us on Wednesday, April 17 for a fantastical evening with Guy Gavriel Kay reading from his new novel, River of Stars, and Ruth Ozeki reading from her latest, A Tale for the Time Being. Details: http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/events/incite. Register here: http://incitevpl2013spring.eventbrite.ca/.

Presented in partnership with Vancouver Public Library. Incite is sponsored by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and supported by the R.J. Nelson Family Foundation.

A DRAM COME TRUE

Dust off your kilt, gather your friends and grab a glass, A Dram Come True is back!

Join us at the legendary Hycroft Manor on May 31, 2013 for a lively celebration of spirits. Our five whisky bars will cater to the true aficionado, with a variety of rare and distinguished single malts. You don't want to miss the special surprises and scotch whisky selection we've got in store for you this year, click to buy your tickets today. Event details: http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/events/dram-come-true.

AWARDS & LISTS

The quest to be named the UK's funniest author has begun. "All the shortlisted novels are truly brilliantly funny," said judge and Everyman publisher David Campbell. The winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize will be announced in late May. Following tradition, the winner will be presented with a locally-bred Gloucestershire Old Spot pig named after their winning title.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/04/wodehouse-prize-comic-fiction-shortlist

Canadian poets David W. McFadden, James Pollock and Ian Williams are competing for the lucrative Griffin Poetry Prize.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2013/04/09/griffin-poetry-short-list.html

Adam Roberts, the science fiction novelist Kim Stanley Robinson said should have won the Man Booker prize, has received his first major award–the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) best novel prize for his space-set riff on golden-age detective fiction, Jack Glass. Brian Francis Slattery was the winner of the Philip K. Dick award for distinguished science fiction for Lost Everything.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/02/adam-roberts-bsfa-jack-glass

In a very impressive shortlist, the received distinction between 'literary' and 'genre' fiction has never looked so flimsy, says Ken MacLeod, a Man Booker judge who admits to being slightly envious of the shortlist.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2013/apr/04/booker-judge-arthur-c-clark-award

The Donner Prize is awarded annually for the best public policy book by a Canadian. Health care, regional rivalries and international food aid are the preoccupations of the four books that made the shortlist. The four shortlisted authors are Claude Castonguay, Jennifer Clapp, Mary Janigan, and Jeffrey Simpson.
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2013/04/03/simpson_clapp_among_nominees_shortlisted_for_donner_prize.html

Karen Russell's Swamplandia is one of the ten books on the 2013 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award shortlist: ten novels have been selected from the 154 nominated.
http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/

YOUNG READERS

Leigh Bardugo's The Gathering Dark was "vivid and jump-off-of-the-page," writes the Book Addicted Girl. "From the first chapter, I knew this would be at least a 4-star novel. And it got better and better. Alina was snarky, funny, strong and cheeky!" The Gathering Dark is the first novel of the Ice Age Cycle. For ages 12 and up.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2013/apr/03/review-the-dark-gathering-leigh-bardugo

Part poetry anthology, part child's scrapbook, Where My Wellies Take Me is a lavish project designed to instill a love of language in young children. A great inter-generational book, say Luke, Nanny and Mummy. Up to age 12.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/data/book/unclassified/9781848775442/where-my-wellies-take-me?commentpage=1#comment-22452426

Inspiration is the breath of the creator running through a person, says Roy Henry Vickers. With Robert (Lucky) Budd, Vickers created the first in a series of four children's books that retell stories Vickers heard as a child. Raven Brings the Light has been passed down by first nations people for at least 3,000 years. The story is to be read aloud. For all ages.
http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/books/Children+book+combines+history+beautiful+artwork/8191032/story.html#ixzz2PZUZEb59

NEWS & FEATURES

A recent Supreme Court decision allows importation and resale of foreign editions of American works. Until now, such activity was a violation of copyright. The ruling opens the gates to cheap imports, and authors won't get royalties–the latest example of how the global electronic marketplace depletes authors' income streams, writes Scott Turow.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/opinion/the-slow-death-of-the-american-author.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

The Wall Street Journal notes that it's all about the shifting balance of power, writes Mike Masnick. You accept the tiny advance and crappy book deal offered to you, and the publisher takes control over your work. However, the WSJ recently wrote about how self-published ebook author Hugh Howey wrote the hugely popular "postapocalyptic thriller" Wool. He sold half a million ebook copies, then sold the print and the movie rights. He was able to retain the digital rights to the book for himself.
http://www.techdirt.com/blog/casestudies/articles/20130328/16411922505/successful-self-published-ebook-authors-sells-print-movie-rights-1-million-keeps-digital-rights-to-himself.shtml

George R.R. Martin considers Maurice Druon his hero. With its epic tale of battles and betrayals, The Accursed Kings shows why Druon is France's best historical novelist since Alexandre Dumas.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/05/maurice-druon-george-rr-martin

The remains of poet Pablo Neruda will be removed from his grave as part of an investigation into his death. For decades, it was assumed that Neruda had succumbed to prostate cancer. Neruda's bodyguard/driver has claimed he was murdered by the Pinochet regime.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/07/pablo-neruda-exhumed-murder-investigation

April is the cruelest month, according to one of the most famous poems in the English language. Poet Tracy K. Smith, who teaches creative writing at Princeton, won a Pulitzer Prize for her 2012 collection Life on Mars; she also served as NPR's first NewsPoet. "We all need poetry," Smith says—even hedge fund managers.
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/06/176337714/does-poetry-still-matter-yes-indeed-says-npr-newspoet

Poetry has become sterile, but we can still find realism, humor, and intensity in the satiric impulse, writes David Yezzi, adding that some types of poetry—such as devotional poetry or satire—may still be admired, but they are almost never practiced; no one would dare.
http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/The-bitter-fool-7599

The creation of the world's largest book company has become closer, with European competition regulators giving the green light to the merger of Random House and Penguin. The commission said it had unconditionally cleared the deal because, "the new entity Penguin Random House will continue to face competition from several large and numerous small and medium sized publishers."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/apr/05/penguin-random-house-eu-regulator

The Wall Street Journal reports that Dai Congrong spent eight years translating James Joyce's "Finnegans Wake" into Chinese. Her reward, to her great surprise, was success. Her translation of the first part of the book has become a modest but clear hit in China.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324000704578386381373928300.html

William Dalrymple writes that Wave, Sonali Deraniyagala's memoir about losing her husband and sons in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, is possibly one of the most moving books ever written about grief.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/03/wave-sonali-deraniyagala-review

Novelist and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, known for her work on Merchant Ivory films, including A Room with a View and Heat and Dust, has died 3 April 2013, aged 85.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/03/ruth-prawer-jhabvala

In 2008 Francis King paid tribute to a true artist.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/05/ruth-prawer-jhabvala-novelist-india

The New Yorker has unlocked six of Jhabvala's stories: The Judge's Will, The Teacher, Aphrodisiac, and Innocence, which have all been published recently, along with On Bail, from 1973, and The Interview, from 1957, which was Jhabvala's first story for The New Yorker.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/04/ruth-prawer-jhabvalas-stories.html#ixzz2PVMkkaFc

Scottish author Iain Banks, who made his literary debut in 1984 with The Wasp Factory, is really two authors: he writes bestselling, mainstream, literary fiction as Iain Banks, and award-winning science fiction as Iain M. Banks. Banks has written on his website that he expects his latest novel The Quarry will be his last.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/03/iain-banks-gall-bladder-cancer

Banks is a writer whose faith in humans can embrace the worst of what we're capable of and still refuse to lie down and die, writes Val McDermid. There are three of us (from Fife), says McDermid: Iain Banks, Ian Rankin and me.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/03/iain-banks-my-fife-friend

Casanova's book, Histoire de Ma Vie (Story of My Life), ensures that the man did not vanish into obscurity. The range and detail of Casanova's sexual exploits have been veiled by German puritanism, and "faulty" transcription of his writings. A new book from French publisher Laffont, out in April, aims to reveal Casanova in his full glory.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/mar/30/casanova-man-who-loved-liberty-as-much-as-women

BOOKS & WRITERS

Ursula Buchan's A Green and Pleasant Land: How England's Gardeners Fought the Second World War gives a detailed and engaging account of how wartime Britain dug for victory (Dig for Victory was their slogan). The book is engaging and enlightening, writes Olivia Laing.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/06/green-pleasant-land-buchan-review

Barnaby Martin's Hanging Man: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei is based on illicit interviews, revealing an artist weakened by incarceration, but a figurehead still for China's vital cultural movement. This is a memorable snapshot of the inspiring figures that remain true to their creative ideals in today's China, despite the official repression of originality, writes Isabel Hilton.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/06/hanging-man-weiwei-martin-review

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks about her new novel Americanah, her Nigerian childhood and why she's a hair 'fundamentalist'. In response to Kate Kellaway's question "What is Americanh about?" Ngozi Adichie says, "it's an old-fashioned love story, but also about race. It is about how, when we leave home, we reinvent ourselves. And it is also about hair..."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2013/apr/07/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-americanah-interview

Elizabeth Jane Howard spurned Cecil Day-Lewis, divorced Kingsley Amis and was duped by a conman lover. At 90, she says: 'Writing is what gets me up in the morning'. Her writing reflects her enjoyment of the company of other women, and Howard flourished as a novelist. And now she has written part five of her revered Cazalet series.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/07/elizabeth-jane-howard-novelist-cazalet

COMMUNITY EVENTS

BOOKTOPIA
West Vancouver Children’s Literature Festival, is an annual festival intended to promote literacy, celebrate language arts and cultivate creative thought amongst youth and families. Features Sarah Ellis, Barbara Reid, and Shane Koyczan. For complete details and registration information, visit booktopia.ca.

LITFEST
The 3rd Annual LitFest New West celebrates the literary arts at New Westminster Public Library and Douglas Collage. April 11-13, 2013. More information at artscouncilnewwest.org.

ALIVE AT THE CENTRE ANTHOLOGY LAUNCH
Celebrate the Vancouver launch of Alive at the Centre: An Anthology of Poems from the Pacific NorthWest. The anthology includes poems from three cities: Vancouver, Portland, and Seattle. Poet Laureate Evelyn Lau will open the night and the host is Rob Taylor. Friday, April 12 at 7:00pm, free. Rhizome Cafe (317 E. Broadway).

SUSHI AND SAMOSAS
An afternoon reading with Jacqueline Pearce, author of The Reunion, which tells a story set in a small multicultural town on Vancouver Island during WW II. Saturday, April 13 at 2:00pm. Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 64th Ave. To register, email kogawahouse@yahoo.ca.

FORCE FIELD
Force Field - 77 Women Poets of British Columbia. The first of its kind in thirty-four years, this anthology strongly celebrates women poets, from the emerging, mid-career to the established. Saturday, April 13 at 3:00pm, free. Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye rooms, lower level, Central Branch, 350 W. Georgia St. More information at www.vpl.ca.

NIGHTWOOD POETRY LAUNCH
An evening of readings by local poets Elizabeth Bachinsky (The Hottest Summer in Recorded History), Brad Cran (Ink on Paper) and Jay MillAr (Timely Irreverence). Saturday, April 13 at 8:15pm. Western Front Gallery, 305 8th Ave. E., Vancouver. More information at nightwoodeditions.com.

EVENT'S 2013 NON-FICTION CONTEST
Writers are invited to submit manuscripts exploring the creative non-fiction form. $1500 in prizes available, plus publication. Contest judge Russell Wangersky. Maximum entry length is 5000 words. $34.95 entry fee. April 15, 2013, deadline. Entrants will receive a one-year subscription to EVENT (or extension). Complete contest guidelines can be found at eventmags.com.

NORTH SHORE WRITERS ASSOCIATION
Celebrate National Poetry Month with guest poet/speaker Daniela Elza, author of milk tooth bane bone. Monday, April 15 at 7:00pm. Members free, non-members $5. Potlatch Room, Capilano District Library, 3045 Highland Blvd., North Vancouver. More information at nswiters.org.

JENNIFER NIELSEN
Reading by the author of The False Prince and its sequel The Runaway Frog. Monday, April 15 at 7:00pm at Kidsbooks South Surrey (960 15033-32nd St., Surrey). Also, Tuesday, April 16 at 7:00pm at West Point Grey United Church (4595 8th Ave. W.). Details and ticket purchase at kidsbooks.ca.

PEN-IN-HAND POETRY/PROSE READING SERIES
Features Heidi Greco, Beatriz Hausner, Patricia Young, Patrick Friesen, and Isa Milman. Monday, April 15 at 7:15pm. Serious Coffee, 230 Cook Street, Victoria. More information at 250-590-8010.

SPOKEN INK
Readings by Diane Tucker, Russell Thornton, Bernice Lever and Pam Galloway. Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30pm. Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Studio 104, 6450 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby. More information at burnabywritersnews.blogspot.com.

LUNCH POEMS @ SFU
Readings by Betsy Warland and Mercedes Eng. Wednesday, April 17 at 12 noon, free.Teck Gallery, SFU Harbour Centre, 515 W. Hastings. More information at sfu.ca/publicsquare/lunchpoems.

AN EVENING OF POETRY READING
People's Co-op Bookstore is very proud to present poets Brad Cran (Ink On Paper), Marita Dachsel (Glossolalia), Susan Gillis (The Rapids) and Rob Taylor (The Otherside of Ourselves). Thursday, April 18 at 7:30pm. People's Co-op Bookstore, 1391 Commercial Drive. More information at peoplescoopbookstore.com.

ARTHUR ELLIS AWARDS SHORTLIST
BC members of Crime Writers of Canada will present a lively panel discussion about Canadian crime writing, followed by announcement of nominees for this years Arthur Ellis Awards. Thursday, April 18 at 7:00pm, free. Peter Kaye room, lower level, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia St. More information at www.vpl.ca.

NORTH SHORE WRITERS FESTIVAL
A celebration of Canadian writers featuring Helen Humphreys, Terry Fallis, Evelyn Lau, Sean Cranbury and others. April 19-20, 2013. Lynn Valley branch, North Vancouver District Public Library, 1277 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver. Complete details at northshorewritersfestival.com.

FAN EXPO VANCOUVER
Second annual comicon featuring comic, anime, science fiction, horror and gaming. Authors scheduled to appear include Hiromi Goto, A.M. Dellamonica, Eileen Kernaghan and many more. April 20-21, 2013. Complete details at fanexpovancouver.com.

POEMS FROM PLANET EARTH
Vancouver launch of Poems from Planet Earth anthology with readings by contributors. Saturday, April 20 at 2:00pm. Suggested donation: $5. Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 64th Ave. W., Vancouver.

Upcoming

BOOK LAUNCH
Penticton writer Michelle Barker launches her debut Young Adult fantasy novel "The Beggar King" (Thistledown Press, 2013). Tuesday, April 23 at 6:30pm. The Establishment (3162 West Broadway).

JOHN VAILLANT
An evening of literary discussion, commentary, and slides as John discusses the history, ecology, and political intrigue behind his most recent work The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival. Wednesday, April 24 at 7:00pm, free. Chilliwack Library, 45860 First Avenue, Chilliwack. More information at fvrl.bc.ca.

SUSAN JUBY
Reading by the best-selling author of the internationally popular Alice MacLeod books. Wednesday, April 24 at 7:00pm, free. Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye rooms, lower level, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia Street. More information at vpl.ca.

IAN WEIR
Reading by the author of Daniel O'Thunder from his new novel The Resurrection Man. Thursday, April 25 at 7:00pm, free. Clearbrook Library, 32320 George Ferguson Way, Abbotsford. More information at fvrl.bc.ca.

TWISTED POETS LITERARY SALON
Features YA novelist James McCann and Writers in the Making from Eric Hamber. Thursday, April 25 at 7:00pm. Suggested donation: $5. The Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main Street, Vancouver. More information at pandorascollective.com.

MEET THE AUTHOR: SUSAN JUBY
Susan Juby discusses her novel The Woefield Poultry Collective. Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 PM. Christianne's Lyceum. 3696 W. 8th Ave. $20 (includes refreshments). To reserve your space call 604.733.1356 or email lyceum@christiannehayward.com. More information at www.christiannehayward.com.

DAV PILKEY
Book signing with the bestselling and award-winning author of the Captain Underpants series. Saturday, April 27 at 1:00pm. Chapters Metrotown, 4700 Kingsway, Burnaby. More information at 604-431-0463.

RACHEL HARTMAN
Reading by the author of Seraphina, followed by short musical examples and light refreshments. Saturday, April 27 at 2:00pm, free but register by calling 604-299-8955. McGill branch, Burnaby Public Library, 4595 Albert Street, Burnaby. More information at bpl.bc.ca.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE IN A POST-COLONIAL SOCIETY?
Author Jim McDowell explores the life of missionary Father August Brabant and the dynamics that shaped, and continue to define, the settler-colonial relationship between indigenous peoples and the state in Canada. Thursday, May 2 at 7:00pm, free. Alma VanDusen room, lower level, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia St. More information at vpl.ca.

VANCOUVER ISLAND CHILDREN'S BOOK FESTIVAL
27th annual festival of authors, illustrators, and storytellers from across Canada who present their work, tell stories, and/or show children how they do what they do. Featuring Roch Carrier, Kathy Beliveau, Tololwa Mollel and others. Saturday, May 4, 2013 in Nanaimo. For complete details, visit bookfest.ca.

GLEN HUSER
Award-winning author of The Runaway, Touch of the Clown and Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen will read from his work and take questions from the audience. Saturday, May 4 at 11:15am, free. Kerrisdale branch, 2112 42nd Ave. W. More information at vpl.ca.

RICHARD SCRIMGER
Meet the author of The Nose from Jupiter and Ink Me. Monday, May 6 and Friday, May 10. For times and complete information, visit surreylibraries.ca.

BARBARA REID
Meet the illustrator of The New Baby Calf, Fox Walked Alone, and Picture a Tree. Tuesday, May 7. Semiahmoo Library at 10:00am; Ocean Park Library at 1:30pm. Complete details at surreylibraries.ca.