Book News Vol. 10 No. 22

BOOK NEWS

We're still in the dog days of summer, but did you realize that the Vancouver Writers Fest is only 2 months away? Before you know it, leaves will start to fall, the rain will return (hurray!) and writers from around the world will converge on Granville Island for a week of stimulating discussions, laughter and unforgettable moments.

Curious who will be appearing at the Festival this fall? Each week, we are posting three profiles of Festival authors on our blog, http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/prefaces. Learn some fun facts about these exciting authors, buy their book and then come see them at the Festival!

Help jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi be heard.

In 2013, Raif Badawi received an unjust and life-threatening sentence for setting up a website for peaceful discussion about religion and religious figures. He remains in a Saudi Arabian prison, but thanks to publishers like Vancouver's Greystone Books, which has published a book of his blogs, Badawi's voice is being heard around the world.

Until September 15th, the VWF is raising money to bring Raif's wife Ensaf Haidar to the Festival to read from 1000 Lashes and raise awareness of Raif's plight. You can help bring Ensaf Haidar to the VWF by donating today. Click here, https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/811vgd/ab/e54kg4.

Special Event

Louise Penny in Conversation with Hal Wake

Louise Penny is coming to Vancouver and everyone is talking about it!

Last week, Louise Penny was interviewed by The Vancouver Sun about her upcoming book tour, her thoughts on the future, and why she's happy to stay in the fictional world of Three Pines a little longer. Read it here, http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/books/Mystery+writer+Louise+Penny+mapping+future/11290840/story.html. Also, tune in to hear Penny on CBC's On the Coast this Monday as you eagerly await for 7:30pm and the start of our event with Penny at the Playhouse!

Monday, August 24 at 7:30pm
Vancouver Playhouse
600 Hamilton Street
Tickets still available! Purchase tickets online, http://vancouvertix.artsclub.com/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=13941&type=rentals.
More details here, https://www.writersfest.bc.ca/events/louise-penny

Poetry and Short Story Contest
The 17th Vancouver Writers Fest Poetry and Short Story Contest is now open! Entries will be accepted until October 25th, so get writing or start polishing up your best work. The contest is open to all writers, so this could be the perfect opportunity for you to get published for the first time, kick start your writing career or add to your already impressive resume. First place winners will receive $500 and be published in subTERRAIN Magazine. Details and to enter: http://writersfest.bc.ca/writingcontest

Know a young writer? Tell them about our writing contest for BC grades 8-12 students, http://writersfest.bc.ca/youthwritingcontest.

FESTIVAL

Vancouver Queer Film Festival
The 27th Annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival runs Aug 13-23. For details on the full line-up and tickets, click here, http://queerfilmfestival.ca/tickets/.

AWARDS & LISTS

Zia Haider Rahman has won the James Tait Black award, Britain's oldest literary prize. His first novel, In the Light of What We Know, encompasses issues from "war in Afghanistan to the banking crisis."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/17/james-tait-black-prize-goes-to-zia-haider-rahman-debut-novel

Eight Saskatchewan writers have been shortlisted for the High Plains Book Awards. The awards recognize "titles published the year prior and written by authors from and/or that reflect life on the High Plains," which include the north-central U.S. states as well as the Canadian prairie provinces.
http://www.quillandquire.com/awards/2015/08/18/eight-saskatchewan-writers-shortlisted-for-high-plains-book-awards/

Canadian philosopher and writer Charles Taylor has been awarded the $1.5-million John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity. He shares the prize with Germany's Jürgen Habermas.
http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2569#m29437

YOUNG READERS

Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin, a Swedish behavioral psychologist and linguist, has written a book that "promises to get any child to fall asleep within minutes of reading the story." The book uses psychological techniques to encourage children to sleep.
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/is-this-the-best-book-ever-for-parents/108530

NEWS & FEATURES

Here's a "purr-fect" literary news story: a coast-to-coast profile of Canadian bookstore cats...just in case you needed another reason to visit your local bookstore!
http://www.cbc.ca/books/2015/08/12-purrfect-canadian-bookstore-cats.html

A best-selling, highly accessible modern re-write of Spain's "most revered novel", Don Quixote, has been branded "a crime against literature". The author feels quite differently, however. "What a paradox," he says. "A French, German or English-speaking reader can read it without any problems in translation but Spanish-speaking readers can't understand half of it unless they read it with notes."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/don-quixote-adaptation-sparks-book-row/

Speaking of literary classics, a scholar at the University of Houston is claiming that the nonsense language in Gulliver's Travels is actually based on Hebrew! As it turns out, Jonathan Swift even studied Hebrew at Trinity College Dublin.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/17/gullivers-travels-nonsense-language-is-based-on-hebrew-claims-scholar

Elton John has called Venice's mayor "boorishly bigoted" after instilling an LGBT picture-book ban. Luigi Brugnaro's actions have had picture books about same-sex families removed from schools.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/18/elton-john-protests-venice-ban-on-gay-childrens-books

The Vancouver Public Library is moving into the future! It has implemented six "Inspiration Labs" which are "basically professionally setup studios that can be used to record videos, or allow indie authors to narrate their own audiobooks."
http://goodereader.com/blog/digital-library-news/vancouver-public-library-unveils-new-recording-studios

The situation in Birmingham, England, however, is a bit dire. The city council has apparently "paused" the purchase of new books by the library.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/18/librarians-call-on-birmingham-to-maintain-library-services

BOOKS & WRITERS

An "overdue collection of stories" by Lucia Berlin has been published. Called A Manual for Cleaning Women, it's a "soul-baring" set of stories that delves deep into Raymond Carver territory.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/19/books/review-a-manual-for-cleaning-women-lucia-berlins-soul-baring-stories.html

David Mitchell "believes he has created his own version of Middle Earth for all his future books." He discusses this new world, writing in the female voice, genre-jumping and more in this interview with The Guardian.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/17/david-mitchell-i-have-created-my-own-middle-earth

The book trailer for Patrick deWitt's Undermajordomo Minor has been released. Check it out here:
http://www.quillandquire.com/book-news/2015/08/18/book-trailer-for-patrick-dewitts-undermajordomo-minor-released/

Camilla Gibb's new memoir, This is Happy, "brims with raw emotion." The Globe and Mail has called it "one of the most exquisite, agonizing and, above all, uplifting books of the year."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/camilla-gibbs-raw-memoir-is-agonizing-and-uplifting/article25968856/

Colm Toibin recently called Clarice Lispector "one of the hidden geniuses of the 20th century." Long dead, she's only now being discovered by the English-speaking world. The Complete Stories meticulously tracks Lispector's career "from start to finish, in all its multiple, disquieting manifestations."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/12/books/review-clarice-lispectors-the-complete-stories-sees-life-with-existential-dread.html

COMMUNITY EVENTS

ROBERT WIERSEMA
The author of Black Feathers will read from his book, answer questions and sign. Saturday, August 22 at 7:00pm. Book Warehouse Main Street, Vancouver. More information at 604-879-7737.

PLAY ON WORDS
The Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) Central Branch is hosting the 2nd annual two day celebration of literary arts in all its diverse forms. August 28 at 12:00pm. Central Courtyard, Greater Victoria Public Library. More information at gvpl.ca.

WORLD POETRY VANCOUVER
Presents Embracing Interconnectivity: Nature & the World. Hosts Wanda Kehewin and Elaine Woo. Features local writers Anita Aguirre-Nieveras, Christine Leclerc, Grace Woo, Isaac Yuen, Jonina Kirton, Joanne Arnott, Nasreen Pejvak, Synne Kune Loh and Rita Wong. September 5, 2015, 1-3 pm. Britannia Branch, VPL, 1661 Napier St., Vancouver, V5L 4X4.

TWISTED POETS LITERARY SALON
Features Russell Thornton & Elena Johnson + Open Mic. Thursday, September 10th, 7–9:30pm, at The Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main Street, Vancouver. Sign up for open mic at 7 pm. Suggested donation at the door: $5. Twisted Poets runs the 2nd Wednesday and the 4th Thursday of the month. More information at www.pandorascollective.com.

W. JAMES DICKINSON
Local author will read from his book Raptor Night. Friday, September 11 at 4:00pm, free. Salt Spring Island Public Library, Salt Spring Island. More information at saltspring.bc.libraries.coop.

DEAD POETS READING SERIES
Five poets/poetry-lovers/readers/writers bring to life the works of their favourite deceased poets. Each reader will give a brief presentation on the life and work of their chosen poet, followed by a poetry reading. Sunday, September 13 at 3:00pm. Central Branch, VPL, 350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver. More information at deadpoetslive.com.

Upcoming

THE HISTORY OF WOMEN IN THE RCMP
Historian and former RCMP officer, Bonnie Reilly Schmidt, launches her new book, Silenced: The Untold Story of the Fight for Equality in the RCMP. Tuesday, September 15 at 7:00pm. Book Warehouse on Main Street, 4118 Main ST. More information andrea@caitlin-press.com.

SPOKEN INK READING SERIES
Features poets Bren Simmers and Raoul Fernandes. Tuesday, September 15 at 8:00pm. La Fontana Caffe, 101-3701 East Hastings Street, Burnaby. More information at harbourpublishing.com.

NOVEL NIGHTS
Raziel Reid discusses his novel When Everything Feels Like The Movies. Wednesday, September 16 at 7:00pm. Book Warehouse, 4118 Main Street. More information at 604-879-7737.

KOOTENAY BOOKWEEKEND
The Kootenay Bookweekend will be hosting passionate page-tuners reading and discussing The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King, Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt, Local Customs by Audrey Thomas and our guest author, Arno Kopecky's book The Oil Man and the Sea. September 18-20, 2015 in Nelson, BC. Registration forms and information at kootenaybookweekend.ca.

EUROPEAN BOOK CLUB
Presents My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. Moderated by Dr. Elisa Segnini. Saturday, September 19 at 3:00pm, free but register at eubookclub.vancouver@gmail.com. Kitsilano Branch, VPL. More information at alliancefrancaise.ca.

COMPLETELY MIXED UP
A display of creativity exploring what it means to be of mixed Asian-North American Heritage. Monday, September 21 at 7:00pm. Central Branch, VPL, 350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver. More information at vpl.ca.

WORD VANCOUVER
Featuring books and authors with free exhibits, performances, and hands-on activities for a wide range of ages and interests. September 23-27, 2015. Various locations. For complete details, visit wordvancouver.ca.

AUTHORS UNBOUND UNINTERRUPTED
An evening of entertainment and inspiration provided by six local People of the Page: Mauro Azzano, Margo Bates, Kempton Dexter, Pattry Emry, Ron Kearse and Lillja Valis. Monday, September 28 at 7:00pm. Central Branch, VPL, 350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver. More information at vpl.ca.