BOOK NEWS
Happy Holidays from everyone at the Vancouver Writers Fest! Thank you for helping us make 2015 a great year.
Coming up in the new year: the return of Incite! The first Incite event for 2016 will take place at the VPL Central Branch at 7:30pm, Wednesday January 20 and will feature novelists Andrew Battershill, Pauline Holdstock and Billie Livingston. This event is free, but we appreciate it if you let us know
you'll be attending in advance, click here: http://vanwritersfest.formstack.com/forms/incite.
Please note that the VWF office will be closed from December 19-January 3rd.
AWARDS & LISTS
The long list for the RBC Taylor Prize has been released. The award is Canada's most prestigious non-fiction prize.
http://www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca/2015/longlist_15.asp
Poet Sarah Howe has been awarded the Sunday Times/Peters Fraser and Dunlop Young Writer of the Year award. She won for Loop of Jade, a "'luminous' first collection of poetry exploring her dual English and Chinese heritage."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/11/poet-sarah-howe-named-young-writer-of-the-year
YOUNG READERS
It's almost Christmas! Here are three holiday picture books sure to get the little kid in your life excited.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-reviews/review-holiday-picture-books-from-rubin-pingk-linda-ashman-and-john-hughes/article27713705/
NEWS & FEATURES
What were the Obama family's favourite books of 2015? The president selected Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies as his "pick of the year," while the first lady chose Elizabeth Alexander's The Light of the World.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/10/obama-favourite-book-of-2015-lauren-groff-fates-and-furies
Books are getting longer. According to a recent survey which "looked at 2,500 books from the New York Times best seller list and Google's annual surveys, the average book length has increased by 25 percent, from 320 pages in 1999 to 400 pages in 2014."
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/10/survey-confirms-books-are-getting-longer
Publishing in Iceland is "a national sport!" According to a study conducted by Bifröst University in 2013, 50% of Icelanders read "at least 8 books per year, while an impressive 93% of them read at least one. What is more, according to BBC Magazine, one in ten Icelanders will publish a book in their life!"
http://2seasagency.com/publishing-iceland-reading-national-sport/
Audiobooks are gaining on print books, and in many cases, outselling them. "Audiobooks racked up $1.5 billion in sales last year and remain the fastest-growing segment of the book publishing industry, according to the Audio Publishers Association, but text is still king."
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-some-audiobooks-sell-four-times-as-well-as-their-print-versions-2015-12-08
A saucy diary entry by William Shakespeare is set to go on display at the British Library. Never before seen in public, it details a tryst the playwright had with a fan (and how he became the talk of the town because of it.)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12031757/William-Shakespeares-tryst-with-a-female-fan.html
"If you believe writing a really good book requires joining the insular literati cliques of Melbourne, Tokyo, Brooklyn and Hackney, think again." Apparently literati cities are "just the spot for networking, less so for writing a great novel."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/australia-books-blog/2015/dec/14/literati-cities-just-the-spot-for-networking-less-so-for-writing-a-great-novel
BOOKS & WRITERS
Are you looking for help with your holiday shopping? The Globe and Mail's Books editor, Mark Medley's "comprehensive (and handy!) gift guide will help you find the perfect present for every reader on your list."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/holiday-guide/gift-guides-shopping/globe-books-2015-giftguide/article27723500/
San Francisco's City Lights Bookstore has also released its list of favourite books. More information about each book can be found by clicking on its title.
http://lithub.com/favorite-books-of-the-year-city-lights/
There's at least one kind of narrative that Simon Winchester avoids. "Sensible people tell me I should like stories with zombies, but try as I might, I don't." Winchester is interviewed here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/books/review/simon-winchester-by-the-book.html
An "absorbing" new biography of John le Carré has been released. Called John le Carré: The Biography, the book "creates an insightful and highly readable portrait of a writer and a man who has often been as elusive and enigmatic as his fictional heroes."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/books/review-adam-sismans-john-le-carre-the-biography.html?ref=books
In their "spry, friendly memoir" Mountain City Girls, Anna and Jane McGarrigle examine one of Canada's great musical families (their own!). "Mountain City Girls is unique in that we are 315 pages into a 321-page book before we even read about Warner Brothers signing Kate and Anna in 1975. It's all lead-up and context to what should be considered a national treasure of song."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-reviews/review-the-mcgarrigle-sisters-look-back-on-their-careers-in-mountain-city-girls/article27713592/
Anne-Marie Turza's poem, The Visitor, has been featured in the most recent edition of The Globe and Mail's "Globe Poetry." Her first book, The Quiet, was published last year.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/globe-poetry-the-visitor-by-anne-marie-turza/article27609008/
COMMUNITY EVENTS
TALES FOR A WINTER NIGHT
Featuring Philomena Jordan, Mia Zhou, Rita Taylor, Chen Ha, and Ann Linton. Sunday, December 20 at 7:00pm. Cost: $7. St. Mark's Church, 1805 Larch, Vancouver.
YOUTH POETRY SLAM
Featuring Seattle's Maya Hersh. Monday, December 28 at 8:00pm. Cost: $4-$10. Cafe Deux Soleils, 2096 Commercial, Vancouver.
WORLD POETRY READING SERIES
Featuring multicultural and multilingual poets, writers, and musicians. Saturday, January 2 at 1:00pm, free. Britannia branch, VPL, 1661 Napier St. More information at 604-665-2222.
TWS READING SERIES
Featuring Charlotte Lawson, Cullene Bryant, Carmy Stubbs, Andrew Battershill, Katherine Wagner, Kendall Anne Dixon, and Wayde Compton. Thursday, January 7 at 8:00pm. Admission by donation. Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main St., Vancouver.
DEAD POETS READING SERIES
Five poets/poetry-lovers/readers/writers bring to life the works of their favourite deceased poets. Saturday, January 10 at 3:00pm, free. Central branch, VPL, 350 W. Georgia St. More information at 604-331-3603.
SALON SPEAKER SERIES
Featuring JJ Lee discussing his critically acclaimed memoir The Measure of a Man. Friday, January 22 at 7:00pm. Cost: $5. Place des Arts, 1120 Brunette Ave., Coquitlam.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Book News Vol. 10 No. 37
BOOK NEWS
2015 was a great year for the Writers Fest, but we believe 2016 can be even better. Help us make that happen by donating today. We have several ways to give:
Join us at our 2016 A Dram Come True Fundraiser! Tickets for the event are available on our website (writersfest.bc.ca/events/dram-come-true) and make a great gift. If you'd like to receive a gift voucher for the tickets, purchase before December 17 and send an email to aspence@writersfest.bc.ca with your mailing address and number of gift tickets.
Make a one-time donation through our website. Donors receive special benefits such as two-for-one deals on VWF special event tickets, an invitation to our Opening Reception and more. For more details and to donate, click here http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/donate.
We also offer a convenient monthly giving option! Choose the amount you want to give per month and let us handle the rest. To become a monthly donor, click here, https://www.writersfest.bc.ca/secure/secure_donation.php.
AWARDS & LISTS
Michael Crummey has been named the first of three recipients of the Writers' Trust of Canada's new writing fellowship. The $50,000 prize was launched in order to celebrate the nation's 150th anniversary.
http://www.quillandquire.com/authors/2015/11/26/michael-crummy-awarded-inaugural-writers-trust-fellowship/
What were the best children's and YA books of the year? Here's a list, selected by the children's books editor of The New York Times Book Review.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/books/review/notable-childrens-books-of-2015.html
The shortlist has been announced for B.C.'s National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. Two biographies and two memoirs were shortlisted. "The biographies recount the lives of Stephen Harper and the daughter of Josef Stalin, while the two memoirs deal with albinism, and climate change and Inuit culture."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/shortlist-announced-for-bcs-national-award-for-canadian-non-fiction/article27655228/
YOUNG READERS
The holiday season has officially begun! Hanukkah's already underway, and Christmas is just around the corner. Here are some holiday tales for the youngster in your life.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/04/books/review/04bookshelf-holiday.html
NEWS & FEATURES
It's official...English isn't normal! "No, English isn't uniquely vibrant or mighty or adaptable. But it really is weirder than pretty much every other language."
https://aeon.co/essays/why-is-english-so-weirdly-different-from-other-languages
The Swedish Women's Lobby, along with publisher Albert Bonniers, has announced that they will be distributing Chimamamda Ngozi Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists to every 16-year-old in the country. "Our hope is that the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie text will open up a conversation about gender and gender roles, starting from young people's own experiences."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/04/every-16-year-old-in-sweden-to-receive-copy-of-we-should-all-be-feminists
Do you enjoy "the unmistakable essence of old paperbacks?" Then you might enjoy this perfume that's "sweet and lovely, with just a touch of the mustiness of aged paper."
http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/shortcuts/2015/nov/25/old-spines-why-love-smell-of-secondhand-books-perfume
What are the best books, new or old, that you read this year? In a special year-end edition of the New York Times' Bookends, sixteen columnists share their favorite reading experience of 2015.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/books/review/whats-the-best-book-new-or-old-you-read-this-year.html
The Globe and Mail has produced a similar piece, with a slightly Canadian bent, of course. Stacey May Fowles, Pasha Malla and John Semley look back on their favourite reading of 2015, here:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/my-year-in-reading-stacey-may-fowles-pasha-malla-and-john-semley-look-back-on-2015/article27601508/
Penguin is slashing jobs, blaming the losses on the rise of ebooks. "Ebooks now make up 25% of the market, just eight years after the launch of the Kindle in 2007."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/07/rise-ebooks-blamed-200-job-losses-penguin
Speaking of ebooks, Kobo has revealed that its ten bestselling authors of 2015 have all been women. It's an interesting development "in a year where female writers have struggled to find review space and where the publishing industry has been slammed for its 'gender bias.'"
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/07/kobos-top-10-authors-of-2015-are-all-women
What do authors really think of publishers? At the beginning of March, Jane Friedman and Harry Bingham launched "the English-speaking world's most comprehensive survey of what authors think of the firms that publish them." Here are the results.
http://agenthunter.co.uk/blog/363/
BOOKS & WRITERS
This week, The Vancouver Sun's Book Club looks at Wab Kinew's new book, The Reason You Walk. The book follows the story of Kinew and his father, "a residential school survivor who died from cancer a few years ago." http://www.vancouversun.com/news/book+club+many+indigenous+voices+ringing/11566425/story.html#ixzz3tnE9WwYC
Patrick Modiano won the Nobel Prize last year, and now a slew of his works have finally been released in English. "A sense of vaguely threatening mystery attaches to every one of the characters in Modiano's writings," with many of his books relating to the German occupation and life in post-war France.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/books/review/the-occupation-trilogy-and-more-by-patrick-modiano.html
In The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606, James Shapiro sorts through "the information that has emerged from old libraries and dusty archives in the last 50 years, and then he consolidates it and brings it alive in a smooth, lively and conversational style." It's an "irresistible" story, a "banquet of wisdom about the small and dramatic world that a 42-year-old playwright is living in."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/books/review/the-year-of-lear-shakespeare-in-1606-by-james-shapiro.html
According to a recent Statistics Canada survey, "only 16 per cent of Canadians can successfully name the beaver as our country's national animal." Frances Backhouse's Once They Were Hats might help spread beaver knowledge. It's a "fascinating and smartly written" book that "adopts the narrative strategy of previous single-subject books on salt, sugar, coffee, cod and so on."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-reviews/review-frances-backhouse-sinks-her-teeth-into-canadas-national-animal-in-the-fascinating-and-smartly-written-once-they-were-hats/article27507847/
Gordon Lish is a "legendary" editor who has worked closely with "many of the most daring writers of the past 50 years, including Raymond Carver, Don DeLillo, Barry Hannah and Joy Williams." In this interview, which will appear in full in the Winter 2015 edition of the Paris Review, he discusses his relationship with Carver, being an editor, not being a writer, and more.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/05/gordon-lish-books-interview-editing-raymond-carver
What are some gift ideas for "literary locavores?" Here's the Georgia Straight's take on the matter, including several mini reviews. "Your holiday food and drink menus are likely full of local ingredients—so why not your holiday reading list too?"
http://www.straight.com/life/590056/gift-ideas-literary-locavores-your-list
The Vancouver Sun has compiled a similar list, with less of a focus on all things "local". The reviews are still there, though!
http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/books/stick+good+read+under+tree/11566385/story.html
COMMUNITY EVENTS
TWISTED POETS LITERARY SALON
Annual Christmas Fundraiser for Children in Need, with music by Patsy Thompson and readings from The Revolving City Anthology (Anvil Press, 2015). Thursday, December 10th, 7-9:30pm, at The Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main Street.
Cash donations accepted at the door. More information: blnish_pandoras@yahoo.ca.
SPOKEN INK
Featuring poets Bren Simmers and Raoul Fernandes. Thursday, December 10 at 8:00pm. Wings Pub & Grill, 6879 Kingsway, Burnaby.
LUNCH POEMS AT SFU
Featuring Chris Turnbull and Roger Farr. Wednesday, December 16 at 12:00 noon. Teck Gallery, SFU Vancouver, Harbour Centre, 515 W. Hastings St., Vancouver. More information at 778-782-6930.
2015 was a great year for the Writers Fest, but we believe 2016 can be even better. Help us make that happen by donating today. We have several ways to give:
Join us at our 2016 A Dram Come True Fundraiser! Tickets for the event are available on our website (writersfest.bc.ca/events/dram-come-true) and make a great gift. If you'd like to receive a gift voucher for the tickets, purchase before December 17 and send an email to aspence@writersfest.bc.ca with your mailing address and number of gift tickets.
Make a one-time donation through our website. Donors receive special benefits such as two-for-one deals on VWF special event tickets, an invitation to our Opening Reception and more. For more details and to donate, click here http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/donate.
We also offer a convenient monthly giving option! Choose the amount you want to give per month and let us handle the rest. To become a monthly donor, click here, https://www.writersfest.bc.ca/secure/secure_donation.php.
AWARDS & LISTS
Michael Crummey has been named the first of three recipients of the Writers' Trust of Canada's new writing fellowship. The $50,000 prize was launched in order to celebrate the nation's 150th anniversary.
http://www.quillandquire.com/authors/2015/11/26/michael-crummy-awarded-inaugural-writers-trust-fellowship/
What were the best children's and YA books of the year? Here's a list, selected by the children's books editor of The New York Times Book Review.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/books/review/notable-childrens-books-of-2015.html
The shortlist has been announced for B.C.'s National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. Two biographies and two memoirs were shortlisted. "The biographies recount the lives of Stephen Harper and the daughter of Josef Stalin, while the two memoirs deal with albinism, and climate change and Inuit culture."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/shortlist-announced-for-bcs-national-award-for-canadian-non-fiction/article27655228/
YOUNG READERS
The holiday season has officially begun! Hanukkah's already underway, and Christmas is just around the corner. Here are some holiday tales for the youngster in your life.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/04/books/review/04bookshelf-holiday.html
NEWS & FEATURES
It's official...English isn't normal! "No, English isn't uniquely vibrant or mighty or adaptable. But it really is weirder than pretty much every other language."
https://aeon.co/essays/why-is-english-so-weirdly-different-from-other-languages
The Swedish Women's Lobby, along with publisher Albert Bonniers, has announced that they will be distributing Chimamamda Ngozi Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists to every 16-year-old in the country. "Our hope is that the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie text will open up a conversation about gender and gender roles, starting from young people's own experiences."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/04/every-16-year-old-in-sweden-to-receive-copy-of-we-should-all-be-feminists
Do you enjoy "the unmistakable essence of old paperbacks?" Then you might enjoy this perfume that's "sweet and lovely, with just a touch of the mustiness of aged paper."
http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/shortcuts/2015/nov/25/old-spines-why-love-smell-of-secondhand-books-perfume
What are the best books, new or old, that you read this year? In a special year-end edition of the New York Times' Bookends, sixteen columnists share their favorite reading experience of 2015.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/books/review/whats-the-best-book-new-or-old-you-read-this-year.html
The Globe and Mail has produced a similar piece, with a slightly Canadian bent, of course. Stacey May Fowles, Pasha Malla and John Semley look back on their favourite reading of 2015, here:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/my-year-in-reading-stacey-may-fowles-pasha-malla-and-john-semley-look-back-on-2015/article27601508/
Penguin is slashing jobs, blaming the losses on the rise of ebooks. "Ebooks now make up 25% of the market, just eight years after the launch of the Kindle in 2007."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/07/rise-ebooks-blamed-200-job-losses-penguin
Speaking of ebooks, Kobo has revealed that its ten bestselling authors of 2015 have all been women. It's an interesting development "in a year where female writers have struggled to find review space and where the publishing industry has been slammed for its 'gender bias.'"
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/07/kobos-top-10-authors-of-2015-are-all-women
What do authors really think of publishers? At the beginning of March, Jane Friedman and Harry Bingham launched "the English-speaking world's most comprehensive survey of what authors think of the firms that publish them." Here are the results.
http://agenthunter.co.uk/blog/363/
BOOKS & WRITERS
This week, The Vancouver Sun's Book Club looks at Wab Kinew's new book, The Reason You Walk. The book follows the story of Kinew and his father, "a residential school survivor who died from cancer a few years ago." http://www.vancouversun.com/news/book+club+many+indigenous+voices+ringing/11566425/story.html#ixzz3tnE9WwYC
Patrick Modiano won the Nobel Prize last year, and now a slew of his works have finally been released in English. "A sense of vaguely threatening mystery attaches to every one of the characters in Modiano's writings," with many of his books relating to the German occupation and life in post-war France.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/books/review/the-occupation-trilogy-and-more-by-patrick-modiano.html
In The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606, James Shapiro sorts through "the information that has emerged from old libraries and dusty archives in the last 50 years, and then he consolidates it and brings it alive in a smooth, lively and conversational style." It's an "irresistible" story, a "banquet of wisdom about the small and dramatic world that a 42-year-old playwright is living in."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/books/review/the-year-of-lear-shakespeare-in-1606-by-james-shapiro.html
According to a recent Statistics Canada survey, "only 16 per cent of Canadians can successfully name the beaver as our country's national animal." Frances Backhouse's Once They Were Hats might help spread beaver knowledge. It's a "fascinating and smartly written" book that "adopts the narrative strategy of previous single-subject books on salt, sugar, coffee, cod and so on."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-reviews/review-frances-backhouse-sinks-her-teeth-into-canadas-national-animal-in-the-fascinating-and-smartly-written-once-they-were-hats/article27507847/
Gordon Lish is a "legendary" editor who has worked closely with "many of the most daring writers of the past 50 years, including Raymond Carver, Don DeLillo, Barry Hannah and Joy Williams." In this interview, which will appear in full in the Winter 2015 edition of the Paris Review, he discusses his relationship with Carver, being an editor, not being a writer, and more.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/05/gordon-lish-books-interview-editing-raymond-carver
What are some gift ideas for "literary locavores?" Here's the Georgia Straight's take on the matter, including several mini reviews. "Your holiday food and drink menus are likely full of local ingredients—so why not your holiday reading list too?"
http://www.straight.com/life/590056/gift-ideas-literary-locavores-your-list
The Vancouver Sun has compiled a similar list, with less of a focus on all things "local". The reviews are still there, though!
http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/books/stick+good+read+under+tree/11566385/story.html
COMMUNITY EVENTS
TWISTED POETS LITERARY SALON
Annual Christmas Fundraiser for Children in Need, with music by Patsy Thompson and readings from The Revolving City Anthology (Anvil Press, 2015). Thursday, December 10th, 7-9:30pm, at The Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main Street.
Cash donations accepted at the door. More information: blnish_pandoras@yahoo.ca.
SPOKEN INK
Featuring poets Bren Simmers and Raoul Fernandes. Thursday, December 10 at 8:00pm. Wings Pub & Grill, 6879 Kingsway, Burnaby.
LUNCH POEMS AT SFU
Featuring Chris Turnbull and Roger Farr. Wednesday, December 16 at 12:00 noon. Teck Gallery, SFU Vancouver, Harbour Centre, 515 W. Hastings St., Vancouver. More information at 778-782-6930.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Book News Vol. 10 No. 36
BOOK NEWS
Avoid the crowds at the mall by doing your holiday shopping at writersfest.bc.ca! We've got gifts for everyone on your list.
Got a scotch lover in the family? A ticket to the 2016 A Dram Come True fundraiser makes a great gift. Earlybird tickets are on sale now, http://writersfest.bc.ca/events/dram-come-true.
Introduce a friend to the Festival or treat a long-time festival goer by purchasing them a VWF gift certificate! Certificates can be used towards the purchase of tickets for the 2016 Festival. To purchase, please call 604-681-6330 ext. 0.
Finally, honour the altruist in the family by making a donation to the VWF, http://writersfest.bc.ca/donate in their name! Your donation will help us present the world's best authors in year-round events.
AWARDS & LISTS
What were the best books of 2015? Here's part one of The Guardian's list.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2015/nov/28/best-books-of-2015-part-one
How about the most overlooked books of the year? In this piece, Slate Book Review critics recommend "27 books you'd probably love if only you knew about them."
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2015/11/underrated_books_of_2015_overlooked_novels_collections_and_nonfiction_of.html
The New York Times has an end-of-year list too! Here's their take on the "100 Notable Books of 2015."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/books/review/100-notable-books-of-2015.html
YOUNG READERS
The King and The Sea is a "more elliptical version" of The Little Prince. It's comprised of a series of very short tales about a king "who has much to learn", and is "the kind of unexpectedly profound picture book that often prompts people to say, ‘That's more for adults than for kids.'"
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/books/review/its-sort-of-good-to-be-the-king.html
NEWS & FEATURES
Here's book curation gone to the extreme. "If making choices isn't your forte, you'll find that the perfect bookstore for you is located in Ginza, Tokyo. Morioka Shoten & Co. Ginza Branch is a store that stocks multiple copies of just one book per week."
http://www.cbc.ca/books/2015/11/this-japanese-bookstore-stocks-just-one-book-per-week.html
Greek New Testament papyrus has been discovered on eBay. The fragment is believed to contain lines from the Gospel of John, dating from A.D. 250 to A.D. 350.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/21/books/greek-new-testament-papyrus-is-discovered-on-ebay.html
In order to encourage reading, Brazil's biggest pocket book publisher is selling a line of classic literature that also doubles as subway tickets. Unlike other similar projects, which have been short lived, São Paulo's Ticket Books project has been so successful it is becoming permanent and has even expanded to other major Brazilian cities.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brazil-subway-reading-means-ticket-ride-180957393/#DiIRBEEsdLL4OIgE.99
What's it like running a bookstore in Islamabad? Here's an incredible story of the family that built "one of the biggest bookstores in the world, mostly selling books in English, in a country where that is a second language for most people."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/world/asia/a-storied-bookstore-and-its-late-oracle-leave-imprint-on-islamabad.html
Is it still possible to be a public intellectual? In this week's edition of the New York Times' Bookends, Pankaj Mishra and Alice Gregory discuss "the fate of the public intellectual in an age of specialization."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/books/review/is-it-still-possible-to-be-a-public-intellectual.html
BOOKS & WRITERS
Which three writers would Margaret Atwood invite to dinner? She answers that question, and more, in this interview with The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/books/review/margaret-atwood-by-the-book.html
In his "moving" memoir, Men of Action, Toronto writer Howard Akler explores his father's death. Even more specifically, the book is about "patrimony and the connection between fathers and sons" as well as "never being able to truly know a person you love."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-reviews/review-howard-akler-explores-his-fathers-death-in-his-moving-memoir-men-of-action/article27390621/
Straight Up, by Owen Gallagher, is "a playful and euphemistic poem about masculinity and the festering, phallic fear of sexual inadequacy." It's also the Guardian's poem of the week! Read it here:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/nov/30/poem-of-the-week-straight-up-by-owen-gallagher
Both Jess Taylor's Pauls and Anthony Marra's The Tsar of Love and Techno are both linked short story collections. They "fall into a fairly established tradition, especially in Canada, where they trace their lineage back through Alice Munro's Who Do You Think You Are?"
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-reviews/review-anthony-marras-the-tsar-of-love-and-techno-and-jess-taylors-pauls-continue-the-tradition-of-linked-short-story-collections/article27390699/
Jeannette Winterson and Marlon James grew up worlds apart, and yet they're mutual admirers. In Winterson's words: "It's so nice to meet someone you know you can talk to." They interview each other here:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/28/conversation-jeanette-winterson-marlon-james-interview
Here's an unlikely bestseller: a book about felling, chopping and burning trees. Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way "captures the romance of the great outdoors, the nobility of the honest graft of wood chopping, and our close relationship with trees"...as well as being a "step-by-step guide to preparing your wood store."
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/how-a-book-about-norwegian-wood-has-become-a-global-hit-a6747431.html
COMMUNITY EVENTS
SFU WRITER'S STUDIO READING SERIES
The Writer's Studio at SFU presents Rachel Rose, Poet Laureate of the City of Vancouver. Thursday, Dec. 3 at 8:00 p.m. Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main Street, Vancouver.
CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA
Crime writers Cathy Ace. Allan J. Emerson and Don Hauka will do readings from their work, and answer questions about their experiences finding agents and publishers, online resources for writers, local writing groups, and writers' conventions. Thursday, December 3 at 7:00pm. Poirier branch, Coquitlam Public Library. More information at coqlibrary.ca.
NEW POETRY AND FICTION
Featuring Sandy Shreve, Kate Braid, Marilyn Bowering and Kath Curran. Monday, December 7 at 1:00pm. Talisman Books, 4605 Bedwell Harbour Road.
READ ME A STORY EXHIBITION
A multicultural showcase of 1,200 folktales and fairy tales from 120 countries. December 8-16, 2015, free. Roundhouse Community Centre, 183 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver. For complete details, visit readmeastory.ca.
STORY SLAM CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
Featuring Alexis Sugden, Emma Cooper, Jo Dworschak, John Cullen, Johnny Scoop, Mark Hughes, Marylee Stephenson, Ruth Wadge, Shlomo McPeake and Steve Elliott. Tuesday, December 8 at 8:00pm. Tickets: $10. Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main St., Vancouver.
BERNADETTE CALONEGO
Author reads from her latest thriller Under Dark Waters. Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00pm, free. Central branch, VPL, 350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver. More information at vpl.ca.
VANCOUVER ISLAND WRITERS EVENT
Featuring Joy Guegler, Frank Moher, Jay Ruzesky, Sarah Segal, Robert Weirsema, and host Kathy Page. Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00pm, free. Library program room, Salt Spring Island Public Library. More information at 250-537-4666.
TWISTED POETS LITERARY SALON
Annual Christmas Fundraiser for Children in Need, with music by Patsy Thompson and readings from The Revolving City Anthology (Anvil Press, 2015). Thursday, December 10th, 7-9:30pm, at The Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main Street.
Cash donations accepted at the door. More information: blnish_pandoras@yahoo.ca.
Upcoming
LUNCH POEMS AT SFU
Featuring Chris Turnbull and Roger Farr. Wednesday, December 16 at 12:00 noon. Teck Gallery, SFU Vancouver, Harbour Centre, 515 W. Hastings St., Vancouver. More information at 778-782-6930.
Avoid the crowds at the mall by doing your holiday shopping at writersfest.bc.ca! We've got gifts for everyone on your list.
Got a scotch lover in the family? A ticket to the 2016 A Dram Come True fundraiser makes a great gift. Earlybird tickets are on sale now, http://writersfest.bc.ca/events/dram-come-true.
Introduce a friend to the Festival or treat a long-time festival goer by purchasing them a VWF gift certificate! Certificates can be used towards the purchase of tickets for the 2016 Festival. To purchase, please call 604-681-6330 ext. 0.
Finally, honour the altruist in the family by making a donation to the VWF, http://writersfest.bc.ca/donate in their name! Your donation will help us present the world's best authors in year-round events.
AWARDS & LISTS
What were the best books of 2015? Here's part one of The Guardian's list.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2015/nov/28/best-books-of-2015-part-one
How about the most overlooked books of the year? In this piece, Slate Book Review critics recommend "27 books you'd probably love if only you knew about them."
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2015/11/underrated_books_of_2015_overlooked_novels_collections_and_nonfiction_of.html
The New York Times has an end-of-year list too! Here's their take on the "100 Notable Books of 2015."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/books/review/100-notable-books-of-2015.html
YOUNG READERS
The King and The Sea is a "more elliptical version" of The Little Prince. It's comprised of a series of very short tales about a king "who has much to learn", and is "the kind of unexpectedly profound picture book that often prompts people to say, ‘That's more for adults than for kids.'"
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/books/review/its-sort-of-good-to-be-the-king.html
NEWS & FEATURES
Here's book curation gone to the extreme. "If making choices isn't your forte, you'll find that the perfect bookstore for you is located in Ginza, Tokyo. Morioka Shoten & Co. Ginza Branch is a store that stocks multiple copies of just one book per week."
http://www.cbc.ca/books/2015/11/this-japanese-bookstore-stocks-just-one-book-per-week.html
Greek New Testament papyrus has been discovered on eBay. The fragment is believed to contain lines from the Gospel of John, dating from A.D. 250 to A.D. 350.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/21/books/greek-new-testament-papyrus-is-discovered-on-ebay.html
In order to encourage reading, Brazil's biggest pocket book publisher is selling a line of classic literature that also doubles as subway tickets. Unlike other similar projects, which have been short lived, São Paulo's Ticket Books project has been so successful it is becoming permanent and has even expanded to other major Brazilian cities.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brazil-subway-reading-means-ticket-ride-180957393/#DiIRBEEsdLL4OIgE.99
What's it like running a bookstore in Islamabad? Here's an incredible story of the family that built "one of the biggest bookstores in the world, mostly selling books in English, in a country where that is a second language for most people."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/world/asia/a-storied-bookstore-and-its-late-oracle-leave-imprint-on-islamabad.html
Is it still possible to be a public intellectual? In this week's edition of the New York Times' Bookends, Pankaj Mishra and Alice Gregory discuss "the fate of the public intellectual in an age of specialization."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/books/review/is-it-still-possible-to-be-a-public-intellectual.html
BOOKS & WRITERS
Which three writers would Margaret Atwood invite to dinner? She answers that question, and more, in this interview with The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/books/review/margaret-atwood-by-the-book.html
In his "moving" memoir, Men of Action, Toronto writer Howard Akler explores his father's death. Even more specifically, the book is about "patrimony and the connection between fathers and sons" as well as "never being able to truly know a person you love."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-reviews/review-howard-akler-explores-his-fathers-death-in-his-moving-memoir-men-of-action/article27390621/
Straight Up, by Owen Gallagher, is "a playful and euphemistic poem about masculinity and the festering, phallic fear of sexual inadequacy." It's also the Guardian's poem of the week! Read it here:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/nov/30/poem-of-the-week-straight-up-by-owen-gallagher
Both Jess Taylor's Pauls and Anthony Marra's The Tsar of Love and Techno are both linked short story collections. They "fall into a fairly established tradition, especially in Canada, where they trace their lineage back through Alice Munro's Who Do You Think You Are?"
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/book-reviews/review-anthony-marras-the-tsar-of-love-and-techno-and-jess-taylors-pauls-continue-the-tradition-of-linked-short-story-collections/article27390699/
Jeannette Winterson and Marlon James grew up worlds apart, and yet they're mutual admirers. In Winterson's words: "It's so nice to meet someone you know you can talk to." They interview each other here:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/28/conversation-jeanette-winterson-marlon-james-interview
Here's an unlikely bestseller: a book about felling, chopping and burning trees. Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way "captures the romance of the great outdoors, the nobility of the honest graft of wood chopping, and our close relationship with trees"...as well as being a "step-by-step guide to preparing your wood store."
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/how-a-book-about-norwegian-wood-has-become-a-global-hit-a6747431.html
COMMUNITY EVENTS
SFU WRITER'S STUDIO READING SERIES
The Writer's Studio at SFU presents Rachel Rose, Poet Laureate of the City of Vancouver. Thursday, Dec. 3 at 8:00 p.m. Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main Street, Vancouver.
CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA
Crime writers Cathy Ace. Allan J. Emerson and Don Hauka will do readings from their work, and answer questions about their experiences finding agents and publishers, online resources for writers, local writing groups, and writers' conventions. Thursday, December 3 at 7:00pm. Poirier branch, Coquitlam Public Library. More information at coqlibrary.ca.
NEW POETRY AND FICTION
Featuring Sandy Shreve, Kate Braid, Marilyn Bowering and Kath Curran. Monday, December 7 at 1:00pm. Talisman Books, 4605 Bedwell Harbour Road.
READ ME A STORY EXHIBITION
A multicultural showcase of 1,200 folktales and fairy tales from 120 countries. December 8-16, 2015, free. Roundhouse Community Centre, 183 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver. For complete details, visit readmeastory.ca.
STORY SLAM CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
Featuring Alexis Sugden, Emma Cooper, Jo Dworschak, John Cullen, Johnny Scoop, Mark Hughes, Marylee Stephenson, Ruth Wadge, Shlomo McPeake and Steve Elliott. Tuesday, December 8 at 8:00pm. Tickets: $10. Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main St., Vancouver.
BERNADETTE CALONEGO
Author reads from her latest thriller Under Dark Waters. Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00pm, free. Central branch, VPL, 350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver. More information at vpl.ca.
VANCOUVER ISLAND WRITERS EVENT
Featuring Joy Guegler, Frank Moher, Jay Ruzesky, Sarah Segal, Robert Weirsema, and host Kathy Page. Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00pm, free. Library program room, Salt Spring Island Public Library. More information at 250-537-4666.
TWISTED POETS LITERARY SALON
Annual Christmas Fundraiser for Children in Need, with music by Patsy Thompson and readings from The Revolving City Anthology (Anvil Press, 2015). Thursday, December 10th, 7-9:30pm, at The Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main Street.
Cash donations accepted at the door. More information: blnish_pandoras@yahoo.ca.
Upcoming
LUNCH POEMS AT SFU
Featuring Chris Turnbull and Roger Farr. Wednesday, December 16 at 12:00 noon. Teck Gallery, SFU Vancouver, Harbour Centre, 515 W. Hastings St., Vancouver. More information at 778-782-6930.
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