2006 Program - Vancouver Writers Fest

Transcription

Welcome to the
Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival
on Granville Island
This is the 19th edition of the Vancouver International Writers Festival
and for the first time this message is not coming from the pen of the
redoubtable, irrepressible and thoroughly remarkable Alma Lee. I had
the great good fortune to work alongside Alma in the last four months
of her tenure as Artistic Director and to see first hand the excellent
relationships she has built with the literary community here, across
Canada and internationally. All of us connected with the Festival are
the beneficiaries of Alma’s long and distinguished service.
One of the notable aspects of this year’s Festival is the breadth of the
international participation. We have authors who write about Iraq, Nigeria, Tanzania,
Lebanon, Jamaica, Mongolia, Malaysia and many other places around the globe. The best
literature gives us stories that are at once both local and universal, and it is now perhaps
more important than ever that we hear from other cultures and other perspectives.
We are pleased this year to be introducing a new series of solo events that will provide you
with a chance to share an intimate evening with some of our distinguished authors. For
those more interested in groups of authors addressing a current issue or topic, we have
plenty of great discussions to choose from.
You might notice a few more poets around this year (poets are always noticeable) as we
join with the Association of BC Book Publishers in celebrating the tenth year of Poetry in
Transit, the program that puts poetry on our transit system to make the daily commute a
little more meaningful. The cavalcade of poets takes place on Friday night.
Of course, all of this would not be possible without the hard work of the board, staff and
volunteers of the Festival and without the active and engaged participation of you, our
audience. I hope to see you at the Festival.
Hal Wake
Artistic Director
CONTENTS
Artistic Director’s Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Festival Map & Venues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Festival Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
List of Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Ticket Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Invest in a Bestseller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Greetings & Salutations . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11
Our Supporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 13
Spreading the Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Special Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
The Festival at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
EVENTS SCHEDULE
SCHOOL EVENTS APPEAR BY CRAB
Tuesday, October 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Wednesday, October 18 . . . . . . . . . . . 17-19
Thursday, October 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-23
Friday, October 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-27
Saturday, October 21 . . . . . . . . . . 28, 32, 33
Sunday, October 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 35
Author Biographies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Poetry & Short Story Contest . . . . . . . . . 60
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
For an alphabetical list of participants and
information about specific authors, turn to
page 37. Each bio lists the events (by
number) in which the author is appearing.
To locate a venue, check the map on page 4.
If you have any questions, give us a call
at 604 681 6330, or check our website
at www.writersfest.bc.ca for updated
Festival information.
ticket information on page 7
202-1398 CARTWRIGHT STREET, VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA V6H 3R8
PHONE: 604 681 6330 • FAX: 604 681 8400 • EMAIL: [email protected] • INTERNET: www.writersfest.bc.ca
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VENUES AND PARKING
MAP LEGEND
Aquabus
1 Granville Island Public Market
2 Revue Theatre
1585 Johnston Street
3 Granville Island Stage
2
3
False Creek
Ferries
10
1
Johnston Street
Du
ra
St
ge Stre
nle
au
re
ad
an
e
M
ar
itim
e
M
ew
s
Ro
tL
as
tT
ow
er
at
lif
Bo
M
Street / Gr
anville Str
6 Writers Festival Box Office
Main Floor, Festival House
1398 Cartwright Street
Railspu
r Alley
et
et
Anderson
5 The Taproom
Granville Island Brewery
8, 9
Old Brid
4 Waterfront Theatre
5
ht Street
Cartwrig
6, 7
4
eet above
7 PTC Studio
3rd Floor, Festival House
#50 Bus Stop
at entrance to island
8 Performance Works
Lamey's Mill Roa
d
2nd Avenue
9 Festival Bookstore
Rear, 1218 Cartwright Street
10 Granville Island Hotel
OFF-SITE VENUES
Chan Centre for the
Performing Arts at UBC
6265 Crescent Road
PA R K I N G I N F O R M AT I O N
Free parking in most spots is limited to three hours from 7 am to 7 pm. Read the signs carefully:
some spots are for one hour or less. Free parking is limited to three hours per day throughout the
Island. Don’t park your car in one spot for three hours and then move it to another spot. You risk
being ticketed. Parking is free and unlimited in most spots (including the pay parking garages and
lots) from 7 pm to 7 am.
The parking lot just east of the entrance to Granville Island at the corner of Lamey’s Mill Road
and The Castings offers all day parking for $5. There is also plenty of parking on the north side
of False Creek. Consider leaving your car there and coming across on one of the ferries. For a list
of off-Island parking alternatives, please send an email to [email protected].
The most important thing to remember is to give yourself time—at least an extra 15 minutes to
find a spot—if you plan to park on Granville Island.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
FERRIES
Call or check the web for schedule
information.
Ferries travel from various locations along the
north and south shores of False Creek to
Granville Island at frequent intervals. Call for
schedule information.
TransLink Schedule Information
604 953 3333 www.translink.bc.ca
False Creek Ferries 604 684 7781
www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca
Aquabus 604 689 5858
www.theaquabus.com
T H E F E S T I VA L E X P E R I E N C E
EXPLORE A WORLD OF IDEAS ON
GRANVILLE ISLAND…
Come down to the 19th annual Vancouver International Writers &
Readers Festival on Granville Island and explore a world of ideas
with nearly 100 writers. Books—fiction, non-fiction and poetry—
help us make sense of the world. And when you bring writers and
readers together in our Granville Island venues to share thoughts,
ideas and opinions, you can expect stimulating, engaging and
entertaining events.
A Room with a View
This is your opportunity to attend author readings, discussions,
debates, poetry bashes and to interact with an eclectic array of
writers from Canada and around the world. You can rely on several
things—that Festival events will get you thinking, inspire you to read
and, if your aspirations are to write, you are sure to be motivated.
And this is just part of what you will find in the Festival experience.
Festival events (with a few exceptions) take place on Granville
Island, in the heart of Vancouver. Granville Island and the Granville
Island community have been major supporters of the Festival since
its inception in 1988. The Island continues to transform itself and is
an ideal, easily navigable location for the Vancouver International
Writers Festival. There is a noticeable buzz about the Island during
the six days of the Festival. Come along and be part of it.
Granville Island is managed on behalf of the Government of Canada,
by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The Vancouver
International Writers Festival is a proud cultural partner of CMHC
Granville Island and is honoured to be a resident of this vibrant
community. On the Island you will find shops, galleries, artist studios,
cafés, restaurants, the wonderful public market and much more.
Make all of Granville Island part of your Festival experience. Enjoy!
We are also delighted to invite you to a series of special events
before and after the Festival. On October 10th novelists Mary
Lawson and Kevin Patterson will read from their new novels at
the Norman Rothstein Theatre. We are the proud presenters of
humorist and essayist David Sedaris’s first Canadian engagement
at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC November 1st.
Special advance tickets available at Ticketmaster until September
22nd by using the code “writers”. And on November 13th author
and historian Margaret MacMillan will be at the Chan Centre
talking about her new book, Nixon and Mao: The Week That
Changed the World.
The Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival
gratefully acknowledges Dockside Restaurant and the
Granville Island Hotel for their generous
contributions to this year’s Festival.
A special thanks
To East India Carpets, Northwest Bungalow and David Hunter
Garden Centers for making our Festival stages beautiful.
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F E S T I VA L PA R T I C I PA N T S
Caroline Adderson
Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie
Anar Ali
Tash Aw
Ken Babstock
Elizabeth Bachinsky
Anita Rau Badami
Yves Beauchemin
Christa Bell
Mark Billingham
Clark Blaise
Giles Blunt
Dennis Bock
Camille Bouchard
Pan Bouyoucas
Marilyn Bowering
Dionne Brand
Chester Brown
Suzanne Buffam
Adrienne Clarkson
Stephan Cloutier
Lynn Coady
Dede Crane
Maggie de Vries
Patrick Deville
Robert Drewe
Sarah Ellis
Fiona Farrell
Sal Ferreras
Dennis Foon
Nell Freudenberger
Damon Galgut
Bill Gaston
Lorna Goodison
Kate Grenville
Rawi Hage
Linda Holeman
Fanny Howe
Anosh Irani
Stephanie Johnson
Wayne Johnston
Ryan Knighton
Shane Koyczan
Michael Kusugak
José Latour
Mary Lawson
Billie Livingston
J.B. MacKinnon
Margaret MacMillan
Gautam Malkani
Alberto Manguel
Patrick McCabe
Colum McCann
Jon McGregor
Don McKay
Jean McNeil
Maile Meloy
Lisa Moore
Bharati Mukherjee
Alayna Munce
Barbara Nichol
Billeh Nickerson
Kevin Patterson
Barbara Reid
Noah Richler
Anne Robillard
Eden Robinson
Val Ross
Mandy Sayer
Ellen Schwartz
David Sedaris
Nathan Sellyn
Javier Sierra
Danielle Simard
Lemn Sissay
Michael V. Smith
Gaétan Soucy
Linda Spalding
Rosemary Sullivan
Timothy Taylor
Madeleine Thien
Galsan Tschinag
Richard Wagamese
Louise Welsh
Cathleen With
Rachel Wyatt
Patricia Young
Saadi Yousef
TICKET INFORMATION
HOW TO BUY TICKETS
GENERAL INFORMATION
A D VA N C E T I C K E T S A L E S
• We offer a $2 discount for seniors and students who present
valid ID, those on a fixed income and the unemployed.
• Out of courtesy to other patrons, no babies or small children
at adult Festival events please.
• Please check your tickets carefully. There will be no exchanges
or refunds.
• Latecomers may not be seated.
• The Festival program is subject to change without notice.
There are no refunds unless the event is cancelled.
• No cameras, video recorders or tape recorders.
• Please turn off phones and beepers.
Tickets go on sale Monday, September 18, 2006. Tickets are available
at the Writers Festival Box Office (in person sales only; see details
below), at all Ticketmaster outlets, charge-by-phone 604 280 3311 or
on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca. For information about purchasing
tickets, please call the Festival office at 604 681 6330. All prices
include GST.
A few words about surcharges: surcharges apply to all tickets
purchased in advance. Please refer to individual event listings in
this program guide for facility surcharges. Ticketmaster surcharges
will apply to all tickets purchased through Ticketmaster in person,
by phone or on-line. The Writers Festival Box Office charges a $1
surcharge per ticket and offers in-person sales only.
The Writers Festival Box Office is located on the first floor of Festival
House, 1398 Cartwright Street, Granville Island. Hours are 10:00
am–6:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and 12:00 pm–4:00 pm, Saturdays.
Cash, Mastercard, Visa accepted.
Advance ticket sales end at 6:00 pm on the day before the event.
D O O R S A L E S [ D AY O F E V E N T O N LY ]
The box office at the event will open 45 minutes before the start
of the event. Please call 604 681 6330 for ticket availability
information or check on-line at www.writersfest.bc.ca. Cash,
Mastercard, Visa accepted.
SCHOOL GROUP TICKETS
School group tickets to Spreading the Word school events are $6
each. Ticket prices include GST. There are no surcharges on school
group tickets. Teachers and adults accompanying school groups
must purchase tickets. School group tickets go on sale on Tuesday,
September 12, 2006 at 10:00 am. There are three ways to order
school group tickets:
• On-line at http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/schools/ticket_orders.php
(or go to www.writersfest.bc.ca and follow the links to
Schools/School Events/Order School Group Tickets)
• In person at the Writers Festival Box Office
• By fax to 604 681 8400 (please call 604 681 6330, local 107,
in advance to request a ticket order form to fax)
All Festival venues are wheelchair accessible. Please call
604 681 6330, local 107, in advance to reserve seating.
ASL interpretation can be provided upon request. Please
contact the General Manager by phone 604 681 6330, local
103, or by email [email protected] by Monday,
October 2, 2006, to request ASL interpretation.
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8
INVEST IN A BESTSELLER
BECOME A FRIEND OF THE FESTIVAL
THE ALMA LEE LEGACY FUND
Your support helps bring the world of words to
readers of all ages and makes it possible for us to
offer ticket discounts to students and seniors.
The Vancouver International Writers Festival
is pleased to announce the creation of an
endowment fund celebrating the
accomplishments of its founder, Alma Lee.
This fund will increase our ability to present
international writers of significant stature to
Festival audiences, develop Spreading the
Word programs for schools and enhance our
organizational stability. The establishment of
the endowment acknowledges that we are
approaching our 20th year of presenting
outstanding Canadian and international
writers to British Columbia audiences. Your
gift to the endowment will be matched by
government funds making the return on
your investment even more significant. For
more information on the Alma Lee Legacy
Fund, please call 604 681 6330 local 104.
As a non-profit charitable organization, the
Vancouver International Writers Festival depends
on your support. Your contribution allows you to:
> Purchase earlybird Festival tickets
> Receive a 10% discount at Blackberry Books,
Duthie Books Fourth Avenue, People’s Co-op
Bookstore and 32 Books
> Receive Ink, the Festival newsletter
Depending on your level of support, other benefits
may include recognition in the Festival program
guide and newsletter, as well as at Festival
venues. Contributions of $35 or more receive a
tax receipt. All supporters are also eligible to vote
at our Annual General Meeting. For full details,
see our website, www.writersfest.bc.ca, or call
604 681 6330.
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On behalf of the Board of
Directors, welcome to the
2006 Vancouver
International Writers &
Readers Festival! We are
delighted to present a
world of words—writers
from around the globe,
gathering in Vancouver for a week of literary
events that will captivate readers of all ages.
This October, the Writers Festival celebrates
its 19th year. Its great success is thanks to
the efforts of many people. The fabulous
staff, led by Jane Davidson, our General
Manager, has worked tirelessly to bring
together this week of events (and the many
special events throughout the year). Hal
Wake, our new and inspired Artistic Director,
has done a magnificent job of programming a
wide range of authors and events. As you
will see in this guide, Hal has brought
together writers who touch upon the world’s
objects and ideas to enlighten, debate,
entertain and imagine. What better way is
there to educate and inspire ourselves and
our children regarding the world, our
differences and our innate sameness? I invite
you to savour the pages of this program and
the events that Hal has planned for us.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge, with
great thanks, the efforts of our outstanding
volunteers, sponsors, donors and members.
We truly couldn’t do it without you.
GREETINGS
On behalf of
my colleagues
on City Council,
and all the
citizens of
Vancouver, I
want to extend
best wishes to
the Vancouver International
Writers Festival for another
successful event.
As an avid reader, I am particularly
proud of Vancouver’s reputation as
a centre of learning and creativity,
and the Writers Festival is an
important part of this tradition.
Over many years, the Festival has
provided opportunities for readers
of all ages to enjoy the work of
the world’s best writers, and to
recognize our home grown
talents. By celebrating the written
word, we can advance literacy
and promote life-long learning for
all Vancouver citizens.
Thank you to all of the staff
and many volunteers who make
Writers Festival possible. I’m
looking forward to another
fantastic Festival!
Looking forward to seeing you at the Festival.
SAM SULLIVAN
Mayor of Vancouver
LESLIE HURTIG
Welcome to the 19th Vancouver
International Writers Festival.
Reading has the power to transform us.
Through the magic of words, we discover
new worlds and new ideas. For almost
two decades, the Vancouver International
Writers Festival has been expanding the
horizons of Vancouver audiences. Again this year, well known
writers will take the stage with new and undiscovered authors,
sharing a love of language and words with their fans.
As Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women,
I commend the Festival’s organizers and volunteers for their
commitment to literacy and the promotion of the written word.
Enjoy the Festival!
BEVERLEY J. ODA
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you
to the 19th Vancouver International Writers
Festival, which has become such a mainstay
of the city’s cultural calendar.
Prepare to be engaged, interested,
entertained and challenged over the coming
days, as you meet the many writers from
here and around the world who have come to present their
work to you.
I’d like to thank the many hard-working and dedicated
volunteers, staff and members of the board, without whom this
festival could not have been possible. Thanks, too, to the
authors whose creativity and contributions are celebrated here
at the Festival.
As Minister responsible for arts and culture in BC, please
accept my best wishes for another exciting Festival.
Chair, Board of Directors, VIWF
OLGA ILICH
Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, Province of BC
GREETINGS
The Canada
Council for
the Arts is
proud to be
a partner of
the 19th
Vancouver
International
Writers Festival.
Over the years, the presence
and the voices of our best
literary talents, together with
an exciting youth program,
have contributed to the
growing passion for literature
in this country. The Festival
attracts an ever-increasing
audience that is eager to
sample its varied, high-quality
programming which transports
them to worlds of ideas,
emotions and evocative words.
Le Conseil des Arts du Canada
est fier d’être partenaire de la
19ième édition du Vancouver
Au fil des ans, la présence des
meilleurs talents littéraires
venant nous offrir leurs voix
ainsi qu’un volet jeunesse
particulièrement séduisant ont
su remarquablement alimenter
une passion sans cesse
croissante pour la littérature.
Le Festival s’attire un public
de plus en plus nombreux
qui peut véritablement
bénéficier de l’éclat d’une
programmation solide qui le
fera voyager à travers des
mondes d’idées, d’émotions
et de mots évocateurs.
With their creativity, writers of
fiction and non-fiction,
playwrights and poets bring to
life works that stimulate the
imagination of all Canadians.
The Canada Council recognizes
the important role the Festival
plays in the promotion of
contemporary literature and
cultural diversity that is at the
heart of this event. The
Canada Council invites you to
take advantage of it—literally!
Grâce à leur génie créatif,
les romanciers, nouvellistes,
essayistes, dramaturges et
poètes donnent vie à des
œuvres qui stimulent
l’imaginaire des Canadiens.
Le Conseil des Arts reconnaît
le rôle important que joue
Festival au niveau de la
promotion de la littérature
contemporaine et de la
diversité culturelle qui sont au
cœur de cet événement. Le
Conseil des Arts vous invite à
vous laisser littéralement tenter.
Have a wonderful Festival.
Bon Festival!
ROBERT SIRMAN
Director | Le directeur
Canada Council for the Arts
11
Félicitations à
M.Hal Wake et à
tous les organisateurs et sponsors
du 19ième
International
Writers & Readers
Festival.
Sous l’impulsion de son nouveau
directeur, M. Hal Wake, le Writers
Festival 2006 poursuit son importante
contribution, iniciée il y a près de vingt
ans, au développement et à la
promotion du livre et de la littérature
internationale à Vancouver.
Le Consulat général de France, se
réjouit, comme chaque année, d’être
associé à cet événement par
l’invitation d’auteurs français qui
participeront à la traditionnelle soirée
francophone ainsi qu’aux rencontres
réservées au jeune public.
Nous sommes heureux de renouveler
cet engagement et souhaitons
continuer, avec l’Alliance Française et
nos partenaires francophones
canadiens, à contribuer à cette
présence francophone au sein du
Writers Festival, non seulement pour
faire connaître la littérature de langue
française aux nombreuses
communautés de Vancouver mais
aussi pour favoriser des rencontres
souvent inédites entre les auteurs
francophones et leurs homologues
venus du monde entier.
Le livre est le vecteur privilégié d’une
communication profonde entre les
hommes et nous remercions les
organisateurs pour ces opportunités de
rencontre et pour leur engagement en
faveur de la diversité.
Congratulations to Mr. Hal Wake
and all the organizers and sponsors
of the 19th International Writers &
Readers Festival.
Under the guidance of the new director,
Hal Wake, this year’s festival will
continues its tradition of contributing to
the development and the promotion of
the written word and its international
writers in Vancouver, a valuable tradition
initiated almost 20 years ago.
The Consulate General of France is
delighted each year to be associated
with this major event by inviting French
authors who will take part in the
traditional francophone evening event
and to the various daytime events for
young readers.
We are happy to renew our
commitment and we wish to continue,
together with the Alliance Française and
our Canadian francophone partners, to
contribute to a francophone presence at
the Writers Festival. This is not only to
promote French literature to the diverse
communities in Vancouver but also to
encourage spontaneous meetings
between francophone authors and their
counterparts from all over the world.
Books are precious and privileged
vessels helping people to broaden and
intensify communication, and we thank
the organizers for giving us these
opportunities to meet and for their
dedication to diversity.
LUC SEROT ALMÉRAS
Consul General of France in Vancouver
THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
12
TITLE SUPPORT
CORPORATE SPONSORS
CLASSIC SPONSOR
BESTSELLER SPONSORS
Volunteer Program Sponsor
CORPORATE
SUPPORT
IN-KIND SPONSORS
BEST SELLER
PROGRAM
PAPER
DONOR
Cannacord Capital
Canreal Management Corporation
Duthie Books
Raincoast Books
SPECIAL EDITION
Bolder Investment Partners, Ltd.
D.S. Management
East India Carpets
Scotia Private Client Group
MEDIA SPONSORS
LIMITED EDITION
British Consulate General
Crossline Films
Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.
Kate Walker & Company
Thomas Allen & Son Ltd.
Anonymous (1)
SPREADING THE WORD SPONSORS
CLASSIC SPONSOR
BESTSELLER SPONSOR
FIRST EDITION
Bellis Garden Design Ltd.
Davis & Company
John Steeves Law Corporation
Paper Sky Press
RBC Dominion Securities
Trend Diesel Ltd.
Urban Impact Recycling Ltd.
NEW EDITION
Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd.
Schloss Enterprises Ltd.
Todd Merchandising
Management Inc.
Women in Print
TRAVEL ASSISTANCE
Australia Council for the Arts
Biblioasis
Consulat général de France
Cormorant Books Inc.
Creative New Zealand
Éditions de Mortagne
German Consulate General
HarperCollinsCanada Ltd.
Hedgerow Press
House of Anansi
McArthur & Company
McClelland & Stewart
New Zealand Book Council
Nightwood Editions
Oolichan Books
Penguin Group (Canada)
Porcupine’s Quill
Raincoast Books
Random House Canada
Scholastic Canada Inc.
Simon and Schuster Canada
The Betty & Ralph Gustafson
Chair of Poetry at Malaspina
University-College
Tundra Inc.
THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
SPECIAL THANKS
Alma Lee
Andrea Seale/Blueprint Fundraising
BC Teachers Federation
Steve Chow
Marc Fournier, Sophia Books
Granville Island Cultural Society
Granville Island Maintenance Crew
Sandy Garossino
Anne Green, WordFest
Brian Gold, Gold Distribution
Leah Gordon
Colin Harris
Richard Hopkins
Aislinn Hunter
Patricia MacLean, Heaven and
Earth Flowers
Robert McVittie
Members of the Editors’ Association
of Canada,
Melanie Rupp
Kathryn Shoemaker
Bill Sample
Carole Scipion
Geoffrey Taylor, International Festival
of Authors
Grant Tufts / FI Help
Bob Turner
UBC Alma Mater Society
Vancouver TheatreSports League
BOOK CLUBS
Booktalk
Hard Cover Girls
The Last Wednesday’s
Reading Group
Rockridge Readers
FOUNDATIONS
Alan & Margaret Eyre Foundation
CanWest Global Foundation
Chris Spencer Foundation
F.K. Morrow Foundation
The Hamber Foundation
The Rix Family Foundation
Vancouver Foundation
Anonymous (1)
I N D I V I D UA L S U P P O RT
CLASSIC
NEW EDITION
Sandy Garossino
Colin & Helen Harris
Joy Alexander
Elizabeth Austin
Shauna Barker
Robin Baxter
Janice Bearg
Lorne Beiles
Richard Bradshaw
Ralph Brown
Shauna Butterwick
Marilyn Cassady
Joy Coghill
Hilde Colenbrander
Glenn & Julie Collins
David Conlin
Lynn Copeland
Cynthia Cosulich
Cheryl Cowan
Cynthia Crampton –
in memory of
Esther Birney
Ann Cowan Buitenhuis
Patricia Curtis
Cherry Davies
Barbara Dawson
Diana Debenham
Allan Diamond
Sandra Djwa
Anne Dobbie
Lynn Eyton
Greg Fitch
Jim Fletcher
Michael & Daphne Francis
Judy Gale
Brian & Bonny Gerson
Anne & Tony Giardini
Carol Gibson
Edward & Marianne Gibson
Laurie Grant & Tony Ryan
Valerie Halpin-Jones
Sally Harding
Scott Hean
Sholto & Shirley Hebenton
Gary & Mary Hiscox
Richard Hopkins
Karen Howe
Shouli Hsia
Valerie Hunter
Mel Hurtig
Patricia & Kevin Huscroft
Elsie Jang
BEST SELLER
Alan & Alix Brown
William & Carol Slater
Kip Woodward
LIMITED EDITION
Megan Abbott
Yulanda Faris
Leslie Hurtig &
Doran Chandler
Lorraine Marshall
Bonnie & Don Sheldon
Jan Whitford &
Michael Stevenson
Anonymous (1)
SPECIAL EDITION
Megan Abbott
Deborah Phippen
Anonymous (2)
FIRST EDITION
Elizabeth & Strachan Birnie
Frank & Marilynn Borowicz
Ann Carroll
Patricia Crowe
Cynthia Davis
Tina Cicchetti &
Kevin Eldridge
Finola Finlay
Violet Hughes
Alma Lee
Moshe Mastai
J.V. McClelland
Corky & Scott McIntyre
Elizabeth McKercher
Ann-Marie Metten
Maryam Nasser
Brenda & Michael O'Keefe
Ebie & Ian Pitfield
Mary Robertson
Ralph Sayle
Rod Scheuerman
Kathryn E. Shoemaker
Ravi Sidhoo
Yasmeen & Andrew Strang
Carolyn Swayze
Maurice White
Blake Wilson
13
G OV E R N M E N T S U P P O RT
Geri Jarvis
Martin Kinch
Matthew Kirchner &
Lisa Osoba
Greg Kowall
Melanie Last
Clive Lonsdale
Aileen Lord
Gloria Loree
Linda Lupini
Jim & Joan Mayhew
Pat McIntosh
Eilish McKendy
Deborah McVittie
Justine Mercer
Bruce Milne
Warren & Diana Mitchell
Paula Nelson
Arne Olsen
Timothy Pezarro
Celine Pitre
Don Prior
Lonnie & Susan Propas
Carole Randle
Michele Reitz
Jack & Jenny Rootman
Phil Salt
Colleen MacMillan &
Rob Sanders
Pete Sarsfield
Suzanne Scott
Pippa Shepherd
Helen Shore
Chanda Siddoo
Barbara I. Stafford
Pam & Don Steele
Paul Stein
Mary Lee Stephenson
Karen Stewart
Ian & Janie Strang
Jennifer Sweeney
Jim H.S. Vallance
David & Susan Van Blarcom
Sandra & Lee Vishloff
Ray Weremczuk
Lorne T. Wickerson
Joan Williams
William & Carol Woodson
Fei Wong
Lorna Young
Anonymous (3)
We gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance
received from the Government of Canada through the
Department of Canadian Heritage (Arts Presentation
Canada, Book Publishing Industry Development
Program and the Canadian Arts and Heritage
Sustainability Program).
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for
the Arts which last year invested $20.0 million in writing
and publishing throughout Canada.
Nous remercions de son soutien le Conseil des Arts du
Canada, qui a investi 20,0 millions de dollars l'an dernier
dans les lettres et l'édition à travers le Canada.
The Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts
Council and the Gaming and Policy Enforcement Branch
Arts Now is a proud contributing partner.
SPREADING THE WORD
14
It’s about reading and writing, books and writers. It’s eclectic, exciting, entertaining and thought provoking.
Spreading the Word, the Vancouver International Writers Festival’s schools program, offers K-12 students and teachers
the rare opportunity to engage with internationally renowned writers at the Festival and in the classroom.
AT THE FESTIVAL there are 31 great events for grades K-12,
in French and English. Find study guides for each event at
www.writersfest.bc.ca/schools.
WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE connects a Festival author with a school
and BC community. This year a Festival writer will be in residence
in Port Hardy.
Generously supported by The Alan and Margaret Eyre Foundation
and Starbucks.
The Writer-in–Residence program is generously supported by the Michael R.
Shaw Outreach Program and BC Transmission Corporation.
WRITE TO THE POINT is a writing contest for Grades 5, 6, 7 Mount
SPREADING THE WORD 3 – two Festival events will be filmed before
Pleasant/East Vancouver students. Prizes include tickets for the class
to attend a Festival school event and a collection of books courtesy
of Raincoast Books.
a live school audience. The Spreading the Word 3 DVD will be
distributed free of charge to schools and libraries throughout BC.
Sponsored by TELUS and produced by CBC Television.
Sponsored by QLT and the Chris Spencer Foundation.
FRIDAY DAYTIME EVENTS are designed for teachers and senior
SUBSIDY FOR SCHOOL GROUPS
students as well as for the general public.
The Vancouver International Writers Festival acknowledges the
Cynthia Woodward Development Fund, the result of many years of
dedicated fundraising by Cynthia Woodward. Her vision and
generosity enable us to subsidize tickets for school groups. A limited
number of subsidies based on financial need are available. To inquire
about a subsidy, please contact the General Manager at 604 681
6330 local 103, or at [email protected].
Sponsored by Kidsbooks.
READING WITH WRITERS – Festival authors will visit local inner city
classrooms during the Festival to inspire young readers and writers.
Sponsored by HSBC Bank Canada and Raise-a-Reader.
SPREADING THE WORD is generously supported by our corporate,
HSBC is proud to support
Writers Festival.
HSBC Bank Canada is not only a member
of one of the world’s largest financial services
organizations, but we’re also proud to be a part
of your local community. That’s why it gives
us great pleasure to support the Vancouver
hsbc.ca
Issued by HSBC Bank Canada
government and individual supporters
LA JOIE DE LIRE
Pour la première fois en dix ans d’événements en français pour les
élèves des programmes de français langue maternelle et
d’immersion, le programme comprendra des acteurs qui liront des
scènes de pièces de théâtre. L’une des pièces de théâtre est une
comédie s’adressant aux enfants de 6 à 10 ans et la deuxième est
écrite pour les élèves de l’école secondaire. Cette année,
l’événement présente Camille Bouchard, gagnant du Prix littéraire du
Gouverneur général pour la littérature jeunesse en français en 2005,
et des écrivains de fiction fantaisiste, de bandes dessinées et
d’autres livres pour les jeunes lecteurs. Notre soirée pour les lecteurs
adultes combinera une fois de plus des auteurs de la France et du
Québec, qui écrivent en français. Ensemble, ils forment d’excellentes
occasions de faire l’expérience de la joie de lire.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Vancouver International Writers Festival and
Random House of Canada present
Mary Lawson
and
Crow Lake
15
Vancouver International
Writers Festival presents
Kevin Patterson
Country of Cold
An Evening with
David Sedaris
7 pm, Tuesday, October 10
Norman Rothstein Theatre, Jewish Community Centre
950 West 41st Ave (at Oak)
$15 / $13 + $1 facility surcharge
Vancouver International Writers Festival, The Chan Centre for the
Performing Arts and Penguin Group Canada present
Margaret MacMillan
“David Sedaris just may be
the funniest man alive.”
Time Out New York
Reading from her new book Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World.
8 pm, Wednesday, November 1
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC
$38 + $2 facility surcharge
7:30 pm, Monday, November 13
The Chan Centre for the
Performing Arts at UBC
$19 adults / $17 seniors / $15 students
plus $2 facility surcharge
Tickets on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets, charge-by-phone at 604 280 3311 or
online at www.ticketmaster.ca. Info: www.writersfest.bc.ca or 604 681 6330.
Tickets available through
Ticketmaster with password “writers”
(password is lifted on Sept 23),
www.ticketmaster.ca or
604 280 3311 or in person
at Ticketmaster outlets.
Info: www.writersfest.bc.ca
or 604 681 6330.
T U E S D AY, O C T O B E R 1 7
16
1
BIG FISH
MAGGIE DE VRIES
10–11:00 AM
L’HEURE DU CONTE
2
DANIELLE SIMARD
ANIMATRICE : TRILBY JEEVES
WATERFRONT THEATRE
$12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE /
10 H À 11 H
$6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS
PTC STUDIO
After living for 177 years in the Fraser River,
Big Fish, a sturgeon, has some mighty tales
to tell. Big Fish is enormous, old enough to
have seen the Gold Rush and strong enough
to have survived predators, disease and
starvation. Vancouver author Maggie de Vries,
winner of the George Ryga Award for Social
Innovation, tells the story of this quiet heroine,
interweaving fact, science and imagination.
$12 / $6 POUR LES GROUPES D’ÉTUDIANTS
Quel enfant n’a pas rêvé, au moins furtivement, de se
débarrasser d’un frère ou d’une sœur, ou de fuguer parce
que sa mère insiste pour qu’il prenne un bain, range ses
jouets ou nettoie sa chambre? Venez rencontrer l’auteure
Danielle Simard qui raconte des histoires, des anciennes
et des nouvelles, et faire connaissance avec sa nouvelle
bande dessinée, Drôle de tour.
Pour les élèves de la maternelle à 3e année
Suitable for grades 1 to 4
Cet événement se tiendra exclusivement
en français. Il y aura beaucoup de
possibilités d’interaction entre les élèves
et les auteurs.
This event is generously
supported by the Rix
Family Foundation
This event will be taped
by CBC Television
FROM PAGE TO STAGE
3
DERRIÈRE LE MUR
STEPHAN CLOUTIER, DENNIS FOON
CAMILLE BOUCHARD
MODERATOR: GLYNIS LEYSHON
ANIMATEUR : SCOTT STEEDMAN
1–2:30 PM
13 H À 14 H 30
WATERFRONT THEATRE
PTC STUDIO
$12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR
STUDENT GROUPS
Expect magic as two award-winning
playwrights (one of whom is also an
accomplished actor) and a seasoned theatre
director get together to show (and act out)
how the written word is brought to life.
Revel in the experience of stagecraft as
these three veterans wear several hats to
create a performance right before your eyes.
and adults interested in
live theatre
This event will be taped
by CBC Television
4
Depuis des lustres, les villageois ne cessent d’évoquer la
possibilité que d’autres personnes à l’allure très étrange
habitent derrière « le mur », mais personne ne les a
jamais vues. Cela, jusqu’au jour où Thomas décide
d’escalader le mur pour récupérer son ballon. Venez
rencontrer Camille Bouchard pour découvrir ce qui se
cache derrière ce mur et comment ses divers voyages et
aventures transpirent dans ses romans.
Pour les élèves de la 4e à 7e année
possibilités d’interaction entre les élèves
et les auteurs.
W E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 1 8
THE CYNTHIA WOODWARD
5
YOUNG READERS LEGACY
LES CHEVALIERS D’ÉMERAUDE
17
6
ANNE ROBILLARD
ORDINARY TEENS, EXTRAORDINARY
ADVENTURES
ANIMATRICE : FRANCE PERRAS
DENNIS FOON, MICHAEL KUSUGAK
REVUE THEATRE
10–11:30 AM
$12 + 1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 POUR LES GROUPES D’ÉTUDIANTS
GRANVILLE ISLAND STAGE
De nombreux lecteurs de Vancouver connaissent déjà les aventures
fabuleuses vécues par Les Chevaliers d’Émeraude et ils auront la chance
de découvrir les derniers livres de la série, en plus de rencontrer
l’auteure. Quant aux non-initiés, ils sont sans doute impatients de
connaître enfin les Chevaliers, l’Empereur Noir et son dragon ainsi que
d’autres créatures fantastiques. Les anciens et les nouveaux lecteurs
doivent se préparer à découvrir un tout nouveau roman fantaisiste, Qui
est Terra Wilder? qui se déroule en Colombie-Britannique!
10 H À 11 H 30
$12 + $2 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS
Two teenagers in worlds that are poles apart—the traditional world
of the Inuit before European contact, and a post-apocalyptic, futuristic
wasteland—find themselves battling powerful forces just to survive.
Along the way, they discover inner strength, cope with loss and
challenge power. In the hands of these two gifted authors, rebels,
shamans, curses, mysterious dwellers of the City, and more come alive.
Convient aux élèves de la 4e à 9e année et aux adultes
intéressés à ce genre littéraire
Cet événement se tiendra exclusivement en français. Il
y aura beaucoup de possibilités d’interaction entre les
élèves et les auteurs
FITTING IN
7
SARAH ELLIS, ELLEN SCHWARTZ
10–11:30 AM
INSPIRED BY THE CLASSICS
MODERATOR: ALLISON SULLINGS
PERFORMANCE WORKS
10–11:30 AM
$12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS
WATERFRONT THEATRE
When Joey’s mother dies, he’s sent to Brooklyn to live with his
grandfather, aunt and cousin, who are not only white, but also Jewish.
Meanwhile, Kip spends the summer with his grandmother and five
eccentric girl cousins, and finds himself odd man out until he discovers
the binder his father kept as a teenager. Two award-winning authors
explore the challenges of fitting in, being a loner, negotiating your place
in the family and being on the team.
8
DEDE CRANE, BARBARA NICHOL
$12 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE/ $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS
The classics—whether Pride and Prejudice or Don Quixote—continue to
influence authors. Dede Crane has transformed Jane Austen’s enduring
heroine into a West Coast teenager with a long list of complaints about
her life. Barbara Nichol, on the other hand, has faithfully shaped
Cervantes’s classic into a more approachable retelling of the grand
adventures of Don Quixote. Reinvented or retold, great stories find
enduring life in the hands of good authors.
18
9
PICTURE THIS
BARBARA REID
MADMEN OR MYSTICS?
10
CHESTER BROWN, BARBARA NICHOL
MODERATOR: BRENDA BERCK
10–11:30 AM
1–2:30 PM
PTC STUDIO
$12 / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS
REVUE THEATRE
Starting with familiar Plasticine , Governor
General’s award–winning author and illustrator
Barbara Reid builds layers of modelling clay and
then adds bits of sticks, pins, wires, candy
wrappers, cloth and more to shape threedimensional pictures that have to be stored in
pizza boxes. The result is illustrations that leap
off the page and enchant young readers. Reid’s
illustrations have won every major
children’s book award. Come and
see how she does it.
™
Chester Brown’s biography of Louis Riel in graphic
novel form explores this historical figure, taking on
themes of anti-authoritarianism and possible
madness. Barbara Nichol’s retelling of Don
Quixote’s idealistic and impractical adventures
marries the fantastical with the realistic. When
people see the world differently
than we do, it’s easy to dismiss
them as madmen. But are they?
VIE VIRTUELLE OU RÉELLE
$12 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE /
11
STEPHAN CLOUTIER
ANIMATRICE : SYLVIA L’ÉCUYER
13 H À 14 H 30
WATERFRONT THEATRE
YOU CAN’T READ THIS
12
VAL ROSS IN CONVERSATION WITH SARAH ELLIS
1–2:30 PM
PTC STUDIO
$6 POUR LES GROUPES D’ÉTUDIANTS
Il n’est pas rare de constater que les jeunes
préfèrent passer du temps sur Internet plutôt
qu’avec leurs parents et amis. L’auteur de Safari de
Banlieue, accompagné d’autres acteurs, fera la
lecture de scènes d’une pièce de théâtre qui raconte
une période de la vie d’Alcide, qui aime mieux la vie
virtuelle qu’il a créée. Cette pièce de théâtre
raconte, entre autres, le pouvoir de l’amitié.
possibilités d’interaction entre les
élèves et les auteurs.
From Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon the Great
of Mesopotamia, the world’s oldest signed
author, to J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter, barriers
to reading have ranged from the physical to the
economic, social and political. Renowned
journalist Val Ross tells the story of forbidden
books, lost writing, secret codes, trashed
libraries, writers in hiding, censors, vandals,
spies and laws that have prevented people from
learning to read. The privilege of reading will be
more deeply appreciated when Ross brings to
life the struggles people have faced to enjoy the
written word.
THE VIEW FROM QUEBEC
13
YVES BEAUCHEMIN, PAN BOUYOUCAS,
AN INTIMATE EVENING
WITH MARK BILLINGHAM
19
14
GAÉTAN SOUCY
MODERATOR: NOAH RICHLER
8:00 PM
PTC STUDIO
7:00 PM
WATERFRONT THEATRE
$15 + $.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE
The province of Quebec has its own rich and
distinct literary history. But what’s going on in
Quebec writing now? Is political engagement still
an important part of Quebecois literature? Some
critics have accused the younger generation of
Quebec novelists of turning their backs on their
fathers and grandfathers. Join the discussion begun
by Noah Richler in Literary Atlas of Canada, along
with three of Quebec’s prominent writers.
$15
This is the launch of a new series of up close and
personal encounters that gives fans a chance to
spend an intimate evening with a favourite writer.
Mark Billingham, author of the mystery series
featuring Tom Thorne, has been called by the Daily
Express “one of the best and most innovative
writers on the British crime scene.” He also has a
considerable reputation as a stand-up comic, so
this is bound to be a memorable occasion.
This event is sponsored by Weyerhaeuser and
generously supported by the Hamber Foundation.
THE ALMA LEE OPENING NIGHT EVENT
GRAND OPENINGS
15
CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE, TASH AW, LYNN COADY, DAMON GALGUT,
KATE GRENVILLE, WAYNE JOHNSTON, JON MCGREGOR
HOST: HAL WAKE
8:30 PM
PERFORMANCE WORKS
$20 + $1 FACILITY SURCHARGE
It’s opening night at the Writers Festival and the Festival’s new Artistic Director Hal Wake introduces
seven fine novelists. Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie reads from Half of a Yellow Sun, her
dramatic portrait of modern Africa. Tash Aw reads from his first novel, The Harmony Silk Factory, set in
Malaysia in the 1940s. Albertan Lynn Coady takes the mickey out of academe with her satiric Mean Boy.
Damon Galgut's novel The Good Doctor was shortlisted for both the Man Booker Prize and the IMPAC
Dublin Award. Australian author Kate Grenville’s The Secret River, the story of a clash between Australian
colonials and Aborigines, won the 2006 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. A Festival favourite, Newfoundlander
Wayne Johnston reads from The Custodian of Paradise. Britain’s Jon McGregor introduces his long-awaited
second novel So Many Ways to Begin, a story about the possibilities of love. These authors will open the
Festival in grand style.
This event is sponsored by HarperCollins Canada Ltd.
20
T H U R S D AY, O C T O B E R 1 9
THE POWER OF READING
16
FEET, FOX AND WINGS
17
FIONA FARRELL, ALBERTO MANGUEL, VAL ROSS
SARAH ELLIS, BARBARA REID, ELLEN SCHWARTZ
MODERATOR: JOHN BURNS
MODERATOR: KATHY SHOEMAKER
10–11:30 AM
10–11:00 AM
REVUE THEATRE
$12 + $2 FACILITY SURCHARGE /
Three authors who know first hand about the influence
and power of writing discuss how books shape our
lives. New Zealander Fiona Farrell has created a
character with a passion for reading whose life is
moulded by her imagination. Alberto Manguel writes
with passion about how libraries embody the
memories of individuals and whole
cultures. Val Ross’s You Can’t Read
This tells stories of people who have
battled for the freedom to read books.
Settle in for a morning of storytelling with three
writers who know how to tell a tale for young
readers. From feet that have a mind of their own,
to a wandering fox who finds a companion, to an
unfolding friendship between a young girl and an
elderly neighbour, these three stories will delight
and entertain.
Suitable for grades K to 3
Suitable for grades 8 to 12 and adults
GROUNDWORK
18
KATE GRENVILLE, LINDA HOLEMAN, JAVIER SIERRA
MODERATOR: JAN WHITFORD
STRING STORIES
19
MICHAEL KUSUGAK
10–11:00 AM
10–11:30 AM
WATERFRONT THEATRE
PERFORMANCE WORKS
To write about 19th-century Australia, to recreate
19th-century Afghan culture or to decipher the
mysteries that Leonardo hid in The Last Supper—
and to write these stories well—takes years of
research and historical fact-finding. To bring history
to life requires experiencing the taste of sea salt
spray or imagining the pressure of the Inquisitors.
Three authors who have set their stories in
historical times talk about the challenges and the
rewards of doing the groundwork.
Suitable for grades 10 to 12 and
historical fiction fans
Acclaimed Inuit storyteller Michael Kusugak
mesmerizes young audiences with narratives
from his Arctic home and tales told with string.
In a tradition passed down by his grandmother,
Michael weaves one story from the thread of
another, using a piece of string, a bone on a stick
and his voice. Winding string around his fingers,
he creates a whale, then a dog, then a seagull.
He transforms the ordinary into the magical and
shares the customs of his culture.
Suitable for grades K to 3
FUEGO
20
WORDS ON THE FLY
21
21
STEPHAN CLOUTIER
SHANE KOYCZAN, LEMN SISSAY
ANIMATRICE : ANNE-MARIE MCGINN
WITH SPECIAL GUEST CHRISTA BELL
10 H À 11 H 30
1–2:30 PM
PTC STUDIO
$12 + $2 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 FOR STUDENT GROUPS
Il n’est guère surprenant de constater que, lorsqu’ils se rencontrent pour la
première fois, une elfe, un dragon et un jeune garçon qui aspire à devenir chevalier
ne s’entendent pas très bien tout de suite. Pourtant, lorsqu’ils affrontent un
méchant sorcier, ils savent bien qu’ils doivent s’entraider. La pièce de théâtre et le
dragon se prénomment tous deux Fuego, un indice du rôle important joué par le
dragon. Les acteurs feront la lecture de scènes de la pièce de théâtre, une
comédie écrite à l’intention des enfants. Le garçon, Nathan, l’elfe, Axia, et Fuego
viendront-ils à bout du méchant sorcier? Voilà l’occasion de le
découvrir et de rencontrer l’auteur et les acteurs.
Some of the best dynamic, hip, hard-hitting spoken-word
artists in the world today will be on stage to show what
happens when words fly. This is poetry being performed—
as creativity rides high from the personal to the polemical.
Shane Koyczan was judged best poet at last year’s Edinburgh
Book Festival. A performer, published poet and playwright,
Lemn Sissay will be performing from Poland to Zimbabwe
this year. Special guest performer Christa Bell
will add to the excitement.
Cet événement se tiendra exclusivement en français; il y aura
beaucoup de possibilités d’interaction entre les élèves et les auteurs.
LE RICANEMENT DES HYÈNES
22
CAMILLE BOUCHARD
THE LONG AND
THE SHORT OF IT
ANIMATRICE : DANIELLE ARCAND
ANAR ALI, CLARK BLAISE, FIONA FARRELL,
13 H À 14 H 30
23
BILL GASTON, RACHEL WYATT
REVUE THEATRE
$12 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE / $6 POUR LES GROUPES D’ÉTUDIANTS
1–2:30 PM
Les voyages effectués par Camille Bouchard dans des déserts, des forêts
tropicales, des sommets montagneux et les expériences vécues avec
les gens qu’il a rencontrés se reflètent dans ses romans, notamment dans
Le Ricanement des hyènes, pour lequel il a reçu le Prix littéraire du Gouverneur
général du Canada 2005 pour la Littérature jeunesse. Ce roman a pour cadre
l’Afrique de l’Ouest, et Manuel, venu du Québec avec ses parents médecins qui
exploitent un dispensaire, en est le personnage principal. Le livre est
passionnant et nous fait découvrir une culture différente, en plus de nous tenir
en haleine en raison d’un meurtre à résoudre. Venez rencontrer Camille
Bouchard pour mieux approfondir l’expérience de Manuel en Afrique et savoir
comment l’auteur s’y prend pour écrire des histoires décrivant d’autres cultures.
PERFORMANCE WORKS
Cet événement se tiendra exclusivement en français.
Il y aura beaucoup de possibilités d’interaction entre les
élèves et les auteurs.
If the novel is a riotous symphony, the short story is a
concerto: contained, precise and elegant. Young writers use it
to hone their narrative skills; seasoned writers continue to use
it because they love its distilled power. Its only constriction is it
has to be short. Five virtuosos of the form talk about how it can
compact whole worlds and why they relish its challenges and
delight in its results.
22
IN FINE FORM
24
25
26
GROWING UP GONZO
—MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL
BUNS ’N’ ROSES
ELIZABETH BACHINSKY, MARILYN BOWERING,
LORNA GOODISON, DON MCKAY
MANDY SAYER
RYAN KNIGHTON, SHANE KOYZCAN,
MODERATORS: KATE BRAID, SANDY SHREVE
ANAR ALI, ELIZABETH BACHINSKY,
ALAYNA MUNCE, NATHAN SELLYN,
1–2:30 PM
1–2:30 PM
MICHAEL V. SMITH, CATHLEEN WITH
PTC STUDIO
HOST: BILLEH NICKERSON
WATERFRONT THEATRE
FEATURING: THE WRITERS FESTIVAL
GO-GO DANCERS
Why do poets choose particular forms for
their poetry? What are the rewards in using
a particular form—a sonnet versus a sestina?
How does form shape content? Or does a
particular content lend itself best to a particular
form? Four experienced poets talk with the
creators of an anthology of poetic
forms in Canada—In Fine Form
—about how poems take shape.
Australian Mandy Sayer spent her
childhood and adolescence in a world of
smoky jazz and steamy beer gardens, living
in poverty with her alcoholic parents. Her
memoir of this time is poignant, rough and
often funny—and she’s taken to the stage
to retell it, with tap dancing, drumming—a
visual and aural experience
that is not for the faint of
heart. What triumphs is a
story of love and survival.
and lovers of poetry
and adults
This event is sponsored by Raincoast Books.
8:00 PM
PERFORMANCE WORKS
Join Billeh Nickerson, eight talented
writers and the festival's infamous go-go
dancers as they shake things up—literally
and literarily—for an evening of fun and
irreverence. Warning: may contain poetic
lap dances.
FROM THE
CAULDRON OF CONFLICT
27
CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE,
ANOSH IRANI
MODERATOR: KATHRYN GRETSINGER
8:00 PM
AN INTIMATE EVENING
WITH WAYNE JOHNSTON
8:00 PM
ANITA RAU BADAMI, RAWI HAGE,
WATERFRONT THEATRE
From the civil war in Beirut to the Biafran war of
independence, from Bombay’s riots to India’s
partition, these four writers have chosen dramatic
backdrops for their most recent fiction. These
historical events can be used to explore the
depths of personal experience and seek redemption
out of horror. This is an opportunity to immerse
yourself in history from the inside out, and gain a
better understanding of places where conflict and
beauty coexist.
23
PTC STUDIO
28
$15
One of Canada’s most celebrated authors, Wayne
Johnston is known for his masterful rendering of
Newfoundland, its characters, its beauty and its
quirks, leavened always with humour. The Colony
of Unrequited Dreams introduced us to Sheilagh
Fielding, and now, in his new novel The Custodian
of Paradise, Johnston deepens our understanding
of this memorable character. This is an opportunity
to spend an hour with Wayne Johnston in an
intimate setting.
This event is sponsored by Weyerhaeuser and
generously supported by the Hamber Foundation.
29
POURQUOI ÉCRIRE?
PAN BOUYOUCAS, PATRICK DEVILLE, DANIELLE SIMARD, GAÉTAN SOUCY
MODERATOR: SYLVIA L’ÉCUYER
8:00 PM
THE TAPROOM
$15
Il y a des moments dans la vie de tous les écrivains où ils se demandent : pourquoi est-ce que je fais ça?
Est-ce que cela fait une différence dans le monde si j’écris ces mots ou si je raconte cette histoire? Les
éléments qui motivent les écrivains à la tâche ardue de pratiquer leur art comprennent l’aspect personnel (la
mémoire de leur propre réponse à un livre particulier), le devoir moral impératif ou le sentiment de pure joie
que l’écriture peut procurer. Venez rejoindre quatre auteurs chevronnés dans une discussion ayant pour
thème l’importance de l’écriture.
Pour les gens 19 ans et plus
[email protected]
Please join (or mention you are on) our e-list
and receive a $5 credit towards your purchase.
1447 CLYDE AVENUE, WEST VANCOUVER 604.921.7763 OR TOLL FREE 1.800.397.7228
24
F R I D AY, O C T O B E R 2 0
FAMILY MATTERS
30
PAN BOUYOUCAS, JON MCGREGOR,
BHARATI MUKHERJEE, TIMOTHY TAYLOR
ALAYNA MUNCE, RICHARD WAGAMESE
MODERATOR: ANNE GIARDINI
REVUE THEATRE
Within family, there is a rich palette of human
emotion and experience—love, jealousy, betrayal,
deceit, secrets and honour. Families do matter to
these five writers, and the family matters they
explore are wide-ranging and very human. From
brawling brothers to father-and-son
conflict, unshared family histories and
entire family sagas, these are family
stories that you will want to know.
CONCRETE CHARACTERS
cooks of all abilities will find inspiration…”
– Barbara-jo McIntosh
1740 West 2nd Avenue (east of Burrard)
Vancouver, British Columbia V6J 1H6
telephone 604.688.6755 fax 604.688.6759
toll free 1.866.688.6744
Net Loft Granville Island
telephone 604.684.6788
email [email protected]
www.bookstocooks.com
31
10–11:30AM
10–11:30 AM
“an epicurean’s delight,where food lovers and
THE POSSIBILITY OF LOVE
TASH AW, BILLIE LIVINGSTON, MAILE MELOY,
32
The struggles and efforts to make love happen and
to keep it together is fine fodder for writers. These
four novelists have cut to the heart of our search for
intimacy and family, for what makes life meaningful
and love real. From the difficulties of keeping
marriage alive, to love between children and
parents, grandchildren and
grandparents, the possibility of love
is a compelling subject for writer
and reader alike.
TRIPLE TREAT
33
DIONNE BRAND, RAWI HAGE, ANOSH IRANI,
GAUTAM MALKANI, JAVIER SIERRA,
JOSÉ LATOUR
MADELEINE THIEN
MODERATOR: BILL RICHARDSON
10–11:30 AM
10–11:30 AM
PERFORMANCE WORKS
WATERFRONT THEATRE
Some novels could simply not take place in any
location other than the ones in which they are set.
Brand’s Toronto, Hage’s Beirut, Irani’s Bombay
and Latour’s Havana have as much character and
are drawn with as much care and detail as the
characters who inhabit them. When a city becomes
a character in itself, what impact does that have on
those who live and act there?
Come along with the insatiably curious
Bill Richardson as he explores the magnificent
world of words created by three masterful
storytellers. From Malkani’s Pakistani rude boys
in London, to Thien’s two memorable love
stories, and Sierra’s gripping mystery behind
Leonardo’s painting of The Last Supper, these
tales tell of compelling characters and
extraordinary experiences that span the globe.
VILLA AIR-BEL
34
35
36
ROSEMARY SULLIVAN IN CONVERSATION
MARILYN BOWERING, DAMON GALGUT,
TIME FOR
LISTENING
WITH JERRY WASSERMAN
PATRICK MCCABE, EDEN ROBINSON, GAÉTAN SOUCY
PATRICK DEVILLE, ROBERT DREWE,
MODERATOR: JAN WHITFORD
STEPHANIE JOHNSON,
10–11:30 AM
FROM THE DARK SIDE
25
PTC STUDIO
1–2:30 PM
In 1940s France, a young American named
Varian Fry was given the mission of saving
some of the intellectual and artistic elite of
Europe—Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, André
Breton, Heinrich Mann and many more. In
the hands of seasoned writer and biographer
Rosemary Sullivan, this narrative non-fiction
brings to life one of the most
intriguing and untold stories of
courage in the face of the
German occupation of France.
GAUTAM MALKANI, JEAN MCNEIL
HOST: HAL WAKE
1–2:30 PM
REVUE THEATRE
Timothy Findley believed that one of the obligations
of the novelist was to descend into the darkest
corners of the human psyche and report back what
he or she saw. All of these authors explore some
of the more disturbing and difficult aspects of
human character. Are there
consequences for the writer in
living so long alongside disturbing
elements of their characters? What
are the benefits for the reader in
experiencing the dark side this way?
Five authors from Australia, New
Zealand, England and France read from
their latest books. Come and be read to
by polished authors from
other places, in the true
spirit of what the
Vancouver International
Writers & Readers
Festival is all about.
Odd Man Out
A new novel from the
award-winning author of
The Several Lives of
Orphan Jack
and Pick-Up Sticks
Sarah Ellis
Catch
at the Vancouver
International Writers
Festival on
October 18 and 19!
on Broadway: 3083 West Broadway 604-738-5335
in the village: 3040 Edgemont Blvd 604-986-6190
everywhere: www.kidsbooks.ca
www.groundwoodbooks.com
26
OH, CANADA
37
YVES BEAUCHEMIN, NOAH RICHLER, LINDA SPALDING, ROSEMARY SULLIVAN
THE LITERARY
CABARET
MODERATOR: ANDREAS SCHROEDER
DENNIS BOCK, BILLIE LIVINGSTON,
39
COLUM MCCANN, LISA MOORE, LEMN SISSAY,
1–2:30 PM
MADELEINE THIEN
WATERFRONT THEATRE
HOST: SALVADOR FERRERAS
Over the past two decades, Canadian literature has emerged from bare acknowledgement
to international recognition as one of the most accomplished, thriving national literatures in the
world. How did that happen? What is the current state of Canadian literature and
what might the future hold? The writers on this panel have been at the centre of this
remarkable transformation and have many insights to share.
WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
38
CHESTER BROWN, BARBARA REID
8:00 PM
PERFORMANCE WORKS
Words meet music in this popular event of
alchemy that mixes literature with music to
create pure gold. Sure to transport audiences
to new levels of enjoyment, the evening also
features Festival house band Poetic License
(Bill Sample, Alan Matheson, Buff Allen,
Harris van Berkel, Tom Keenlyside and
Laurence Mollerup) under the musical
direction of multi-talented host Sal Ferreras.
Astounding, extraordinary and always fun.
Buy your tickets early to avoid disappointment.
Cash bar.
1–2:30 PM
PTC STUDIO
Two illustrators who work in very different forms—one a graphic novelist and the other an artist
working mostly with Plasticine™—talk about how they marry their illustrations with words to tell a
story. Brown’s most recent work is a biography in graphic novel form of Louis Riel. Many of
Reid’s three-dimensional art pieces have been sold after the book is published.
20 years young this year!
everyday 10-7
NetLoft Granville Island
www.paper-ya.com
F E AT U R I N G D E S I G N S BY
Calvin Klein | Tibet Rug Company
Andy Warhol | Frank Lloyd Wright
East India Carpets
P E R S I A N & CO N T E M P O R A RY C L A S S I C S S I N C E 1 9 4 8
1606 West 2nd Ave, Vancouver | 604.736.5681
Mon to Sat 10-6 | Sunday 12-5
W W W. E A S T I N D I A C A R P E T S . C O M
TRADE SECRETS
27
40
MARK BILLINGHAM, GILES BLUNT, JOSÉ LATOUR, LOUISE WELSH
MODERATOR: MARK BILLINGHAM
8:00 PM
WATERFRONT THEATRE
Who dunnit? Does the crime writer always know before he or she begins
to write? Where do you bury the body so that it won’t be painfully
obvious to your reader? How do you come up with plausible, fresh ways
to keep the crime reader hanging? Four fine practitioners of the crime
genre spill their secrets.
AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH
K ATE GRENVILLE
41
8:00 PM
PTC STUDIO
$15
Australian writer Kate Grenville won the Orange Prize in 2001 for her
novel The Idea of Perfection. This year she won the Commonwealth
Writers’ Prize for The Secret River, a novel about a convict ancestor who
seized Aborigine land. The novel began as an investigation into her
family’s history and has been praised for its accurate depiction of how a
limited man of good intentions becomes involved in enormity and atrocity. It
also examines the mythic collective guilt for the fate of the Aborigines—a
good opportunity to spend an hour with Kate Grenville in an intimate setting.
This event is sponsored by Weyerhaeuser and generously supported by
the Hamber Foundation.
POETRY IN TRANSIT
42
FEATURING: WINONA BAKER, MARILYN BOWERING, KATE BRAID, W.H. NEW,
SANDY SHREVE, SHARON THESEN, DERK WYNAND AND MORE
HOST: SUSAN MUSGRAVE
8:00 PM
THE TAPROOM
$5
We all remember a favourite line of poetry that remains isolated from its
verse. On this night, connect a line to a poem and put a face to a poet,
when the Association of Book Publishers of BC and TransLink celebrate
10 incredible years of Poetry in Transit. Join us for an evening of
readings, signings and celebration as we assemble more than 30 of the
poets who over the past decade have relieved the monotony of your
daily commute. For ages 19 and over.
S AT U R D AY, O C T O B E R 2 1
28
THE ANNUAL
SPELL OFF
43
THE LIBRARY
AT NIGHT
44
MULTIPLICITY
CBC TEAM, THE VANCOUVER SUN TEAM
ALBERTO MANGUEL IN CONVERSATION WITH
RACHEL WYATT, PATRICIA YOUNG
YOU, THE AUDIENCE
SHELAGH ROGERS
MODERATOR: DENISE RYAN
SPELL MISTRESS: CAROL MUNRO
45
CAROLINE ADDERSON, BILL GASTON,
10:30 AM–12 NOON
10:30 AM–12 NOON
10:30 AM–12 NOON
PERFORMANCE WORKS
WATERFRONT THEATRE
REVUE THEATRE
Anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist and
editor, Alberto Manguel is absorbed by the
written word. Inspired by the process of
designing and organizing a library at his home
in France, Manguel talks with CBC
broadcaster Shelagh Rogers about how
libraries embody the memories of individuals
and whole cultures. His book, The Library at
Night, explores libraries from Egypt to the
Arab world, from Rome to Google.
The short story collection permits authors
to create strange and wonderful characters
in wildly divergent worlds that alter from
story to story within that collection. These
are characters who stay with us for a short
while as we read their lives, and then often
stay with us for much longer in our
imaginations. Four authors with new short
story collections talk about the freedom to
inhabit diverse minds.
FREE
The annual etymological face-off among
journalists from The Vancouver Sun,
broadcasters from the CBC and the audience.
The Vancouver Sun team won last year’s fastpaced, action-packed match. Who will be the
winner this year in this ongoing battle of the
wits? Bring your notepad and pen and join
Spell Mistress Carol Munro for an amusing
and challenging morning of orthographizing.
This event is sponsored by The Vancouver Sun.
46
47
48
WRITING LIFE:
A PEN ANTHOLOGY EVENT
BUILDING A MYSTERY
ROBERT DREWE, ALBERTO MANGUEL,
POLITICS AND
THE PEN
LYNN COADY, DAMON GALGUT, LISA MOORE,
JAVIER SIERRA, LOUISE WELSH
J.B. MACKINNON, COLUM MCCANN, ROSEMARY
EDEN ROBINSON, MADELEINE THIEN
MODERATOR: STEPHEN MILLER
SULLIVAN, SAADI YOUSEF
MODERATOR: MERILYN SIMONDS
2–3:30 PM
MODERATOR: KIRK LAPOINTE
10:30 AM–12 NOON
REVUE THEATRE
2–3:30 PM
PTC STUDIO
$13 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE
PERFORMANCE WORKS
$13
What kind of life does a writer have and what
are the connections between time spent in
the act of writing—the private part of the
writing life—and all the rest of one’s time?
Writing Life is an anthology conceived as a
fundraiser for PEN Canada. Five distinguished
contributors to the anthology will talk about
the greatest challenges, miseries and joys of
being a writer.
$13 + $1.50 FACILITY SURCHARGE
At the centre of every mystery is a secret
withheld. How well a mystery writer slowly
reveals that secret makes the difference
between a ho-hum read and a page-turner.
Four lovers of mystery talk about keeping
their audiences guessing until the last
moment, perched on the edge of suspense
with their spines a-tingle.
This event is sponsored by Simon &
Schuster Canada.
Do writers have a responsibility to confront
contemporary politics? How does a writer
with a political argument avoid polemic?
Some writers place imaginary characters in
real times, causing us to reflect on the
issues that shape our present. Other
writers create worlds that are allegorical.
Yet others tackle politics head on, putting
thoughts into words to try to change our
world. Four writers reflect on the artist’s
role as political commentator.
F E S T I VA L AT A G L A N C E
30
T U E S D AY
17
W E D N E S D AY
EVENT #1
10 – 11:00 am
Waterfront Theatre
EVENT #5
10 – 11:30 am
Granville Island Stage
Big Fish
Ordinary Teens,
Extraordinary
Adventures
Maggie de Vries
$12 + $.50 facility
surcharge / $6 for
student groups
EVENT #2
10 – 11:00 am
PTC Studio
La Joie de Lire
L’heure du conte
Danielle Simard
$12 / $6 pour les
groupes d’étudiants
EVENT #3
1 – 2:30 pm
Waterfront Theatre
From Page to Stage
Stephan Cloutier,
Dennis Foon
$12 + $.50 facility
surcharge / $6 for
student groups
EVENT #4
1 – 2:30 pm
PTC Studio
La Joie de Lire
Derrière le mur
Camille Bouchard
$12 / $6 pour les
Dennis Foon,
Michael Kusugak
$12 + $2 facility
surcharge / $6 for
student groups
EVENT #6
10 – 11:30 am
Revue Theatre
La Joie de Lire
Les Chevaliers
d’Émeraude
Anne Robillard
$12 + $1.50 facility
surcharge / $6 pour les
EVENT #7
10 – 11:30 am
Performance Works
Fitting In
Sarah Ellis,
Ellen Schwartz
$12 + $.50 facility
surcharge / $6 for
student groups
EVENT #8
10 – 11:30 am
Waterfront Theatre
Inspired By the Classics
Dede Crane,
Barbara Nichol
$12 + $.50 facility
surcharge / $6 for
student groups
EVENT #9
10 – 11:30 am
PTC Studio
Picture This
Barbara Reid
$12 / $6 for
student groups
EVENT #10
1 – 2:30 pm
Revue Theatre
Madmen or Mystics?
Chester Brown,
Barbara Nichol
surcharge / $6 for
student groups
18
T H U R S D AY
19
EVENT #11
1 – 2:30 pm
Waterfront Theatre
La Joie de Lire
EVENT #16
10 – 11:30 am
EVENT #23
1 – 2:30 pm
Performance Works
The Power of Reading
The Long and the Short of It
Vie Virtuelle ou Réelle
Fiona Farrell, Alberto Manguel,
Val Ross
$12 + $2 facility surcharge /
$6 for student groups
Anar Ali, Clark Blaise, Fiona Farrell,
Bill Gaston, Rachel Wyatt
$12 + $.50 facility surcharge /
EVENT #17
10 – 11:00 am
Revue Theatre
EVENT #24
1 – 2:30 pm
Waterfront Theatre
Feet, Fox and Wings
In Fine Form
Sarah Ellis, Barbara Reid,
Ellen Schwartz
$12 + $1.50 facility surcharge /
Elizabeth Bachinsky,
Marilyn Bowering,
Lorna Goodison, Don McKay
Stephan Cloutier
$12 + $.50 facility
surcharge / $6 pour les
EVENT #12
1 – 2:30 pm
PTC Studio
You Can’t Read This
Val Ross in conversation
with Sarah Ellis
$12 / $6 for
student groups
EVENT #13
7 pm
Waterfront Theatre
The View from Quebec
Yves Beauchemin,
Pan Bouyoucas,
Gaétan Soucy
$15 + $.50 facility
surcharge
EVENT #14
8 pm
PTC Studio
An Intimate Evening
with Mark Billingham
$15
EVENT #18
10 – 11:30 am
Performance Works
Groundwork
EVENT #25
1 – 2:30 pm
PTC Studio
Kate Grenville, Linda Holeman,
Javier Sierra
Growing Up Gonzo—
Making Sense of It All
EVENT #19
10 – 11:00 am
Waterfront Theatre
EVENT #26
8 pm
Performance Works
String Stories
Buns ‘n’ Roses
Michael Kusugak
Anar Ali, Elizabeth Bachinsky,
Ryan Knighton, Shane Koyczan,
Alayna Munce, Nathan Sellyn,
Michael V. Smith, Cathleen With
Host: Billeh Nickerson
$15 + $.50 facility surcharge
EVENT #15
8:30 pm
Performance Works
EVENT #20
10 – 11:30 am
PTC Studio
La Joie de Lire
Grand Openings
Fuego
Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie, Tash Aw,
Lynn Coady, Damon
Galgut, Kate Grenville,
Wayne Johnston,
Jon McGregor
$20 + $1 facility
surcharge
Stephan Cloutier
$12 / $6 pour les
EVENT #21
1 – 2:30 pm
Words on the Fly
Shane Koyczan, Lemn Sissay,
with special guest Christa Bell
EVENT #22
1 – 2:30 pm
Revue Theatre
La Joie de Lire
Mandy Sayer
$12 / $6 for student groups
EVENT #27
8 pm
Waterfront Theatre
From the Cauldron of Conflict
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,
Anita Rau Badami, Rawi Hage,
Anosh Irani
EVENT #28
8 pm
PTC Studio
An Intimate Evening with
Wayne Johnston
$15
EVENT #29
8 pm
The Taproom
Le Ricanement des hyènes
Pourquoi Écrire?
Camille Bouchard
$6 pour les groupes d’étudiants
Pan Bouyoucas, Patrick Deville,
Danielle Simard, Gaétan Soucy
$15
F E S T I VA L AT A G L A N C E
F R I D AY
20
S AT U R D AY
31
21
S U N D AY
22
EVENT #30
10 – 11:30 am
EVENT #36
1 – 2:30 pm
Revue Theatre
EVENT #43
10:30 am – 12 noon
Revue Theatre
EVENT #49
2 – 3:30 pm
Waterfront Theatre
EVENT #54
10:30 am – 12 noon PTC Studio
Family Matters
Time for Listening
The Annual Spell Off
Tash Aw, Billie Livingston,
Maile Meloy, Bharati
Mukherjee, Timothy Taylor
Patrick Deville, Robert Drewe,
Stephanie Johnson,
Gautam Malkani, Jean McNeil
CBC, The Vancouver
Sun and You
Spell Mistress:
Carol Munro
Free
The Literary Atlas
of Canada
Linda Spalding in conversation with
Jerry Wasserman
$13
EVENT #31
10 – 11:30 am
Revue Theatre
EVENT #37
1 – 2:30 pm
Waterfront Theatre
EVENT #44
10:30 am – 12 noon
Performance Works
The Possibility of Love
Oh, Canada
The Library at Night
Pan Bouyoucas,
Jon McGregor, Alayna Munce,
Richard Wagamese
Yves Beauchemin,
Noah Richler, Linda Spalding,
Rosemary Sullivan
Alberto Manguel in
conversation with
Shelagh Rogers
$13 + $.50 facility
surcharge
EVENT #32
10 – 11:30 am
Performance Works
EVENT #38
1 – 2:30 pm
PTC Studio
EVENT #45
10:30 am – 12 noon
Waterfront Theatre
Concrete Characters
Worth a Thousand Words
Multiplicity
Dionne Brand, Rawi Hage,
Anosh Irani, José Latour
Chester Brown, Barbara Reid
Caroline Adderson,
Bill Gaston, Rachel
Wyatt, Patricia Young
$13 + $.50 facility
surcharge
EVENT #33
10 – 11:30 am
Waterfront Theatre
Triple Treat
Gautam Malkani, Javier Sierra,
Madeleine Thien
EVENT #34
10 – 11:30 am
PTC Studio
Villa Air-Bel
Rosemary Sullivan
in conversation with
Jerry Wasserman
EVENT #35
1 – 2:30 pm
From the Dark Side
Marilyn Bowering, Damon
Galgut, Patrick McCabe, Eden
Robinson, Gaétan Soucy
EVENT #39
8 pm
Performance Works
The Literary Cabaret
Dennis Bock, Billie Livingston,
Colum McCann, Lisa Moore,
Lemn Sissay, Madeleine Thien
Host: Salvador Ferreras
EVENT #40
8 pm
Waterfront Theatre
Trade Secrets
Mark Billingham, Giles Blunt,
José Latour, Louise Welsh
EVENT #41
8 pm
PTC Studio
An Intimate Evening with
Kate Grenville
$15
EVENT #42
8 pm
The Taproom
Poetry in Transit
Winona Baker,
Marilyn Bowering, Kate Braid,
W.H. New, Sandy Shreve,
Sharon Thesen, Derk Wynand
and more
$5
EVENT #46
10:30 am – 12 noon
PTC Studio
Writing Life: A PEN
Anthology Event
Lynn Coady, Damon
Galgut, Lisa Moore,
Eden Robinson,
Madeleine Thien
$13
EVENT #47
2 – 3:30 pm
Revue Theatre
Building a Mystery
Robert Drewe,
Alberto Manguel,
Javier Sierra,
Louise Welsh
surcharge
EVENT #48
2 – 3:30 pm
Performance Works
Politics and the Pen
J.B. MacKinnon,
Colum McCann,
Rosemary Sullivan,
Saadi Yousef
surcharge
Noah Richler in
conversation with
Shelagh Rogers
$13 + $.50 facility
surcharge
EVENT #50
2 – 3:30 pm
PTC Studio
Bite Me
Who Named the Knife
EVENT #55
11 am – 12:30 pm
Performance Works
The Sunday Brunch
Giles Blunt, Dennis Bock, Nell
Freudenberger, Bill Gaston, Lisa
Moore, Patricia Young
Lynn Coady,
Stephanie Johnson
$13
EVENT #56
1:30 – 3:00 pm Waterfront Theatre
EVENT #51
8 pm
Performance Works
Robert Drewe, Ryan Knighton,
Mandy Sayer, Linda Spalding
The Poetry Bash
Ken Babstock,
Dionne Brand,
Suzanne Buffam,
Lorna Goodison,
Fanny Howe,
Don McKay,
Galsan Tschinag,
Saadi Yousef
Host: Brad Cran
$20 + $1 facility
surcharge
EVENT #52
8 pm
Waterfront Theatre
Out Loud at Night
Caroline Adderson,
Nell Freudenberger,
Linda Holeman,
Jean McNeil,
Timothy Taylor,
Richard Wagamese
$15 + $.50 facility
surcharge
EVENT #53
8 pm
PTC Studio
An Intimate
Evening with
Anita Rau Badami
$15
Memory Lane
EVENT #57
1:30 – 3:00 pm PTC Studio
The Blue Sky
Galsan Tschinag in conversation
with Mark Schneider
$13
EVENT #58
3:30 – 5:00 pm Performance Works
The Afternoon Tea
Clark Blaise, Anosh Irani,
Billie Livingston, Patrick McCabe,
Maile Meloy, Bharati Mukherjee
EVENT #59
4 – 5:30 pm Waterfront Theatre
Emerge
Gurjinder Basran, Eilis Carpentier,
Vaughan Chapman, Joan Dixon,
Jessica-Ann Dozois, Susan Fisher,
Angela Ford, Elee Gardiner, Ghirs
Geisel, John Goossen, Tamara
Gorin, Sarah Hambley, Orrin
Hargrave, Joanna Hindle, Shelley
Ikegami, John Mavin, Joan
McEwen, Shana Myara, Melissa
Sawatsky, Paula Stromberg, Sarah
Turner, Ethel Whitty
EVENT #60
8 pm
The Chan Centre for the Performing
Arts at UBC
The Bill Duthie Memorial Lecture
Adrienne Clarkson
32
THE LITERARY
ATLAS OF CANADA
49
NOAH RICHLER IN CONVERSATION
WITH SHELAGH ROGERS
BITE ME
50
51
KEN BABSTOCK, DIONNE BRAND,
MODERATOR: ZSUZSI GARTNER
SUZANNE BUFFAM, LORNA GOODISON,
2–3:30 PM
2–3:30 PM
PTC STUDIO
WATERFRONT THEATRE
$13
Biting and hilarious satire is a daring feat
to pull off successfully. New Zealand’s
Stephanie Johnson has triumphed with
the wry observations as diplomatic
protection squads and private collectors
argue over a tattooed head. Canada’s Lynn
Coady, who has been shortlisted for the
Stephen Leacock Award, bravely skewers
the pretensions of universities that view
creativity as a learnable skill. Be prepared
for an afternoon of wit and wickedness.
Over two years, Noah Richler has crisscrossed
the country of Canada and interviewed close
to 100 authors about places and ideas that are
most meaningful to their work. From Michael
Crummey and Wayne Johnston to Douglas
Coupland and Miriam Toews, Richler’s
interviews create a vivid portrayal of our
society. What do our contemporary writers tell
us about who we are as Canadians? CBC
Radio interviewer Shelagh Rogers joins
Richler on stage as two of Canada’s great
interviewers check out the soul of the country.
THE POETRY BASH
LYNN COADY, STEPHANIE JOHNSON
FANNY HOWE, DON MCKAY, GALSAN TSCHINAG,
SAADI YOUSEF
HOST: BRAD CRAN
8:00 PM
PERFORMANCE WORKS
Brad Cran has gathered a panoply of
poets that will satisfy poetry lovers of all
persuasions. International voices, new
voices, seasoned voices—an evening of
readings that will delight your ears and
demonstrate once again why poetry
matters. Get your tickets early for one of
the Festival’s most popular events.
OUT LOUD AT NIGHT
33
52
CAROLINE ADDERSON, NELL FREUDENBERGER, LINDA HOLEMAN,
JEAN MCNEIL, TIMOTHY TAYLOR, RICHARD WAGAMESE
MODERATOR: MARK FORSYTHE
8:00 PM
WATERFRONT THEATRE
It’s Saturday night, and what better way to ensure a great weekend than
to hear six fine writers read aloud parts of their new works. Be it from
an Adderson short story, Taylor’s urban novel, Holeman’s historical
saga, McNeil’s lyrical evocation of the Maritimes, Wagamese’s novel
about family or Freudenberger’s Beverly Hills dynamics, there’s more
than enough to introduce you to some riveting and entertaining fiction
you’ll want to explore further.
AN INTIMATE EVENING
WITH ANITA RAU BADAMI
53
8:00 PM
PTC STUDIO
$15
In 2000 Anita Rau Badami became the youngest recipient of the Marian
Engel Award, recognizing a female Canadian novelist in mid-career. Her
new novel, Can You Hear the Nightbird Call?, is the story of three women,
linked in love and tragedy, over a span of 50 years—from the partition of
India and Pakistan in 1947 to the explosion of Air India Flight 182 in
1985. Anita Rau Badami brings warmth and humanity to her writing and
to her conversation, as she explores the personal and the political in
both India and Canada.
This event is sponsored by Weyerhaeuser and generously supported by
the Hamber Foundation.
S U N D AY, O C T O B E R 2 2
34
WHO NAMED THE KNIFE
54
56
MEMORY LANE
LINDA SPALDING IN CONVERSATION WITH JERRY
ROBERT DREWE, RYAN KNIGHTON, MANDY SAYER, LINDA SPALDING
WASSERMAN
MODERATOR: BRENDA BERCK
10:30 AM–12 NOON
1:30–3:00 PM
PTC STUDIO
WATERFRONT THEATRE
$13
In 1982 writer Linda Spalding was called to jury
duty, sitting for a trial of a young woman, Maryann
Acker, charged with murder. Twenty years later,
Spalding stumbles across the journal she kept
through the trial and tracks down Maryann, who is
still in jail. So begins a journey into memory, into
the twists of fate that spin two lives down such
different trajectories. Linda Spalding’s exploration of
how subject and writer overlap makes for a
fascinating conversation about autobiography,
memoir and narrative.
Memoirs have run the gamut from outright invention to slavish devotion to fact. Four
authors discuss the challenges they face as they put their memories on paper and turn
them into compelling non-fiction. How accurately can anyone describe the events that
shaped their lives? What is the balance between taking liberties in recreating an event and
personal responsibility to record? What are the challenges of writing a memoir? And what
does the memoirist learn about his or her self by recreating the past?
57
THE BLUE SKY
GALSAN TSCHINAG IN CONVERSATION WITH MARK SCHNEIDER
1:30–3:00 PM
PTC STUDIO
$13
THE SUNDAY BRUNCH
55
GILES BLUNT, DENNIS BOCK, NELL FREUDENBERGER,
BILL GASTON, LISA MOORE, PATRICIA YOUNG
HOST: SHERYL MACKAY
Author of more than 30 books that have been published in France, Spain, the Netherlands,
Italy, Denmark, Israel and Japan, Galsan Tschinag is a Mongolian poet and shaman who
now lives in Germany. The Blue Sky, his first book to be translated into English, is an
autobiographical novel that tells of the author-narrator’s childhood in a family of nomadic
herders, youth and early adulthood in the High Altai Mountains in western Mongolia. This
is a rare opportunity to meet a man with one leg in modern society and the other in an
ancient nomadic past.
11 AM–12:30 PM
PERFORMANCE WORKS
Those who wake up to the voice of Sheryl McKay
on CBC Radio One’s North By Northwest don’t
have to get up quite as early this morning. Sheryl,
in person, will serve up a literary repast that is sure
to satisfy your appetites in more ways than one.
With lots of good readings and large helpings of
merriment, your morning cup of coffee won’t be
the only hot thing on the go. Come with a friend or
make a new one over croissants and champagne.
Be forewarned: This event is very popular and
tables fill early.
58
THE AFTERNOON TEA
CLARK BLAISE, ANOSH IRANI,
3:30–5:00 PM
BILLIE LIVINGSTON, PATRICK MCCABE,
PERFORMANCE WORKS
MAILE MELOY, BHARATI MUKHERJEE
HOST: BILL RICHARDSON
TEA AND SCONES INCLUDED
What could be more pleasant and relaxing than joining host Bill Richardson for a
thought-provoking afternoon of tea and tales from a diverse selection of Festival
authors? This event is freshly baked to warm your senses and stimulate your soul.
Tea provided by Starbucks.
This event is sponsored by Random House of Canada Ltd.
S U N D AY, O C T O B E R 2 2
EMERGE
35
59
GURJINDER BASRAN, EILIS CARPENTIER, VAUGHAN CHAPMAN,
JOAN DIXON, JESSICA-ANN DOZOIS, SUSAN FISHER, ANGELA FORD,
ELEE GARDINER, GHIRS GEISEL, JOHN GOOSSEN, TAMARA GORIN,
SARAH HAMBLEY, ORRIN HARGRAVE, JOANNA HINDLE, SHELLEY IKEGAMI,
JOHN MAVIN, JOAN MCEWEN, SHANA MYARA, MELISSA SAWATSKY,
PAULA STROMBERG, SARAH TURNER, ETHEL WHITTY
4–5:30 PM
WATERFRONT THEATRE
The launch of emerge, the annual anthology from Simon Fraser
University Writers’ Studio, will provide a tantalizing taste from the
work of 22 new writers, who span four generations and write in the
genres of non-fiction, poetry, fiction and lyric prose.
THE BILL DUTHIE MEMORIAL LECTURE
60
ADRIENNE CLARKSON
8:00 PM
THE CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AT UBC
On the final night of the Writers Festival, meet Adrienne Clarkson,
author of Heart Matters, the first book she has published since
leaving the office of Governor General. This book of frank memoirs
covers her childhood in Ottawa through her formative years as a
student at the University of Toronto to her television career to her five
years in Paris as Agent-General for Ontario, and eventually to her
time as Governor General. There are many revelations and many
stories to tell, and as an accomplished journalist she tells them well.
This event is sponsored by Scotia Private Client Group.
The speaker honorarium is generously provided by Duthie Books
Fourth Avenue.
Presented by the Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival
in cooperation with the UBC Alma Mater Society and The Chan
Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
may have been a Communist leader, an informer for the Japanese, a
black market trader or a loyal working-class man. It won the Whitbread
First Novel Award in 2005 and has been published internationally.
CAROLINE ADDERSON
BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 45, 52
Caroline Adderson is the author of two
internationally published novels, A History of
Forgetting and Sitting Practice, and a collection of
stories, Bad Imaginings. Her work has won two Ethel
Wilson Fiction Prizes and three CBC Literary Awards,
as well as numerous nominations, including the
Governor General’s Award, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and the
Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Adderson has also written for film and
CBC Radio. Her new collection of short stories is entitled Pleased to
Meet You. She lives in Vancouver.
KEN BABSTOCK
O N TA R I O , E V E N T 5 1
Ken Babstock is the author of Mean, which won the
Atlantic Poetry Prize and the Milton Acorn People’s
Poetry Award, and Days into Flatspin, winner of a
K.M. Hunter Award. His poems have won Gold at the
National Magazine Awards, been anthologized in
Canada and the United States and translated into
Dutch, Serbo-Croatian and Latvian. His latest collection of poems is the
much-anticipated Airstream Land Yacht.
CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE
NIGERIA, EVENTS 15, 27
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born in Nigeria.
Her debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, won the
Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book
and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction
and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. It was hailed as
one of the best novels to come out of Africa in years.
Her new novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, brilliantly recreates the passion and
violence of Biafra’s struggle to create an independent republic in Nigeria
in the 1960s.
ANAR ALI
ELIZABETH BACHINSKY
PHOTO: DAVE AHARONIAN
PHOTO: BRUCE SWEENEY
37
Elizabeth Bachinsky was born in Regina,
Saskatchewan, and grew up in northern BC, the
Yukon and BC’s Fraser Valley. Her published
collections of poetry include Curio: Grotesques and
Satires from the Electronic Age and Home of Sudden
Service. Her work has also been widely anthologized
and she received an honourable mention for the Bronwen Wallace Award
for Poetry in 2004. She is the poetry editor for Event magazine and has
taught creative writing at Vancouver Film School.
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 2 3 , 2 6
Anar Ali is a graduate of the University of British
Columbia MFA program in creative writing. She was
born in Tanzania, grew up in Alberta and lives in
Toronto. Her first book, Baby Khaki’s Wings, is a
stunning collection of richly imagined stories about
the Ismaili community. Set in Canada and East Africa,
these are magical tales of men and women displaced, caught between
home and exile, between what is real and imagined.
TASH AW
M A L AY S I A / U K , E V E N T S 1 5 , 3 0
Tash Aw was born in Taipei, raised in Malaysia and
now lives in London. He worked as a lawyer before
studying creative writing at the University of East
Anglia. His debut novel, The Harmony Silk Factory,
weaves together multiple perspectives on Johnny
Lim, a controversial figure in 1940s Malaysia, who
ANITA RAU BADAMI
QUEBEC, EVENTS 27, 53
Anita Rau Badami received many honours for her
first two novels, Tamarind Mem and The Hero’s
Walk, which were both bestsellers and have been
published internationally. Her new novel, Can You
Hear the Nightbird Call?, spans 38 years, from the
partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 to the
explosion of Air India Flight 182 off the coast of Ireland in 1985. The
youngest recipient of the Marian Engel Award for a woman writer in midcareer, Badami currently resides in Montreal.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
38
the producer of a live Spoken Word EP. This year, Christa will headline her
first international SpokenWord Poetry tour, WordMedicine, and is
recording a full length live LP of the tour, entitled YoniVerse: Live.
YVES BEAUCHEMIN
Yves Beauchemin is a towering figure in modern
Quebec literature. He worked as a journalist for many
years before turning to fiction. His second novel, The
Alley Cat, was published in 1981 and became the alltime bestselling novel in Quebec literature. It won
several awards, has been translated into 15
languages and was adapted for film. His latest book, Charles the Bold,
has been called “one of the great works of Canadian literature” by writer
Madeleine Thien.
PHOTO: CHARLIE HOPKINSON
CHRISTA BELL
US, EVENT 21
Christa Bell is currently the third ranked Performance
Poet in the United States. Christa is Seattle’s 2005
Grand Slam Poetry Champion and the Northwest’s
2005 representative at the Individual World Poetry
Slam Competition. She has a BA in creative writing
and is the author of three collections of poetry and
MARK BILLINGHAM
UK, EVENTS 14, 40
Mark Billingham worked as an actor, television
writer and standup comedian before publishing his
first crime novel, Sleepyhead, which was an instant
bestseller in the UK. That book’s hero, London-based
detective Tom Thorne, is at the centre of Billingham’s
internationally successful series of crime novels,
including Scaredy Cat, Lazybones, The Burning Girl, Lifeless and Buried.
Billingham lives in North London and is at work on his next novel,
provisionally titled Death Message.
CLARK BLAISE
CANADA/US, EVENTS 23, 58
Clark Blaise is among the most widely travelled of
authors, having taught or lectured in Japan, India,
Singapore, Australia, Finland, Estonia, the Czech
Republic, the Netherlands, Germany, Haiti and
Mexico, as well as throughout Canada. He is the
author of nine story collections, three novels and four
works of non-fiction and is currently the president of the Society for the
Study of the Short Story. He has been honoured by the American
Academy of Arts and Letters and currently divides his time between San
Francisco and Southampton, Long Island.
PHOTO: JANNA EGGEBEEN
GILES BLUNT
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 4 0 , 5 5
Giles Blunt grew up in North Bay, Ontario. After
spending more than 20 years in New York City, he
now lives in Toronto. He has written scripts for Law
& Order, Street Legal and Night Heat, as well as
several novels. His awards include the British Crime
Writers’ Macallan Silver Dagger for Forty Words for
Sorrow and the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel for The Delicate Storm.
His book, Blackfly Season, was cited as one of The Globe and Mail’s Best
Mysteries of the Year.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
DENNIS BOCK
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 3 9 , 5 5
Dennis Bock’s first book, Olympia, a collection of
linked short stories, won the 1998 Canadian
Authors’ Association Jubilee Award, the first annual
Danuta Gleed Award and Britain’s Betty Trask
Award. His first novel, The Ash Garden, won the
Japan-Canada Literary Award and was nominated
for several others, including the International IMPAC Dublin Literary
Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. His new novel, The
Communist’s Daughter, is an intimate portrait of legendary Canadian
doctor Norman Bethune.
CAMILLE BOUCHARD
Camille Bouchard est journaliste, directeur graphique,
enseignant et directeur de production, et ses talents
sont reconnus dans le domaine de la bande
dessinée, du cinéma, de la télévision, du théâtre et
de la littérature. Il est l’auteur de romans primés
destinés aux jeunes et aux adultes, notamment Des
étoiles sur notre maison, Les enfants de chienne et Le ricanement des
hyènes, pour lequel il a gagné le Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général
pour la littérature jeunesse en 2005. Il a beaucoup voyagé dans les pays
en développement, et ses œuvres témoignent des situations injustes
vécues partout dans le monde. Il vit à Québec.
Camille Bouchard is a journalist, graphic art director, teacher and
production director who has honed his skills in comics, film, television,
theatre and literature. His award-winning novels for young people and
adults include Des étoiles sur notre maison, Les enfants de chienne and
Le ricanement des hyènes, for which he won the Governor General’s
Award in 2005. He has travelled widely in developing countries, and his
work bears witness to global injustice. He lives in Quebec City.
PHOTO: MARIE-REINE MATTERA
Les Éditions Courte d’échelle et Dominique et cie assumeront les coûts
de déplacement de Camille Bouchard.
PAN BOUYOUCAS
QUEBEC, EVENTS 13, 29, 31
Pan Bouyoucas is the author of several novels,
including Anna Pourquoi and L’Autre, which was
nominated for the Governor General’s Award. Both
have been published to great acclaim in Quebec and
France. His most recent novel, The Man Who
39
Wanted to Drink Up the Sea, was voted one of the season’s best novels
by the booksellers’ association of France in the autumn of 2005.
Pan Bouyoucas est l’auteur des romans L’Autre (2001), mis en
nomination pour le Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général et sélectionné
pour le Prix Marcel-Couture du Salon du Livre, et Anna Pourquoi (2003).
Ces deux romans ont été publiés et accueillis avec enthousiasme au
Québec et en France. Son plus récent roman, The Man Who Wanted to
Drink Up the Sea, est déjà traduit en français L'homme qui voulait boire la
mer et à l’automne 2005, l’Association des libraires de France l’a classé
parmi les meilleurs succès en librairie. Auparavant, il avait publié les
romans Le dernier souffle (1975), Une bataille d’Amérique (1976),
L’humoriste et l’assassin (1996) et La vengeance d’un père (1997), lequel
a été traduit en anglais (A Father’s Revenge) et publié par les éditions
Guernica en 2001.
Cormorant Books assume les coûts de déplacement de Pan Bouyoucas.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
40
MARILYN BOWERING
Marilyn Bowering is an award-winning novelist, poet
and playwright whose first novel, To All Appearances
A Lady, was a New York Times Notable Book of 1990.
Her second novel, Visible Worlds (1997), was
shortlisted for the prestigious Orange Prize,
nominated for the IMPAC Dublin Prize, and awarded
the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Bowering’s third novel, Cat’s Pilgrimage, is
a psychological map in the form of an album of human and animal stories.
What it Takes to Be Human, her new novel, is also a map—of survival in a
world where human qualities are increasingly under threat.
PHOTO: JANNA EGGEBEEN
DIONNE BRAND
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 3 2 , 5 1
Dionne Brand has written eight collections of poetry,
four works of fiction and two books of non-fiction. Her
first novel, In Another Place, Not Here, was a 1998
New York Times Notable Book, and her second, At
the Full and Change of the Moon, received the same
honour from the Los Angeles Times in 1999. Her poetry has garnered
several prizes, including the Governor General’s Award and the Pat
Lowther Award. Her latest novel, What We All Long For, was published
to great acclaim in Canada and Italy.
Dionne Brand’s appearance is made possible by the Betty & Ralph
Gustafson Chair of Poetry at Malaspina University-College.
CHESTER BROWN
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 1 0 , 3 8
Chester Brown was born in Montreal and published
his first comic strip in a local newspaper when he
was 12. While in his twenties, he held down a day
job while self-publishing his work in photocopied
mini-comics under the title Yummy Fur. He turned
to writing full-time after his work was picked up
by a Toronto comic book publisher. His graphic novels include Ed the
Happy Clown, The Playboy, I Never Liked You and Louis Riel: A ComicStrip Biography.
SUZANNE BUFFAM
BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENT 51
Suzanne Buffam won the 1998 CBC Literary Award
for poetry and the 2006 Gerald Lampert Memorial
Award. Her poems have appeared in Saturday Night,
Books in Canada, The Denver Quarterly, Prairie
Schooner and The Colorado Review. She is a
graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the
master’s program in English at Concordia University and currently teaches
at the University of Chicago. Her eagerly anticipated debut poetry
collection is Past Imperfect.
ADRIENNE CLARKSON
O N TA R I O , E V E N T 6 0
Adrienne Clarkson is well known to Canadians
as Governor General of Canada from 1999 until
2005 and for her long career in television
broadcasting. Less well known is the fact that
Madame Clarkson authored two novels, a work of
non-fiction, and contributed to many newspapers
and magazines. Her new memoir, Heart Matters, will tell the story of
her life from her childhood in Ottawa to her exciting and turbulent
tenure as Governor General.
STEPHAN CLOUTIER
PATRICK DEVILLE
BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 3, 11, 20
FRANCE, EVENTS 29, 36
Stephan Cloutier a complété des études au
Conservatoire d’art dramatique et a joué dans plus de
vingt productions théâtrales à Montréal avant de
gagner la côte ouest en 1998. Il écrit alors deux
textes jeune public, Fuego et Safari de banlieue, qui
ont été produits à Vancouver, et présentés partout au
Canada. Son premier texte grand public, Apocalypse à Kamloops, fera
l’objet d’une coproduction du Théâtre la Seizième, du Théâtre français de
Toronto et du Théâtre la Catapulte l’hiver prochain.
Stephan Cloutier completed his studies at the Conservatoire d’art
dramatique and performed in more than 20 theatre productions in
Montreal before relocating to the West Coast in 1998. His plays for
young audiences, Fuego and Safari de banlieue, have been produced in
Vancouver and toured throughout Canada. His first play for adults,
Apocalypse à Kamloops, will be produced next winter by Théâtre la
Seizième, Théâtre français de Toronto and Théâtre la Catapulte.
LYNN COADY
PHOTO: KAREN ENGLE
A L B E RTA , E V E N T S 1 5 , 4 6 , 5 0
Lynn Coady grew up in Cape Breton and was
nominated for a Governor General’s Award for her
first novel, Strange Heaven. Her story collection, Play
the Monster Blind, was a finalist for the Stephen
Leacock Medal for Humour and for the Rogers
Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and her second novel,
Saints of Big Harbour, was published internationally. Her new novel,
Mean Boy, set at a Maritime university, is a hilarious account of youthful
idolatry and badly behaved poets.
DEDE CRANE
Dede Crane’s fiction has been shortlisted for the
CBC Literary Award and published in numerous
literary journals. She is a former professional ballet
dancer who studied Buddhist psychology at Naropa
Institute in Colorado and psychokinetics at the BodyMind Institute in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her books
include a young adult novel, The 25 Pains of Kennedy Baines, and an
adult novel, Sympathy. She lives in Victoria.
PHOTO: MATSAS OPALE
PHOTO: JESSICA HEAFY
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
41
Patrick Deville has published seven novels and his
writings have been translated into 12 languages. His
most recent books are La Tentation des armes à feu
(The Temptation of Firearms), Pura Vida: Vie & Mort
de William Walker (Pura Vida: The Life & Death of
William Walker) and Ces deux-là (These Two). He
runs La Maison des Écrivains Étrangers et des Traducteurs and edits the
magazine of the same name.
Patrick Deville est un grand voyageur. Il dirige la Maison des Écrivains
Étrangers et des Traducteurs (MEET) de Saint-Nazaire, et publie le
magazine du même nom. Il a notamment écrit Cordon-bleu, Longue vue,
Le Feu d’artifice, La Femme parfaite, et Ces deux-là.
Le Consultat général de France à Vancouver assume les coûts de
déplacement de Patrick Deville.
42
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
MAGGIE DE VRIES
Maggie de Vries is a writer, editor and teacher and
the award-winning author of several children’s books,
including How Sleep Found Tabitha and Chance and
the Butterfly. Her latest, Tale of a Great White Fish,
follows a 177-year-old sturgeon through an
extraordinary set of adventures. Her adult non-fiction
book, Missing Sarah, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award.
She lives in Vancouver with her husband and two cats.
ROBERT DREWE
AUSTRALIA, EVENTS 36, 47, 56
Robert Drewe was born in Melbourne and grew up
on the coast of Western Australia. His novels, short
stories and prize-winning memoir, The Shark Net,
have been widely translated, won many national and
international awards and have been adapted for film,
television, radio and theatre around the world. His
latest novel, Grace, is an intricately plotted thriller about a film reviewer
who goes into hiding to escape a stalker.
Robert Drewe’s appearance is made possible by the Australia Council
for the Arts.
SARAH ELLIS
Sarah Ellis is one of Canada’s best-loved writers of
children’s fiction. Her 14 books include Pick-Up
Sticks, which won the Governor General’s Award,
Out of the Blue and Back of Beyond. She has also
won the Vicky Metcalf Award for a body of work. A
part-time librarian, she is a highly sought-after
children’s book reviewer and speaker who lectures internationally on
Canadian children’s books. She lives in Vancouver.
FIONA FARRELL
PHOTO: INEZ GRIM
NEW ZEALAND, EVENTS 16, 23
Fiona Farrell has published two books of poetry, two
collections of short stories and three novels, including
The Skinny Louie Book, which won the New Zealand
Book Award for Fiction in 1993. A prolific author, she
has also written several plays for stage and radio. Her
many honours include the Bruce Mason Award for
Playwrights and the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship in Menton, as well
as every major short story award in New Zealand.
Fiona Farrell’s appearance is made possible by Creative New Zealand.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. He wrote his first novel,
A Sinless Season, when he was 17. His other books include Small Circle
of Beings, The Beautiful Screaming of Pigs, and The Quarry. Galgut was
born in Pretoria in 1963. He lives in Cape Town, South Africa.
SAL FERRERAS
Sal Ferreras is a multi-talented percussionist, teacher
and event organizer whose work in many facets of
the Canadian music scene including classical, world,
jazz, pop and Latin styles has earned him a star on
Granville Street from the BC Entertainment Hall of
Fame (2002) and a Healey Willan Award for
Outstanding Contributions to Choral Music in British Columbia (2005). He
has a PhD in Ethnomusicology and was recently appointed Director of
the Vancouver Community College School of Music. Sal has directed the
Literary Cabaret since 1989. Sal and his all-star band, Poetic License,
consider the Literary Cabaret one of the highlights of their musical year.
BILL GASTON
Bill Gaston is the author of several highly praised
story collections and novels, including Sex Is Red,
The Good Body, Mount Appetite, which was
nominated for the Giller Prize, and Sointula. He was
the inaugural recipient of the Timothy Findley Award,
presented by the Writers’ Trust of Canada to a
distinguished male writer for an outstanding body of work. His new book,
Midnight Hockey, is a memoir about beer, boys and the great Canadian
game. He also has a new collection of short stories called Gargoyles. He
lives in Victoria.
DENNIS FOON
US, EVENTS 52, 55
Nell Freudenberger made a big splash in the literary
world at the age of 26, when her story “Lucky Girls”
was published in the New Yorker’s 2001 Summer
Fiction issue. That piece became the title story of her
acclaimed debut collection, which was a New York
Times Notable Book and won the PEN/Malmud
Award for short fiction. In 2005, she was the recipient of a Whiting
Writers’ Award. Her first novel, The Dissident, has just been published.
Freudenberger has taught English in Bangkok and New Delhi and
currently lives in New York City.
DAMON GALGUT
PHOTO: DEBORAH QUENET
J A M A I C A / O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 2 4 , 5 1
SOUTH AFRICA, EVENTS 15, 35, 46
Damon Galgut is an award-winning novelist and
short story writer. His most recent novel, The Good
Doctor, was an international sensation. It won a
regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book
and was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize and the
Lorna Goodison is an internationally acclaimed poet,
fiction writer and painter. Her many awards include
the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and the Musgrave
Gold Medal from Jamaica, and her work has been
widely anthologized. Her books include the poetry
collections, Travelling Mercies and Controlling the
Silver, and a collection of short stories, Baby Mother and the King of
Swords. Her memoir, From Harvey River, will be published in 2007.
KATE GRENVILLE
AUSTRALIA, EVENTS 15, 18, 41
PHOTO: L. GRAHAM
PHOTO: MARION ETTLINGER
NELL FREUDENBERGER
LORNA GOODISON
PHOTO: BVHNER
Dennis Foon kicked off his writing career with an
advice column, “Dear Dennis,” for his high school
newspaper. He later switched to play writing, and his
nearly two dozen plays continue to be produced
internationally. Dennis has also written extensively for
television and film. His young adult novels include
Double or Nothing, Scud, The Dirt Eaters and Freewalkers.
43
Kate Grenville won the Orange Prize in 2001 for
The Idea of Perfection. This, and her other works of
fiction—Lilian’s Story, Dreamhouse, Joan Makes
History and Dark Places—have earned her a
reputation as one of Australia’s finest writers. Her
most recent novel, The Secret River, won the 2006
Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and is shortlisted for the 2006 Miles
Franklin Award. It will be published in seven countries this year. Grenville
lives in Sydney.
Kate Grenville’s appearance is made possible by the Australia Council
for the Arts.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
44
RAWI HAGE
STEPHANIE JOHNSON
LEBANON/QUEBEC, EVENTS 27, 32
NEW ZEALAND, EVENTS 36, 50
Rawi Hage is a writer, visual artist and curator. Born
in Beirut, Lebanon, he lived through nine years of the
Lebanese civil war before immigrating to Canada in
1992. His writing has appeared in numerous journals
and his visual art has been shown in galleries and
museums around the world. His first novel, De Niro’s
Game, is a gut-wrenching work that illuminates civil war era Lebanon
with brilliant clarity. He now lives in Montreal.
Stephanie Johnson has written poetry, short fiction,
novels and plays for both radio and stage. Her novels
include The Whistler, Belief and The Shag Incident,
which won the Deutz Medal for Fiction in the
Montana New Zealand Book Awards. Recent titles
include Moody Bitch, a selection of Johnson’s poems
from the past 20 years; a short fiction collection, Drowned Sprat and
Other Stories; and her new satiric novel, John Tomb’s Head.
Stephanie Johnson’s appearance is made possible by the New Zealand
Book Council.
LINDA HOLEMAN
MANITOBA, EVENTS 18, 52
WAYNE JOHNSTON
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 1 5 , 2 8
PHOTO: NEIL GRAHAM
Linda Holeman transfers her love of travel into the
richly researched settings for her fiction. Her
historical novels for adults include The Linnet Bird,
which has been published in 10 countries, and her
latest, The Moonlit Cage, set in 19th-century
Afghanistan. Her books for young adults include
Toxic Love, Mercy’s Birds and Raspberry House Blues. Linda has been an
editor, teacher and writer-in-residence, and speaks regularly on the craft
of writing. She lives in Winnipeg.
FANNY HOWE
Wayne Johnston was born and raised in
Newfoundland and now lives in Toronto. His many
award-winning novels include The Story of Bobby
O’Malley, The Time of Their Lives, The Divine Ryans,
which was adapted into a successful film, Human
Amusements, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams and
The Navigator of New York. He has also published a memoir, Baltimore’s
Mansion, which won the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction. His
new novel is The Custodian of Paradise.
PHOTO: BEN E. WATKINS
US, EVENT 51
RYAN KNIGHTON
Fanny Howe is the author of more than 20 books of
poetry and prose, including Gone: Poems, Selected
Poems, One Crossed Out and a collection of essays,
The Wedding Dress. She was honoured in 2002 with
the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize. The poems in her
most recent collection, On the Ground, are spiritually
resonant and politically urgent. The book was shortlisted for the Griffin
Poetry Prize. She lives in New England.
Ryan Knighton teaches contemporary literature and
creative writing at Capilano College and served for
two years as editor of The Capilano Review. Knighton
has also published a book of poetry and co-authored
a short fiction collection with George Bowering. He
has produced, written and performed radio
monologues and documentaries about blindness for the CBC. His latest
book, Cockeyed: A Memoir, tells the story of his 15-year descent into
blindness while commenting on the world of the sighted.
ANOSH IRANI
Anosh Irani was born and brought up in Bombay and
moved to Vancouver in 1998. His debut novel, The
Cripple and His Talismans, appeared to great acclaim
in 2004. His plays include The Matka King and
Bombay Black, which was produced in Toronto earlier
this year by Cahoots Theatre and has been
nominated for six Dora Awards. His new novel, The Song of Kahunsha,
follows a gentle-spirited orphan thrust into the chaos of Bombay.
SHANE KOYCZAN
PHOTO: ROGER HUMBERT
PHOTO: TUSHNA SHROFF
INDIA/BRITISH COLUMBIA, EVENTS 27, 32, 58
Can you open for rock stars in Massey Hall and still
be a serious poet? An internationally recognized
slam poet, Yellowknife’s own Shane Koyczan broke
into the literary world at the Vancouver International
Writers Festival in 2004. His performance there led
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
45
to the publication of his first book, Visiting Hours, which won acclaim in
both Canada and the UK. He has since appeared at the UK’s most
prestigious literary festivals, has been featured on the BBC and was
selected as a highlight of the 2005 Edinburgh International Book
Festival, along with Salman Rushdie, Ian Rankin and Sebastien Barry.
And he still rocks.
MICHAEL KUSUGAK
N U N AV U T, E V E N T S 5 , 1 9
Michael Kusugak grew up in Repulse Bay, NWT
(now Nunavut). During his childhood, his family
travelled by dogsled, living a traditional Inuit lifestyle.
He is the author of seven picture books, including
Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails, winner of the
Ruth Schwartz Award; Hide and Sneak; My Arctic 1,
2, 3; Baseball Bats for Christmas; and A Promise Is a Promise (co-written
with Robert Munsch). His new book is The Curse of the Shaman.
JOSÉ LATOUR
C U B A / O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 3 2 , 4 0
José Latour was born in Cuba, where as an ardent
revolutionary he worked in government and banking
while writing crime fiction in his spare time. His first
novel was published in 1982, and within a decade,
Latour gave up his bureaucratic career to write full
time. In the late 1990s, fearing state censorship, he
began writing in English. The resulting novel, Outcast, was an
international success. Latour’s latest book is Havana Best Friends.
He left Cuba in 2002 and now lives in Toronto.
PHOTO: NATHANIEL MOBBS
MARY LAWSON
UK, SPECIAL EVENT
Mary Lawson was born and brought up in a farming
community in central Ontario and later attended
McGill University. She moved to England in 1968, is
married with two sons and lives in Kingston-uponThames. Her first and highly acclaimed novel, Crow
Lake, was a #1 national bestseller and shortlisted for
the Amazon/Books in Canada First Novel Award. The Other Side of the
Bridge is her exceptional new novel of jealousy, rivalry and the dangerous
power of obsessions.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
BILLIE LIVINGSTON
GAUTAM MALKANI
UK, EVENTS 33, 36
Billie Livingston worked as a file clerk, receptionist,
cocktail waitress, model, actor, chocolate sampler
and booth host at a plumbers’ convention before
turning to writing. Her first novel, Going Down
Swinging, received great critical acclaim, and her
debut poetry collection, The Chick at the Back of the
Church, was shortlisted for the Pat Lowther Award. Her new novel,
Cease to Blush, drives the bumpy road from the burlesque stages of Rat
Pack era Las Vegas to the bedroom Internet porn scenes of today.
PHOTO: MARK PRINGLE
PHOTO: ROB DALY
46
Gautam Malkani is a journalist for The Financial
Times in London and head of the Creative Business
section. He studied social and political sciences at
Cambridge University. His debut novel, Londonstani,
is a funny, crude and electrifying story of a gang of
four young Asians struggling to assert their own
brand of Britishness in a city of divergent cultures. Its author is being
hailed as an exciting new voice in English fiction.
ALBERTO MANGUEL
J.B. MACKINNON
J.B. MacKinnon is a celebrated independent
journalist and a contributing editor to the magazines
Adbusters, Explore and Vancouver. His widely
acclaimed first book, Dead Man in Paradise, won the
Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction and was
hailed as one of the best books of 2005 by The Globe
and Mail. A three-time winner of the National Magazine Foundation Gold
Award for travel writing, MacKinnon splits his time between Vancouver
and a cabin in northern British Columbia.
FRANCE, EVENTS 16, 44, 47
Alberto Manguel is internationally acclaimed as an
anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist and editor.
His award-winning books include A Dictionary of
Imaginary Places and A History of Reading. He was
born in Buenos Aires, moved to Canada in 1982 and
now lives in France, where he was named an Officer
of the Order of Arts and Letters. His new book, The Library at Night, is
the captivating, wide-ranging story of the critical role that libraries have
played in our civilization.
PATRICK MCCABE
MARGARET MACMILLAN
O N TA R I O , S P E C I A L E V E N T
Margaret MacMillan received her PhD from Oxford
University and is the Provost of Trinity College and a
professor of history at the University of Toronto. In
2007 she will become Warden of St. Antony’s
College, Oxford. Her previous books include Women
of the Raj and Canada and NATO. Her bestselling
book Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World won the Duff
Cooper Prize, the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction, the HessellTiltman Prize for History, the Silver Medal for the Council on Foreign
Relations Arthur Ross Book Award and the Governor General’s prize for
non-fiction in 2003. Her forthcoming book about President Nixon’s 1972
trip to China is called Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World.
IRELAND, EVENTS 35, 58
Patrick McCabe is the author of Carn, The Dead
School and Call Me the Breeze. Two of his novels,
The Butcher Boy and Breakfast on Pluto, were
shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and made into
acclaimed films by director Neil Jordan. He has also
written a children’s book, a collection of short stories
and a play. His new novel, Winterwood, is a chilling story of love, death,
sanctuary and escape. McCabe lives in Sligo, Ireland.
COLUM MCCANN
IRELAND/US, EVENTS 39, 48
Colum McCann was born in Dublin. His fiction
includes the short story collections Fishing the Sloe
Black River and Everything in This Country Must, and
the novels Songdogs, This Side of Brightness and
Dancer. His awards include a Hennessey Award in
1990 and the Rooney Prize. His new novel Zoli, is the
story of a Roma woman exiled for betraying her people. McCann lives in
New York.
48
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
JON MCGREGOR
UK, EVENTS 15, 31
Jon McGregor was born in Bermuda, grew up in
Norfolk and now lives in Nottingham. If Nobody
Speaks of Remarkable Things found him a place as
the youngest contender and the only first novelist on
the 2002 Booker Prize longlist. It has since won a
2003 Somerset Maugham Award and been
shortlisted in the Best First Book category in the Eurasia Region of the
Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Best Newcomer category in the
2004 British Book Awards. His latest book is So Many Ways to Begin.
DON MCKAY
Don McKay has published 11 books of poetry.
His work has twice been honoured with the
Governor General’s Award for Poetry, in 1991 for
Night Field and in 2000 for Another Gravity. He has
also been shortlisted twice for the Griffin Poetry
Prize, most recently for Camber: Selected Poems,
which was a Globe and Mail Notable Book of the Year in 2004. His
new collection is Strike/Slip.
JEAN MCNEIL
U K / N O VA S C O T I A , E V E N T S 3 6 , 5 2
Jean McNeil, originally from Cape Breton, has lived
for the past 15 years in London, England, where she
works as a publisher. Her three previous works of
fiction include the novel Private View, which was
shortlisted for the 2003 Governor General’s Award.
Her new novel is The Interpreter of Silences. Last
year, she received an international writers’ fellowship to Antarctica and
she intends to write a novel and a collection of poetry based on her
experiences there.
MAILE MELOY
US, EVENTS 30, 58
Maile Meloy’s first story collection, Half in Love,
received the Rosenthal Foundation Award from the
American Academy of Arts and Letters, the John C.
Zacharis Award from Ploughshares and the
PEN/Malamud Award. Her first novel, Liars and
Saints, was shortlisted for England’s 2005 Orange
Prize. Both books were New York Times Notable Books. A Family
Daughter is her third book. She lives in California.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
LISA MOORE
BILLEH NICKERSON
NEWFOUNDLAND, EVENTS 39, 46, 55
Lisa Moore’s Open was a finalist for the 2002 Giller
Prize and a national bestseller. Her work has
appeared in Canada’s most prestigious literary
magazines. Her most recent novel, Alligator, won the
Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (Canada and the
Caribbean) and was also shortlisted for the 2005
Giller Prize. She lives in St. John’s with her husband and two children.
49
Billeh Nickerson was born on Valentine’s Day in
Halifax. Known for his irreverent readings and for
producing oddball events, he is a founding member
of the performance troupe Haiku Night in Canada.
Author of The Asthmatic Glassblower and Let Me
Kiss It Better: Elixirs for the Not So Straight and
Narrow, he is the editor of Event magazine and teaches creative writing
at Kwantlen University College.
BHARATI MUKHERJEE
US, EVENTS 30, 58
Bharati Mukherjee is the author of seven novels,
including The Tree Bride, Jasmine and Desirable
Daughters; two non-fiction books and two collections
of short stories, including The Middleman and Other
Stories, for which she won the National Book Critics
Circle Award. She is a professor of English at the
University of California, Berkeley, and lives in San Francisco.
ALAYNA MUNCE
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 2 6 , 3 1
Alayna Munce is the author of When I Was Young
and In My Prime, a poetic novel that was nominated
for the 2006 Trillium Award. Her work has appeared
in various Canadian literary journals and has three
times won prizes in Grain magazine’s annual Short
Grain Contest. She was a second-place winner in the
2004 CBC Literary Awards and was featured in the anthology Breathing
Fire 2: Canada’s New Poets. She lives in Toronto.
BARBARA NICHOL
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 8 , 1 0
Barbara Nichol blurs the line between truth and
fiction in her television scripts, children’s books and
radio documentaries. She has fooled readers and
listeners into believing in fictional diseases (in The
Lying Down, a radio documentary) and fictional flying
creatures (in Dipper). Her other works include the book and Juno awardwinning recording Beethoven Lives Upstairs; Biscuits in the Cupboard, an
award-winning book of poetry; Safe and Sound and Tales of Don Quixote.
KEVIN PATTERSON
BRITISH COLUMBIA, SPECIAL EVENT
Kevin Patterson grew up in Manitoba and put
himself through medical school by joining the
Canadian army. A specialist in internal medicine, he
practises in the Arctic and on the coast of British
Columbia. His first book, a memoir called The Water
in Between, was a Globe and Mail Best Book and an
international bestseller. Country of Cold, his debut short fiction collection,
won the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize in 2003, as well as the
inaugural City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. Set in Rankin Inlet,
Consumption is his epic first novel that vividly evokes the modern
contradictions of the north. Patterson lives on Salt Spring Island.
BARBARA REID
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 9 , 1 7 , 3 8
Barbara Reid is one of Canada’s leading
illustrator/authors and the creator of such bestsellers
as Read Me a Book, The Subway Mouse, The
Golden Goose, The Party, The New Baby Calf, Effie
and Two by Two. Her three-dimensional Plasticine™
illustrations are instantly recognizable and her books
have won every major children’s book award, including a Governor
General’s Award for Illustration. Her latest, Fox Walked Alone, is a “fox’s
eye view” account of the Noah’s Ark story.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
NOAH RICHLER
VAL ROSS
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 3 7 , 4 9
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 1 2 , 1 6
Val Ross is an arts reporter for The Globe and Mail.
She has won a National Newspaper Award and is
highly respected in the publishing industry for her
coverage of books and the people who create them.
Her first book, The Road to There: Mapmakers and
Their Stories, has been nominated for many awards
and won the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s non-fiction. Her
new book for ages 10 and up, You Can’t Read This, explores the
development of alphabets, the decoding of ancient languages and
censorship in ancient Rome and modern America. Ross lives in Toronto.
Noah Richler was raised in Montreal and London,
England, before settling in Canada. He has made
documentaries and features for BBC Radio, served as
books editor and literary columnist for the National
Post and has contributed to numerous publications in
Britain and Canada. His first book, This Is My
Country, What’s Yours? A Literary Atlas of Canada is an impassioned
literary travelogue and a vivid portrayal of our society, the work of
Canadian authors and the idea of writing itself.
ANNE ROBILLARD
QUEBEC, EVENT 6
Anne Robillard a grandi dans une famille d’artistes,
mais a choisi la stabilité d’une carrière de secrétaire
juridique avant de passer à l’écriture à temps plein.
Elle produit maintenant des textes français et
anglais pour le cinéma et la télévision, et elle est
également une écrivaine d’ouvrages de fiction des
plus prolifiques. Elle a écrit de nombreux romans, dont Qui est Terra
Wilder? et huit volumes (d’une série prévue de douze) de la série Les
chevaliers d’Émeraude, une saga mettant en œuvre des héros
attachants et très humains.
Anne Robillard grew up in a family of performing artists but chose the
stability of a career as a legal secretary before switching to writing full
time. She now writes in both French and English for film and television,
and is a prolific writer of fantasy fiction. Her novels include Who Is Terra
Wilder? and eight (of a projected 12) volumes to date in the series The
Knights of Emerald, a saga of very human heroes.
Les Éditions de Mortagne assumeront les coûts de déplacement
d’Anne Robillard.
EDEN ROBINSON
Eden Robinson was named one of 100 Young
Canadians to Watch by Maclean’s magazine in 1997,
when she won lucrative contracts from publishers all
over the world for rights to her first two works of
fiction. Traplines was named a 1996 New York Times
Notable Book of the Year, and Monkey Beach won
the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Her harrowing new novel is Blood Sports.
She lives on the Haisla Nation reserve known as Kitamaat Village.
MANDY SAYER
AUSTRALIA, EVENTS 25, 56
PHOTO: ROSLYN SHARP
PHOTO: BARBARA STONEHAM
50
Mandy Sayer was named one of Australia’s Best
Young Novelists in 1977. Her novels include Mood
Indigo, Blind Luck, The Cross and The Night Has a
Thousand Eyes. She has also published a collection
of linked stories, Fifteen Kinds of Desire, and two
acclaimed, award-winning memoirs. Dreamtime Alice
recalls her time as a street tap dancer in New York and New Orleans with
her jazz-drummer father, and Velocity is an uncensored account of her
difficult childhood. She lives in Sydney.
ELLEN SCHWARTZ
Ellen Schwartz was a primary school teacher and
environmental educator before she began writing
books and stories for children. Her books include
I Love Yoga, I’m A Vegetarian and her picture book
Mr. Belinsky’s Bagels. She is publishing three books
this year, including Stealing Home, a young adult
novel about baseball and belonging, and a new picture book, Abby’s
Birds. In addition to her work as an author, Schwartz runs a
communications company with her husband. She lives in Burnaby.
DAVID SEDARIS
US, SPECIAL EVENT
David Sedaris made his comic debut recounting the
strange-but-true experiences of his job as a Macy’s
Christmas elf, reading his “SantaLand Diaries” on
National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. Sedaris is
the author of the bestsellers Barrel Fever and
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
51
Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked and Me
Talk Pretty One Day. In 2001 he received the Thurber Prize for American
Humor and was named Humorist of the Year by Time magazine. Sedaris
was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2005 for Best Spoken Word
Album and Best Comedy Album. His sardonic wit and incisive social
critique have since made him one of America’s pre-eminent humour writers.
NATHAN SELLYN
Nathan Sellyn has lived in Vancouver, Toronto,
Montreal, New York and Chiang Mai, Thailand. He is
a graduate of the creative writing program at
Princeton University, where he studied under Joyce
Carol Oates, Toni Morrison, Edmund White and
Chang-rae Lee. In 2004 he received the program’s
Francis LeMoyne Page Prize for Distinctive Achievement. His debut
collection of short fiction, Indigenous Beasts, has been greeted with
enthusiastic praise.
JAVIER SIERRA
S PA I N , E V E N T S 1 8 , 3 3 , 4 7
Javier Sierra is one of Spain’s outstanding authors.
He hosted his first radio program at the age of 12,
and at 18 he became one of the founders of the
magazine Año Cero (Year Zero). His fascination with
communications led him to study journalism before
turning to fiction. Many of his novels, including The
Lady in Blue, The Templar Doors and The Secret Supper, deal with
historical enigmas. His work has been translated into 25 languages.
DANIELLE SIMARD
Danielle Simard est une écrivaine et illustratrice
reconnue de livres pour les jeunes—du lecteur
débutant à l’adolescent. Son œuvre est variée,
passant des thèmes de tous les jours à la fiction et à
la fantaisie. Elle a notamment écrit La plus méchante
maman, Maîtresse en détresse et J’ai vendu ma
sœur, qui a gagné le Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général en 2003. Son
tout dernier ouvrage, la série À l’école des petits magiciens, vient de voir
son premier volet publié.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
52
Danielle Simard is an acclaimed writer and illustrator of books for young
people—from beginning readers to teenagers. Her work ranges from
everyday themes to science fiction and fantasy. Her books include La
plus méchante maman, Maîtresse en détresse and J’ai vendu ma soeur,
which won the Governor General’s Award in 2003. Her latest work is
Drôle de tour, the first book in the series À l’école des petits magiciens.
MICHAEL V. SMITH
Michael V. Smith’s novel, Cumberland, was
nominated for the Amazon/Books in Canada First
Novel Award. A comedian, filmmaker, performance
artist and occasional clown, Smith has won a
Western Magazine Award for Fiction, four awards for
his short films, a Community Hero Award for his
work in the arts scene in Vancouver and a nomination for the Journey
Prize. His latest book is What You Can’t Have, a collection of poetry.
LEMN SISSAY
UK, EVENTS 21, 39
Lemn Sissay is the author of four poetry collections:
Tender Fingers in a Clenched Fist, Rebel Without
Applause, Morning Breaks in the Elevator and The
Emperor’s Watchmaker. His work has become public
art, particularly in Manchester, UK, where his poems
appear on buildings and in the streets. He has also
written three stage plays, produced television and radio documentaries,
created audio recordings of his own work and edited The Fire People:
A Collection of Contemporary Black British Poets.
GAÉTAN SOUCY
Gaétan Soucy has written four novels, all to rave
reviews in Quebec and abroad. He has studied
physics at the University of Montreal, completed a
master’s degree in philosophy, and studied Japanese
language and literature at McGill University. His 1994
debut novel, The Immaculate Conception, centres on
a restaurant fire in 1920s East End Montreal, and has just been published
for the first time in English. Soucy lives and works in Montreal.
Lemn will also perform his one-man show at the Vancouver East Cultural
Centre on October 19 and 20. Visit www.vecc.bc.ca for info and tickets.
Gaétan Soucy a écrit quatre romans qui ont tous été salués par la
critique au Québec et à l’étranger. Il a étudié la physique à l’Université de
Montréal et a obtenu une maîtrise en philosophie. Il s’est ensuite
consacré à l’étude de la langue et de l’écriture japonaises à l’Université
McGill. Son premier roman, L’Immaculée Conception, publié en 1994,
porte sur l’incendie d’un restaurant de l’est de Montréal dans les années
20, et vient d’être publié pour la première fois en traduction anglaise.
Gaétan Soucy vit et travaille à Montréal.
House of Anansi assume les coûts de déplacement de Gaétan Soucy.
LINDA SPALDING
PHOTO: HELEN TANSEY
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 3 7 , 5 4 , 5 6
Linda Spalding was born in Kansas and lived in
Mexico and Hawaii before immigrating to Toronto in
1982. She is the author of three critically acclaimed
novels, Daughters of Captain Cook, The Paper Wife
and (with her daughter Esta) Mere, and a non-fiction
work, The Follow. Her new book, Who Named the
Knife, is based on her experience as a juror in a murder trial in Hawaii
more than two decades ago.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
traditional lands. Tschinag now divides his time between Ulaanbataar, the
High Altai Mountains and Germany. His first book published in English is
The Blue Sky.
ROSEMARY SULLIVAN
O N TA R I O , E V E N T S 3 4 , 3 7 , 4 8
TIMOTHY TAYLOR
Timothy Taylor’s first novel, Stanley Park, was
shortlisted for the Giller Prize, the City of Vancouver
Book Award, the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the
Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. He has also
published a collection of short fiction, Silent Cruise,
and writes travel, humour, arts and business pieces
for various periodicals, as well as writing for film. In his new novel, Story
House, Taylor takes on the world of architectural design—with some
boxing, fishing and reality TV thrown in.
MADELEINE THIEN
Madeleine Thien’s first book of fiction, Simple
Recipes, won four awards in Canada, was a finalist
for a regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best
First Book and was named a notable book by the
Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize. Her first novel,
Certainty, was published this spring to great acclaim.
Originally from Vancouver, Thien now resides in Quebec City.
GALSAN TSCHINAG
PHOTO: AMELIE SCHENK
M O N G O L I A / G E R M A N Y, E V E N T S 5 1 , 5 7
Galsan Tschinag was born into a family of nomadic
Tuvan herders in western Mongolia. As a boy, he was
trained as a shaman by his aunt and received a
scholarship to study in East Germany, where he
developed a passion for German literature and began
writing his own fiction and poetry. He is the author of
more than 30 books. In 1995, he negotiated a land claim treaty with the
Mongolian government and led the dispersed Tuvans back to their
Galsan Tschinag’s appearance is made possible by the German Consulate
General and Oolichan Books.
RICHARD WAGAMESE
PHOTO: JANE DIXON
Rosemary Sullivan is an acclaimed biographer, poet
and editor. She is the author of the bestseller The
Red Shoes: Margaret Atwood Starting Out. Her
biography of Gwendolyn MacEwen, Shadow Maker,
won the Governor General’s Award for Non-Fiction,
the Canadian Authors’ Association Literary Award and
the City of Toronto Book Award. By Heart: Elizabeth Smart/A Life was
nominated for the Governor General’s Award. Sullivan is a professor of
English at the University of Toronto. Her latest book is Villa Air-Bel.
53
Richard Wagamese is an Ojibway from the
Wabasseemoong First Nation in northwestern
Ontario. After winning a Canadian Newspaper
Association National Newspaper Award for column
writing, he published two novels in the 1990s:
Keeper ’n Me and A Quality of Light. His
autobiographical book, For Joshua, was published in 2002. Wagamese
has also lectured and worked extensively in both radio and television
news and documentary. He lives outside Kamloops.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
54
LOUISE WELSH
UK, EVENTS 40, 47
Louise Welsh was chosen as one of Britain’s Best
First Novelists of 2002 by The Guardian and won The
Crime Writers’ Association Creasey Dagger for best
first crime novel for her debut, The Cutting Room,
which has been translated into more than a dozen
languages. Her second novel, Tamburlaine Must Die,
is a critically acclaimed imagining of the last hours of Christopher
Marlowe. Her new novel, The Bullet Trick, is a dark drama of the heart
guaranteed to keep you guessing until its explosive conclusion. She lives
in Glasgow.
CATHLEEN WITH
Cathleen With has travelled extensively in Southeast
Asia where she has worked as a teacher for Korean
children, Khmer non-governmental organization
workers and Thai street children. Her debut story
collection, Skids, features stories based on the voices
of her friends, some now gone, and her own experiences battling
addiction and depression in her youth. She has published her fiction in
several literary journals and is a graduate of the University of British
Columbia MFA program in creative writing.
RACHEL WYATT
Rachel Wyatt is the author of five novels and two
collections of short fiction. Her stage and radio plays
have been produced internationally, and she is the
former director of the writing programs at the Banff
Centre, a Member of the Order of Canada and a
recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. Her
highly acclaimed books include The Day Marlene Dietrich Died, Time’s
Reach and The Magician’s Beautiful Assistant, her most recent collection
of short fiction.
PATRICIA YOUNG
Patricia Young is the author of eight books of poetry.
She is a two-time Governor General’s Award
nominee, in 1993 for More Watery Still and in 2000
for Ruin & Beauty. She has won the Pat Lowther
Award, the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, the CBC
Literary Competition, and the League of Canadian
Poets’ National Poetry Competition. She has recently published her first
collection of short fiction, Airstream, which has already won the MeltcalfRooke Award.
SAADI YOUSEF
IRAQ/UK, EVENTS 48, 51
Saadi Yousef is one of the leading poets of the Arab
world. Born in 1934 in Basra, Iraq, he has published
30 volumes of poetry and seven books of prose. He
left Iraq in 1979, and after many detours, recently
settled in London. Living his life in exile, Yousef also
writes outside the long-standing forms of traditional
Arabic poetry. A selection of his poems in English translation, Without an
Alphabet, Without a Face, has recently been published.
Saadi Yousef’s appearance is made possible with support from the
F.K. Morrow Foundation and an anonymous donor.
F E S T I VA L S TA F F
55
FOUNDER AND LIFETIME MEMBER
Alma Lee
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair: Leslie Hurtig
Vice-Chair: Brenda O’Keefe
Secretary: Lorne Beiles
Treasurer: Kevin Eldridge
Members: Colin Harris, Jim Mayhew, Ebie Pitfield, Rod Scheuerman,
Kathryn Shoemaker, Yasmeen Strang, Jan Whitford
GALA COMMITTEE
Ann Carroll, Helen Harris, Brenda O’Keefe, Ebie Pitfield (Chair)
STAFF
Artistic Director: Hal Wake
General Manager: Jane Davidson
Development & Marketing Manager: Ann McDonell
Administrative Assistant / Distribution Co-ordinator: Sandra Millard
Bookkeeping Services: Office Alternatives
Advertising Sales: Matt Davy
Audience Services Manager: Reena Taank
Audience Services Assistant: Eve Gilmour
Education Co-ordinator: Ilona Beiks
Food & Beverage Services: Myrna Casino, Elizabeth Glancy
Marketing & Distribution Assistant: Ellen Johnston
Media Relations Manager: Judith Walker
Production Manager: Eduardo Ottoni
Production Co-ordinator: Pascale Thibodeau
Programmer, La Joie de Lire: Brenda Berck
Volunteer Co-ordinator: Kathryn Fowler
Writer Services Co-ordinator: Shirarose Wilensky
Website Design: Digiloom Design Deployment
PROGRAM GUIDE
Editor: Ann McDonell
Festival Design: Hangar 18 Creative Group
Proofreading courtesy of members of the
Editors’ Association of Canada, BC Branch: Lesley Cameron,
Jean Lawrence, Ann-Marie Metten
A heartfelt thank you to the 200 dedicated
volunteers who have contributed so much to
the Festival this year and over the past 19
years. The volunteer program is sponsored by
Penguin Group (Canada).
Celebrating writers…
and readers.
Whether you want to discover a new author
or re-acquaint yourself with an old favourite,
we have the books you’re looking for.
Eight convenient locations to serve you:
Marine Drive, Robson & Howe,
Broadway & Granville, Metrotown,
Richmond, Surrey, Langley and Coquitlam.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM GUIDE
57
This program guide was printed by Mitchell Press on Rolland
Enviro Edition 100 paper (100% post-consumer recycled,
Processed Chlorine Free and EcoLogo certified), thanks to a
generous donation from Cascades. We thank Markets Initiative for
initiating this donation.
ABOUT CASCADES
Founded in 1964, Cascades produces, transforms and markets
packaging products, tissue paper and fine papers, composed
mainly of recycled fibres. Cascades employs nearly 15,600 men
and women who work in some 140 modern and flexible production
units located in North America, in Europe and in Asia. Cascades'
management philosophy, its more than 40 years of experience in
recycling, its continued efforts in research and development are
strengths which enable the company to create new products for its
clients and thus offer superior performance to its shareholders.
Each year, Cascades gives new life to 2.5 million tons of printed
paper and cardboard. This volume of recycled
fibre equals approximately 30 million trees.
ABOUT MARKETS INITIATIVE
Markets Initiative is a coalition project of Friends of Clayoquot
Sound, Greenpeace Canada and Sierra Club of Canada,
BC Chapter, which works directly with Canadian book publishers,
printers and mills to develop practical and economical ways to
shift their wood and paper use away from ancient and
endangered forest products to ecologically sound alternatives.
Their work with Canadian publishers has been groundbreaking,
garnered significant ecological savings and inspired similar
projects with publishers globally.
58
POETRY IN TRANSIT
The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia’s Poetry in
Transit is the extremely popular project that brings poetry to the transit
systems in British Columbia. In partnership with TransLink, the ABPBC
produces sixteen new poetry cards each year to be displayed on our
province’s buses and SkyTrains. This year is the tenth anniversary of
Poetry in Transit—in that time more than 100 poems have been posted
on transit vehicles around BC. Please visit the Poetry in Transit
exhibition featuring a selection of the poems in Performance Works
during the Festival.
IN-KIND DONORS
Adobe Systems Inc.
Armando’s Finest Meats
B.C. Book Prizes Society
Canadian Linen and
Uniform Services
Canadian Springs
Chef Claire’s Home
is in the Kitchen
Cioffi’s
Consul General of South Africa
Curry 2 U
Daniel Le Chocolat Belge
East India Carpets
False Creek Ferries
The Flag Shop
Fraser Valley Juice and Salad Bar
Granville Island Florist
Hollyfields
Kaisereck Deli
Kichi Sushi
La Baguette et l’Echalote
Laurelle’s Fine Foods
Lee’s Donuts
Lonsdale Event Rentals
Memphis Blues Barbeque House
The Milkman
Monte Cristo Bakery
Muffin Granny
Olde World Fudge Co. Ltd
Organic Connection
Origins Coffee Co. Ltd.
Oxford University Press
Planet Veg
Plum Clothing
The Printing House
Que Pasa Mexican Foods
Railspur Alley Café and Bistro
The Salmon Shop
Sleeman Brewing
Sunrise Produce
Terra Breads
The SFU Pipe Band
TW Productions
Vancouver Cigar Company
SPACECRAFT
MAINTENANCE & REPAIR
AA
N EB ULA
FRØ
YS
ALL
ALL MAKES
MAKES AND
AND MODELS.
MODELS.
ANTI-GRAV
AND
SPECIALIZING
IN
SPECIALIZING IN ANTI-GRAV AND PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM CONVERTERS.
CONVERTERS.
HAZNPTR
HAZNPTR AND
AND GAMMA
GAMMA 55 CLAIMS
CLAIMS WELCOME.
WELCOME.
H-18
Hangar
Hangar 18
18
XBLG-9
www.hangar18creative.com
(604) 737-7111
Freaetes!
m
Esti
60
T H E E I G H T H A N N U A L VA N C O U V E R I N T E R N AT I O N A L
W R I T E R S F E S T I VA L P O E T RY A N D S H O R T S T O RY C O N T E S T
T H E I N V I TAT I O N
THE RULES
Submit your finest prose and poetry to the Vancouver
International Writers Festival Poetry & Short Story Contest.
1. The contest is open to all writers.
2. Entries will be accepted for previously unpublished work in
each category:
a. Poetry (any style): 500 word limit
b. Creative Short Fiction: 1,500 word limit
3. Entries will be judged blind. Please do not put your name on
your story or poem. On a separate sheet, include your name,
address and phone number and the word count of your piece.
For each story or poem, please include a $10 entry fee. Make
cheques payable to the Vancouver International Writers
Festival in Canadian funds only.
4. Drop off or mail your submissions to the Vancouver
International Writers Festival, 202–1398 Cartwright St.,
Vancouver, BC V6H 3R8
5. Your entry should be typed, double-spaced, on
81/2 x 11-inch paper.
6. Please do not send originals; entries will not be returned.
7. Winners will be selected by a panel of professionals in the
publishing and book industry.
8. Entries must be postmarked or delivered on or before 5 pm
on October 22, 2006.
9. Winners will be announced by January 14, 2007.
T H E R E WA R D S
Prizes will be awarded to the top two entries in poetry and in
creative fiction. First prize winners will be published in the
Spring 2007 issue of subTERRAIN and on the Festival website:
www.writersfest.bc.ca.
1ST PRIZE IN EACH CATEGORY: $350
2ND PRIZE IN EACH CATEGORY: $250
SPONSORED BY
CONTACT INFORMATION
NUMBER OF ENTRIES
POEMS X $10
=
STORIES X $10
=
NAME
ADDRESS
TOTAL ENCLOSED =
CITY
METHOD OF PAYMENT
CARD NUMBER
SIGNATURE
POSTAL CODE
■ CHEQUE ■
VISA
■
MASTERCARD
EXPIRY DATE
TELEPHONE
EMAIL
Submissions and cheques payable to: Vancouver International Writers Festival 202 - 1398 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, BC Canada V6H 3R8
C4

2006 Program - Vancouver Writers Fest

Transcription

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