Vol. 5 No. 8

• Special Events
• Awards & Lists
• News & Features
• Books & Writers
• Community Events

In other news

Join Us!

To kickstart our membership drive (our goal is to have 500 new members by May 31) we have invited 50 Vancouver area writers to join the VIWF. Here are the writers who have joined to date.

BC Bestsellers

The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia is posting a weekly list of BC’s bestselling books.

Join us!

Our membership campaign is in its third week. In addition to supporting great literary events year round and Spreading the Word education programs for school, members get great benefits and now we’ve added yet another incentive—prizes! Every two weeks we will draw a name for a great prize. Everyone who has joined between January 1 and February 5, 2010 will be entered into a draw for a signed first edition copy of Michael Ondaatje‘s most recent novel Divisadero. The winner will be announced in next week’s Book News.

Special Events

Ian McEwan – April 15, 2010
The acclaimed author of Atonement and On Chesil Beach will make his eagerly anticipated Vancouver appearance to read from his latest book, Solar. Ian McEwan will be interviewed by Jerry Wasserman.
Peter Carey – May 7, 2010
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction winner and the author of Oscar and Lucinda and True History of the Kelly Gang in conversation with Hal Wake.
Read more
Spoken World
There are 15 tickets available to Spoken World on February 18, at VancouverTix.com or by phone at 604 629 8849.

Awards & Lists

For reasons you will understand if you read this article, the Booker Prize was not awarded in 1970. They are going to rectify that this year and Margaret Laurence is in contention. Full story
The nominees for the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing have been announced. Full story

News & Features

Todd Babiak lived through a horrible event involving his ill father. How do you use something like that in your novel, and then face your mother? Full story
A Guardian interview with the very fine British novelist Andrea Levy. Full story
Lynn Henry, who had a big hand in building House of Anansi’s fiction list is moving to Doubleday Canada. Full story

Books & Writers

Here are two reviews of Peter Carey‘s new novel Parrot and Olivier in America. We are presenting Mr. Carey, a two-time Booker winner, in May. The Guardian and Times Online
An on-line review of Charles Demers Vancouver Special. Full story
Barbara Reid, whose illustrations made out of plasticine are magnificent, has a new book out. Full story
Poet Michael Kenyon explores the meaning of home in a new collection called The Last House. Full story
Jean Baird and George Bowering‘s anthology on grief and mourning continues to garner good reviews. Full story
Don DeLillo pushes the boundaries every book he writes and his new novel is not exception. Full story
Australian David Malouf is one of the world’s best writers and his new book is entitled Ransom. Full story
Reviews of novels for young adults in honour of Black History Month. Full story
Although there have been a gazillion books about depression, not much has been done on loneliness. Here is a review of a new book entitled Lonely: Learning to Live with Solitude. Full story

Community Events

W2 REAL VANCOUVER WRITERS’ SERIES
Amid the Olympic buzz in the city of Vancouver, a grassroots literary celebration has taken root. Housed in the W2 Media Centre, near the Woodwards Building, the Real Vancouver Writers and Culture Series will happen every Wednesday during February. More information at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=319699435048&ref=mf.
ANNABEL LYON
Annabel Lyon will be speaking on the role of her Philosophy degree in her writing and reading from her work. Friday, February 5 at 4:00pm, free. Special Collections, Room 7100, WAC Bennett Library, SFU, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby. More information: http://www.lib.sfu.ca/node/10224.
EVERY GOODBYE AIN’T GONE
Author Evelyne White and photographer Joanne Bealy sign and discuss Every Goodbye Ain’t Gone: A Photo Narrative of Black Heritage on Salt Spring Island. Friday, February 5 at 7:00pm, free. Rhizome Cafe (317 East Broadway). More information at www.dancingcrowpress.com.
STORY TIME AND TOQUE CRAFTS WITH ROSS REBAGLIATI
Olympic gold medalist Ross Rebagliati reads from one of his favourite children’s books Snowy Sports. Saturday, February 6 at 11:00am, free. Chapters Robson (788 Robson).
AN EVENING WITH ANNABEL LYON
The Vancouver Institute presents a lecture by Annabel Lyon, author of The Golden Mean. Saturday, February 6 at 8:15pm, free. Lecture Hall 2, Woodward Instructional Resources Centre (2194 Health Sciences Mall, UBC). More information at www.vaninst.ca.
THE WHISTLER BOOK
Author and Georgia Straight columnist Jack Christie presents an updated new edition of his outdoor guidebook for the Whistler area. Sunday, February 7 at 2:00pm, free. Chapters Richmond (8171 Ackroyd Road).
LONGHOUSE COFFEE NIGHT
A pot luck event featuring an evening of poetry, song, reading and performance hosted by the UBC First Nations Student Association and Richard Van Camp’s Creative Writing with an Aboriginal Focus class. Monday, February 8 at 6:00pm, free. First Nations Longhouse, 1985 West Mall, UBC. For more information, go here.
VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM
The PanAfrican Slam featuring John Akpata and Adelene da Soul Poet. Monday, February 8 at 8:00pm. Admission: $5/$3. Café Deux Soleils (2096 Commercial). More information at www.vancouverpoetryhouse.com.
FUN AND GAMES
Memewar launches its eleventh issue with music by Stefana Fratila and World Club and readings by Tony Power, Shannon Rayne, Alan Girling, and MemePress authors. Tuesday, February 9 at 8:30pm. Tickets: $10. Railway Club (579 Dunsmuir). More information at www.memewaronline.com.
SCIENCE FICTION BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
Group discussion of A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. Thursday, February 11 at 7:00pm. The Grind & Gallery (4124 Main). More information at da************@ya***.ca.
Upcoming
The Vancouver Opera presents two events in conjunction with the Canadian premiere of Nixon in China. Presented in partnership with the Vancouver International Writers Festival. Complete information here.
A LITERARY LUNCH WITH MARGARET MacMILLAN and ALEXANDRE TRUDEAU
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
12:30-2:30pm
Seasons at Four Seasons Hotel, 791 West Georgia
Tickets: $50 available from the VO Ticket Centre, 604.683.0222
An intimate encounter with acclaimed Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan and journalist and filmmaker Alexandre Trudeau as they take us behind the headlines of history. Moderated by Hal Wake and co-hosted by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
MARGARET MacMILLAN IN CONVERSATION WITH ELEANOR WACHTEL
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
7:30-9:30pm
Granville Island Stage
Tickets: $18 available from VancouverTix, 604.629.8849 or www.vancouvertix.com
Margaret MacMillan talks with celebrated interviewer Eleanor Wachtel, host of CBC Radio’s Writers and Company about her most recent book The Uses and Abuses of History and her earlier chronicle Nixon in China: The Week that Changed the World.