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LitTO: October 9–17
Photo by EIFF.
Next week on October 17th, the International Festival of Authors will kick off its 28th year since its inception in 1980 at the Premiere Dance Theatre (207 Queens Quay West). Incorporating some of the best contemporary world literature, the festival is comprised of eleven days and nights of readings, interviews, round-table discussions, lectures, and book signings—not to mention special event readings by Scotiabank Giller Prize and Governor General’s Literary Awards finalists.
The first day of the festival will be a PEN Canada Benefit, hosted by CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi. The event presents Margaret Atwood in conversation with Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin—who is taking time off from his UK promotional tour of his latest novel, Exit Music, to make a rare appearance in Canada. There will also be an after-event book signing. Tickets for the pre-event, which include a private cocktail reception with the featured authors and special guests, are available online for $125; and a limited number of tickets for the on-stage event are on sale now for $35. However, you won’t be able to get these online, so you’ll have to call the Harbourfront Centre Box Office at 416-973-4000. Although Torontoist will have more on the IFOA next week, you might want to start buying your tickets now. You can check out the full schedule here.
In the meantime, today is the first day of the Canada Council Heritage Series, Degrees of Nowhere: A Geography of Canadian Writing. The series spans over two months and includes city-wide readings and discussions featuring 16 different authors in over 34 Toronto Public Library branch locations. The first event of the series takes place tonight at the Palmerston Branch at 7 p.m. and includes a discussion hosted by Noah Richler, with Russell Smith and Edward Riche, about how Canadian geography has defined and continues to define Canadian Literature.
Check out full listing details and more after the leap.
Toronto Literary Listings
Tuesday, October 9
BOOK LAUNCH: South of North: Images of Canada. Includes poems by Richard Outram, and drawings by Thoreau MacDonald. The Arts and Letters Club (14 Elm Street). 5:30 p.m.
ART BAR POETRY SERIES presents Shane Rhodes, Monica Kidd, and Gordon Johnston. Clinton’s Tavern (693 Bloor Street West). 8 p.m. Free.
UNDER THE COVERS: BEDTIME STORIES FOR ADULTS presented by She Does The City and Open Book Toronto hosts an evening of readings featuring Sean Dixon, Jessica Westhead, and Zoe Whittall. The Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West). 7–10 p.m. Free. RSVP [email protected].
THIS IS NOT A READING SERIES presents U of T History Professor Paul Rutherford and his new book The World Made Sexy. Rutherford will deliver a multimedia presentation featuring ancient erotic artifacts, to deconstruct the complex process whereby fashion, pop culture, and the media collide to commodify public desire. Gladstone Hotel Ballroom (1214 Queen Street West). 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Free
CANADA COUNCIL HERITAGE SERIES presents Degrees of Nowhere: A Geography of Canadian Writing. Hosted by Noah Richler, the event will feature Russell Smith and Edward Riche, and address how Canadian geography has defined Canadian Literature. Palmertson Branch, Auditorium (60 Palmerston Avenue). 7 p.m.
Wednesday, October 10
BRIAN JOSEPH DAVIS book launch party for I, Tania. Featured readers are Bill Kennedy, a. rawlings, Ken Babstock, and Damian Rogers. Supermarket (268 Augusta Avenue). 8 p.m. Free.
ARSENAL PULP PRESS AND TYPE BOOKS launch David Chariandy’s debut novel, Soucouyant. Type Books (883 Queen Street West). 7 p.m. Free. 416-366-8973.
EDITORS’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (TORONTO BRANCH) presents Editing by Numbers: Coping with Basic Mathematics in Manuscripts. A seminar on mathematical obstacles in editorial processes intended for individuals who are not familiar with scientific and/or technical material. Editors’ Association of Canada, National Office (27 Carlton Street, Suite 502). 1:30–4:30 p.m. $65 for members/$85 for non-members. Call 416-975-5528 or visit www.editors.ca to register.
BOOK LAUNCH OF THE 2007 CBC MASSEY LECTURES, The City of Words by Alberto Manguel. Massey College, Common Room (4 Devonshire Place). 5:30 p.m.
DESCANT FASHION. Readings by Ron Charach, Katherine Ashenburg, Andrew Tibbetts, and Simon Leigh. Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West). 7:30 pm. Free. 416-593-2557.
DEBORAH ELLIS AND ERIC WALTERS launch Bifocal. Another Story Books (315 Roncesvalles Avenue). 7 p.m. All books are 20% off during event. Contact Max at (905) 477-9179 ext. 263 or [email protected] for more information.
Thursday, October 11
TORONTO WORDSTAGE presents Ayanna Black, Colin Carberry, Alan Graubard, and Leon Rooke. Cervejaria (842 College Street). 7 p.m. Free.
TORONTO REFERENCE LIBRARY AUTHOR READING SERIES presents Frances Itani, who will read from her second novel, Remembering the Bones. Toronto Reference Library, main floor stage (789 Yonge Street). 7 p.m. Free.
JEFFREY MILLER launches his book, Murder on the Rebound. Dora Keogh Traditional Irish Pub (141 Danforth Avenue). 6 p.m.
YANNICK MARSHALL AND YEMI AGANA launch their collaborative work, Old Friend, We Made This For You. Oakwood Village Library and Arts Centre (341 Oakwood Avenue). 7 p.m.
CANADA COUNCIL HERITAGE SERIES continues its series Degrees of Nowhere: A Geography of Canadian Writing, with Yashin Blake. Centennial Branch (60 Palmerston Avenue). 7 p.m.
Friday, October 12
BOOK LAUNCH: DEMOCRACY AND REVOLUTION by D.L. Raby. Toronto Women’s Bookstore
(73 Harbord Street). 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 13
BARBARA KYLE’S FICTION WRITER’S BOOT CAMP is an intensive weekend workshop that empowers you to get control of the writing process, from your story’s premise to its potential publication. Toronto Writers’ Centre (Suite 200, 101 Yorkville Avenue). 9–5 p.m. $135 plus GST. Contact 416-975-5172 or email [email protected] to purchase tickets.
ATTEND NOT THE INQUISITION: INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES 101 with freelance journalist Sharon Crawford. The workshop will cover the following topics: finding interview subjects, nailing them for interviews, techniques of in-person, telephone and email interviews, follow-ups to interviews, etc. O’Connor Drive and St. Clair Avenue East. 9:30–4:30 p.m. $50 ($20 deposit). Email Sharon Crawford at [email protected] to register.
EDITORS’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (TORONTO BRANCH) presents Hard Copy Mark Up: Back to the Basics. Seminar on the differences of the editorial process of on-screen and paper editing. Northrop Frye Hall, room 007 (73 Queen’s Park Crescent East). 9–4 p.m. $135 for members/$175 for non-members. Call 416-975-5528 or visit www.editors.ca to register.
MINI LIT: AN INDOOR FAMILY PICNIC presented by , The Drake Hotel, Mabel’s Fables, and Open Book Toronto hosts a kid-friendly literary event, featuring Sean Dixon playing the banjo and reading from The Feathered Cloak; Loris Lesynski will read and perform from Dirty Dog Boogie, Nothing Beats a Pizza, I Did It Because… and Shoe Shakes; and Shane Peacock will read from Eye of the Crow. Free drinks, free mini-foods. The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West). 1 p.m.
Sunday, October 14
THIS IS NOT A READING SERIES presents Ray Zahab, former hard-drinking chain-smoker to discuss his memoir Running For My Life, which details his experiences from when he ran from Senegal to Egypt. Zahab will deliver a multimedia presentation featuring footage from the various eco-challenges and ultra-distance footraces he has run around the globe. Gladstone Hotel Upstairs Gallery (1214 Queen Street West). 7 p.m. Free.
Tuesday, October 16
ART BAR POETRY SERIES presents Dionne Brand, Thomas Joachim Kingston, and Jacob Scheier. Clinton’s Tavern (693 Bloor Street West). 8 p.m. Free.
BOOK LAUNCH: GAY MONOLOGUES AND SCENES: AN ANTHOLOGY edited by Sky Gilbert. Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West). 8 p.m.
CANADA COUNCIL HERITAGE SERIES continues its series Degrees of Nowhere: A Geography of Canadian Writing, with Shyam Selvadura. Deer Park Branch (60 Palmerston Avenue). 7 p.m.
Wednesday, October 17
28TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF AUTHORS, held over 11 days and nights, brings the most important and talked about authors writing today to Toronto to participate in readings, talks, interviews and book signings. We launch the festival with the PEN Canada Benefit: Margaret Atwood in Conversation with Ian Rankin—an event that promises to be one of the most talked about of the IFOA. Scottish crime-writing superstar Ian Rankin will join celebrated author Margaret Atwood on stage for a discussion. The event will be hosted by CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi. Premiere Dance Theatre (207 Queens Quay West). 8 p.m. $125 for pre-event cocktail reception/$35 for event only. 416-973-4000.
UPTOWN AUTHOR SERIES presents a reading by Claire Cameron, writer of The Line Painter. North York Central Library (5120 Yonge Street, Auditorium). 7 p.m. Free. Call to register at 416-395-5639.
UPTOWN AUTHOR SERIES presents Nicolas Dickner, author of Nikolski, and Marie-Hélène Poitras, author of Soudain le minotaure, who will discuss their books and answer questions. The event will be in French. North York Central Library (5120 Yonge Street, Room 1). 7 p.m. Free. Call to register at 416-395-5639.
THE CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA launch their new anthology, Blood on the Holly, a collection of 24 Christmas crime stories ranging from dark to light-hearted and hilarious, edited by Caro Soles. Contributors include Peter Robinson, Rosemary Aubert, Linwood Barclay, Ed Hoch, Maureen Jennings, Mary Jane Maffini, Rick Mofina, Dennis Richard Murphy and Peter Sellers. Light refreshments will be served. Sleuth of Baker Street (1600 Bayview Avenue). 6–7:30 p.m. www.sleuthofbakerstreet.com.
DIAMOND CHERRY READING SERIES welcomes Lara Solnicki, Clara Blackwood, and George Ellenbogen. The evening features an open mic and the monthly contest. It’s Not A Deli (986 Queen Street West). 8 p.m. PWYC.
DRAFT READING SERIES presents a night of inter/action! Art, poetry, music and dance, featuring Lynn Harrigan and Scott McGregor Moore of dreamSTATE, poet Ronna Bloom and pianist Peter Dick, poet Susan L. Helwig with projections by Felix Chakirov, and Steven McCabe with guitarist Paul Sanderson and dancer Preethi Gopinath. Labspace Studio (276 Carlaw Avenue, Suite 202). 7:30 p.m. $5. [email protected].
CANADA COUNCIL HERITAGE SERIES continues its series Degrees of Nowhere: A Geography of Canadian Writing, with Kagiso Lesego Molope. Parliment Branch (60 Palmerston Avenue). 7 p.m.