Carmen Aguirre wins CBC Canada Reads

Carmen Aguirre came out victorious at this year’s CBC Canada Reads. The B.C.-based author and playwright’s memoir, Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter (Douglas & McIntyre), about growing up in the underground among South American revolutionaries during the 1970s, beat out Ken Dryden’s The Game (Wiley Canada), the former Habs goalie’s recollections of pro hockey and a very different version of the ’70s.

Something Fierce defender Shad had his work cut out for him, winning three votes to two against The Game’s champion, Alan Thicke, Thursday morning at the CBC studios in Toronto. The hip-hop artist was backed by Arlene Dickinson and Anne-France Goldwater (one of the rare instances when these two panelists agreed), while Thicke was seconded by Stacey McKenzie. The final showdown proved to be one of the tamest panels yet in a contest that included allegations of lying, bullying, terrorism, and lots of tears (we’re looking at you, Stacey).

Aguirre, who is currently touring her one-woman show, Blue Box, called into the studio from Ottawa after she heard the news. “It was a very interesting week for me because I’m alone in Ottawa right now,” she said. “I’d had to go every night to do my 80-minute monologue and then not sleep at night because I was waiting to see what will happen the next morning, but I’ve had a lot of virtual support.”

The Game and Something Fierce (a Q&Q Book of the Year for 2011), were the last titles standing after one by one panelists voted off Dave Bidini’s On a Cold Road (McClelland & Stewart), John Vaillant’s The Tiger (Vintage Canada), and Marina Nemat’s Prisoner of Tehran (Penguin Canada).

D&M is preparing for the expected increase in sales, often referred to as the “Canada Reads effect,” with a reprint of the book. As part of its participation in the contest, the publisher will make a financial donation to Frontier College’s Aboriginal Literacy Program.

Something Fierce will be released in the U.S. in August.

Slideshow: George Stroumboulopoulos and celebrity librarian Nancy Pearl at the OLA Superconference

More than 4,700 library professionals, authors, and exhibitors descended on the Metro Toronto Convention Centre last week for the 2012 Ontario Library Association Superconference – the largest library conference in Canada, which ran Feb. 1–4.

Innovation was the theme for this year’s gathering, which featured more than 200 sessions and presentations by special guests such as Guy Gavriel Kay, Jonah Lehrer, Catherine Gildiner, Neil Pasricha, Nora Young, George Stroumboulopoulos, celebrity librarian Nancy Pearl, and Ontario Minister of Education Laurel Broten.

Click through the slideshow for a peek at what professional development and partying down look like in “library-land” (as one speaker put it).

James Ivory, Russell Banks among guest speakers for TIFF’s Books on Film series

James Ivory will discuss his adaptation of E.M. Forster’s Howard’s End on June 18.

When the Toronto International Film Festival and Random House of Canada host a book club, the guest speakers are bound to be impressive.

The second season of TIFF’s Books on Film series, which screens cinematic adaptations of literary texts followed by discussion, is drawing big names from both the publishing and film industries.

Shane Smith, director of public programs for TIFF, says festival staff worked closely with the series host, CBC Radio’s Eleanor Wachtel, to determine the lineup and guest speakers. “Eleanor’s well known for her work in literature, but she’s a big film buff as well, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of film,” says Smith.

In determining this year’s program, Smith says, “We looked at films we’d loved. Sometimes we’d drop a film and a book because we couldn’t get the right guest. Other times, the guest led the choice of film.”

Russell Banks, who will discuss the Academy Award–winning adaptation of his novel Affliction on Feb. 27, was “on our list from the get-go,” says Smith. “We’re thrilled we can get the book, get the film, and get him at the same place.”

Other guests include filmmaker Atom Egoyan on his adaptation of William Trevor’s novel Felicia’s Journey (Feb. 6); feminist film critic and author Molly Haskell on Cary Fukunaga’s version of Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre (March 26); and author Will Aitken on Luchino Visconti’s adaption of Thomas Mann’s novella Death in Venice (April 16).

On May 14, Knopf Random Canada executive vice-president and publisher Louise Dennys will provide context for the 1949 thriller The Third Man, written by Dennys’ uncle, Graham Greene, and on June 18, James Ivory, director of some of contemporary cinema’s most celebrated literary adaptations, will discuss E.M. Forster’s Howard’s End.

Book events slideshow: Canada Reads, Ottawa’s first all-women’s poetry slam championship, and more

Every Tuesday Quillblog rounds up photos of book-related events across Canada. If you would like your event photos to be considered for our weekly feature, email scflinn@quillandquire.com.

Click on the thumbnails to see what’s been happening around the country:

Slideshow: book events around Canada

Every Tuesday Quillblog will be rounding up photos of book-related events across Canada. If you would like your event photos to be considered for our weekly feature, email scflinn@quillandquire.com.

Click on the thumbnails to see what’s been happening around the country:

Orillia celebrates 100 years of Leacock with the Sunshine City Festival

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Stephen Leacock’s Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, and the town of Orillia, Ontario, which was loosely fictionalized in the satirical short story collection, is planning an old-time celebration.

According to local website Simcoe.com, the Sunshine City Festival, running from July 27–29, will honour the beloved humorist with early 20th century events, including a heritage carnival, vaudeville acts, performances, exhibitions, and a barbershop.

The winner of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, presented annually for the best book of humour written in the previous year by a Canadian, will be announced in April.

Canadian literary event roundup: Jan. 13-19

Here are just a few of the literary events happening across the country in the next week:

• Literary agent Hilary McMahon offers publishing tips at Writers’ Community of Durham Region meeting, Ajax Convention Centre, Ajax, Ontario (Jan. 14, 8:30 a.m., $25. Register at wcrd.org)
• Melanie Tinken, Kathleen Whelan, Lily Quan, and others perform at Draft Reading Series, the Only Café, Toronto (Jan. 15, 3 p.m., free)
• Poet Brandon Wint kicks off Dusty Owl Reading Series with open mike event, Elmdale House Tavern, Ottawa (Jan. 15, 3 p.m., free)
• Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre launches Winnipeg Chinatown: Celebrating 100 Years – A Remarkable Achievement, McNally Robinson Grant Park (Jan. 16, 8 p.m., free)
• New Glasgow Public Library hosts creative lunch for writers, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia (Jan. 17, 12 p.m., free)
• Author Michelle A. Demers leads introduction to self-publishing, Vancouver Public Library (Jan. 17, 7 p.m., free)
• Sara Paretsky discusses her latest mystery, Breakdown, with Q&Q contributing editor James Grainger, Toronto Reference Library (Jan. 17, 7 p.m., free. Register at torontopubliclibrary.ca /appelsalon)
• Holly Luhning reads from her debut novel, Quiver, UPEI Faculty Lounge, Charlottetown (Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m., free)
• Introduction to ebooks and e-readers, Westwood Library, Winnipeg (Jan. 19, 6 p.m., free. Call 204-986-4742 to register)
• Poet Ray Hsu kicks off Signature Reading Series, Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, Regina (Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m., free)
• Storytelling Circle, Crow’s Nest Officers’ Club, St. John’s (Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m., $3)

Canadian literary event roundup: Jan. 6-12

It’s a new year and literary events are in full swing across the country. Here’s a sample of what’s going on in the next week:

• Finding Your Voice creative writing program for new Canadians holds intro session, Millennium Library, Winnipeg (Jan. 7, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., free; call (204) 986-6689 to register)
• Pink Ink LGBT youth writing group, 519 Church Street Community Centre, Toronto (Jan. 7, 2 p.m., free)
• Ivan Penaluna hosts Story Slam competition with eight storytellers, Café Deux Soleils, Vancouver (Jan. 8, 8 p.m., $5 suggested donation)
• Poetry reading featuring Danila Botha and Liz Worth, Casa del Popolo, Montreal (Jan. 8, 8:30 p.m., $5)
• Michael Ondaatje and Daniel Brooks discuss adapting Divisadero for the stage, Toronto Reference Library (Jan. 9, 7 p.m., free; no registration required)
• Murdoch Mysteries author Maureen Jennings reads from her new book, Season of Darkness, Cyril Clark Branch, Brampton Library (Jan. 9, 7 p.m., free)
• George Amabile launches Dancing, with Mirrors, McNally Robinson Grant Park, Winnipeg (Jan. 10, 7 p.m., free)
• Toronto Review of Books launches its second issue, Poetry Bar, Toronto (Jan. 10, 8 p.m., free)
• Nimbus Publishing celebrates Dan Soucoup’s career at an open retirement party with music by the Modern Grass Band, the Company House, Halifax (Jan. 11, 5 p.m., free)

Arabic short story wins inaugural Rainbow Caterpillar kidlit award

Toronto-based Rainbow Caterpillar Multilingual Children’s Bookshop named Ahmad Marouf the winner of the first Rainbow Caterpillar Children’s Literature in a Mother Language Award. The bookshop presented Marouf with the $750 prize at the Canadian Ethnic Media Association’s annual awards gala in Toronto on Saturday night.

Ahmad Marouf, pictured far right, received the Rainbow Caterpillar prize for children's literature at CEMA's annual gala Saturday night in Toronto. Photo: Alexander Gershstein, courtesy of CEMA

Marouf, a journalist and script writer with Radio Canada International’s Arabic division, beat out 36 other entries in eight languages to claim the prize for his Arabic-language short story “Sea of Pearls.”

The panel of 13 multilingual judges also singled out the following works for honourable mention:

• Farzaneh Moaven, “Who Do You Love the Most?” (Farsi)
• Letizia Tesi, “Gino Salamino” (Italian)
• Sonia Sa, “The Happy King” (Portuguese)
• Liet Lee Lopes, “The First Snowman” (Spanish)
• Gerald Luzangi, Dorothy Luzangi, and Verdiana Mhate Luzangi, “Hunter with the Snake” (Swahili)

The award recognizes excellence in writing for children in a language other than French or English by a Canadian citizen or resident. In a press release launching the contest, bookshop owners Happie Testa and Hanoosh Abbasi said the award supports “vibrant literary production for children in foreign languages, but with a uniquely Canadian perspective.”

Book launch photos: David Penhale, Sheree Fitch, Kerri MacDonald’s Republic of Doyle

Although the fall book launch season is winding down, the parties aren’t over yet.

On Nov. 14, hometown fans of the CBC TV crime show Republic of Doyle filled a room in St. John’s Sheraton Hotel for the launch of Kerri MacDonald’s Republic of Doyle: The Definitive Guide to Doyle: Seasons One & Two, published by Flanker Press. Nimbus Publishing found an ideal location for its Nov. 20 launch of the re-issue of the 1992 Mr. Christie’s Book Award–winning picture book There Were Monkeys In My Kitchen by Sheree Fitch, with new illustrations by Sydney Smith – at the Halifax craft shop, The Monkey Show. On Nov. 28, Toronto bookstore Nicholas Hoare Ben McNally Books hosted a launch for David Penhale’s novel, Passing Through, published by Cormorant Books.

Click on the thumbnails to see photos of the events.