Last night, House of Anansi Press united readers and writers in discussions about books, writing, the Alice Hoffman Twitter freak out, and how incredibly long it takes to drive from downtown Toronto to Don Mills in rush-hour traffic. Anansi held an online contest to select eight readers to accompany the Anansi Girls (Emily Schultz, Lisa Moore, Karen Solie, and Shani Mootoo) on a “magic bus” (actually a white mini-coach bus) on a trip from the Anansi offices at 110 Spadina to the authors’ public reading at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Don Mills.

According to Julie Wilson, online content manager at Anansi, the press wanted to create an event around these four female authors to showcase their work, as well as to show support for indie bookseller McNally Robinson. In Wilson’s words: “Don Mills is not exactly local [...] so we thought the easiest thing to do is to just put people on a bus!”

After a long drive through the side streets of Toronto (as well as along the Bridle Path, where the authors muttered comments such as, “If your book sells really, really well, you too can live here!”), the readers and writers arrived in rainy Don Mills for the readings.

American author Janet Evanovich launched her new book, Finger Lickin’ Fifteen (St. Martins Press/H.B. Fenn & Company), at the Queensway Chapters in Toronto last Wednesday (June 24). Here are some outtakes from the evening:

Evanovich at the signing table.

Fans line up for an autograph.

Fenn marketing associate Krystle Forget (left), a chicken, and Fenn publicist Katherine Wilson (right).

According to Frog Hollow owner Heidi Hallett, being kicked out of Halifax’s Park Lane Mall was a blessing in disguise. The store’s new home, located just a few blocks away, is more airy and welcoming than the previous location, as can be seen in the pics below. (NOTE: Quillblog readers in the area would do well to stop by the store tomorrow – June 27 – to partake in its 25th anniversary celebrations.)

Kids Can Press recently announced the launch of CitizenKid, a collection of books for children ages eight to 12 that explains complex global issues and encourages young readers to become better global citizens. Launch parties were held in New York City on May 29 and in Toronto on June 11. (Photos courtesy of Mary Kapusta, Kids Can Press.)

Lisa Lyons, president of Kids Can, at the Toronto launch of CitizenKid.

Author Katie Smith Milway reads from her book One Hen.

If America Were a Village author David J. Smith and his wife Suzanne at the New York launch.

The 2009 Griffin Poetry Prize gala was held at the Stone Distillery in Toronto last night, and the literary community was out in full force, ready to eat fancy food, drink good wine, dance the night away, and, of course, honour the world’s best poets. For a full report of the event in Q&Q Omni, click here. (Photos courtesy of Julie Wilson, House of Anansi Press.)

Toronto’s A. F. Moritz took home the Canadian prize for his 2008 collection The Sentinel (House of Anansi Press).

Arkansas native C. D. Wright won the international prize for her collection Rising, Falling, Hovering (Copper Canyon Press).

Scott Griffin, founder and trustee of the prize, lets loose on the dance floor after the awards.

This past weekend, author Nancy Hartry launched her YA novel Watching Jimmy (Tundra Books) at Swansea Town Hall in Toronto’s Bloor West Village. (Photos courtesy of Tundra Books.)

Hartry signs a copy of the book for a slightly out-of-the-target-age-range fan.

Cake!

Author Emily Schultz launched her latest novel, Heaven is Small (House of Anansi Press), at an event last night at Supermarket in Toronto. Schultz entertained the crowd with a reading from her novel, a humourous interview with Brian Francis (author of the CBC Canada Reads-sanctioned Fruit), and a reading from a saucy Harlequin novel. (Photos courtesy of Julie Wilson, House of Anansi Press.)

Emily Schultz kicked off the evening with a reading from Heaven is Small.

Brian Francis listens while Schultz reads a passage from a Harlequin novel. Gordon Small, the recently deceased main character in Schultz’s novel, works at Heaven Book Company, the world’s largest romance publisher. Schultz once worked at Harlequin and used some of her own experiences as fodder for the novel’s fictional company.

Francis’s interview with Schultz revealed that the one tangible item she’d want to have in heaven would be cheese sandwiches. Just plain cheddar is fine, but no Kraft Singles.

Author Bruce Serafin, who died in 2007, was the winner of the 2008 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-fiction for his essay collection Stardust (New Star Books). The award – and a $10,000 cheque – was accepted by Serafin’s partner, Sharon Esson, during a presentation on April 24 at Pulpfiction Books in Vancouver.

One of the award judges, Tanis MacDonald (right), presents the cheque to Esson.

Esson reads from Stardust.

Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin launched his new book, My Winnipeg (Coach House Books), as part of Pages’ This Is Not A Reading Series this past Tuesday at an event called Attack of the Winnipeg Hockey Moms. The book is a companion to his movie of the same name. (Photos courtesy of Chris Reed.)

Maddin kicks off the night by introducing some of his favourite film moms.

Maddin takes on Leafs announcer Andy Frost in an intense table hockey match. Chuck Molgat officiates.

Coach House senior editor Alana Wilcox and Maddin.

The Globe and Mail had a feature on Canadian comic star Seth in its Saturday review section to coincide with the weekend’s Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Here are a few photos from the event held at the Toronto Reference Library.

Canadian comic artists created posters celebrating the event. The poster on the right was designed by the Scott Pilgrim series’ creator Bryan Lee O’Malley.

Comic fans of all ages came to check out exhibitors, get their favourite books signed, and attend panels on webcomics, manga, and graphic novels for the teenage crowd.

Eric Wight, the writer and illustrator of the children’s comic series Frankie Pickle, created an exhibit featuring the setting of his first book, Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom.