The popular fest, founded in 1983, is under the new direction of Nick Barley, who invited four guest “selectors” – Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell, poet Don Paterson, literary editor Stuart Kelly, and Ruth Padel, the poet and great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin – to program this year’s event. From the Guardian:

Barley unveiled his first programme today, which features 750 authors. It includes a rare public appearance by Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau in conversation with Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell, three Nobel prize winners, including Joseph Stiglitz, the poet Seamus Heaney, the hairdresser Vidal Sassoon and an opening debate on Jesus between the atheist author Philip Pullman and former bishop of Oxford Richard Harries.

Other Canadians in attendance will include Emma Donoghue, Marina Endicott, Linden MacIntyre, Lisa Moore, Miguel Syjuco, Annabel Lyon, Doug Saunders, Jan Wong, Gwynne Dyer, and Leanne Shapton.

One perk: on-the-spot manicures.

Eckler with fellow Doubleday author Jan Wong.

Author David Layton, Doubleday Canada editor Tim Rostron, and Canadian Idol judge Jake Gold.

Maclean‘s editor Ken Whyte, who gave Eckler her first big job at the National Post, flanked by Random House publicity assistants Taylor McInnes and Jenna Illies.

ECW senior editor Jennifer Hale (with son) introduces Ann Rauhala.

(More photos after the fold…)

Rauhala signs a copy of the book.

Two contributors: actress Sonja Smits and the CBC’s Evan Solomon.

Thirteen of the book’s contributors (of 22) pose for photos. (Back row, from left, Solomon, Glen McGregor, Havard Gould, Shelley Page, Smits, Sarah Giddens, and Patricia Hluchy. Front row, from left, Jan Wong, Susan Olding, Rauhala, Tess Kalinowski, Julie Chan, and Lia Calderone.)

In the November 2007 issue of Q&Q:

Louise Penny’s second chance
How a troubled past gives her mystery novels an edge
Plus 10 other Canadian mystery writers to watch

Giving it away
A new scholarly press in Alberta is going Open Access, but others are skeptical
Also in the Scholarly and College Publishing Special Report: Emond Montgomery’s careful expansion, the off-campus campus stores, and more

Jan Wong’s bad year
Why she returned to China – and how a Globe controversy delayed her new book

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FRONTMATTER

• The case of the long-awaited novel
• Kit Pearson’s YA novel: afterlife in a graveyard
• Cover to Cover: King of the Q’s Blue Plate BBQ
• Snapshot: Sally Harding of The Cooke Agency
• Watch Your Language: Why bad prose grows
• Quill at Large
• Deals Corner: A look at the Maher Arar case, a new Richler bio, Susin Nielsen’s first YA novel, and more
• Local Buzz: Brick Hill and Beyond

NEWS AND FEATURES

• Festival express: literary fests are growing across the country
• Publicity for hire: for freelancers, there’s more work than ever
• Highlights from Q&Q Omni

SPECIAL REPORT: SCHOLARLY AND COLLEGE PUBLISHING

• Emond Montgomery’s expansion plan
• The campus clicker revolution
• The off-campus campus bookstore

REVIEWS

• Hitman by Bret Hart
• The Spiritual Brain by Mario Beauregard and Denyse O’Leary
• Fifteen Days by Christie Blatchford
• The Man Who Forgot How to Read by Howard Engel
• Therefore Repent! by Jim Munroe and Salgood Sam
• Plus more fiction, non-fiction, and poetry

BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

• Making Grizzle Grow by Rachna Gilmore and Leslie Elizabeth Watts
• A Perfect Gentle Knight by Kit Pearson
• Tin Angel by Shannon Cowan
• Plus more fiction, non-fiction, and picture books

BESTSELLERS

Presented by Q&Q and BookNet Canada