This festival is great for all ages. If you do decide to check it out, be sure to take some time to enjoy the local attractions and take a swim in the warmest water north of the Carolinas!
Full deets can be found at http://www.readbythesea.ca/
]]>1. “Lullabies for Little Criminals” by Heather O’Neill
This is an absolute must read. O’Neill does an amazing job of putting you inside the mind of a twelve-year-old. Baby is a Montreal girl raised by her heroine-addict father who falls into all the traps set out for a naive kid with no guidance.
2. “Not Wanted on the Voyage” by Timothy Findley
You really can’t go wrong with any book by Timothy Findley, but I particularly love this story. Findley always goes in-depth with his research, which is why his characters have so much depth. You know you have a great author when he can write believably in the voice of a cat. “Not Wanted on the Voyage” is Findley’s take on the story of Noah’s ark.
3. “The Birth House” by Ami McKay
I love historical fiction and this piece by Ami McKay is full of Nova Scotia history and culture. It’s a story about women’s traditions and society’s trouble with accepting our sexuality.
4. “The Book of Negroes” by Lawrence Hill
“The Book of Negroes” is another rich historical fiction following Aminata’s journey from Africa to slavery in the southern United States to freedom in Birchtown , Nova Scotia and back to Africa. The historical and geographical detail give an historical lesson while the character and plot make a story you can’t put down.
5. “No Great Mischief” by Alistair MacLeod
This story is so Nova Scotian it has a blue nose. It’s about family history and Cape Bretoners making their way in the world. The tone, the story, the characters, they all make me feel at home.
]]>Vincent McGillivray, ARR’s Treasurer and Secretary started off the night with his self-deprecating humour and a poem called “The Sound of Fucking Up.”
Kathryn Bjornson, ARR’s poetry and non-fiction editor read poems that make the ordinary extraordinary. Kathryn sees the poetry in all things, even in peeling a pomegranate.
Kat Kruger asked the audience to picture her as a 17 year old boy as she read from her first YA novel. We knew it it was heading somewhere good when she started off with “I bit a kid. Hard.”
Stephen Vernon has a way of drawing in his audience and bringing his stories to life on the stage. He was animated and hilarious when he read his “Dive Poem” in honour of our homey setting and also from his newest book “Sinking Deeper.”
mat robinson is Senior Editor at ARR has been a mentor to the team. His poems talked about life in Halifax and how Citadel Hill is always in the way.
Thank you to everyone who came out to read or to listen and support ARR. Our goal is to help promote original artists and encourage creative expression. This event was a great way to do that.
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Atlantic Canada is awash in incredible talent and the Book Festival is a great way to celebrate our local authors and get people pumped about reading their stories. The authors on this year’s shortlist are the people who are capturing our East Coast culture and history. The Book Festival is a great opportunity to hear what they have to offer and learn how we can start sharing our own stories. Besides, the shortlist is a great place to get titles for your reading list.
It’s unfortunate that we often overlook books published in our own backyard. But Atlantic Canadian authors create some of the most impacting, funny and well written books on the market. And the best thing about reading local books is that you just might learn something about yourself.
]]>Ungar will be reading excerpts from his novel and all proceeds will be donated to Phoenix House. Phoenix is a non-profit community based organization in Halifax that offers help to homeless and at risk youth and works to address issues that lead to youth homelessness like poverty, housing, discrimination and literacy.
Come out to support a good cause and treat yourself to a new book.
]]>Open Heart Forgery has been publishing monthly for almost a year now. Like ARR, its mission is to support new and emerging artists and show off our local artists. If you missed it, check out The Coast’s article about Open Heart Forgery at http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/authentic-forgery/Content?oid=2390039.
]]>So our theme for the Fall 2011 journal is Rejuvenation. We want to see your poems, short-fiction, non-fiction and visual art telling the story of your fresh starts, new beginnings and refreshment.
Send your submissions to [email protected] by May 31st. Please note that we are only excepting electronic submissions of unpublished work as .rtf attachments. Check out our submissions page for more details about submission guidelines.
]]>We’re working to build our online presence, and moving to a digital format for our annual literary journal. We’d love to hear your feedback and ideas. Check in regularly because we have some exciting things in store, including regular blog posts, a call for submissions and lots more.
]]>When: November 18, 5:00–7:00 pm
Where: The Company House
2202 Gottingen Street, Halifax
Free admission (donations gladly accepted)