BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Read Local BC - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Read Local BC REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Vancouver BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20250309T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20251102T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20260308T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20261101T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20270314T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20271107T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260424T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260424T210000 DTSTAMP:20260422T205801 CREATED:20260407T213556Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T213556Z UID:51076-1777057200-1777064400@www.readlocalbc.ca SUMMARY:Off the Shelf Poetry Reading Series with Cornel Bogle\, Lisa Richter\, Salena Wiener DESCRIPTION:Please join SFU English and Poetry in Canada for a poetry reading featuring Professor Cornel Bogle\, Lisa Richter\, and Salena Wiener. \nDetails: \nDate/Time: Friday\, April 24th (Doors 6:30 PM; Event: 7-9 PM) \nLocation: SFU Belzberg Library at Harbour Centre campus \nThis is a free event\, no RSVP required. \nBios \nCornel Bogle engages Caribbean archives and diasporic memory through erasure\, found\, and lyric poetry. Their work has been published in literary platforms such as “brick”\, “Arc Poetry Magazine”\, and “Pree: Caribbean Writing”\, and has been presented in readings across Canada and the Caribbean. \nAt SFU\, they teach in areas such as Black and Caribbean literatures\, decolonial literary studies\, diaspora\, transnationalism\, and creative writing\, guiding students to explore how storytelling travels across borders\, histories\, and communities. Originally from Kingston\, Jamaica\, they earned their BA at the University of the West Indies\, and both their MA and PhD at the University of Alberta\, joining SFU in 2023. \nLisa Richter is a Toronto-based poet\, writer\, and educator. She is the author of two books of poetry\, “Closer to Where We Began” and “Nautilus and Bone”\, winner of the Canadian Jewish Literary Award\, the National Jewish Book Award (U.S.)\, and the Robert Kroetsch Award. Her work has been longlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize\, a National Magazine Award finalist\, and appeared in “Best Canadian Poetry”\, “The Fiddlehead”\, “The Malahat Review”\, and “The New Quarterly”\, among other places. She holds an MFA from the University of Guelph and teaches at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. Her third book\, “Sublunary”\, is forthcoming with University of Alberta Press in March 2026. \nSalena Wiener is a poet and PhD student in English Literature at Simon Fraser University. Her research interests include British Romantic women’s writing\, print and manuscript culture\, digital humanities\, and ecopoetics. She has worked as a Research Assistant for SpokenWeb and the Women’s Print History Project. Her critical and creative work appears in “Honey & Lime Lit Magazine”\, “Peculiars Magazine”\, “Montreal Review of Books”\, “Digital Studies”\, and elsewhere. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks\, “bodies like gardens” (Cactus Press 2023) and “Cities of Delusions” (Anstruther Press 2026). \nVenue Accessibility \nThis in-person event takes place at the SFU’s Harbour Centre campus. It is easily accessible by transit and near SkyTrain. The campus is wheelchair accessible and has wheelchair accessible washrooms. Gender neutral washrooms are also available. URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/off-the-shelf-poetry-reading-series-with-cornel-bogle-lisa-richter-salena-wiener/ LOCATION:SFU Harbour Centre\, 515 West Hastings Street\, Vancouver\, BC\, Canada CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Reading ORGANIZER;CN="SFU English":MAILTO:englcmns@sfu.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260428T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260428T143000 DTSTAMP:20260422T205801 CREATED:20260325T202221Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260325T202221Z UID:50419-1777383000-1777386600@www.readlocalbc.ca SUMMARY:Canadian Children's Book Week Author Visit: Marsha Skrypuch DESCRIPTION:In celebration of Canadian Children’s Book Week\, children’s author Marsha Skrypuch will present on her book trilogy Kidnapped from Ukraine. \nMarsha Skrypuch is an internationally bestselling children’s author whose books span a century of wars from a kid’s view\, concentrating on those stories that have been erased by oppressive regimes. Her best-known book is Making Bombs for Hitler. Her most recent is the Kidnapped from Ukraine trilogy. She has received death threats and honours for her writing. Marsha lives in Brantford\, Ontario\, and you can visit her online at calla.com \nMarsha talks about the war\, the books\, how she did her research\, and the challenges she encountered. She also talks about what happens when you’re banned for life by Russia (she is the only children’s author in North America thus targeted). \nTeachers of grades 4-6 may register their group to attend. Maximum of 3 classes. Please include the number of students attending. \nInterested members of the public may also register to attend. \nBest for children grades 4-6 URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/canadian-childrens-book-week-author-visit-marsha-skrypuch/ LOCATION:North Vancouver Public Library – Lynn Valley branch\, 1277 Lynn Valley Road\, North Vancouver\, BC\, V7J 0A2\, Canada CATEGORIES:Author Discussion ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Marsha-Skrypuch.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="North Vancouver District Public Library":MAILTO:info@nvdpl.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260501T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260501T203000 DTSTAMP:20260422T205801 CREATED:20260422T232527Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T232527Z UID:52703-1777662000-1777667400@www.readlocalbc.ca SUMMARY:Talonbooks Spring 2026 Launch DESCRIPTION:Join us at the Martha Lou Henley Rehearsal Hall for the launch of the Talonbooks spring 2026 titles! Come help us celebrate this season’s authors and books. Here’s the lineup! It’s going to be an amazing evening. \nTaryn Hubbard will read from Beautiful Unknown Future\nJenn Ashton (attending digitally) will read from Growing My Way Home\nGeorge Bowering (attending digitally) will read from Pearl\nJónína Kirton will read from Save Your Prayers – Send Money\nElee Kraljii Gardiner will read from sometimes\, forest\nNicole Raziya Fong will read from SUBTEXT and\nDanielle LaFrance will read from Verbal Violence! \nThe launch will be hosted by the author of Future Works\, Jeff Derksen! \nA live stream will be available on the Talonbooks YouTube page. Light snacks and drinks will be provided. Hope to see you there! \nTalonbooks Spring Launch\nMartha Lou Henley Rehearsal Hall\nVancouver\, BC\nMay 1\, 2026\nDoors at 7 p.m.\, readings begin at 7:30 p.m. PDT URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/talonbooks-spring-2026-launch/ LOCATION:Martha Lou Henley Rehearsal Hall\, 1955 McLean Dr\, Vancouver\, BC V5N 3J7\, Vancouver\, BC\, V5N 3J7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Launch,Meet & Greet,Panel,Reading ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4122.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260502T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260502T203000 DTSTAMP:20260422T205801 CREATED:20260422T230906Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T232021Z UID:52698-1777748400-1777753800@www.readlocalbc.ca SUMMARY:An Evening with Eve Joseph and Patrick Friesen DESCRIPTION:Join us for a beautiful evening of poetry with local legends Eve Joseph and Patrick Friesen. The duo will be launching their latest collections and invite you to join them in readings and conversation. Tickets are free\, but please RSVP for your spot here as capacity is limited. \nIn Eve Joseph’s latest book\, Dismantling\, the poet is occupied with the idea of poetic imagination and how that often elusive thing can transform the mundane into the mysterious. In a book where fish are classified as bees and rivers are legally people\, things are not always as they seem. As the title suggests\, sometimes the act of taking something apart and building again from scratch allows a poem to find its true form. \n​​The poems in Patrick Friesen’s latest collection\, Sightings\, move between the visible and invisible\, between the contradictions of human history and the immediacy of a complex present. Friesen examines memory and music\, rivers and personalities\, open to all possibilities and sceptical of wisdom. Instead\, these poems rely on the kind of knowledge that comes from experience: tremors and fragments riding on the movement of thinking. The distance from Friesen’s first book\, published 50 years ago\, to this one\, speaks to what it means to have known the world through poetry. \nMore about Upstart & Crow: \nUpstart & Crow is a not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator that champions writers\, readers and stories\, and the role they play in shaping our lives. We develop original programs\, support artists and revel in creative projects focused on Literature In Translation / Climate Solutions / Poetry / Civic Dialogue / Community & Skills Building … all with the aim of elevating the role of literature and storytelling in our lives. Find us on Granville Island\, Gibsons and online at upstartandcrow.com. \nAccessibility: \nThe main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees. \nQuestions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com. URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/an-evening-with-eve-joseph-and-patrick-friesen/ LOCATION:Upstart & Crow\, 1387 Railspur Alley Vancouver\, BC V6H 3R7\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Launch,Reading ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/New-Leaf-Event-Banner-1180x590-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Upstart &%3B Crow":MAILTO:hello@upstartandcrow.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260505T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260505T200000 DTSTAMP:20260422T205801 CREATED:20260316T183412Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T183412Z UID:49671-1778004000-1778011200@www.readlocalbc.ca SUMMARY:Pretendianism DESCRIPTION:Esteemed novelist Joseph Boyden\, acclaimed film director Michelle Latimer and former University of Saskatchewan professor Carrie Bourassa have all made front-page news in recent years for the same reason: each is alleged to have been a “pretendian.” \nThe term “pretendian” has come to refer to someone who claims distant Indigenous heritage that doesn’t stand up to deeper scrutiny. But why would someone fake an Indigenous identity? \nThat question is the premise of The Pretendians (2022)\, a documentary from The Passionate Eye and the latest film featuring Anishinaabe author and playwright Drew Hayden Taylor. The documentary follows his cross-Canada journey\, revealing what really lies behind this explosive issue. \nRating: PG / Runtime: 44 mins\nPresented in partnership with CBC Gem.\n— \nAfter the film\, join Cee Peal\, the 2026 VPL Storyteller in Residence for a discussion around Pretendianism and the harm and division that it creates in Indigenous communities. \n— \nCee Peal is a theatre artist from the Nisga’a First Nation of Northern B.C. now working in Vancouver on the traditional\, unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)\, səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-waututh)\, and sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) peoples. He brings to the library his experience in storytelling\, theatre\, and image making\, drawing from his experience working as an actor\, director\, writer\, dancer\, and producer on various productions. With a passion for Indigenous studies and cultural evolution\, Cee is also the Indigenous outreach coordinator at The Cultch and the artistic associate at The Carmen Arts Group. \nTo find out more about Cee’s residency and keep up with his upcoming events visit: vpl.ca/storyteller URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/pretendianism/ LOCATION:VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Panel ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ThePretendians.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Public Library":MAILTO:candie.tanaka@vpl.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260603T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260603T210000 DTSTAMP:20260422T205801 CREATED:20260316T180126Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T180126Z UID:49543-1780513200-1780520400@www.readlocalbc.ca SUMMARY:Author Reading with Theresa Kishkan and Keiko Honda DESCRIPTION:Join Theresa Kishkan\, author of The Art of Looking Back\, and Keiko Honda\, author of Hidden Flowers\, for a reading and discussion of writing memoir. URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/author-reading-with-theresa-kishkan-and-keiko-honda/ LOCATION:Munro’s Books\, 1108 Government Street\, Victoria\, BC\, V8W 1Y2\, Canada CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Meet & Greet,Reading ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Munro-Book-events-02-02.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Munro's Books":MAILTO:events@munrobooks.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260612T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260612T183000 DTSTAMP:20260422T205801 CREATED:20260407T214018Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T214018Z UID:51418-1781289000-1781289000@www.readlocalbc.ca SUMMARY:Author reading: Theresa Kishkan in celebration of The Art of Looking Back DESCRIPTION:Join Theresa Kishkan for a reading from her new memoir\, The Art of Looking Back. \nAt 23\, Theresa Kishkan met an artist who became obsessed with her. She was young\, she was flattered\, and the situation quickly overwhelmed her. He drew and painted her for a few months\, after which she went away for a year. When she returned\, she was determined not to resume the relationship. \nBut the artist made contact with her after the birth of her first child and became a family friend\, bringing gifts of paintings. Those images hung in Theresa’s home\, and one in particular reminded her almost daily of her younger self\, in ways both positive and not so much. She avoided looking too closely at his images of her and at his long\, passionate and often troubling letters. \nDecades later\, while sorting old correspondence\, she was taken back to those early days and began\, at last\, to write about her relationship with the now-deceased artist. The Art of Looking Back is a meditation on the male gaze\, on reclaiming one’s younger self\, and on agency: how we lose it\, how we find it again. This poetic memoir asks questions about older men and younger women and girls\, and the persistence of that dynamic in art. URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/author-reading-theresa-kishkan-in-celebration-of-the-art-of-looking-back/ LOCATION:Upstart & Crow\, 1387 Railspur Alley Vancouver\, BC V6H 3R7\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6H 3R7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Reading ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9781997702061_fc.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Upstart &%3B Crow":MAILTO:hello@upstartandcrow.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR