BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Read Local BC - ECPv6.17.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Read Local BC
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:20240310T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20241103T090000
END:STANDARD
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:-0700
TZNAME:MST
DTSTART:20261101T090000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250923T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250923T203000
DTSTAMP:20250819T233712Z
CREATED:20250819T233712Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250819T233712Z
UID:33305-1758650400-1758659400@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:An Evening with Holly Howe\, author of Mouthwatering Sauerkraut
DESCRIPTION:Join us at Vinca’s Kitchen for a special evening with Chef Holly Howe to celebrate the release of her new cookbook Mouthwatering Sauerkraut: Fermentation Made Easy! \nTickets are $40.00 plus tax and come with a copy of the new cookbook. There are only 35 tickets available. \nDoors open at 6:00 pm and the event will start at 6:30 pm. Chef Holly will be demonstrating a couple of recipes\, providing samples\, and answering all your questions! \nPLEASE NOTE – to purchase a ticket for this event online you MUST have your shopping location set as the Ladner store OR the Langley Warehouse location.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/an-evening-with-holly-howe-author-of-mouthwatering-sauerkraut-3/
LOCATION:Vinca’s Kitchen Shop\, 5042 48 Ave\, Delta\, British Columbia\, V4K1V8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Launch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Sauerkraut_Poster_V2_01.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Black Bond Books Ladner Village":MAILTO:ladnerblackbondbooks@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260210T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260210T200000
DTSTAMP:20260202T201359Z
CREATED:20260202T201359Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T201359Z
UID:47814-1770746400-1770753600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Comic Pre-Launch Party: Passing in the Night
DESCRIPTION:Meet the author of Passing in the Night by Meghan Kemp-Gee\, an upcoming graphic novel published by Vancouver-based publisher Shrimp Cult Press. Passing in the Night is the story of two star-crossed lovers\, Ruth and Gloria. Ruth is a busy medical resident with a sleep disorder… and Gloria transforms into a giant flying lizard every night. While they struggle to make things work at home\, Ruth gets kidnapped by fairies and anti-magic riots spread throughout the city. Can they make things work\, or are they just two ships passing in the night? \nPassing in the Night was illustrated by the incredibly talented\, GLAAD and RINGO-award-winning Lane Lloyd\, and lettered by Megan Praz\, the illustrator of One More Year an Contested Strip. \nThe event will include a talk by author Meghan Kemp-Gee\, snacks\, non-alcoholic drinks\, and an exclusive comic of the opening pages of the book for anyone who backs the Kickstarter. We are generously hosted by Cross & Crows Books\, a bookstore in East Vancouver that celebrates queer stories.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/comic-pre-launch-party-passing-in-the-night/
LOCATION:Cross & Crows Books\, 2836 Commercial Dr\,\, Vancouver\, BC\, V5N 4C6\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Launch,Meet & Greet
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Front-Cover-With-Titles.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Shrimp Cult Press":MAILTO:peter@shrimpcultpress.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260212T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260212T203000
DTSTAMP:20260122T012627Z
CREATED:20260122T012627Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T012627Z
UID:47509-1770922800-1770928200@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Getting Juicy with Awfully Hilarious: Pillow Talk Book Launch
DESCRIPTION:Join us at Whistler Public Library as we celebrate the launch of the latest and greatest from the Awfully Hilarious Project. \nFirst\, we cringed and laughed at tales of first dates. Then\, we nodded in agreement and horror as we read Period Pieces. Now\, join us for the launch of the third book in the series\, Pillow Talk. This latest addition to the Awfully Hilarious series takes us into the bedrooms (and back-seats and bathrooms) of its writers with true tales of intimacy\, pleasure\, and desire. \nThis book launch will feature readings from several Pillow Talk contributors including Awfully Hilarious mastermind Heather Hendrie\, followed by a conversation moderated by Library Program Coordinator Jeanette Bruce and a Q&A with the audience.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/getting-juicy-with-awfully-hilarious-pillow-talk-book-launch/
LOCATION:Whistler Public Library\, 4329 Main Street\, Whistler\, BC\, V0N 1B4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Launch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/pillow-talk-FC-web.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Whistler Writing Society":MAILTO:writers@whistlerwritersfest.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260217T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260217T203000
DTSTAMP:20260122T012540Z
CREATED:20260122T012540Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T012540Z
UID:47514-1771353000-1771360200@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Book Launch: Pillow Talk
DESCRIPTION:Join us at the Squamish Public Library as we welcome back Heather Hendrie\, the Imagination Agent behind the Awfully Hilarious trilogy. We cringed and laughed at tales of first dates. We nodded in agreement and horror as we read Period Pieces. Now join us for the launch of the third book in the series\, Pillow Talk.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/book-launch-pillow-talk/
LOCATION:Squamish Public Library\, 37907 2 Ave\, Squamish\, BC\, V8B 0A7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Launch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/pillow-talk-FC-web-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260331T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260331T193000
DTSTAMP:20260316T180303Z
CREATED:20260316T180303Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T180303Z
UID:49559-1774980000-1774985400@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Introducing Cee Peal: 2026 Indigenous Storyteller in Residence
DESCRIPTION:Vancouver Public Library is honoured to introduce Cee Peal as the 2026 Indigenous Storyteller in Residence. \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 \n— \nJoin us for an evening of storytelling and theatre magic with special guests.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/introducing-cee-peal-2026-indigenous-storyteller-in-residence/
LOCATION:VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Launch,Meet & Greet
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ISIR2026_CeePeal.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Public Library":MAILTO:candie.tanaka@vpl.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260409T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260409T203000
DTSTAMP:20260325T202541Z
CREATED:20260325T202541Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260325T202541Z
UID:50795-1775759400-1775766600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Book Launch - Exhumations: Inside the Body of a Petrostate by Joanne Leow
DESCRIPTION:Join Simon Fraser University English Professor Joanne Leow at Enabling Arts on April 9th (6:30 PM) for the launch of her new book\, “Exhumations: Inside the Body of a Petrostate”. \nAbout the book: \n“What unknowable chemical? How slow was this damage\, this violence? … How might any of us stay uncontaminated by all that was built around us?” \n“Exhumations: In the Body of a Petrostate” oscillates between an unflinching critique of the author’s birth island\, Singapore\, and a memoir of grief and illness. Seeing our porous bodies as part of a contaminated and compromised system based on extraction\, violence\, and political repression\, the book asks what must be made visible in our current moment. Drawing on her experience as a journalist for state-controlled media\, and her current work as a scholar\, Leow explores histories of activism\, censorship\, weapons manufacturing\, terraforming\, and petroleum refining. In doing so\, she traces the networks of power that link Singapore with Canada\, Palestine\, Israel\, England and beyond. Drawing on art\, photography\, film\, and literature\, she considers how they exhume truths that cannot otherwise be told. \nThis launch is supported by Simon Fraser University’s Department of English and the David See-chai Lam Centre\, and Alchemy/Knopf. \nProfessor Leow will be joined by UBC Professors Phanuel Antwi and John Paul (JP) Catungal. (Photo Credits: for Joanne Leow: sweetmoon photography; for Phanuel Antwi: Rachel Topham Photography) \nSpeaker Bios: \nJoanne Leow grew up in Singapore and now lives on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)\, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish)\, and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She is Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair of Transnational and Decolonial Digital Humanities at Simon Fraser University. She is the author of the academic monograph\, “Counter-Cartographies: Reading Singapore Otherwise” (Liverpool University Press\, 2024) and the poetry collection\, “Seas Move Away” (Turnstone Press\, 2022). Her creative work and research lie at the intersections of the environmental humanities\, transnational and diasporic cultural production\, global Asia studies\, autotheory\, and decoloniality. \nJP Catungal (he/him) is Assistant Professor in the Institute for Gender\, Race\, Sexuality and Social Justice\, and Co-Director of the Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement at the University of British Columbia. A queer\, first generation\, Filipinx Canadian scholar\, JP’s research\, teaching and public facing works are in conversation with critical human geography and feminist and queer of colour theories and methods. He is particularly interested in how migrant\, racialized and LGBTQ+ communities address their experiences of marginalization in the fields of sexual health\, education and social services. He has served as co-edit of the book\, “Filipinos in Canada: Disturbing Invisibility”\, as well as special journal issues for “BC Studies”; “ACME: International Journal of Critical Geographies”; “TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies”; and “Alon: Journal for Filipino American and Diasporic Studies”. He received the Killam Teaching Prize at UBC. \nPhanuel Antwi is an artist\, an organizer\, a curator\, and an associate professor of English concerned with race\, poetics\, movements\, intimacy\, and struggle. He works with text\, dance\, film\, and photography to intervene in artistic\, academic\, and public spaces. Dr. Antwi holds a Canada Research Chair in Black Arts and Epistemologies at the University of British Columbia\, Canada. His recent book\, “On Cuddling: Loved to Death in the Racial Embrace”\, is from Pluto Press. He’s currently finishing a manuscript called “Currencies of Blackness: Faithfulness\, Cheerfulness and Politeness in Settler Writing”.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/book-launch-exhumations-inside-the-body-of-a-petrostate-by-joanne-leow/
LOCATION:Enabling Arts\, 104-343 Railway Street\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, V6A 1A4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Launch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Eventbrite_Exhumations.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="SFU English":MAILTO:englcmns@sfu.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260501T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260501T203000
DTSTAMP:20260422T232527Z
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:20260422T232021Z
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 &amp%3B Crow":MAILTO:hello@upstartandcrow.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260529T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260529T150000
DTSTAMP:20260316T180615Z
CREATED:20260316T180615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T180615Z
UID:49535-1780059600-1780066800@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Book launch: The Art of Looking Back by Theresa Kishkan
DESCRIPTION:Join Theresa Kishkan for the release of her memoir\, The Art of Looking Back: A Painter\, an Obsession\, and Reclaiming the Gaze. \nTheresa examines her youth and her role as muse to Victoria artist Jack Wilkinson. More than a reminiscence\, 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/book-launch-the-art-of-looking-back-by-theresa-kishkan/
LOCATION:Sechelt Public Library\, 5797 Cowrie St\, Sechelt\, BC\, V0N 3A0\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Launch,Meet & Greet
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/TAP-The-Art-of-Looking-Back-Book-1080x1080-CC-20251126_blue.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Sechelt Public Library":MAILTO:programs@secheltlibrary.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260718T114500
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260718T123000
DTSTAMP:20260709T182726Z
CREATED:20260709T182726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260709T182726Z
UID:57261-1784375100-1784377800@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Book Launch & Signing with Saul Leslie
DESCRIPTION:Book Launch and signing with Saul Leslie for “A Working Title I Want to Change: A Novel” (Repeater Books\, 2026) \n“A Working Title I Want to Change” explores the bleach-scented\, dizzyingly over-lit world of a supermarket’s aisles\, as austerity makes everyone within the store’s walls poorer. In the labyrinth of Tesco’s flagship supermarket\, precariously employed workers search for dignity at the margins of late-capitalist London\, while a nameless narrator cycles through the discarded nametags of sacked colleagues. Gradually absorbing their stories\, he drifts from shifts at the superstore to temporary accommodation\, as imminent homelessness threatens his intellectual hopes. Petty triumphs\, quiet humiliations\, and fleeting acts of kindness become markers of resistance to the wider collapse beyond the store’s walls. \nSaul Leslie is a writer and academic in Liverpool. He teaches literature and creative writing at the University of Liverpool and Hope University. His fiction has been published by Bloomsbury and Liverpool University Press\, and his remarks about disability and literature have appeared in the Times Literary Supplement\, The Conversation\, and The Poetry Review. His academic research on disability and employment was instrumental in influencing policy that brought about the British Sign Language Act in 2022. In addition to his PhD research on disability and the workplace\, he also works with Penguin-Random House as an editor of disabled writers’ memoirs and novels. \nThis reading is sponsored by the International Lawrence Durrell Society as part of the On Miracle Ground XXIII conference. Registration for the conference is NOT required to attend this event.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/book-launch-signing-with-saul-leslie/
LOCATION:Fairleigh Dickinson University\, Vancouver BC\, 842 Cambie Street\, Vancouver\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Launch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Badge-branding.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260823T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260823T213000
DTSTAMP:20260720T221236Z
CREATED:20260720T221236Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260720T221236Z
UID:57559-1787511600-1787520600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Jessica Peterson Launch Event for Colt
DESCRIPTION:Join us for this ticketed event to celebrate the release of Colt! The event will have a moderated discussion\, Q&A\, and a signing line. Colt is the first in a brand new series from the author that brought you the Lucky River Ranch series. A guaranteed happily ever after\, Colt is a spicy\, cowboy romance featuring a single dad and a city girl that definitely isn’t supposed to fall for the hot foreman.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/jessica-peterson-launch-event-for-colt/
LOCATION:St James Community Square\, 3214 W 10th Ave\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6K2L2\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Launch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Author-events-12.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Perfect Match Bookshop":MAILTO:events@perfectmatchbookshop.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260913T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260913T160000
DTSTAMP:20260824T181614Z
CREATED:20260824T181614Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260824T181614Z
UID:60626-1789304400-1789315200@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Book Launch: smokin' holy spirits by Nate Nate Nainers
DESCRIPTION:Come celebrate Nate Nate Nainers’ (my) newest (and wildest) poetry book\, smokin’ holy spirits (Galleon Books)!!! \nPurchase Tix Here: \nhttps://www.enablingarts.com/product/smokin-holy-spirits-book-launch/F6DU6CDIHD5HENVPYQ62XC6L \nAbout smokin’ holy spirits: \nA multi-dimensional clown has popped the evangelical bubble she was indoctrinated in. By subverting the art of prophecy with profanity\, transgressions\, and crazy-talk\, this clown takes us on a wild and careening ride through the fall-out of leaving the church in six simple steps to quit smoking. With each step\, she moves closer to a generational redemption arc\, making peace with demons and angels alike. She is Nainers as much as she’s not Nainers\, and when she says she’s Nainers\, she’s not at all. \nProudly working-class (though mildly educated)\, neurodivergent (though heavily medicated)\, gay as fuck (though actually bisexual)\, and a bastion of all things weird and strange (though pretty serious\, ok?); smokin’ holy spirits is Canada’s favourite sacrilegious pastime. \nBlurbs for smokin’ holy spirits: \n“A shootin’ the shit poetics that falls into a free-wheeling polyphonic journey with counter-culture undertones and feel good overtones” – Kevin Spenst \n“Nainers’ book walks a tightrope between the twin peaks of nonsense and deep meaning with a wild bull ride that dares us to hang on for sweet joy with an open heart and good lingerie” – RC Weslowski \nAbout the Author: \nNate Nate Nainers is an award-winning poet\, storyteller\, and performance artist living on the unceded territories of the Kwikwetlem and Sto:Lo First Nations\, (PoCo\, BC). Their first book\, “It’s Gonna Be Sick As Hell!” (Wharfingers Press) came out in 2022. In 2024 they placed 3rd at the Vancouver Story Slam Championship at the Vogue Theatre. In 2025\, they wrote and produced two 40 minute solo shows with music and aspects of clown; “Berry Stained Teeth\,” and “Jerald the Space Bear” which was performed at North Vancouver’s Arts in the Garden. In 2026 they were also a featured artist at Galiano Literary Festival. They have been a board member for SAD Magazine\, as well as a co-producer for Parade of Lost Souls\, and founded the street performance group\, Wizard Walks\, as well as Whoa Whoa Hey Now Cabaret\, and the League of Fuddy Duddies with Silly Hats. \nPurchase Tix Here: \nhttps://www.enablingarts.com/product/smokin-holy-spirits-book-launch/F6DU6CDIHD5HENVPYQ62XC6L
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/book-launch-smokin-holy-spirits-by-nate-nate-nainers/
LOCATION:Enabling Arts\, 104-343 Railway Street\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, V6A 1A4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Interview,Launch,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Official-Book-launch.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Enabling Arts":MAILTO:info@enablingarts.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260923T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260923T203000
DTSTAMP:20260824T181518Z
CREATED:20260824T181518Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260824T181518Z
UID:60815-1790188200-1790195400@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Book Launch for Anattā: Heart of Wisdom by Michael Schauch
DESCRIPTION:Join Squamish-based alpinist and award-winning author Michael Schauch in celebrating the launch of his new book\, Anattā: Heart of Wisdom (Hohm Press)\, with a special community event on Wednesday\, September 23\, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Brackendale Art Gallery in Squamish. \nThe evening will feature readings from the book\, conversation and audience Q&A\, live music from local group Riverbank Roses\, and a book signing. \nAbout the Book: \n“Schauch writes about liberation—not through escape but through intimacy with life as it is.” —Sharon Salzberg \n***\nIn the spirit of The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen comes a series of contemplative essays and poetry that restore our connection to each other and ourselves. \nIn Anatta: Heart of Wisdom\, award-winning author\, alpinist\, and Buddhist practitioner Michael Schauch brings us to places where stories reign: among bones nestled in crystal-lined sky caves\, in villages atop the high Himalaya\, and within the warmth of a backyard campfire. Our stories are vehicles for our memories\, individual identities\, and shared cultures…but can we connect to an older story\, one that transcends time and the barriers between us? \nAnatta—the Buddhist idea of “non-self\,” or non-attachment to permanence—is a necessary antidote to our uncertain times. Schauch demonstrates that by immersing ourselves in the wonders of nature\, we can ignite an ancient connection and deep loving-kindness. He shows that the way to resolve conflicts with others is to first resolve conflicts within ourselves—an essential practice in an age of increasing war and polarization. \nBy weaving tales of the metaphysical with Buddhist ways of seeing\, and with refreshing bursts of humour and grace\, Schauch reconnects us to the beauty of everyday life—the stories that connect us across time and place\, and the primordial way back to the heart. \n*** \nThis book is a ‘sword of light’ for those ready to cut through the illusion of separateness and come home.” —Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo \n“Ultimately\, Anattā feels like shelter in challenging times.” —Bernadette McDonald \nMore information on the book and pre-order links are available at michaelschauch.com/anatta.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/book-launch-for-anatta-heart-of-wisdom-by-michael-schauch/
LOCATION:Brackendale Art Gallery\, 41950 Government Road\, Squamish\, BC\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Book Signing,Launch,Meet & Greet
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Anatta-MarketingAssets-v2_Eventbrite-Banner.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Brackendale Art Gallery":MAILTO:arts@brackendaleartgallery.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260923T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260923T203000
DTSTAMP:20260824T181437Z
CREATED:20260824T181437Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260824T181437Z
UID:60794-1790190000-1790195400@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Book Launch: Syl-Lo-Therapy by Crystal Hurdle
DESCRIPTION:Join us for the launch of Syl-Lo-Therapy by Crystal Hurdle\, a bold\, witty\, and imaginative collection of poetry that brings together two of literature’s most iconic figures: Nabokov’s Lolita and poet Sylvia Plath. Through free verse\, prose poems\, pop-culture references\, and sharp feminist insight\, Hurdle explores power\, obsession\, identity\, and the stories we tell about women. \nPart literary investigation\, part cultural critique\, and part personal meditation\, Syl-Lo-Therapy is a fast-moving\, inventive\, and deeply engaging work that challenges readers to rethink narrative\, truth\, and representation. By placing Lolita and Plath in conversation\, Hurdle creates a startling and original exploration of female experience\, resilience\, and cultural mythology. \nProvocative\, humorous\, and meticulously researched\, Syl-Lo-Therapy is a celebration of poetry’s power to question\, subvert\, and transform. \nJoin us to celebrate this remarkable new work and meet award-winning poet and local author Crystal Hurdle. \nBooks will be available for sale by the author at the event.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/book-launch-syl-lo-therapy-by-crystal-hurdle/
LOCATION:North Vancouver Public Library – Capilano branch\, 3045 Highland Blvd.\, North Vancouver\, BC\, V7R 2X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Launch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/sy-lo-therapy-by-crystal-hurdle.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="North Vancouver District Public Library":MAILTO:info@nvdpl.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260926T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260926T200000
DTSTAMP:20260824T181332Z
CREATED:20260824T181332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260824T181332Z
UID:60991-1790447400-1790452800@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:‘Brotherhood Is a Constant Possibility’: An Evening with Ryan Cho
DESCRIPTION:Join Upstart & Crow in celebrating the launch of Brotherhood Is a Constant Possibility: Asian Masculinity in a World Made for Whiteness\, the debut from Vancouver-based author Ryan Cho. Drawing from his own experiences and interviews with other Asian men and nonbinary people\, Cho explores how culture\, sexuality and race combine to influence identity. \nAlong the way\, he meets people redefining what masculinity means to them and discusses what we can do to steward a version of masculinity that is inclusive\, progressive and authentic. \nCandid\, challenging and personal\, Brotherhood Is a Constant Possibility is part memoir\, part research and social analysis\, inviting readers to question the roles Asian men have been allowed to play and to imagine broader and more nuanced ways of thinking about masculinity and men. \nThis event is free\, but please RSVP here as capacity is limited. For every book bought at the event\, the author will donate $10 to local groups supporting masculine folk ($5 to the Dude’s Club of Vancouver and $5 to the House of Rice). Hope to see you there!
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/brotherhood-is-a-constant-possibility-an-evening-with-ryan-cho/
LOCATION:Upstart & Crow\, 1387 Railspur Alley Vancouver\, BC V6H 3R7\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6H 3R7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Book Signing,Launch
ORGANIZER;CN="Upstart &amp%3B Crow":MAILTO:hello@upstartandcrow.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260928T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260928T203000
DTSTAMP:20260804T200441Z
CREATED:20260804T200441Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260804T200441Z
UID:59079-1790618400-1790627400@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:The Sorceress of Sky Serpents Book Launch
DESCRIPTION:Join internationally acclaimed Haisla and Heiltsuk author Eden Robinson for an unforgettable evening exploring the power of Indigenous storytelling\, mythology\, and imagination. Register now and get your signed copy of The Sorceress of Sky Serpents! \nCelebrated for her award-winning novels Monkey Beach and the bestselling Trickster trilogy\, Robinson returns with a sweeping new fantasy inspired by the Indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest. Her newest novel\, The Sorceress of Sky Serpents\, follows Yuala\, a young woman whose unusual connection to creatures feared as monsters may hold the key to her people’s survival. \nThe evening will begin with a welcome from Manuel Axel Strain. Then\, in conversation with Secwépemc and St’at’imc writer Julian Brave NoiseCat\, Robinson will discuss the origins of her richly imagined world\, the role of Indigenous mythology in contemporary fantasy\, and the enduring importance of stories as vessels for culture\, identity\, and resilience. \nThe evening will include an engaging conversation\, an audience Q&A\, and a post-event reception and book signing with Eden Robinson. Books by both Robinson and NoiseCat will be available for purchase on-site. \nEden Robinson is one of Canada’s most celebrated literary voices. Her work has earned numerous honours\, including the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize\, the Writers’ Trust Fellowship\, and the 2024 Indspire Award for her contributions to Indigenous arts and storytelling. \nThis event is co-presented with generous support from Penguin Random House\, SFU Library\, SFU LIVE\, Capilano University Library\, and Talking Stick Festival.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/the-sorceress-of-sky-serpents-book-launch/
LOCATION:Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre\, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts\, 149 West Hastings Street\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6B 1H4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Launch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Sorceress-of-Sky-Serpents.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="SFU Public Square":MAILTO:publicsq@sfu.ca
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR