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DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250909T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250909T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20250728T210650Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250728T210650Z
UID:32575-1757442600-1757448000@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Urban Matters: Poetry in the City
DESCRIPTION:Join authors Daniela Elza and Daniel Cowper for a launch\, reading\, and discussion on celebration of the life of a city and an interrogation of its cost on our well-being. \n— \nDaniela Elza was longlisted for the 2024 CBC Poetry Prize for poems from her latest book SCAR/CITY (McGill-Queen’s University Press\, 2025). Her debut prose collection Is This an Illness or an Accident? (Caitlin Press\, 2025) delves into the conflicts and contradictions of what it means to belong\, to work\, and to find home. Daniela is the recipient of the 2024 Colleen Thibaudeau Award for Outstanding Contribution to Poetry. \nDaniel Cowper’s poetry and critical writing has appeared in numerous publications in Canada\, the US\, Ireland\, and the UK. His poems have been collected in The God of Doors (winner of the Frog Hollow Press Chapbook contest) and Grotesque Tenderness (MQUP\, 2019). His latest work is Kingdom of the Clock\, a novel in verse about urban life. He is a contributing editor with New Verse Review\, and lives on Bowen Island.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/urban-matters-poetry-in-the-city/
LOCATION:Vancouver Public Library\, Central Branch\, 350 West Georgia St.\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6B 6B1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Book Signing,Reading
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ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Public Library":MAILTO:candie.tanaka@vpl.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250917T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250917T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20250805T222634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T164309Z
UID:32978-1758133800-1758139200@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Encrypted: A Reading with Arleen Paré
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an evening in celebration of Paré’s newest poetry collection on grief\, family\, and loneliness.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/encrypted-a-reading-with-arleen-pare/
LOCATION:Upstart & Crow\, 1387 Railspur Alley Vancouver\, BC V6H 3R7\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6H 3R7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Reading
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250919T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250919T160000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20250904T224212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250904T224212Z
UID:36085-1758294000-1758297600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Reading by C. E. Gatchalian
DESCRIPTION:Double Melancholy: Art\, Beauty\, and the Making of a Brown Queer Man—a lyrical exploration of race\, desire\, and artistic identity shaped by literature\, film\, and family history. \nFor those interested\, at 4pm\, Gatchalian will lead Writing the Unraveling Self\, a workshop that invites participants to embrace emotional rawness and creative disruption through guided prompts and reflection. The reading is Pay What You Can\, and the workshop is $25.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/reading-by-c-e-gatchalian/
LOCATION:Summerland Library ORL Branch\, 9533 Main Street\, Summerland\, BC\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Meet & Greet,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/untitled-design-10.webp
ORGANIZER;CN="The Ryga Festival Society":MAILTO:gm@rygafest.ca
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250920T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250920T153000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20250903T211049Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T175813Z
UID:35691-1758376800-1758382200@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Poetry Bus! Celebrating the 29th Year of Poetry in Transit
DESCRIPTION:In partnership with TransLink and BC Transit\, Read Local BC presents the launch of this year’s Poetry In Transit campaign at Word Vancouver. Now celebrating its 29th year\, this beloved community-engagement project displays the work of ten BC poets on public transit vehicles throughout the province. Join us to hear a selection of the featured 2025-26 poets read from their work\, followed by a short discussion and Q&A in which you can engage with the poets over your love of the written verse! \nREADERS\nHOST Elee Kraljii Gardiner is an author\, editor\, and creative mentor whose award-winning books of poetry include Trauma Head and serpentine loop\, and the anthologies Against Death: 35 Essays on Living and V6A: Writing from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside\, and three chapbooks: Residence\, WATCHER with Gary Barwin\, and Trauma Head: the medical file. A frequent collaborator with choreographers\, musicians\, and visual artists\, Elee is currently collaborating with nature via a series of durational installations that investigate the law of thermodynamics and cultural ideas regarding the passing of time. Originally from Boston\, she lives in Canada where she directs Vancouver Manuscript Intensive\, a program pairing authors with mentors. eleekg.com \n  \n  \n \nSusan Alexander’s poems have appeared in Canadian and international anthologies and literary magazines\, such as The Southern Review\, Pangyrus\, Arc and Grain. Her most recent publication is Berberitzen with Raven Chapbooks (2024). She is the author of two full collections\, Nothing You Can Carry (2020) and The Dance Floor Tilts (2017) with Thistledown Press. Her poetry has won multiple awards\, including the 2022 Vancouver’s City Poem Prize. She has hosted poetry readings and panels for the Federation of BC Writers and Victoria’s Festival of Writers. Susan lives on Nexwlélexm/Bowen Island\, the traditional and unceded territory of the Squamish people. \n  \nJen Currin is the author of seven books\, including Hider/Seeker: Stories\, which was a finalist for a ReLit Award and was named a 2018 Globe and Mail Best Book\, and The Inquisition Yours\, which won the 2011 Audre Lorde Award and was a Lambda finalist. Born and raised in Portland\, Oregon\, on the traditional territories of the Multnomah\, Chinook\, Clackamas\, and other tribes\, Currin lives in New Westminster\, BC\, on unceded Qayqayt\, Kwantlen\, Kwikwetlem\, and Musqueam territories and teaches creative writing and English at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. \n  \nJunie Désil\, born to Haitian immigrant parents in Montréal and raised in Winnipeg\, has devoted over two decades to empowering communities made marginalized. An accomplished poet\, her debut collection\, eat salt | gaze at the ocean (2020)\, was a finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize and explores themes of Black sovereignty and the Haitian diaspora. Currently residing on the Traditional Territories of the Homalco\, Tla’amin\, and Klahoose\, Junie mentors emerging writers at Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio. Beyond her professional life\, Junie enjoys writing\, coaching\, consulting\, and raising goats. \n  \n  \n  \n  \nJoseph Kidney’s poems have been published in Best Canadian Poetry 2024\, Vallum\, The Malahat Review\, The Fiddlehead\, The Ex-Puritan\, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (in Arabic translation)\, and more. He has won the Short Grain Contest\, the Young Buck Poetry Prize\, and Arc’s Poem of the Year. Devotional Forensics is his first full-length collection. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nNatalie Lim is a Chinese-Canadian poet living on the unceded\, traditional territories of the Musqueam\, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples (Vancouver\, BC). She is the winner of the 2018 CBC Poetry Prize and Room magazine’s 2020 Emerging Writer Award\, with work published in Arc Poetry Magazine\, Best Canadian Poetry 2020 and elsewhere. She is the author of a chapbook\, arrhythmia (Rahila’s Ghost Press\, 2022). \n  \n  \nLauren Peat is a poet\, translator\, and teacher based in Vancouver\, BC. Her poems\, essays\, and translations from French have appeared in a wide variety of journals and magazines\, and her many collaborations with composers are featured in the repertoire of acclaimed vocal ensembles across North America. Her debut poetry chapbook\, Future Tense\, was published by Baseline Press in 2024. \n  \n  \n  \n  \nTom Wayman’s prolific literary career includes writing more than twenty poetry collections\, three collections of critical and cultural essays\, three books of short fiction and a novel\, as well as editing six poetry anthologies. He received British Columbia’s 2022 George Woodcock Award for Lifetime Achievement in the literary arts. In 2015\, he was named a Vancouver Literary Landmark\, with a plaque on the city’s Commercial Drive commemorating his championing of people writing for themselves about their daily employment. He won the Western Canada Jewish Book Awards prize for fiction in 2016 (for the short story collection\, The Shadows We Mistake for Love) and for poetry in 2023 (for Watching a Man Break a Dog’s Back: Poems for a Dark Time). His memoir\, The Road to Appledore (or How I Went Back to The Land Without Ever Having Lived There in the First Place)\, was published in 2024. Wayman lives in Winlaw\, BC\, and his website is www.tomwayman.com. \n  \nCalvin Wharton has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies in Canada\, the U.S.\, Wales\, Sweden\, and Denmark. He is a former chair of Creative Writing at Douglas College and writer in residence at the University of Wales. His books include a collection of short fiction\, Three Songs by Hank Williams\, and poetry collections The Song Collides\, The Invention of Birds\, and This Here Paradise.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/poetry-bus-celebrating-the-29th-year-of-poetry-in-transit/
LOCATION:UBC Robson Square\, 800 Robson St\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6E 1A7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Festival,Launch,Reading
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ORGANIZER;CN="Read Local BC":MAILTO:asna@books.bc.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250923T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250923T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20250904T223316Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250904T223316Z
UID:36068-1758654000-1758657600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Author Talk: Daniel Kalla
DESCRIPTION:Join Richmond Public Library as they welcome back international best-selling author Daniel Kalla as he reads and answers your questions about his newly released novel\, The Deepest Fake.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/author-talk-daniel-kalla/
LOCATION:Richmond Public Library\, Brighouse Branch\, 7700 Minoru Gate\, Richmond\, BC\, V6Y 1R8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Meet & Greet,Reading
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ORGANIZER;CN="Richmond Public Library":MAILTO:askus@yourlibrary.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250923T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250923T203000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20250904T225138Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250904T225138Z
UID:36090-1758654000-1758659400@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Booksmack! An evening of book reviews and laughter
DESCRIPTION:Do you love to read? Our highly specialized team of wild and nerdy bibliophiles go head to head as they race against the clock to speed review their favourite books\, podcasts and more! Booklists and laughter are included. Drop-in and free of charge.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/booksmack-an-evening-of-book-reviews-and-laughter/
LOCATION:Okanagan Regional Library\, Vernon branch\, 2800 30th Avenue\, Vernon\, BC\, V1T 8S3\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1753293650.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Okanagan Regional Library":MAILTO:vereference@orl.bc.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20251016T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20251016T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20250903T163906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T163906Z
UID:35594-1760637600-1760644800@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Love At First Page
DESCRIPTION:Writing a book is a labour of love that often involves working through complex relationships right on the page. Join four Canadian novelists writing at the intersections of romance\, comedy and mental health as they discuss creating lovably flawed characters\, share the process of writing second chance storylines and offer their tried-and-true writing tips to emerging authors. Author meet-and-greet with book signings to follow after the event\, courtesy of bookseller Perfect Match Bookshop. \nFeaturing Natalie Sue\, bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well & 2025 Leacock Medal winner; Noreen Nanja\, debut author of breakout hit The Summers Between Us; Leanne Toshiko Simpson\, 2025 Kobo Prize in Romance winner for Never Been Better; and Jacqueline Firkins\, author of 5 novels – including Marlowe Banks\, Redesigned – and UBC professor & costume designer. A selection of Jacqueline’s romance cover dresses will be on display at VPL during this event. \n— \nNatalie Sue is the bestselling and award-winning author of I Hope This Finds You Well. She is a Canadian author of Iranian and British descent. She spent her formative years moving around western Canada with a brief stint in Scotland\, where she discovered her passion for storytelling as a means of connection and reading as a means of comfort. When she’s not writing\, she enjoys bingeing great and terrible TV\, attempting pottery\, and procuring houseplants. She lives in Calgary with her husband\, daughter\, and dog. \nNoreen Nanja is the author of contemporary romance debut The Summers Between Us. As a second-generation Canadian\, Noreen’s writing explores themes of identity\, race and belonging\, wrapped in stories of romantic and familial love. Born and initially raised in small-town British Columbia\, she then spent her formative years in Edmonton before moving to Montreal to pursue her Bachelors in Psychology and English Literature at McGill University and then the University of Calgary to complete her medical degree. She currently lives with her partner and her small dog in Toronto\, where she enjoys working in healthcare\, drinking vast amounts of strawberry matcha and exploring local bookshops. \nLeanne Toshiko Simpson is an award-winning writer\, educator and mental health advocate from Toronto. She writes joyful\, messy\, laugh-out-loud stories about living with mental illness and the moments of hope that help us get out of bed day after day. Leanne’s mental health rom-com Never Been Better won the 2025 Rakuten Kobo Prize for Romance. She teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto and spends her free time designing mental health greeting cards for Pebbles and Company. \nJacqueline Firkins is a writer (Marlowe Banks\, Redesigned)\, costume designer\, and lover of beautiful things. She’s on the full-time faculty in the Department of Theatre & Film at the University of British Columbia where she teaches character design\, world building\, and period costume construction courses. When not obsessing about where to put the buttons or the commas\, she can be found running by the ocean\, eating excessive amounts of gluten\, listening to earnest love songs\, and pretending her dog understands every word she says. \n***Jacqueline’s dresses (#booksasfashion) will be on display during the event and afterwards (until October 20th) through the windows of the Yosef Wosk Poet’s Corner on level 9 where the rooftop garden is. \nIn partnership with Perfect Match Bookshop (Vancouver’s first romance bookstore).
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/love-at-first-page/
LOCATION:Vancouver Public Library\, Central Branch\, 350 West Georgia St.\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6B 6B1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Book Signing,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Love-at-First-Page-Final-BE.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Public Library":MAILTO:candie.tanaka@vpl.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20251023T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20251023T183000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20251007T230142Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251007T230142Z
UID:43319-1761240600-1761244200@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:On Edge Reading Series Fall 2025 presents: Hajer Mirwali
DESCRIPTION:The On Edge Reading Series showcases the work of writers who are doing the freshest\, most interesting\, and relevant work\, writers who are also artists\, volunteers\, literary award winners\, social justice organizers\, prison abolitionists\, literary organizers\, dancers\, managing editors\, filmmakers\, creative writing instructors\, and scholars. \nFEATURING: \nHajer Mirwali\nThursday\, October 23\, 2025 at 5:30PM PT\nONLINE ONLY: https://emilycarru.zoom.us/meeting/register/f7TPNA51RA-7ShKqfoyWnw \nHajer Mirwal is a Palestinian and Iraqi writer living in Toronto. Her first book\, Revolutions (Talonbooks\, 2025)\, is a collection of poetry on shame\, pleasure\, and Arab Muslim girlhood. Two poems from the collection also appear in an anthology of Palestinian poetry called Heaven Looks Like Us (Haymarket Books\, 2025). Hajer’s work has been published in The Ex-Puritan\, Brick Magazine\, Room Magazine\, and Joyland. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph \n——- \nAll readings are FREE and open to the public. ASL interpretation is provided for all readings. On Edge is organized and hosted by Mercedes Eng and assisted by Eliza. \nOn Edge on social media: https://www.instagram.com/onedgereadingseries/\nFor any other inquiries: Please email onedge@ecuad.ca \nThe series is support by the Emily Carr Writing Centre with grateful acknowledgement to the Canada Council for the Arts and the Coast Salish First Nations whose traditional lands we are on.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/on-edge-reading-series-fall-2025-presents-hajer-mirwali/
LOCATION:Emily Carr University of Art + Design\, 520 E 1st Ave\, Vancouver\, BC\, V5T 0H2\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Reading
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ORGANIZER;CN="On Edge Reading Series":MAILTO:onedge@ecuad.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20251030T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20251030T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20251006T181334Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T181334Z
UID:41628-1761849000-1761854400@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Poetry in Translation
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an evening lost in translation with three talented poets as they discuss the often overlooked art of translation. How do you carry a book from one language to another\, line by line\, with precision? UBC Associate Professor Bronwen Tate will moderate the discussion with poets Rhea Tregebov\, Rahat Kurd and Deborah Woodard. \n— \nBronwen Tate is the author of the poetry collection The Silk the Moths Ignore. She is an Associate Professor of Teaching and Undergraduate Chair in the UBC School of Creative Writing\, where she offers courses in poetry\, creative writing pedagogy\, and literary translation. A Practical Guide to Teaching Creative Writing: Supporting Inclusive Pedagogy\, a collaboration with colleague John Vigna\, is forthcoming with Bloomsbury Academic in Spring 2026. \nRhea Tregebov is the author of eight collections of poetry\, most recently\, Talking to Strangers. She edited and co-translated the anthology Arguing With the Storm: Stories by Yiddish Women Writers and taught workshops in literary translation at UBC. In 2019 she taught a graduate course for the English Department at Tsuda University in Tokyo entitled “Translating the Self: Issues in Literary Translation.” Tregebov has translated poetry from French and Spanish and has worked in tandem translation from Japanese\, Catalan and Finnish\, languages she does not know. She is now an Associate Professor Emerita at the School of Creative Writing at UBC. \nRahat Kurd is a poet\, writer\, and editor of Kashmiri and north Indian family origin\, born in Canada and based in Vancouver. The Book Of Z\, published by Talonbooks this fall 2025\, is her second full-length work of poetry. Her previous literary titles with Talonbooks are The City That Is Leaving Forever: Kashmiri Letters\, (2021)\, co-authored with Kashmiri poet Sumayya Syed\, and Cosmophilia\, (poems\, 2015). In her work as a beginner translator of contemporary Urdu poetry\, Rahat Kurd is particularly interested in the ways lyrical resonances from the classical ghazal tradition have influenced modern and feminist Urdu-language poetic sensibilities. \nDeborah Woodard studied with Charles Simic at the University of New Hampshire and has a PhD from the University of Washington. Her books include Borrowed Tales (Stockport Flats) and No Finis: Triangle Testimonies\, 1911 (Ravenna Press). With Roberta Antognini\, she has translated the poetry of Amelia Rosselli in Hospital Series (New Directions)\, Obtuse Diary\, The Dragonfly\, and Notes Scattered and Lost (Entre Rios Books). Their translation of Rosselli’s Document has just been published by World Poetry Books. Deborah teaches at Hugo House in Seattle\, Washington and co-curates the reading series Margin Shift. \n*This event is curated by writer\, Jen Currin (Disembark and Trinity Street amongst many others).
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/poetry-in-translation/
LOCATION:Vancouver Public Library\, Central Branch\, 350 West Georgia St.\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6B 6B1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Panel,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TranslationEventFinal.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Public Library":MAILTO:candie.tanaka@vpl.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20251121T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20251121T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20251107T202700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251107T203539Z
UID:45057-1763751600-1763758800@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Rahat Kurd at Planet Earth Poetry
DESCRIPTION:On November 21\, head to Russell Books to see Rahat Kurd feature at Planet Earth Poetry! Kurd will be sharing poetry from her brand new collection The Book of Z. Now in their 30th season\, Planet Earth Poetry is Victoria’s longest-running poetry-only open mic and reading series. All of the information can be found here. \nRahat Kurd at Planet Earth Poetry\nRussell Books\nVictoria\, BC\nNovember 21\, 2025\n7:00 p.m.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/rahat-kurd-at-planet-earth-poetry/
LOCATION:Russell Books\, Victoria\, BC\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Open Mic,Reading
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20251128T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20251128T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20251107T203212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251107T203212Z
UID:45065-1764358200-1764363600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Four BC Poets Laureate
DESCRIPTION:ON Friday\, November 28\, Planet Earth Poetry is presenting a special evening of readings by four British Columbia Poets Laureate (presented as a sister event with Twisted Poets Reading Series in Vancouver on January 21\, 2026).
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/four-bc-poets-laureate/
LOCATION:Russell Books\, Victoria\, BC\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/PoetLaureateReadingFall2025Season30.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260210T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260210T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20260204T224419Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260204T224625Z
UID:48056-1770750000-1770753600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Incite: Maggie Helwig on Encampment
DESCRIPTION:Presented in partnership with Vancouver Public Library. \nThe housing crisis plaguing major urban centres across Canada has sent countless people into the streets. In spring 2022\, some of them found their way to the yard beside the Anglican church in Toronto’s Kensington Market\, where Maggie Helwig is the priest. They pitched tents\, formed an encampment\, and settled in. Known as an outspoken social justice activist\, Helwig has spent the last three years getting to know the residents and fighting tooth and nail to allow them to stay. \nWinner of the 2025 Toronto Book Award and one of CBC Books’ and the Globe and Mail’s best books of 2025\, Encampment tells the story of Helwig’s life-long activism as preparation for her fight to keep her churchyard open to people needing a home. More importantly\, it introduces us to the Artist\, to Jeff\, and to Robin: their lives\, their challenges\, their humanity. It confronts our society’s callousness in allowing so many to go unhoused and demands\, by bringing their stories to the fore\, that we begin to respond with compassion and grace. \nHelwig shares her story and theirs\, and answers audience questions\, with The Tyee senior editor Jackie Wong\, whose journalism on housing and drug policy has been published widely. Books will be for sale at the event by Upstart & Crow\, with a signing afterwards.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/incite-maggie-helwig-on-encampment/
LOCATION:VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026-Incite_Maggie-Helwig_social-banner-1536x768-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Writers Fest":MAILTO:info@writersfest.bc.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260227T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260227T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20260202T201307Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T201307Z
UID:47868-1772218800-1772226000@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Off the Shelf Poetry Reading Series: Jeff Derksen & Saba Pakdel
DESCRIPTION:Please join Simon Fraser University’s Department of English and Poetry in Canada for a poetry reading featuring Jeff Derksen and Saba Pakdel.\nDetails:\nDate/Time: Friday\, February 27th (Doors 6:30 PM; Event: 7-9 PM)\nLocation: SFU Belzberg Library at Harbour Centre campus (515 West Hastings St. Vancouver\, BC V6B 5K3)\nThis is a free event\, no RSVP required. \nBios: \nJeff Derksen: https://www.sfu.ca/english/people-dir/faculty/jeff-derksen.html \nSaba Pakdel: Saba Pakdel: Saba Pakdel is a poet\, migration literature scholar\, and PhD candidate in English at the University of Victoria. In her SSHRC-funded PhD research\, Saba specializes in migration study and climate-induced mobility with a focus on modern and contemporary literature\, exploring the experience of exile\, displacement\, and climate crises. Saba has published two poetry chapbooks In-Between (2022) and Un-Composed (2024) by above / ground press. \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-jeff-derksen-saba-pakdel/
LOCATION:SFU Harbour Centre\, 515 West Hastings Street\, Vancouver\, BC\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/LiveWhale_Off-the-Shelf-Poetry-11.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="SFU English":MAILTO:englcmns@sfu.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260308T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260308T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20260302T211518Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260302T211518Z
UID:49266-1772996400-1773003600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Poetry Reading: Steven Seidenberg & Danielle LaFrance
DESCRIPTION:Poets Steven Seidenberg and Danielle LaFrance will be reading at People’s Co-op Bookstore on Sunday\, March 8th (7-9 PM).\nThis is a free event and all are welcome – no need to RSVP. \n*This event is hosted by Simon Fraser University’s Department of English. \nBios:\nWriter and artist Steven Seidenberg’s literary works include “Coda” (Omnidawn\, Fall 2025)\, “Anon” (Omnidawn\, 2022)\, and “plain sight” (Roof Books\, 2020). His books have been published in Italian\, Portuguese and Swedish translation\, and his most recent collection of photographs is “The Architecture of Silence” (Contrasto\, 2023). \nDanielle LaFrance is a poet and information malprofessional. Their commitments are anchored to liberation\, resistance\, and pleasure. LaFrance is the author of “species branding” (Capilano University Editions\, 2010)\, “Friendly + Fire” (Talonbooks\, 2016)\, “JUST LIKE I LIKE IT” (Talonbooks\, 2019)\, and “#postdildo” (Talonbooks\, 2022). LaFrance co-created the reading and journal series\, “About a Bicycle” and currently collaborates on the ad infinitum intertextual sound project\, “Yes\, Sydo”. Their forthcoming book\, “Verbal Violence” (Talonbooks\, 2026) is a scrolling indictment of the professional managerial class. They reside as a guest on still occupied and still unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm\, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh\, and səlilwətaɬ lands.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/poetry-reading-steven-seidenberg-danielle-lafrance/
LOCATION:People’s Co-op Bookstore\, 1391 Commercial Drive\, Vancouver\, BC\, V5L 3X5\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/LiveWhale_March-8-2026.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="SFU English":MAILTO:englcmns@sfu.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260327T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260327T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20260316T180310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T180310Z
UID:49604-1774638000-1774645200@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Off the Shelf Poetry Reading Series: Joanne Leow\, Garth Martens\, Fenn Stewart
DESCRIPTION:Please join Simon Fraser University’s Department of English and Poetry in Canada for a poetry reading featuring our own Professor Joanne Leow and Garth Martens and Fenn Stewart. \nDetails:\nDate/Time: Friday\, March 27th (Doors: 6:30 PM; Readings 7-9 PM)\nLocation: SFU Belzberg Library (SFU’s Harbour Centre campus – 515 West Hastings St.\, Vancouver) \n*Free Event; No RSVP Required \nBios \nJoanne Leow is Associate Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair of Transnational and Decolonial Digital Humanities in the Department of English at Simon Fraser University. Her first academic monograph is “Counter-Cartographies: Reading Singapore Otherwise” (Liverpool University Press\, 2024). She is also a poet and writer with a debut collection of poetry\, “Seas Move Away” (Turnstone Press\, 2022) and a forthcoming creative-critical memoir\, “Exhumations: In the Body of a Petrostate” (Alchemy Press\, 2026). Her writing and research interests lie at the intersections of spatial theory\, decolonial theory\, postcolonial studies\, transnational and diasporic texts\, and the environmental humanities. \nGarth Martens is the author of “Prologue for the Age of Consequence” and “Who Else in the Dark Headed There”. For his first book\, he was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry. He is also a past winner of the Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. His poetry appears in “Dark Mountain Project”\, “Poetry Ireland”\, “Hazlitt”\, “This Magazine”\, “Vallum”\, “Fiddlehead”\, and “Best Canadian Poetry”. He is a co-founder and producer for Palabra Flamenco\, a literary flamenco ensemble that joins traditional flamenco dance and music with poetry and oral storytelling. He lives in Victoria\, BC. \nFenn Stewart is the author of three chapbooks and two poetry collections – “Better Nature”\, which was longlisted for the 2018 Gerald Lampert Memorial Prize\, and “women & roosters” (2025). A former editor of “The Capilano Review”\, she continues to serve on the magazine’s editorial board. Stewart holds a PhD in social and political thought\, and teaches literature and writing at Capilano University. She lives with her kids\, and the world’s nicest dog\, on unceded Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish)\, xʷməθkʷəỷəm (Musqueam)\, and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories. \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-joanne-leow-garth-martens-fenn-stewart/
LOCATION:SFU Harbour Centre\, 515 West Hastings Street\, Vancouver\, BC\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/LiveWhale_Off-the-Shelf-Poetry-12.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="SFU English":MAILTO:englcmns@sfu.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260411T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260411T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20260316T180352Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T180352Z
UID:50380-1775934000-1775941200@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Phyllis Webb Memorial Reading featuring Wayde Compton
DESCRIPTION:Please join SFU English and Poetry in Canada for the 4th annual Phyllis Webb Memorial Reading featuring award recipient Wayde Compton. This free event takes place on Saturday\, April 11th (Doors: 6:15 PM; Event: 7-9 PM) at SFU Harbour Centre (Room 1400). Special guests include Cecily Nicholson and Courtenay Chan. Hosted by Professor Stephen Collis. Enjoy readings\, discussion\, and light refreshments. \nThe Phyllis Webb Memorial Reading honours a Canadian poet(s) with a cash award and a celebration of their work. This event will occur each April and will be organized and administered by the Poetry in Canada Society\, https://www.poetrycanada.org/. \nA Governor General’s Award–winning poet and a member of the Order of Canada\, Phyllis Webb was a major Canadian cultural figure from the 1950s through the 1980s\, publishing ten celebrated collections of poetry and prose and co-founding the CBC Radio program Ideas (in 1965). When “words abandoned” her in the early 1990s and she was no longer able to write\, she took up photography\, photocollage\, and eventually painting. \nAs Stephen Scobie once wrote\, the work of Phyllis Webb “has always been distinguished by the profundity of her insights\, the depth of her emotional feeling\, the delicacy and accuracy of her rhythms\, the beauty and mysterious resonance of her images – and by her luminous intelligence.” It is this legacy that the Phyllis Webb Memorial Reading seeks to honour\, by selecting a poet who is distinguished by similar qualities. \nIn 2026\, the fourth annual Phyllis Webb Memorial Reading honours poet Wayde Compton\, who is the author of six books and the editor of two literary anthologies. His collection of short stories\, “The Outer Harbour”\, won the City of Vancouver Book Award in 2015 and his work has been a finalist for three other City of Vancouver Book Awards. He won a National Magazine Award for Fiction in 2011 and was nominated for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize in 2000. In 2002\, Compton co-founded the Hogan’s Alley Memorial Project\, an organization devoted to researching and promoting Vancouver’s historical Black community and later helped establish the Hogan’s Alley Working Group and the Hogan’s Alley Society\, its successor organizations. From 2006-2011 Compton co-published Commodore Books\, Western Canada’s first Black Canadian literary press. He has been writer-in-residence at Simon Fraser University\, Green College at the University of British Columbia\, and the Vancouver Public Library. Compton currently teaches in the Department of Writing at the University of Victoria\, and his latest book is “Toward an Anti-Racist Poetics” (U of Alberta P\, 2024). \nImportant Information: \nVenue and Accessibility: This in-person event takes place at the SFU Harbour Centre (Room 1400). 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. \nPlease note: This event may be recorded and/or photographed. If you do not wish to be photographed\, please inform the photographer.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/phyllis-webb-memorial-reading-featuring-wayde-compton/
LOCATION:SFU Harbour Centre\, 515 West Hastings Street\, Vancouver\, BC\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Award,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Livewhale-Phyllis-Webb_Compton-2026.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="SFU English":MAILTO:englcmns@sfu.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260421T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260421T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20260316T180429Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T180429Z
UID:49569-1776794400-1776801600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Stage Your Own Play with Cee Peal - Part Two
DESCRIPTION:Gain a comprehensive understanding of the playwriting process from initial concept to production and finally opening night in this three-part series program. Learn about the concepts of Scene and Monologue Writing\, Text Analysis\, Staging\, Performance\, Production and more.  \nUse this time to explore the early stages of theatre development and experiment with others in a collaborative and unique process. \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/stage-your-own-play-with-cee-peal-part-two/
LOCATION:VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY
CATEGORIES:Reading,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ISiR_CeePeal_2026_Biblioevents_760x380px_Alt2-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Public Library":MAILTO:candie.tanaka@vpl.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260424T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260424T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
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:20260430T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260430T193000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
CREATED:20260219T004437Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T004437Z
UID:48886-1777573800-1777577400@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:The Art of the Book: Scott McIntyre
DESCRIPTION:At this upcoming Alcuin event\, legendary publisher Scott McIntyre will offer a deeply personal retrospective on his nearly 50-year career at the forefront of the Canadian literary landscape. As the force behind Douglas & McIntyre\, McIntyre will trace the evolution of one of the country’s premier independent houses\, sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes involving industry icons and celebrated authors. More than just a history lesson\, the talk serves as a passionate defense of the physicality of books—emphasizing why craftsmanship in paper\, binding\, and design remains a vital tribute to the written word even in an increasingly digital age. \nFor Scott\, the physicality of books remained fundamental. Echoing the imperatives of Knopf; paper\, binding\, and type design had to honour the words. That resulted in winning more Alcuin awards than any other single house\, national or multinational\, while building the largest art book program in Canada\, and establishing an international reputation for high quality books. Even the D&M logo\, the Burghead Bull\, declared intent\, based upon a carved image from a 9th century Pictish fort overlooking Moray Forth: defiant; Scottish; echoing the traditions of old-line publishing houses. \nAnecdotes about the evolution of Canadian publishing will focus on important D&M projects: The Art of Emily Carr\, History in Their Blood\,  Doug Coupland’s Souvenir of Canada\, and A Story as Sharp as A Knife\, amongst many others.  \nThis will be his personal take on the world that he chose to embrace and why the old standards still matter\, even in a digital world. \n— \nScott McIntyre\, CM\, OBC\, LLD (Hon)\, BA\, is best known as the co-founder and the retired Publisher and CEO of the pre-eminent\, Vancouver headquartered\, Canadian publishing house Douglas & McIntyre. His company published over 2000 Canadian books from its founding in 1971 to his retirement in 2013. He also spent over 40 years engaged in industry/government relations.  \nScott remains an active member of Canada’s cultural community. His recent Boards have included PEN Canada\, the BC Achievement Foundation and\, at UBC\, Green College\, the Global Reporting Centre\, the Museum of Anthropology\, and the Vancouver Institute. He delivered the 2019-2020 Clyne Lectures at Green College. His memoir\, A Precarious Enterprise: Making a Life in Canadian Publishing\, was published by ECW of Toronto on September 9\, 2025. Scott is a graduate of UBC\, and holds an honorary Doctor of Laws from SFU. He is a member of both the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia. His significant contributions to Canadian publishing have been further recognized by the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee medals.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/the-art-of-the-book-scott-mcintyre/
LOCATION:VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ScottMcIntyre.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Public Library":MAILTO:candie.tanaka@vpl.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260501T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260501T203000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
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:20260423T162954
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:20260603T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260603T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T162954
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:20260423T162954
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 &amp%3B Crow":MAILTO:hello@upstartandcrow.com
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR