Read Local BC

BC Book Day
2026-04-21 - 2026-04-22
WHEN: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
WHAT: BC Book Day invites British Columbians to celebrate the province’s book & magazine publishers, authors, illustrators, bookstores, libraries, festivals, and literary prizes that connect us with local stories.
GOAL: To raise awareness among government and the public of BC’s publishing ecosystem and its cultural and economic contributions.
WHO: BC Book Day is coordinated by Books BC, which works to support the long-term health and success of the Canadian-owned book industry in British Columbia.
How can you support BC Book Day and BC’s Independent Publishers?

Buy BC-published books directly from your local independent bookstore or the publisher’s website (list of BC publishers here).
Encourage your school and public library to buy and stock both BC and Canadian-published books (find our Books for Schools database here)
Celebrate Canadian Independent Bookstore Day on April 25 (learn about the day and how to participate here).

Stage Your Own Play with Cee Peal - Part Two
2026-04-21 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Vancouver) | VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY
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.
Use this time to explore the early stages of theatre development and experiment with others in a collaborative and unique process.
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Cee 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.
To find out more about Cee’s residency and keep up with his upcoming events visit: vpl.ca/storyteller

Off the Shelf Poetry Reading Series with Cornel Bogle, Lisa Richter, Salena Wiener
2026-04-24 19:00 - 21:00 | SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Please join SFU English and Poetry in Canada for a poetry reading featuring Professor Cornel Bogle, Lisa Richter, and Salena Wiener.
Details:
Date/Time: Friday, April 24th (Doors 6:30 PM; Event: 7-9 PM)
Location: SFU Belzberg Library at Harbour Centre campus
This is a free event, no RSVP required.
Bios
Cornel 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.
At 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.
Lisa 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.
Salena 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).
Venue Accessibility
This 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.

Canadian Independent Bookstore Day (CIBD)
2026-04-25 - 2026-04-26
Save the date!
April 25, 2026 is this years celebration of Canadian Independent Booksellers.
Indie booksellers work hard to serve their customers and communities. CIBD is our opportunity to say thank you.
Here are some ways you can participate in Canadian Independent Bookstore Day:
Buy books! Purchase books and other items in-person, online, or by phone to show your support and to enter our annual contest.
Check out bookstore activities. Local shops across Canada are planning celebratory activities for the big day including customer giveaways, discounts, exclusive products, author events, and more. Visit their websites and social channels for details.
Help us spread the word. CIBD is an opportunity to raise awareness about everything that indies have to offer. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to share our info about the campaign throughout the month of April.

Canadian Independent Bookstore Day at Munro's Books!
2026-04-25 09:30 - 18:00 | Munro’s Books, 1108 Government Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1Y2, Canada
Come celebrate Canadian Independent Bookstore Day at Munro’s Books on Saturday, April 25th! The party will include a contest to win $1000 to spend at the indie bookstore of your choice, exclusive bookstore swag with each purchase (while supplies last), two author signings, double rewards points on purchases (in-store and online), blind date with a book, a draw for a Munro’s Prize pack, photo booth, bookmark colouring station, and more!
This will mark the annual day when readers, writers, illustrators, publishers, and others come together to celebrate indie bookstores across Canada. By joining the celebration, you are advocating for independent businesses, supporting a flourishing book selling community, and investing in Canadian culture.
The book signings will include authors April Howells from 11:00am-1:00pm , and Phoebe Wang from 1:00pm-3:00pm.
We hope you can come party with us!
What: Canadian Independent Bookstore Day Celebration
When: Saturday, April 25th during opening hours (9:30am-6:00pm)
Where: Munro’s Books – 1108 Government St
How: This event is free to attend

Canadian Children's Book Week Author Visit: Marsha Skrypuch
2026-04-28 13:30 - 14:30 | North Vancouver Public Library – Lynn Valley branch, 1277 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver, BC, V7J 0A2, Canada
In celebration of Canadian Children’s Book Week, children’s author Marsha Skrypuch will present on her book trilogy Kidnapped from Ukraine.
Marsha 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
Marsha 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).
Teachers of grades 4-6 may register their group to attend. Maximum of 3 classes. Please include the number of students attending.
Interested members of the public may also register to attend.
Best for children grades 4-6

Stage Your Own Play with Cee Peal - Part Three
2026-04-28 18:00 - 20:00 | VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY

In Translation Book Club: Now I Surrender, by Alvaro Enrigue, translated by Natasha Wimmer.
2026-04-29 18:00 - 19:30 | Upstart & Crow, 1387 Railspur Alley Vancouver, BC V6H 3R7, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3R7, Canada
Welcome to Upstart & Crow’s In Translation Book Club, a celebration of global literature and storytelling across languages and borders! This free, bi-monthly event in our studio space introduces readers to powerful voices writing in languages other than English, amplifying fresh perspectives, underheard narratives and bold ideas.
On Wednesday, April 29 at 6:00pm, we’ll be discussing Now I Surrender, by Álvaro Enrigue, translated by Natasha Wimmer.
In 1886, famed Apache leader Geronimo surrendered to the U.S. army after decades of resistance across the borderlands of Mexico and the United States. Álvaro Enrigue’s newly translated novel takes its title from his words: “Once I moved about like the wind. Now I surrender to you and that is all.”
Beginning with the kidnapping of a Mexican woman, the novel follows the ragtag expedition sent to retrieve her — a soldier, a sharpshooting woman known as “the Nun,” and two devilishly charismatic Yaqui twins. Part anti-imperialist epic and part alt-western, Now I Surrendertakes apart and reassembles the mythology of the “American” borderlands to challenge the stories we think we know about conquest and resistance. The result is a gripping, genre-bending meditation on freedom, myth, and the contested histories of the desert frontier. Named a most anticipated book of 2026 by The New York Times, The Washington Post and LitHub.
Bring yourself and an open mind to discuss the book! You do not need to have purchased the book from us to attend, but we’ll be offering a 10% discount on the title if you do. You can do so by selecting between two ticket options here.
More about Upstart & Crow:
Upstart & 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.
Accessibility:
The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees.
Questions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.

The Art of the Book: Scott McIntyre
2026-04-30 18:30 - 19:30 | VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY
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.
For 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.
Anecdotes 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.
This 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.
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Scott 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.
Scott 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.

Talonbooks Spring 2026 Launch
2026-05-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Martha Lou Henley Rehearsal Hall, 1955 McLean Dr, Vancouver, BC V5N 3J7, Vancouver, BC, V5N 3J7, Canada
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.
Taryn Hubbard will read from Beautiful Unknown Future
Jenn Ashton (attending digitally) will read from Growing My Way Home
George Bowering (attending digitally) will read from Pearl
Jónína Kirton will read from Save Your Prayers – Send Money
Elee Kraljii Gardiner will read from sometimes, forest
Nicole Raziya Fong will read from SUBTEXT and
Danielle LaFrance will read from Verbal Violence!
The launch will be hosted by the author of Future Works, Jeff Derksen!
A live stream will be available on the Talonbooks YouTube page. Light snacks and drinks will be provided. Hope to see you there!
Talonbooks Spring Launch
Martha Lou Henley Rehearsal Hall
Vancouver, BC
May 1, 2026
Doors at 7 p.m., readings begin at 7:30 p.m. PDT

An Evening with Eve Joseph and Patrick Friesen
2026-05-02 19:00 - 20:30 | Upstart & Crow, 1387 Railspur Alley Vancouver, BC V6H 3R7, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3R7, Canada
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.
In 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.
​​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.
More about Upstart & Crow:
Upstart & 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.
Accessibility:
The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees.
Questions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.

Pretendianism
2026-05-05 18:00 - 20:00 | VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY
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.”
The 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?
That 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.
Rating: PG / Runtime: 44 mins
Presented in partnership with CBC Gem.
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After 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.
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Cee 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.
To find out more about Cee’s residency and keep up with his upcoming events visit: vpl.ca/storyteller

Al and Eurithe Purdy Poetry Prize: Celebrating 2026 winner Tom Wayman
2026-05-05 19:00 - 20:30 | People’s Co-op Bookstore, 1391 Commercial, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5L 3X5, Canada
Join us in celebrating Tom Wayman, the winner of the 2026 Al and Eurithe Purdy Poetry Prize, at the People’s Co-op Bookstore on Tuesday, May 5th at 7 pm. Tom will read from his award-winning poetry collection, Out of the Ordinary, and pay tribute to Al Purdy’s legacy. Free admission.

Book Signing: The Heart of Japan
2026-05-16 11:30 - 15:30
Meet New Westminster author Lesley Hebert at an author book signing for her unique travel memoir The Heart of Japan.

The Flash of Fireflies: Writing the Short Story
2026-05-19 18:30 - 20:00 | VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY
Celebrate short story month with four talented fiction writers, Alix Ohlin, Andrea Routley, Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross, and Shashi Bhat, in conversation with local author Jen Currin about the art and craft of this wily and often misunderstood genre.
Alix Ohlin’s most recent book, the story collection We Want What We Want, won a Lambda Literary Award. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Best American Short Stories, and many other places. She teaches creative writing at UBC.
Andrea Routley is the author of the short-fiction collections This Unlikely Soil and Jane and the Whales, and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Debut Fiction and the Malahat Review Novella Prize. She has taught creative writing in both institutional, community, and one-on-one settings, with a focus on writing as an orientation to the world, one that cultivates curiosity and compassion. She is the editor of Walk Myself Home: An Anthology to End Violence Against Women, and was the founding editor of Plenitude, Canada’s queer literary magazine.
Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross is a writer and editor based in Vancouver, the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph, and her fiction, poetry, essays, and art criticism have appeared in BOMB, C Mag, The Ex-Puritan, Fence, Mousse, and elsewhere. The Longest Way to Eat a Melon, her debut collection of short fictions, was published by Sarabande Books in 2025.
Shashi Bhat is the author of the story collection Death by a Thousand Cuts (McClelland & Stewart), and the novels The Most Precious Substance on Earth (M&S, Grand Central), and The Family Took Shape (Cormorant). Her fiction received the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, the Writers’ Trust/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize and a silver National Magazine Award. She has been a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for fiction, the Danuta Gleed Award, the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award, and other prizes, and was longlisted for the Giller Prize. Shashi’s work has appeared in publications across North America, including Hazlitt, The Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, Best Canadian Stories, and The Journey Prize Stories. She is the editor-in-chief of EVENT and teaches creative writing at Douglas College.
Jen Currin has published two collections of stories, Hider/Seeker (Anvil, 2018) and Disembark (House of Anansi, 2024), and five collections of poetry, most recently Trinity Street (Houseof Anansi, 2023). Currin lives on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Halkomelem-speaking peoples, including the Qayqayt, Musqueam, Kwikwetlem, and Kwantlen Nations, in New Westminster, BC. They teach creative writing and English upgrading at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Book Signing with Dora Dueck
2026-05-24 13:00 - 15:00 | Black Bond Books – Ladner, 5251 Ladner Trunk Road, Ladner, BC, V4K 1W4, Canada
Meet-and-greet with award-winning writer Dora Dueck, signing her 6th book, Like a River Divides the Earth

Cee Peal: Indigenous Storyteller in Residence Finale
2026-05-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch, 350 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6B 6B1, Canada
Join us for an evening of discussion about theatre and idea generation in celebration of Cee Peal and his thought-provoking time as the 2026 Indigenous Storyteller in Residence.
Cee 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.

Book launch: The Art of Looking Back by Theresa Kishkan
2026-05-29 13:00 - 15:00 | Sechelt Public Library, 5797 Cowrie St, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0, Canada
Join Theresa Kishkan for the release of her memoir, The Art of Looking Back: A Painter, an Obsession, and Reclaiming the Gaze.
Theresa 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.

Book Signing: The Heart of Japan
2026-05-31 12:00 - 16:00 | Indigo Robson, 1033 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 1A9, Canada
Meet Lower Mainland author Lesley Hebert, who will be signing copies of her unique travel memoir The Heart of Japan

Spaal' : Library Book Launch with Patrick Aleck Jr.
2026-05-31 13:30 - 15:00 | Vancouver Island Regional Library, Nanaimo Harbourfront Branch, 90 Commercial Street, Nanaimo, BC, V9R 5G4, Canada
Join Patrick Aleck Jr. for the launch of his debut children’s book, Spaal’: A Raven with Different Wings. This event will feature drumming and a reading of Spaal’ by Patrick, followed by a Q&A.
About Spaal’: Being born with different wings makes flying very challenging for Spaal’. What’s worse, the other ravens laugh at him which makes him feel sad. But with help from two kind teachers, and the support of the Elder Ravens, Spaal learns that his difference is a gift, and how he can use that gift to help others. Spaal’: A Raven with Different Wings is based on a true story about determination, kindness, and strength.
About Patrick: Patrick embodies a spirit of resilience. Living with cerebral palsy, Patrick learned how to walk when he was around eight years old and since 2011, he has been on an ongoing intergenerational healing journey. In 2012, Patrick reconnected with his culture, and he regularly drums, publicly speaks about his story, and began composing music in 2015. Patrick is a Raven with different wings and his unique experiences continue to carry him forward in important and meaningful ways.
Now a published author, Patrick is a recording artist and Stz’uminus and Penelakut Knowledge Keeper.

NVDPL Illustrator Visit: Vivian Truong
2026-06-03 09:15 - 10:15 | Online
Join us in virtually-welcoming our special illustrator guest, Vivian Truong!
Vivian Truong is a British-born Chinese comic artist. Her works include the bestselling middle grade series: City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm; a manga-inspired teen series Cooking with Monsters; Beano: The Day the Teachers Disappeared; and her latest cookbook graphic novel, Buddha Jump Over the Wall, which recently received Google Play’s best of 2025 award. She is currently working on the fourth instalment of City of Dragons.
Best for school-age kids. Registration required.
Link to join will be emailed to all registrants before the start of the event.

The Heart of Japan: Author reading
2026-06-03 18:00 - 20:00 | New Westminster Public Library, 716 6th Avenue, New Westminster, BC, V3M 2B3, Canada
Meet New Westminster Lesley Hebert, who will be reading from her unique travel memoir The Heart of Japan

Armchair Detectives Special Event with Author Amber Cowie
2026-06-03 18:00 - 20:00 | North Vancouver Public Library – Capilano branch, 3045 Highland Blvd., North Vancouver, BC, V7R 2X4, Canada
Join crime and mystery author Amber Cowie (“The Off Season” and “Last One Alive”) for a special edition of Armchair Detectives.
Discuss the author’s work with the author herself.
All books are available through NVDPL.

Author Reading with Theresa Kishkan and Keiko Honda
2026-06-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Munro’s Books, 1108 Government Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1Y2, Canada
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.

Spirit of the Great Bear Exhibition & Book Signing with Photographer Jack Plant
2026-06-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Brackendale Art Gallery, 41950 Government Road, Squamish, BC, Canada
Experience the Great Bear Rainforest – a gallery exhibition and book launch celebrating one of Earth’s last true wildernesses.
Celebrate the launch of Spirit of the Great Bear, a powerful new book exploring one of the world’s last intact coastal rainforests. Featuring a foreword by Paul Nicklen, this special evening invites you to connect with the landscapes, wildlife, and stories that define the Great Bear Rainforest.
Join us at the Brackendale Art Gallery for an inspiring night of storytelling, learning, and visual immersion. Discover the rare spirit bear, gain insight into this unique ecosystem, and experience a curated exhibition of photographs from the book.
Books will be available for purchase, and guests will have the opportunity to meet Jack Plant, get their copy signed, and enjoy the exhibition. (No purchase necessary)

First Annual BC Author Market
2026-06-06 10:00 - 18:00 | Chilliwack Heritage Park, 44140 Luckakuck Way, Chilliwack, British Columbia, V2R 4A7, Canada
A gathering of BC local authors, for mingling, connecting, and selling their books to the public. This event is intended to build the local author community and to encourage BC residents to support local authors.

Author reading: Theresa Kishkan in celebration of The Art of Looking Back
2026-06-12 18:30 | Upstart & Crow, 1387 Railspur Alley Vancouver, BC V6H 3R7, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3R7, Canada
Join Theresa Kishkan for a reading from her new memoir, The Art of Looking Back.
At 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.
But 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.
Decades 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.

Debunking the World We Live In: Unpacking the Matrix and System: Book Signing
2026-06-13 12:00 - 15:00 | Indigo Grandview Corners, #10 - 2453 161a Street, Surrey, BC, V3S 0M6, Canada
Meet Raminder Hayre for a book signing of Debunking the World We Live In: Unpacking the Matrix and System.
This book explores the idea of adjusting your expectations of the 3D world, offering insight into how energy works and influences our everyday lives. It examines the systems that surround us and questions why we are conditioned to become codependent on the people, places, and things in our lives.
Through this perspective, readers are invited to reflect on the changes they can make to better understand the human condition and move toward a more fulfilling life.

LiterASIAN 2026: Re-Generation
2026-06-27 13:00 - 2026-06-28 20:00 | Chinese Cultural Centre Museum, 555 Columbia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6A 3X3, Canada
The LiterASIAN Festival returns for its 14th annual edition with “Re-Generation,” a timely exploration of how Asian Canadian writers are reshaping literary culture today.
Running from June 27-28 across Vancouver, the festival brings together leading and emerging voices for a national celebration of storytelling, community, and creative exchange.
Widely recognized as Canada’s premier festival dedicated to Asian Canadian literature, LiterASIAN 2026 spotlights a new generation of writers who are reimagining inherited narratives and pushing the boundaries of form, voice, and identity.
This year’s lineup features Jinwoo Park (Oxford Soju Club), Evelyn Lau (Parade of Storms), Yasuko Thanh (To the Bridge), Larry Grant and Scott Steedman (Reconciling), Kagan Goh (Surviving Samsara), Steffi Tad-y (Notes from the Ward), Wiley Wei-Chiun Ho (Astronaut Children of Dunbar Street), and Keiko Honda (Hidden Flowers).
Additional speakers include Jessica Gin-Jade Chan (former Ricepaper Editor-in-Chief), Bonnie Quan Symons (poet and chapbook author), and Taslim Jaffer (editor, writer, and professor at the University of King’s College MFA program).
Festival programming includes feature readings, panel discussions, and workshops. Events will take place at leading cultural and literary venues across Vancouver, including the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum, and Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art.
“Fifty years after Inalienable Rice, the first anthology of Asian Canadian writing, we are witnessing a renewal,” said Festival Director Allan Cho. “LiterASIAN 2026 brings together writers who are not only reflecting on cultural inheritance, but actively transforming it.”
Highlights include:
● Literary Walking Tour — A guided exploration of Vancouver’s Chinatown through history and literature with filmmaker and photographer Larry Chin
● Emerging Writers Showcase — Featuring new voices from the Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers’ Award
● Writing Workshop — Exploring expressive writing as a practice for reflection and healing
● Chapbook-Making Class — A hands-on introduction to editing, sequencing, and design for a cohesive, self-published work
● ACWW Community Builders Award — Honouring leadership in advancing racial equity in Asian Canadian communities
● Live Drafting Session — An intimate, behind-the-scenes look at writers developing new work in real time
LiterASIAN 2026: Re-Generation is presented by the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop (ACWW), with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, ACCESS Copyright Foundation, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the City of Vancouver, and community partners.
For tickets and full program details, please visit www.literasian.com.

Poetry & Art Salon
2026-06-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia St., New Westminster, British Columbia, V3M 1B6, Canada
Enjoy an afternoon of poetry readings, art “Show & Tell”, chats, and more! Come listen, share, and connect. Presented by Janet Kvammen, Poet Laureate of New Westminster. In partnership with Royal City Literary Arts Society.
Admission Fee: Free, Drop-in
Feature Poet Lozan Yamolky
Feature Artist Tristan Wright
