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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Read Local BC
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260501T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260501T203000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260502T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260502T203000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
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:20260505T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260505T200000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
CREATED:20260316T183412Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T183412Z
UID:49671-1778004000-1778011200@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Pretendianism
DESCRIPTION:Esteemed novelist Joseph Boyden\, acclaimed film director Michelle Latimer and former University of Saskatchewan professor Carrie Bourassa have all made front-page news in recent years for the same reason: each is alleged to have been a “pretendian.” \nThe term “pretendian” has come to refer to someone who claims distant Indigenous heritage that doesn’t stand up to deeper scrutiny. But why would someone fake an Indigenous identity? \nThat question is the premise of The Pretendians (2022)\, a documentary from The Passionate Eye and the latest film featuring Anishinaabe author and playwright Drew Hayden Taylor. The documentary follows his cross-Canada journey\, revealing what really lies behind this explosive issue. \nRating: PG / Runtime: 44 mins\nPresented in partnership with CBC Gem.\n— \nAfter the film\, join Cee Peal\, the 2026 VPL Storyteller in Residence for a discussion around Pretendianism and the harm and division that it creates in Indigenous communities. \n— \nCee Peal is a theatre artist from the Nisga’a First Nation of Northern B.C. now working in Vancouver on the traditional\, unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)\, səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-waututh)\, and sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) peoples. He brings to the library his experience in storytelling\, theatre\, and image making\, drawing from his experience working as an actor\, director\, writer\, dancer\, and producer on various productions. With a passion for Indigenous studies and cultural evolution\, Cee is also the Indigenous outreach coordinator at The Cultch and the artistic associate at The Carmen Arts Group. \nTo find out more about Cee’s residency and keep up with his upcoming events visit: vpl.ca/storyteller
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/pretendianism/
LOCATION:VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion,Panel
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ThePretendians.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Public Library":MAILTO:candie.tanaka@vpl.ca
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260505T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260505T203000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
CREATED:20260511T173037Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T173037Z
UID:53458-1778007600-1778013000@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Al and Eurithe Purdy Poetry Prize: Celebrating 2026 winner Tom Wayman
DESCRIPTION: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.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/al-and-eurithe-purdy-poetry-prize-celebrating-2026-winner-tom-wayman/
LOCATION:People’s Co-op Bookstore\, 1391 Commercial\, Vancouver\, British Columbia\, V5L 3X5\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Award,Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JOIN-US-IN-CELEBRATING2.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Al Purdy A-frame Association":MAILTO:prizecoordinator@shaw.ca
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260516T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260516T153000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
CREATED:20260325T202129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260325T202129Z
UID:50647-1778931000-1778945400@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Book Signing: The Heart of Japan
DESCRIPTION:Meet New Westminster author Lesley Hebert at an author book signing for her unique travel memoir The Heart of Japan.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/book-signing-the-heart-of-japan-2/
LOCATION:BC
CATEGORIES:Book Signing
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260519T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260519T200000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
CREATED:20260316T180601Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T180601Z
UID:50131-1779215400-1779220800@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:The Flash of Fireflies: Writing the Short Story
DESCRIPTION: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. \nAlix 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. \nAndrea 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. \nJacquelyn 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. \nShashi 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. \nJen 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.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/the-flash-of-fireflies-writing-the-short-story/
LOCATION:VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY – CENTRAL LIBRARY
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Meet & Greet,Panel
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/shortstory.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Public Library":MAILTO:candie.tanaka@vpl.ca
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260524T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260524T150000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
CREATED:20260504T192208Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260504T192208Z
UID:53420-1779627600-1779634800@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Book Signing with Dora Dueck
DESCRIPTION:Meet-and-greet with award-winning writer Dora Dueck\, signing her 6th book\, Like a River Divides the Earth
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/book-signing-with-dora-dueck/
LOCATION:Black Bond Books – Ladner\, 5251 Ladner Trunk Road\, Ladner\, BC\, V4K 1W4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_6299-1.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Black Bond Books Ladner Village":MAILTO:ladnerblackbondbooks@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260526T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260526T200000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
CREATED:20260519T175105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T175105Z
UID:54025-1779818400-1779825600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Cee Peal: Indigenous Storyteller in Residence Finale
DESCRIPTION: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. \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.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/cee-peal-indigenous-storyteller-in-residence-finale/
LOCATION:Vancouver Public Library\, Central Branch\, 350 West Georgia St.\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6B 6B1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Meet & Greet
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ISiR_CeePeal_2026_Biblioevents_760x380px_Alt2.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Public Library":MAILTO:candie.tanaka@vpl.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260529T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260529T150000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
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:20260531T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260531T160000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
CREATED:20260325T201910Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260325T201910Z
UID:50654-1780228800-1780243200@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Book Signing: The Heart of Japan
DESCRIPTION:Meet Lower Mainland author Lesley Hebert\, who will be signing copies of her unique travel memoir The Heart of Japan
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/book-signing-the-heart-of-japan/
LOCATION:Indigo Robson\, 1033 Robson Street\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6E 1A9\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FrontCover.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Indigo Robson":MAILTO:st0975s@indigo.ca
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260531T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260531T150000
DTSTAMP:20260614T043114
CREATED:20260525T220901Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260525T220901Z
UID:54521-1780234200-1780239600@www.readlocalbc.ca
SUMMARY:Spaal' : Library Book Launch with Patrick Aleck Jr.
DESCRIPTION: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. \nAbout 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. \nAbout 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. \nNow a published author\, Patrick is a recording artist and Stz’uminus and Penelakut Knowledge Keeper.
URL:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/event/spaal-library-book-launch-with-patrick-aleck-jr/
LOCATION:Vancouver Island Regional Library\, Nanaimo Harbourfront Branch\, 90 Commercial Street\, Nanaimo\, BC\, V9R 5G4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Author Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.readlocalbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Patrick-Aleck-Author-Event-Poster-1536x591-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Vancouver Island Regional Library":MAILTO:info@virl.bc.ca
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