The spring Grimsby Author Series started with a bang…and a whole pile of snow. The audience was not lacking as guests travelled from as far as Brampton to join the first event of 2024. The evening immersed the audience in the voices of Anuja Varghese and Nita Prose, authors who illuminate and distill voices that are worthy of consideration. In her debut book of short stories, Chrysalis, Anuja Varghese captures the intimate details of personal discovery. Nita Prose, returning with her beloved protagonist Molly, brings the reader into a new tumultuous mystery at the Regency Grand Hotel in her novel, The Mystery Guest.
Anuja Varghese
In 2019 after being let go from a management position she thought would be her “forever job,” Anuja Varghese had a good cry in the car and then asked herself the question, “What is next? What can I do that nobody can take away?” Varghese, author of Chrysalis, decided to write. When Varghese speaks about her collection of short stories, it is with tenderness and familiarity; she writes as though she grew up with the characters in her stories, understanding their deepest desires and beautifully articulates their moments of transformation.
“What is next? What can I do that nobody can take away?”
Anuja Varghese’s stories are haunting, immersive and pensive; Chrysalis highlights family issues, community, sexuality and cultural expectations. It showcases the threatening cost of taking back power for racialized women and also offers reflection upon basking in the voyage of discovering who you are. As a regular along the backroads between Hamilton and Port Colborne, Varghese shares her inspirational observations of dilapidated farmhouses, noting the Niagara region for her gothic pastoral story, In the Bone Fields. From a reading of Midnight at the Oasis, Varghese reminds us that though it has many forms, “this too is love.” From mall food courts, forests, subdivisions, charnel grounds and commuter trains, Anuja Varghese “made the choice to write the truest most fun stories that [she] could.” It is through these original, heartfelt and monstrous stories that the voices of her characters grasp the readers at their core. In 2023 Chrysalis won the Writer’s Trust of Canada Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction. Chrysalis is full of fairytale and horror as a speculative fiction; At its heart it is a reflection of identity and showcasing those who are not seen.
Nita Prose
Nita Prose is the author of bestselling novel, The Maid. In 2022, Prose joined the Grimsby Author Series virtually with her debut novel and we are thrilled to welcome her back for her second book, The Mystery Guest. While on a book tour in London and fielding calls from her publisher, inspiration hit Prose while at a historic castle museum in Brighton. Now, Molly Gray is back as the Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and has become enveloped within the chaos of yet another mystery.
“I believe we have the power to distill people and bring them back in creative ways.”
In The Mystery Guest, Prose weaves together the past in order to reflect on the future, “I believe we have the power to distill people and bring them back in creative ways,” Prose offers when asked about Gran, Molly’s dear and deceased grandmother. With Gran as her compass and their memories to guide her, Molly must solve the murder of world-renowned mystery author, J.D. Grimthorpe. If Molly’s orderly life was upended in The Maid then she is thrown head over heels in The Mystery Guest. Nita Prose has intentionally let readers identify with Molly’s view of the world – she is the engine that drives the story forward. For Prose, a fascination of Molly “is the invisibility of the job. It is easy to dismiss people and think they are their jobs.” It is through this invisibility that Molly’s perplexing, endearing and relatable character must dive in to preserve the name of her beloved hotel.
When visiting the Author Series in 2022, Prose related the moment the idea for The Maid came to her; while at the London Book Fair. London, thank you for igniting the creativity in Nita Prose, without which we would not have the pleasure of her authorship.
Thank You
Thank you to Anuja Varghese and Nita Prose for writing about the power of identity and reminding us that, “people are never just one thing.” We are proud to include creative writers that offer voices to others. To our sponsors, thank you for your support: The Peanut Mill Natural Food Market in St. Catharines, Sue and Norm McCarthy and Joanne Gaulton. Our wonderful wine sponsor this evening is a Grimsby local, Commisso Estate Winery. As always, we are grateful for our book sponsor, Epic Books. Thank you!
This blog post was written by our wonderful guest blogger Teanne Teeft, thanks Teanne!
The last evening of the fall author series is always bittersweet. Goodbye to our authors, guests and afterhours library access. Hello to cozy nights and reading inside while the wind and snow howl outside. Another season passing by means the next one is on the horizon; March cannot come quick enough! New to the series, author Craig Shreve had guests pouring over his attention to detail and life of adventure. Terry Fallis, dedicated, loyal and full of humour, he took to the Grimsby Author Series stage for the seventh time. Under the glowing lights of the library, the authors guide the audience through their process and passions.
Craig Shreve
Welcome to Craig Shreve! The Grimsby Author Series was his final stop of the year after a whirlwind season of touring and promoting his new novel, The African Samurai. Shreve is focused, detail oriented, and genuine as he shares the experience of writing his new novel. Craig Shreve understood that to be a writer, he had to seek exposure to what the world could offer. Through his time adventuring, building houses, and trying every extreme sport around the world he met people whose own experiences reignited his passion for writing; Shreve refers to these as his “secondary experiences.” Shreve admits that he spent more time researching than writing The African Samurai. The novel is based on a real historical figure, “I first learned about him in a brief YouTube video as an East African slave who was the first foreign-born samurai. It’s an incredible story!” The novel has deep roots in history as it details African slavery, Jesuit missionaries and Japanese culture in the late 1500s. Through articles, documentaries, videos, podcasts and Facebook groups, Shreve was able to get a sense of niche events and people of the time.
“What is the adjustment like when freedom is granted to you later in life?”
In the depths of COVID, unable to make the journey himself, Shreve hired an individual in Japan to provide walkthrough footage to give him a sense of setting and ambience. Shreve depicts the dramatic intensity and controversial landscape in which the main character, Yasuke, must live. Before being given his new name of Yasuke, this young and experienced fighter was traded from an Italian priest to a powerful Japanese warlord, Nobunaga. The East African soldier must learn to cope with the memories of his past, from being taken from his village as a young boy to being sold as a slave. It is only at the side of Nobunaga that Yasuke can understand what freedom is. Shreve asks readers to think, “What is the adjustment like when freedom is granted to you later in life?” It is through the pages embedded with deep contemplation and the fight for survival that Shreve introduces a long lost historical figure, The African Samurai. This book is full of history yet it reminds readers of the elations and sorrows of being human through the eyes of Yasuke.
Terry Fallis
Before the guests are fully seated in the library and beer is still being passed, author Terry Fallis and host Ken Boichuk basked in another evening of discussing books once more. There is an air of deep respect between Fallis and Biochuk as they talked, laughing about former visits, letting the audience soak in the light comedic banter they share. The evening marks Fallis’s seventh visit to the author series where tonight his ninth bestselling novel, A New Season, is shared. His new novel is a departure from his usual style. Fallis shares, “In my earlier novels I remember being more focused on making the story funny, this time around I’ve let the story govern the writing.” The story is about a 62-year-old man reminiscing on his great love and wife, Annie, who passed away at the height of the pandemic. Themes of love, friendship, deep comradery, and hope propel the story forward to prove that having the courage to make changes can save your life. Written with heart and ingenuity, Fallis takes the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions, and in the end, always producing a laugh to remind us of his brilliance.
“In my earlier novels I remember being more focused on making the story funny, this time around I’ve let the story govern the writing.”
A New Season grew out of the depths of the pandemic. Fallis contemplated the question, “Where is my life of the last three years?” The answer grew as a tribute to those who suffered greatly during the pandemic and lost loved ones. Fallis admits he ruminated on a quote by John Irving, paraphrased as, “I write about what I fear the most,” and the presence of that fear can be felt on the pages of A New Season in the loss and grief of saying goodbye. This novel debuts as the first work by Fallis in which he writes about a narrator close to his own age. Although the main character, Jack McMaster, shares traits with Terry Fallis such as enjoying ball hockey and finding friendship in his teammates, Fallis admits that, “it is easier to write with conviction and authenticity,” and parts of himself make its way into his writing. As Ken and Fallis dissect the importance of having passions, the audience nod along and smile in agreement. Terry Fallis, as fluent with his words in person as they are on paper, hits the nail on the head, “Our life is governed by routine. If you don’t have an interest that satisfies your curiosity or a departure from what you do every day, the years just slip by.” We look forward to reading more from Fallis as his passion for writing infuses joy into the day a reader opens his novels.
Thank You
Thank you to Craig Shreve and Terry Fallis, it was a pleasure to end the series with books that appear so different and yet remind us of how connected we are to people and the past. The African Samurai by Craig Shreve and A New Season by Terry Fallis are wonderful gifts for holiday and winter reading days. Find copies through our wonderful sponsor and event book seller, Epic Books in Hamilton. Roland and Russell provided a change in beverage for the event with craft beers, thank you for showcasing your creations at the final event of the series. As always, our sponsors allow the Grimsby Author Series to continually welcome exceptional writers and creators to the stage, thank you to The Peanut Mill Natural Foods Market in St. Catharines, Norm and Sue McCarthy and Joanne Gaulton! Have a safe and happy holidays, we look forward to welcoming you back in the new year!
This blog post was written by our wonderful guest blogger Teanne Teeft, thanks Teanne!
For twenty-three years, the Grimsby Author Series has welcomed authors; some are debut writers, many are established, most are bestsellers and even more return to tell us what’s next. The fall season is upon us as the second evening welcomes Harriet Alida Lye and Hannah Mary McKinnon. Epic Books sits at a table at the back of the library, books packed to the edges. Along with some backlist titles, the authors newest novels are waiting to go home with audience members hoping to grow their own libraries. Let It Destroy You and The Revenge List are two novels that will have you waiting for future publications from both Lye and McKinnon from the moment you crack the spine.
Harriet Alida Lye
Harriet Alida Lye is a Toronto-based writer. Lye has written fiction, a memoir and a children’s book. It is fair to say her talents are varied and abundant. Lye’s interest in physicist and inventor Leo Szilard is the basis for her research that eventually created Let It Destroy You. Lye beautifully fictionalizes a life that could have been from the simple facts of Szilard’s life, she then illustrates the story of August Snow and his former wife June. The narrative centers around August, a physicist who has created technology that could save his daughters life but also send the world into chaos. Through scientific discovery, August makes it possible for the world to end with the invention of “a more lethal variation of the atomic bomb.” Lye admits she had to remove a lot of the true facts, “When creating a whole world, the facts are interesting but they might not serve the story.” Lye’s imagination and consuming prose allowed Let It Destroy You to deliver so much more than a good story.
“When creating a whole world, the facts are interesting but they might not serve the story.”
Many moral debates are presented in Let It Destroy You. When faced with so much power, it is no longer a question of how far can you go, but how far should you go? How far are people willing to go for love? Let it Destroy You is not only about cure and catastrophe, it is about love, marriage and parenthood. The story is written from the perspective of two narratives, August and June. Multiple points of view allow different feelings to arise; it can create tension or let readers understand communication breakdowns. “It’s a web of voices, I love being a writer and feeling the power there. But I don’t believe in one authority,” Lye says. As we end, Harriet Alida Lye slyly turns a question on Ken, one of the visionaries of the Author Series, and without pause Ken speaks effortlessly from his deep understanding of Let It Destroy You and all that it encompasses.
Hannah Mary McKinnon
In 2010 after moving to Oakville, Ontario, Hannah Mary McKinnon began her writing career. Growing up in Switzerland, McKinnon lived a whole other life before settling down in Canada in the early 2000s. Today she is an anticipated and prolific writer operating as herself and rom-com extraordinaire Holly Cassidy. As McKinnon takes the stage, the room is abuzz, most are familiar with her thriller novels. Reviews come from other heavy hitters like Shari Lapena and Riley Sager. Chief Librarian Kathryn Drury refers to McKinnon’s new novel, The Revenge List, as a page turner, “You won’t get much sleep and you’ll want to get it done in one go,” she says. Much like Joan Thomas, a previous evening’s author, McKinnon dreads the first draft. In fact, she refers to it as the Puke Draft. In an incredibly relatable move McKinnon admits, “I procrastinate as much as I can and there are still 300 blank pages. I have to get the puke draft out of the way as fast as possible to make room…that draft is just for you.” We’re enthralled with Hannah Mary McKinnon and any pseudonym she has, puke drafts and all.
“I procrastinate as much as I can and there are still 300 blank pages.”
The Revenge List is a menacing thriller that follows Frankie, a combative woman in an anger-management group session whose Forgiveness List has gone missing. Eventually, the people on the list start getting horribly injured and Frankie can’t help but think of her own fate as her name is on the list as well. We look forward to more original twists and turns from McKinnon. Between questions from Drury and the audience, McKinnon reads the first chapter of The Revenge List; a mere two pages. Yet the library does not stir, all ears are tuned in. We hope that McKinnon’s own voice graces future audiobooks as the cadence and familiarity makes the story sound like an enthralling conversation with a friend.
Thank You
Thank you to Harriet Alida Lye and Hannah Mary McKinnon for sharing your novels that are so emotionally steeped in the intricacies of human nature. We look forward to more from these powerful writers. Thank you to The Peanut Mill Natural Foods Market in St. Catharines, Norm and Sue McCarthy and Joanne Gaulton. Calamus Estate Winery provided the most delicious wines for the event, Balls Falls White and Cabernet Shiraz. For more from our authors, including their new releases Let It Destroy You by Harriet Alida Lye and The Revenge List by Hannah Mary McKinnon, visit our friendly Epic Books of Hamilton.
This blog post was written by our wonderful guest blogger Teanne Teeft, thanks Teanne!
The last time the Grimsby author series took place the warm evenings were just settling in and gardens were being tended to grow. Now, the lights above the stage shine brighter than ever as darkness drapes around the library and cooler nights take hold. The Grimsby community is abuzz as the authors are introduced; tonight we welcome Joan Thomas and Ashley Audrain.
Joan Thomas
With accolades including the Governor General’s Award for Fiction, the Amazon Prize, and a nomination for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, Joan Thomas is a force. She is humble and entirely relatable as she jokes about thinking should would have to crawl onto the stage until being directed to the side with stairs. Thomas joins the Author Series for the first time as she embarks on her book tour for Wild Hope, which came out on September 19th. Known for her in-depth research, Joan steps out of her comfort zone for her new novel. In doing so she created Wild Hope, a contemporary fiction that stems from navigating the current geo-political landscapes as a thirty-something. Thomas scrutinizes how we live as a society through the lenses of her characters Isla and Jake. Isla, an organic farm-dwelling chef who seeks out all the good and natural in the world and Jake, an artist drawn to Isla but unable to separate himself from the magnetism of modern capitalism. The reader is expertly challenged to question their own principles while viewing the world through the eyes of Isla and Jake.
She “never shows [her] first draft to anyone.”
Joan Thomas is simply a joy to listen to. She is forthcoming and honest when discussing the writing process and her journey to her current legacy. Thomas recalls seeing a first draft by the major Canadian novelist, Margaret Laurence, saying, “It was really bad.” Thomas was encouraged by the event stating that she “never shows [her] first draft to anyone.” As a writer, Thomas has honed her writing ritual by printing a hardcopy of her pages at the end of the day and editing it before starting the next day. Every ear in the house was acutely tuned in to each word, trying to soak up her writing process (and talent) through osmosis. With each new release, Joan Thomas continues to surprise us with her ingenuity and commentary; we look forward to whatever comes next!
Ashley Audrain
In June 2021, Ashley Audrain virtually joined the Grimsby Author Series for her debut novel The Push which showcased her curiosity and ability to translate the common perception of motherhood into a dark, twisted thriller of vulnerability and intelligence. It is no shock that Audrain’s The Whispers, became an instant bestseller. It has reflections of her former themes while weaving in women’s friendships, desires, and what she calls, “The cousin of intuition…the whispers.” The landscape of one’s own life can spark a pause when faced with the reality of it. Who am I? In The Whispers, Audrain follows four families and the female friendships within them. Through a late summer barbeque, the coma of a young boy and the secrets of a neighbourhood, Audrain once again vividly challenges the myths of motherhood.
“It is expected of you to do more. Do it all.”
Ashley Audrain imparts the value of women’s needs through her inner voice and that of her characters. There are more conversations and visibility in the media about motherhood through writing and screens but not enough. Audrain remains true to her novels saying that, “It is expected of you to do more. Do it all.” She is insightful and intelligent when articulating her thoughts on the narrative of motherhood that currently exists and that it does not address how you change as a person. The Whispers is classified as fiction, yet so much rings true.
Thank You
As the fall season gears up, a big thank you is extended to the sponsors of the Grimsby Author Series who continue to show support for our main fundraising event each year. Thank you to The Peanut Mill Natural Foods Market in St. Catharines, Norm and Sue McCarthy and Joanne Gaulton. Our wine sponsor, Malivoire Wine Company Limited, offered a wonderful selection including Ladybug Rosé, Estate Grown Chardonnay and Farmstead Gamay. A dear thank you to Epic Books of Hamilton for selling copies of Wild Hope by Joan Thomas and The Whispers by Ashley Audrain along with their other bestselling novels. What a way to begin our fall series! Thanks to our audience for the continued support. Finally, thank you to Joan Thomas and Ashley Audrain for sharing a small piece of your creative minds with the Grimsby Author Series.
This blog post was written by our wonderful guest blogger Teanne Teeft, thanks Teanne!
The final night of the spring series takes place under cascading lights above the audience at the Grimsby Public Library. It’s the first warm evening of the year and everyone is dressed for the weather after a day in the garden or enjoying the walk to the library. This season ends with a bang as two praised authors, Sheila Murray and Jeannette Walls share their evening with us.
Sheila Murray
Sheila Murray’s debut novelFinding Edward was a finalist for the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award. The list of accolades is long and inspiring; it is safe to say that Finding Edward will thrive in Canadian Literature as a touchstone. In 2012, Murray began writing Finding Edward. She shares, “I’m grateful for the outcome in timing…there is significance that it needed by staying in that year” when asked about basing the novel in the year of its beginning. The book is contemporary as Murray highlights the curiosity of a black man who feels out of place in a new country. Without the weight of Black Lives Matter and the demand for change, the main character Cyril is awash in an ocean of ambiguity in 2012 politics, prejudice and racism. Murray shares that a big question she asked herself while writing, and still to this day is, “how does that make me Black?”
“I’m grateful for the outcome in timing…there is significance that it needed by staying in that year.”
As Cyril attempts to understand who he is, the city magnifies his differences. It is not until he encounters someone on the streets of Toronto where details of another man’s life begin to shed some light on his own. It is this chance event which leads him to Edward, a man born of similar circumstances in the 1920s. Immediately Cyril feels a kinship with Edward and begins to search for pieces of his life; this hunt leads Cyril to better understand hidden fragments of Canada’s Black history. Through fiction and found facts, Murray intertwines the story of Cyril, Edward and the innate confidence that develops as their histories prepare them for the new world.
Jeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls is an author and journalist, her book The Glass Castle spent seven years on the New York Times bestseller’s list. Her new novel, Hang the Moon is an instant hit and will be developed into a television series. With more Walls content on the horizon, the crowd is elated. Walls speaks openly about her checkered past and her parents lives. She ruminates on the days when she would change the subject when talking with her friend, now husband, and the topic of her parents would come up. As he suggested even then, the contents of her life would make a great book. When Walls shifted from a colourful life in journalism to her first memoir in 2005, her career reached new heights. Even now, it is evident that her mind works at a speed faster than her words can extract themselves, her exuberance emanates from the stage as the audience keeps pace to soak in all that they can.
“Women are fighting for their own place in a male dominated society.”
Hang the Moon is a powerful story that follows many threads. It dives into bitter family conflicts, facing the truth one creates, navigating town divides and finally, a woman claiming her place. Set in the 1920s, it is a postwar era where women are being ridiculed for wanting to work, or where many had no rights in their communities. Host Ken Boichuk observes that, “[the women] seem to have a dignity or character about them.” Walls responds that it was the arrangement, she wanted all of the women to have a way out and tried to break the cycle of their lives. Even in the way she wrote each character was thoroughly calculated with eight years and seventeen drafts put into Hang the Moon. Sallie Kincaid is the heroine of Walls’ latest fiction. Sallie is a daring bootlegger during the Prohibition, coming into her own. After being exiled from her town following an accident involving her half-brother, the story follows Sallie’s return nine years later. Through tenacity, Sallie is set on reclaiming her place in the family. Boichuk said it best in his introduction of the novel, “women are fighting for their own place in a male dominated society,” and that is exactly what Sallie does.
Thank You
Thank you so much to the sponsors and benefactors of the Grimsby Author Series, the support for the series allows us to bring together this community and inspiring authors like Sheila Murray and Jeannette Walls. We are grateful for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Objects to Desire, Joanne Gaulton Royal LePage, Grimsby NewsStand and The Peanut Mill. Our lovely wine sponsor this evening is Malivoire Wine Company Limited, we appreciate the ongoing support. As always thank you to our wonderful book sponsor Epic Books for selling copies to the audience before and after the event, it is a pleasure to see them move into the hands of the authors to be signed. Finding Edward by Sheila Murray and Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls tied up the last event of our Spring 2023 series beautifully, thank you.
This blog post was written by our wonderful guest blogger Teanne Teeft, thanks Teanne!
The second evening of the spring 2023 Grimsby Author Series marks a very exciting occasion: we are all back together again. Moving forward, the series will take place at the Grimsby Public Library where authors and guests can share in the unbeatable elation of in-person events. Series host, Ken Boichuk says, “I knew you were all out there. I couldn’t see you but I did miss you.” This sentiment is all the more special as the evenings guests are two familiar faces, Amy Stuart and Anna Olson.
Amy Stuart
In 2020 Amy Stuart joined the Author Series virtually and we saw a glimpse of her writing process as pink sticky notes filled the frame behind her. Three years later, Stuart shares that her sticky notes mean she is adrift at sea and trying to piece it all together. Grateful that she did, we now have A Death at the Party, her first stand-alone novel. Chief Librarian Kathryn Drury made easy conversation with Stuart as they discussed the inspiration for her new novel. “Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf really set up the concept for this one…the entire book takes place over one day during a party and its preparations,” Stuart acknowledges. After her former Still series came to an end, Stuart admits she leaned into the challenge of confinement, not just to tell a story in one book, but in one day and in one place with one narrator.
“I feel bad…that they got no sleep [finishing the book] but that means it worked.”
The audience listened attentively as Drury inquired about future books, especially after A Death at the Party was devoured by many over hours, not days. “I feel bad…that they got no sleep [finishing the book] but that means it worked,” says Stuart, reflecting on her readers and their rapid journey through her words. Stuart is forthcoming and open about her writing and how her ideas are formed. She shares meaningful advice that “[the] process is built on periods of daydreaming and thinking,” igniting inspiration in those hoping for it. It is a part that cannot be skipped or cheated as a book requires a deep well of imagination and thought. We will eagerly await the next work by Stuart as she continues to dream up more thrilling stories to share.
Anna Olson
Anna Olson’s most recent cookbook is a culmination of the knowledge she has acquired over many years and translating that to wisdom in its simplest form. Although we cannot put a worth on all that Olson has taught, we can surely put a weight to it. It is five pounds; her new book Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom can be used to do squats or strengthen wrists in between practicing her many techniques and recipes. As a pastry chef, writer, creator, television host and more Anna Olson continues to lead the way as Canada’s baking sweetheart.
Gordana Mosher connected with the audience as she shared her lemon curd faux pas with Olson who made all the bakers feel seen and heard as she shared that most mistakes can often be rectified with a tub of vanilla ice cream. A baker for the people if there ever was one! After a solid three-minute discussion on butter it became clear Olson values the ingredients as if she were a chemistry teacher finding the perfect blend to stabilize her experiment. The book contains croissant equations, essays and “how to” sections on various elements. If it weren’t for the beautiful outcomes, exquisite photos and creative paths, this new baking book might just seem like a scientific textbook in the most artfully designed packaging. But it truly is, isn’t it? Olson’s exactness is what draws us to her recipes no matter the complexity.
Olson is a pillar of her Niagara community, visiting the farmer’s markets and using local ingredients as the seasonal shifts occur in our bountiful fruit-focused region. With field rhubarb coming into its prime and a full menu cookbook in the works for Olson it is looking like an abundant summer ahead with so much to look forward to.
Thank You
Thank you infinitely to our authors Amy Stuart and Anna Olson for filling the evening with Cakes and Crooks, both equally intriguing and fulfilling, it doesn’t get much better! Thank you to Epic Books for setting up shop at the library so guests could purchase books to be signed by their authors. It was a pleasure to see the lines of eager readers holding their copies open and chatting excitedly to both Stuart and Olson. Thank you to our sponsors to whom we are so grateful for the support: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Objects to Desire, Joanne Gaulton Royal LePage, The Peanut Mill and The Grimsby Gateway NewsStand. Our wine sponsor this evening is The Good Earth Food and Wine Co.
This blog post was written by our wonderful guest blogger Teanne Teeft, thanks Teanne!
A One Book initiative is a community event designed to inspire conversation and create a dialogue about important topics through the shared experience of reading. This is the first region wide literacy event in Niagara. As the first guest One Book, One Niagara is elated to introduce seasoned author and spoken word performer Ivan Coyote.
Like many performers and creators, Coyote experienced the abrupt halt of outlets for crowd interaction at the onset of the pandemic. When uncertainties were the only constant, they began participating in online gigs. It was during one of these events that, out of isolation and missing the energy of performing, Coyote off-handedly said, “Write me a letter” not realizing how many would take the comment to heart.
This brings us to Brock University at the Grand Finale of the One Book, One Niagara event featuring Ivan Coyote’s most recent work, Care Of. The book is a collection of responses written by Coyote to the many letters that they received, the oldest being eleven years old. The correspondence is full of compassion, reflection, non-binary and transgender identity and the connections found in empathy. If you’re curious how Care Of came to be the first selection for this community-forward initiative, I urge you to visit your local library or independent bookstore for a copy. The only way to know is to become absorbed in the words of Coyote.
“The process of writing was a meditation,” Coyote said as they described how the book came to be. As a spoken word performer, Coyote takes the audience through each moment, as if the letter lays open on their lap and you’re reading along together. The Sean O’Sullivan Theatre at Brock University was silent, guests leaning on one another as Coyote read from Care Of. Fluidly, Coyote immersed the audience in their world; the pain, the love, the compassion and the hope, radiating from their voice. A pair of guests held hands, squeezing as Coyote read a letter in response to Victoria, an individual sharing their beautiful and at times humorous story of attending an event of Coyote’s in their first wig. Coyote writes, “I hope you are only finding love as you unwrap yourself.” The theatre remained still as words filled the space among the listeners. There was laughter and tears mixed together, hearts swelling at the tenderness and openness in the letters both to and from Coyote.
“I hope you are only finding love as you unwrap yourself.”
The evening closed with care and thoughtfulness as Coyote thanked the many libraries that have supported their work and allowed for community accessibility. The lobby of the theatre quickly overflowed into the hall as the audience lined up to share small stories with Coyote and have their books signed. Attendees came from near and far to share in the love that Coyote so generously offered. Thank you to our sponsors of the One Book, One Niagara initiative: Niagara Community Foundation, Meridian Credit Union, The Writer’s Union of Canada, Brock University, Niagara College Canada and all Niagara public libraries. Lastly and exceptionally, thank you to Ivan Coyote for being vulnerable and open in your work to allow for a truly salient discussion.
This blog post was written by our wonderful guest blogger Teanne Teeft, thanks Teanne!
The spring season opened with two esteemed and award-winning authors. The first event took place virtually and even through the screen the humble demeanors of both authors was all the more inviting as they discussed their most recent novels. Ken Boichuk, with his gift of story-telling and inquisitive mind, brought the audience along for the ride during his conversations with C.S. Richardson and Vincent Lam.
C.S. Richardson
All the Colour in the World is familiar and compelling. In telling the story of life C.S. Richardson encompasses a little bit of everything, finding a way to illustrate with his words. The genesis of the book was born from concept, character and the collaboration of fiction and nonfiction. With a Bachelor’s degree in Art History (many moons ago as he puts it), Richardson is no stranger to the main character’s fascination with art. Henry is a young Torontonian and his journey takes the audience through the trials and tribulations of life and ultimately the power of art.
Weaved throughout the pages are references to art that are both known and renown while some are more obscure and implemented by Richardson to reflect the text. Boichuk revealed that he kept his iPad close by to research the art that meant something to Henry as he moved through the book. In one instance The Veiled Virgin by Giovanni Strazza made its debut on the page while Henry was at a conference in Rome. The marble statue depicts a delicate veil over the face of Virgin Mary and gives the illusion that the fabric floats over her bust. As Boichuk put it, the image “hijacks” the reader and truly transports the mind to the overwhelming dedication and talent of the artist’s creation. Richardson mirrors this expertise in his own craft by using his distinctive, economical writing style to speak volumes and fills in the details of Henry’s entire life in this short novel.
The image “hijacks” the reader and truly transports the mind to the overwhelming dedication and talent of the artist’s creation.
Prior to writing full time, C.S. Richardson was an acclaimed book designer working on nearly two thousand books over his forty-year career. An entire page could be dedicated to the expanse of his former craft. Richardson designed the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam and tonight their creativity is presented together again in a new light at the Grimsby Author Series.
Vincent Lam
Vincent Lam is a doctor and a writer, equally present and admired in both. Reading past interviews offers a view into his thoughtful and compassionate nature as a medical doctor and as a storyteller. In his new book, On the Ravine, Lam uses a fictional narrative to deliver the human experience of addiction saying, “some truths can only be told that way.” Readers of Lam’s previous work would be thrilled to revisit the characters Chen and Fitzgerald as they devote themselves to treating those affected by opioid addiction. In both On the Ravine and during his evening at the Author Series, Lam’s candor is refreshing and delicate as he comments on the challenging social and medical obstacles in contemporary society.
“Choices are inherent of conditions.”
Claire a violinist and is consumed by the practice of her music and its cadence. At the same time, she rides the heightened connections and separations as opioids become part of her life. When the lives of Claire and Chen cross, the uncertainties and unknowns of treatment arise for them both. Lam, full of honesty and respect answers the question ‘do I have a choice how to live if I am an addict?’ The answer is not a yes or no. “Choices are inherent of conditions,” Lam reflects and that for most individuals’, substance abuse can be a choice but there is usually already a tilt in that direction. There are choices between knowns and unknowns. Vincent Lam invites the reader into the muddy awakening of the realities and complexities of addiction and the profound force of those in its wake to help.
Thank You
Thank you first and foremost to our authors CS Richardson and Vincent Lam. The nature of All the Colour in the World and On the Ravine will keep us thinking about how we view the world on and off the page. A big thank you to our sponsors Hamilton Philharmonic, Objects to Desire, Joanne Gaulton Royal LePage and Gateway News Stands. Our wine Sponsor this evening is Sue-Ann Staff Estates Winery. Copies of All the Colour in the World by CS Richardson and On the Ravine by Vincent Lam can be found at Epic Books in Hamilton! We are so grateful to the community and our sponsors for supporting the Grimsby Author Series.
This blog post was written by our wonderful guest blogger Teanne Teeft, thanks Teanne!
Our Grimsby Author Series season came to a close with a standout event held in-person at the Grimsby Public Library. The guest of this special event was none other than copious author, Linwood Barclay.
The evening opened with some technical feedback blasting from the speakers. As the volume increased Linwood Barclay mimed being blown back off the stage adding a comedic lightness to the unconventional start, setting a tone for the witty evening ahead. Barclay opted to omit a reading and began by bringing the audience into the world of his novel Look Both Ways. “Think Jurassic Park but instead of dinosaurs it’s self-driving cars,” he summed up the premise in a few short, yet dramatic, words. Barclay reflected on his friendship with Stephen King and referred to the cars in the book as being “an island of one thousand Christine’s,” a nod to King’s 1983 novel. The cars in Look Both Ways however is not a Plymouth Fury but a 1959 Cadillac. The title page is splashed with an incredibly detailed illustration of the exact car. Barclay’s father used to illustrate automobile imagery that would appear in Life magazine and more. The 1959 Cadillac drawing still hangs in the author’s office and now lives on in his novel.
“Think Jurassic Park but instead of dinosaurs, it’s self-driving cars.”
Linwood Barclay is an open book. As each audience member fired question after question he did not hold back as he discussed the ins and outs of the publishing industry, the frustrations when a novel is being optioned for other media forms and the pleasant surprise he had when France became one of his best markets. Barclay spoke with great fondness about his agent. In 2008 No Time for Goodbye was released and was the year-end bestseller on the fiction list. He remembers calling his agent to discuss the early morning idea he had about a family who disappears leaving behind a daughter—are they dead or are they alive and don’t want her? “Well what happened to the family?” his agent asked, “I have no idea,” answered Barclay. He referred to this book as the one that changed his whole life. With over twenty books under his belt, Linwood Barclay continues to produce stories that chill the audience to their core and keeps the pages turning.
“Well what happened to the family?” his agent asked, “I have no idea,” answered Barclay.
Thank you Linwood Barclay for an unforgettable event at the Grimsby Public Library. Calamus Estate Winery and Roland + Russel provided the libations for the evening, thank you! We cannot thank our sponsors enough; Hamilton Philharmonic, Objects to Desire, Joanne Gaulton Royal LePage, Gateway, Carol Mazur, Sue & Norm McCarthy, Ruth Moffat and Jim Howden. Epic Books left with glorious stacks of signed copies of Linwood Barclay’s novels, thank you for selling Look Both Ways and copies from his backlist at the event.
This blog post was written by our wonderful guest blogger Teanne Teeft, thanks Teanne!
A familiar face graced our screens for the final virtual event of the fall Grimsby Author Series season. Calling her a best-selling author doesn’t quite capture the enormity of her success and yet here Ann-Marie MacDonald is with her fourth book, Fayne.
Ann-Marie MacDonald
The night began with Ann-Marie MacDonald holding us in the world she created. It was worth the eight year wait and the most enthralling reading of the season. Voices and varied cadence by MacDonald guided the curiosity of the audience through the estate of Fayne and the moorlands in which it is set. The “stinky peat and fermenting loam,” brings the stench of the bog fumes to the reader’s nose.
The world of Fayne is shared through the young Charlotte Bell who traverses the estate that lies between England and Scotland. It is among this idyllic landscape that familial secrets emerge. Like many of her creative endeavors, MacDonald began with an image. She drew a wavy line and from her impressive mind she connected this organic movement to the north Atlantic, then moorlands and eventually Bronte country. The foreground of her drawing filled with a young person, the creation of Charlotte, and so the house and inhabitants of Fayne emerged. An homage to Bronte is paid in the name of Charlotte Bell, the English novelists pen name being Currer Bell. Ann-Marie continues the natural creation of her world in the same manner, keeping it intuitive and then allowing herself to reweave from the beginning to fill in the gaps.
“A friend is someone who would follow you into exile.”
Ken Boichuk, host of the Grimsby Author Series reads a reoccurring line from the book back to MacDonald, “A friend is someone who would follow you into exile.” With a nod of compassion, MacDonald shares her view on the most redemptive force in the book: “For all the different relationships, the one that survives and transforms is friendship.”
Thank You
Thank you endlessly to Ann-Marie MacDonald for returning once again to the Grimsby Author Series and filling our ears with her immersive readings of Fayne and sharing her passion for writing. Author Debra Thompson of The Long Road Home was regrettably ill and unable to attend the event this evening. Find both Debra Thompson and Ann-Marie MacDonald’s books at Epic Books in Hamilton.
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