Tuesday 25 October 2011

IFOA, the GGs, and IFOA Ontario


I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday, mixing with other hosts of IFOA Ontario, meeting people from the publishing industry, Canada Council for the Arts, authors, and other fans of reading.


I got my picture taken with Margaret Atwood (well, the cardboard cutout anyway ;-}).


I can't believe it is 75 years for the GG. Listening to the readings of the five finalists for English fiction made me want to curl up with a book. Even though two of the finalists couldn't be there themselves, their proxies did a wonderful job of it. And of course Shelagh Rogers was a wonderful host. She even had an embarrassing story to tell about herself and her first book interview, with Timothy Findlay. I've only managed to read one so far (The Free World) but have the others on my To Be Read list, especially after the teasers I got last night.

I'm so looking forward to IFOA Ontario coming to Barrie next Tuesday evening (November 1st). It is our chance to celebrate writers with Canadian writer Joshua Knelman, author of Hot Art, a fast-paced true-crime story about the world of international art theft; UK writer Stephen Kelman whose debut novel Pigeon English was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize; and US writier Meg Wolitzer who has a recent adult book Uncoupling inspired by Greek drama and a kid's book out The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman set at a national youth Scrabble Tournament. I'll be bringing some books to get autographed for sure.
Tickets are available at the Barrie Public Library and at Page & Turners.

2 comments:

  1. this picture made my day! FABULOUS!!

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  2. It was a fun picture, wasn't it. And I hadn't even gone in to the party and had a glass of wine yet!

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