Israeli author a ‘lousy reader,’ but a great storyteller
Written by Lynne Cohen, Jewish Tribune
OTTAWA – “I am an amazing writer,” said Israeli novelist Amir Gutfreund, before reading from his newest book during Ottawa’s recent international writers’ festival week. “But I am a lousy reader.”
He went on to prove the second part of his statement as he stumbled though 10 minutes of reading selected sections of The World a Moment Later: A Shadow History of Israel, (The Toby Press, 2008, 499 pages), his latest of four novels, and one of two that have been translated from Hebrew.
Read more: Israeli author a ‘lousy reader,’ but a great storyteller
From Canada to Tibet A clash of values amid an international confrontation
By Philip Marchand, Canwest news Service
Steven Heighton and Yann Martel will appear together Monday at 7 p.m. for a presentation titled The Writing Life, hosted by Adrian Harewood, at the Mayfair Theatre, 1074 Bank St. Tickets are $15, students and seniors $10, free to Ottawa International Writers Festival Members.
Read more: From Canada to Tibet
Communicating with Homo sapiens
Robert Sibley, The Ottawa Citizen
Kevin Van Paassen, Canwest News Service
Jane Goodall well remembers when she discovered another world. Nearly 50 years ago, she was just beginning the study of African chimpanzees that would make her famous and redefine the way we view animals.
Goodall speaks Monday in Ottawa at a sold-out pre-festival event for the Ottawa Writers Festival as part of its global perspectives series. Goodall gained world-wide fame with a 1971 book, In the Shadow of Man, that detailed her years of studying chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, and showed that chimpanzees use twigs and stones as tools, engage in rituals, and have feelings of love and grief — just like humans.
Full Article on the Ottawa Citizen website: Communicating with Homo sapiens
Free the Children’s Kielburger at Ottawa’s Writer’s Festival
Pam McLennan, Epoch Times
During the last 14 years Kielburger finished his education and founded Me to We, an enterprise that includes outreach trips and selling books and organic clothing. Fifty percent of monies raised by Me to We go to Free the Children and the other half to running the business.For his efforts Craig has received the Order of Canada, the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize), and numerous other awards from around the world including the Nelson Mandela Human Rights Award.
He is author of “Free The Children,” “Take Action!: A Guide to Active Citizenship,” “Take More Action,” and, the New York Times bestseller “Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World.”
Kielburger will be at the Ottawa Writers Festival on Oct. 24 to talk about “The World Needs Your Kid: How to Raise Children Who Care and Contribute,” his latest book that he co-authored with his brother Marc and Shelley Page, an award winning journalist and mother of two.
Full story on the Epoch Times website: Free the Children’s Kielburger at Ottawa’s Writer’s Festival
Imaginations inspired at fest
TIM WIECLAWSKI | METRO OTTAWA
Ottawa is a very, very smart city, says the artistic director for the Ottawa International Writers Festival.
“We’ve always heard from the authors that the audience questions and the level of interaction from the audience are second to none here,” said Sean Wilson. “We really are coming into our own as a world capital.”
That reputation for curious and interested audiences has turned the festival into a major draw for both the writers and the general public.
Read the full preview on the Metro Ottawa website: Imaginations inspired at fest
Not just any Talking Head at the Writers Festival
Migneault | Apt613
David Byrne isn’t just a visionary musician however. He also happens to be an activist. It’s his activism, and more specifically his love of cycling, that will bring him to the Ottawa International Writers Festival on Friday. Earlier this year Byrne, a lifelong cyclist, published his book called Bicycle Diaries. You can bet his talk at the festival will focus on the book, which aims to promote cycling as a transportation alternative to motor vehicles in the world’s cities.
If you like cycling and the Talking Heads you can catch David Byrne at the Ottawa Writers Festival Friday October 23 at 6:30p.m. Tickets are $15 and $10 for students and senior citizens. The talk is free for festival members and Carleton students. The talk will take place at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities at 314 Saint Patrick Street.
Full post on Apt613: Not just any Talking Head at the Writers Festival
Ottawa Writers Festival: Thursday Events
Migneault | Apt613
Thursday Oct. 22 will offer a full slate of Ottawa International Writers Festival events. Unless I’ve noted otherwise all these events take place at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities (314 Saint Patrick Street).
Read the full preview over at Apt613: Ottawa Writers Festival: Thursday Events
A Dangerous Love Affair: Karen Connelly chronicles her passion for Burma—and for a guerrilla leader
Paul Gessell, Ottawa Citizen
It was an ordinary day, if one can ever have an ordinary day, in the Burmese capital of Rangoon.
Canadian author Karen Connelly had a memorable conversation with a kindly Buddhist monk. Then, as night fell, Connelly stopped at an outdoor tea shop and was mesmerized by a “feral” boy, as young as nine, holding a cheroot, blowing smoke like a dragon through his nose, as he took a break from his very adult labour in a rail yard …
Karen Connelly will appear at the International Writers Festival on Oct. 24 at noon, to discuss ‘The Struggle for Freedom in Burma,’ with exiled Burmese activist and author Zoya Phan.
Full review: Karen Connelly chronicles her passion for Burma—and for a guerrilla leader
Note: Next Sunday, the Books section of the Ottawa Citizen will feature writers appearing at the Ottawa International Writers Festival, to be held Oct. 21 to 27 at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities, 314 St. Patrick St.
Drac is back: Dracula sequel sets original apart from today’s ’sparkly vampires’
Chris Lackner, Canwest News Service
Where: Ottawa International Writers Festival, St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities, 314 St. Patrick St.
When: Oct. 25, 8:30 p.m.
While today’s vampires seem more intent on wining us than dining on us, something truly wicked this way comes. Again.
That seemingly toothless pretty-boy Edward Cullen better start baring his fangs, and True Blood’s Bill Compton may want to go elsewhere to do his brooding and down his synthesized blood: Drac is back — and with him, a reminder that true vampires are far more monster than man.
Just when the pop cultural craving for all-things-vamp seems like it couldn’t get anymore bloodthirsty, Dracula is returning in a sequel to Bram Stoker’s classic. Dracula: The Un-dead, co-written by Canadian Bram Stoker descendant Dacre Stoker, will be released today. Stoker reads later this month at the Ottawa International Writers Festival.
Read the full article on the Ottawa Citizen website: Drac is back
Writers Festival: October Events
Here is a reminder about five more great preview events leading up to the Fall Edition of the Ottawa International Writers Festival taking place October 21 to 27, 2009.
Tickets for the October 14 events (as well as Festival Passes and Tickets) are available by phone at 613.562.1243, on the Ottawa International Writers Festival’s website (www.writersfestival.org) or in person from Nicholas Hoare, Collected Works and Octopus Books.
1. Saturday, October 3 @ 6:00 PM
A Life A Legend A Filmmaker
A free event at Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street.
The late Ottawa filmmaker Frank Cole is the only human being to cross the Sahara Desert alone. On another crossing he was mysteriously murdered. But he left us his extraordinary films about life and death.
Come celebrate the book launch of Life Without Death: The Cinema of Frank Cole. An evening of words, images, music and surfboards. The event will be hosted by Tom McSorley and Rick Taylor. Also the Canadian Film Institute will screen the Ottawa premiere of Korbett Matthew’s documentary on Frank Cole The Man Who Crossed The Sahara, with Matthews in attendance.
2. Wednesday, October 14 @ 6:30 PM
THE CASE FOR GOD with KAREN ARMSTRONG
Hosted by Jim Creskey
Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities, 314 Saint Patrick Street
From the bestselling author of A History of God and The Great Transformation comes a balanced, nuanced understanding of the role religion plays in human life and the trajectory of faith in modern times.
3. Wednesday, October 14 @ 8:30 PM
NOW OR NEVER with TIM FLANNERY
Hosted by Jay Ingram
Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities, 314 Saint Patrick Street
“What is our purpose as a species? How does the Earth work?”
Tim Flannery is one of Australia’s leading thinkers and writers. An internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer and conservationist, Tim’s books include the definitive ecological histories of Australia (The Future Eaters) and North America (The Eternal Frontier). He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers. As a field zoologist he has discovered and named more than thirty new species of mammals (including two tree-kangaroos) and at 34 he was awarded the Edgeworth David Medal for Outstanding Research. His pioneering work in New Guinea prompted Sir David Attenborough to put him in the league of the world’s great explorers and the writer Redmond O’Hanlon to remark, “He’s discovered more new species than Charles Darwin.”
4. Tuesday, October 20 @ 8:00 PM
AWARD PRESENTATIONS:
OTTAWA BOOK AWARDS AND LAMPMAN-SCOTT PRIZE FOR POETRY
A free event at Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St.
The City of Ottawa and ARC Poetry Society are pleased to invite you to attend a celebration of Ottawa’s vibrant literary scene, in conjunction with the Ottawa Writers Festival Fall Edition. Award presentations will be made to the winners of the Ottawa Book Awards and the Lampman-Scott Prize for best book of poetry, with short readings by the winning authors. Join us for a reception following the award presentations and meet the outstanding authors who have been nominated for these prestigious prizes. RSVP: infoculture@ottawa.ca
And last but not least, on Thursday, October 15 at 6:30 PM, Writers Festival’s friends at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands are presenting The Occupied Garden with Kristen den Hartog and Tracy Kasaboski at the Canadian War Museum. For free tickets please call Rosemieke van de Meerendonk at 613.237.5031 x225.
