.: archives :.

Spring 2007

April 15-22: Your Imagination is a Renewable Resource

sunday, APRIL 15

2:00 PM	THE BIG IDEA: UNDERSTANDING DIVINITY: AN EMPOWERING VISION OF THE GOSPELS Tom Harpur in conversation with Neil Wilson Tom Harpur, columnist for the Toronto Star, Rhodes scholar, former Anglican priest, and professor of Greek and the New Testament, delves deeper into the mythological, allegorical approach to the story of Jesus he took in The Pagan Christ. His latest bestseller, Water Into Wine: An Empowering Vision of the Gospels, seeks to show how “the old, old story” is at the heart of every religion and how it is really our own personal story, as well. Join Tom Harpur and Festival Director, Neil Wilson, for a discussion on the foundation of his faith, that the divine spirit incarnates in each and every human being.
4:00 PM	THE BIG IDEA: WHY IS THE WEST SO UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ISLAM? George Jonas and Haroon Siddiqui in conversation with Adrian Harewood Two of Canada’s leading colunmists on current affairs and the Middle East explore the controversial political, religious and secular aspects of Islam, the world’s fastest-growing religion. Is there a difference between Islam and Islamism? Is Islam any more or less peaceful than other religions? Are Canadian policies on multiculturalism and immigration short-sighted and dangerous? What are moderate Muslims doing to combat extremists? Who, exactly, are we fighting in the “War on Terror”?
6:00 PM	BUILDING A BETTER BLOG George Murray in conversation with Amanda Earl Poet, editor and bookninja.com founder, George Murray talks about building an international online literary community. Bookninja is described as the premier Canadian literary site, and one of the top literary sites in the world. How did George Murray’s blog become a nexus for literary news and opinion? Will blogs and discussions forums make traditional magazines and journals obsolete? And for those of us who still haven’t mastered the interweb, what exactly is a blog anyway?
8:00 PM	POETRY CABARET #1 Readings by George Murray, rob mclennan and George Bowering On-stage conversation with Stephen Brockwell The Spring Edition’s feast of poetry begins with readings by Newfoundland’s George Murray, whose fourth collection, The Rush to Here, combines what he calls “thought-rhyme with the structured sonnet form”; Ottawa’s rob mclennan, described in the Danforth Review as a poet who “doesn’t so much push against boundaries, as deny boundaries,” launches his thirteenth collection: The Ottawa City Project; and Canada’s first Poet Laureate, George Bowering, arrives from British Columbia with Vermeer’s Light, a work that, in the words of the Quill & Quire, “walks the tightrope of sentiment without falling into sentimentality.” After the readings, all three poets will join poet Stephen Brockwell for a conversation on the craft, with plenty of opportunity for audience questions.

MONDAY, APRIL 16

6:00 PM

INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: BENOÎT DUTEURTRE
Presented in collaboration with the Embassy of France
Join us for an evening with one of France’s most respected writers, Benoît Duteurtre, winner of the Prix Medicis, as he presents his latest novel in English translation. Praised by Milan Kundera, for “the clarity with which [it] unmasks the fundamental stupidity of our modern world,” The Little Girl and the Cigarette exposes the excesses of the society of spectacle, litigious and over-legislated, where the appearance of innocence is more important than innocence itself.”

7:00 PM

THE BIG IDEA:
THE COURAGE OF HIS CONVICTIONS: ONE SOLDIER WHO WALKED AWAY FROM THE WAR IN IRAQ
Lawrence Hill and Joshua Key in conversation with Christina Leadlay
Lawrence Hill, acclaimed author and journalist, and Joshua Key, a young US soldier who walked away from the war in Iraq, tell Joshua’s harrowing story. Their book,The Deserter's Tale, offers a vivid and damning indictment of how the war is being waged and how one soldier was driven to desert: “Ever so slowly, as the jets raced and the illumination rounds burned and the houses fell during the long Iraqi nights, my conscience returned. It could no longer be Army first, God second, and family third. It had to be the tiny voice inside me that would not sleep any longer. I am not this man, I told myself. I cannot do these things any longer.”

8:30 PM

WRITING LIFE #1
Readings by Liam Durcan, Scott Gardiner and Barbara Gowdy
On-stage conversation with Charlotte Gray
We inaugurate our second decade of the Writing Life with three huge Canadian talents; Liam Durcan, whose debut novel, García’s Heart, tackles terrorism, bioethics, and the age-old dilemmas of loyalty and betrayal; Scott Gardiner’s much-praised second novel, King John of Canada, is a biting political satire that dares to explore Canada’s future after Quebec’s separation; and international bestseller Barbara Gowdy’s stunning novel Helpless, is the story of a child’s disappearance and a mother’s love. All three authors will share brief excerpts and discuss their work with author Charlotte Gray.

TUESDAY, APRIL 17

6:00 PM

BOOK LAUNCH:
Too Far from Home by Chris Jones
On February 1, 2003, the Columbia exploded, stranding three astronauts in the International Space Station. Too Far from Home chronicles the efforts of the beleaguered Mission Controls in Houston and Moscow as they worked frantically against the clock to bring their men safely back to Earth, ultimately settling on a plan that felt, at best, like a long shot.

7:00 PM

THE BIG IDEA:
CANADA: THE IMAGINATION OF PLACE
With B.W. Powe and Roy MacGregor
Here is a unique opportunity to join a conversation in progress with two of our greatest observers as they share stories and outline our national shape in the cultural landscape. B.W. Powe has been called an intellectual terrorist and a visionary. Roy MacGregor, the Peter Gzowski of print, is second to none as our national storyteller. Powe argues that Canada is in fact a completely original model of what an enlightened country might be for the 21st century—a counter-nation of loose ties and subtle associations where dialogue, ideas, debate and the exchange of information is the currency that holds us lightly together, while MacGregor offers a love letter, a wakeup call, a session on the couch, and a celebration of the richness and diversity of this country and its people.

8:30 PM

WRITING LIFE #2
Readings by Neil Smith, C.S. Richardson and Lawrence Hill
On-stage conversation with Phil Jenkins
The Writing Life continues with three of the most critically acclaimed authors of the season. Neil Smith’s debut collection of nine riveting stories, Bang Crunch, is an international phenomenon announcing a major new writer; C.S. Richardson, a multiple recipient of the Alcuin Award for excellence in book design, delivers his debut novel, The End of the Alphabet, a magical story about an everyday life defined by an extraordinary love; and Lawrence Hill’s novel, The Book of Negroes, is a sweeping story that transports the reader from a tribal African village to a plantation in the southern United States, from the teeming Halifax docks to the manor houses of London. All three will share a brief excerpt and discuss their work with Phil Jenkins.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4

6:00 AM

BOOK LAUNCHES:
Everything Is Movies by Nicholas Lea
Tattoo This Madness In by Daniel Allen Cox

Join us for two exciting book launches featuring poetry from Ottawa’s Nicholas Lea and prose from Montreal’s Daniel Allen Cox.
Was it a manufactured hologram or the fog rising from a lake? In Nicholas Lea’s first collection of poetry, the question coalesces in an obvious yearning toward surrealism and a supreme interest in aesthetics. Everything is movies wrestles with the myth-making of mass culture and high art, but the collection—accidentally?—rolls off the bed and onto the floor, a heap of laughing limbs.
Tattoo This Madness In was a finalist for the 2nd Expozine Alternative Press Awards. "Daniel Allen Cox unravels the twisted truth in the heroic rebel yell of queer youth." - HOUR Magazine.

7:00 PM

THE LITERACY EQUATION: SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR ALL CANADIANS
Featuring B.W. Powe and Bob Goucher
Hosted by Neil Wilson
More than 40 percent of Canadians over 16 years of age are functionally illiterate. The cost in economic terms is measured in the billions annually. The cost in spiritual terms is overwhelming. Why are we failing so miserably in our efforts? Is it time for a Marshall Plan of the Word, a Manhattan Project of the Soul? Join our distinguished panel in a conversation that goes to the heart of our collective condition.

8:30 PM

POETRY CABARET #2
Readings by B.W. Powe, Sandra Alland and bill bissett
On-stage conversation with Alan Neal
Our poetic celebration continues with work that challenges and entertains: the lyric samplings, notes and reveries in B.W. Powe's The Unsaid Passing is a bewitching spell of reflections, ecstasies and longings; Sandra Alland’s Blissful Times explores how many ways there are to say one thing, and how much of herself the translator inserts by featuring 63 poetic “translations” of text by Samuel Beckett from the play Happy Days;and bill bissett, whose charged readings never fail to amaze, incorporates sound poetry, chanting and singing in a performance from his latest collection, Ths Is Erth Thees AR Peopul.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19

6:00	MAGAZINE LAUNCH: **The Puritan, Spring Issue** The Puritan, Ottawa’s Literary Prose Journal, is a new, independent, grass-roots publication, founded and edited by three undergraduate students at the University of Ottawa. Since its conception in the fall of 2006, it has garnered the attention of the Governor General, as well as several media groups, such as The Ottawa Citizen, The Fulcrum, The XPress, and CBC Radio’s All in a Day.
7:00 PM	A NEW MODEL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP *Fashioning Reality* With Ben Barry Hosted by Toby Osborne Young people can change the world. Just ask Canadian entrepreneur and international success story Ben Barry. He started the Ben Barry Agency in 1997 while still in grade school in Ottawa. Today, the agency scouts and sources models of diverse ages, backgrounds and sizes, models who have appeared in high-profile fashion magazines and on runways around the world. Ben shares his challenges, his successes, and his struggles to run a business that remains consistent with his personal values. In running a company that makes a profit by creating social change, Ben is only one in a growing movement. He outlines this new model of entrepreneurship and shares the stories of other young business people who are doing well by doing good.
7:00 PM	TITANS OF THE 20TH CENTURY: TRUDEAU, CASTRO AND THE COLD WAR Robert Wright in conversation with Jim Creskey Author andhistorian Robert Wright examines the unusual relationship between two of modern history’s most charismatic and enigmatic world leaders—Pierre Trudeau and Fidel Castro. What drew together two individuals so deeply divided politically and on opposite sides of the Cold War? Robert Wright discusses the enduring friendship between these fascinating figures at the heart of his new bestseller, Three Nights in Havana, with Jim Creskey, Publisher of The Hill Times.
8:30 PM	WRITING LIFE #3 Readings by Andy Brown, Tanya Chapman and M.A.C. Farrant On-stage conversation with Kate Heartfield The Spring Edition’s final Writing Life features three of Canada’s most innovative scribes. Montreal’s Andy Brown, writer, editor and publisher, follows his acclaimed collection of stories I Can See You Being Invisible with his debut novel, The Mole Chronicles; filmmaker Tanya Chapman, winner of This magazine’s Great Canadian Literary Hunt shares her first novel, King; and M.A.C. Farrant, the acclaimed author of seven previous collections of short fiction, returns to the Festival with The Breakdown So Far, her eighth volume. All three cutting-edge storytellers will read brief excerpts from their work and discuss their craft with The Ottawa Citizen’s Kate Heartfield.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20

1:00	STEP INTO STORIES: *ONE WELL: THE STORY OF WATER ON EARTH* With Rochelle Strauss Join Rochelle Strauss, an award-winning author, freelance writer and education consultant for a dynamic multi-media presentation for kids that shows how every one of us has the power to conserve and protect our global well. Seen from space, our planet looks blue. This is because almost 70 percent of Earth's surface is covered with water. All water is connected. Every raindrop, lake, underground river and glacier is part of a single global well. Water has the power to change everything: A single splash can sprout a seed, quench a thirst, provide a habitat, generate energy and sustain life. How we treat the water in the well will affect every species on the planet, now and for years to come.
6:00 PM	BOOK LAUNCH *Missing the Ark* by Catherine Kidd Missing the Ark is the highly anticipated first novel from acclaimed spoken word artist Catherine Kidd. This is a novel about memory and perception, exploring the thin line between what is inside and what is out, what is seen and what can’t be known.
7:00 PM	CAKE OR DEATH: THE EXCRUCIATING CHOICES OF EVERYDAY LIFE Heather Mallick in conversation with Sarah Dearing Spend time with one of Canada’s most popular columnists and authors, Heather Mallick, always sure to provoke and delight. Her latest bestseller, Cake or Death, is a no-holds-barred riposte to the mess we’ve made of things. Author Sarah Dearing talks with Heather, uncensored from the restrictions of her Globe and Mail column, about the complicated state of our lives and our world today.
8:30 PM	POETRY CABARET#3 Readings by Barbara Nickel, Dennis Lee and Simon Armitage On-stage conversation with David O’Meara Our feast of words continues with an evening of internationally acclaimed poetry that is sure to remind us why poetry must be read aloud. Children’s author and Pat Lowther Memorial Award winning poet, Barbara Nickel’s second collection, Domain, explores the search for meaning and love in a world where “home” must be constructed; one of Canada’s most beloved poets, Dennis Lee’s latest Yesno is a continuation of his urgent poetic project to grapple with the question of humankind’s future, simultaneously embracing pessimism and hope; while Tyrannosaurus Rex Versus the Corduroy Kid, the latest from England’s Simon Armitage, engages some of the most pressing oppositions of our time—man versus monster, conflict versus conversation, age versus youth and humanity versus the environment. The performances will be followed by a discussion with renowned poet and Artistic Director of the Plan 99 series, David O’Meara.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21

10:00-3:00 The RA Centre	CLIMATE CHANGE - OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE With William Kemp, Clive Doucet, Robynne Eagen and Rochelle Strauss Earth Day Ottawa and the Ottawa International Writers Festival are teaming up to bring you an exciting free event for children and families. How do we as adults preserve this planet for our children’s health and well-being? How do we explain this major issue to children in a manner that catches their attention without being too scary? 10:00 am Sacred Earth Celebration (Courtside B) A multi-faith service that addresses restoring the Sacred Balance Sponsored by Faith and the Common Good 11:00 am William Kemp and Clive Doucet (Canada Room) An expert in renewable energy and sustainable living, Bill Kemp, author of The Renewable Energy Handbook; $mart Power: An Urban Guide to Renewable Energy and Efficiency; and Biodiesel: Basics and Beyond, will address practical ways in which adults can respond to the pressures of climate change. City Councillor and author of Urban Meltdown: Cities, Climate Change and Politics as Usual, Clive Doucet will describe how the key to creating climate change solutions resides with cities. 1:00 pm Award Ceremonies and Authors Robynne Eagen and Rochelle Strauss (Canada Room) Robynne Eagen, author of Sunflower, and Rochelle Strauss, author of Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth and One Well: The Story of Water on Earth, will read from their works and greet the winners of Earth Day Ottawa Contests for T-shirt Design, Climate Change Poster and Climate Change Essay. In addition, Canadian Parents for French and the Embassy of France in Canada will be presenting an award to the winner of a national poster contest, based on the theme: “Stand up for your planet: What can you do for the environment?” This special presentation is offered in tandem with the Ottawa Eco-Stewardship Fair at the RA Centre, which includes 80+ booths packed with products, services and information; a Transportation Fair featuring the Queen’s University Solar Team; and lots of hands-on, fun-to-learn children’s activities. Visit them online at: www.ottawaecofair.ca
NOON	STEP INTO STORIES: TOE-TAPPING AND FINGER-SNAPPING VERSE With Dennis Lee For over 25 years, Dennis Lee has enthralled young readers with memorable and delightfully clever rhymes and sing-song rhythms. Don’t miss this unforgettable performance by the beloved author of the children’s classics Alligator Pie, Jelly Belly, Garbage Delight and Bubblegum Delicious that will delight the young at heart.
NOON	STORIES SHAPE THE WORLD With Neil Bissoondath A thought-provoking talk by Quebec’s Neil Bissoondath, the award-winning author of Selling Illusions: The Cult of Multiculturalism in Canada and The Age of Confession, taken from his Northrop Frye-Antonine Maillet Lecture of the same name. Stories shape the world, imposing order on chaos, and the stories we tell declare: I exist. Neil Bissoondath presses these assertions about narrative further. Stories are also, he says, forms of confession. Each time we tell a story, we reveal a little about our experiences, dreams, fears, desires, and fantasies. Unlike governments, which try to control and simplify narrative, fiction writers use narrative expansively, for exploration and discovery. Questions are numerous; answers are rare. Fiction is confessional; born of the writer’s own visions, terrors, and obsessions, it is unique in its ability to affirm human existence and confirm human complexity.
2:00 PM	THE BIG IDEA: GLOBAL CAPITALISM: CAN CANADA COMPETE ON THE WORLD STAGE? Andrea Mandel-Campbell in conversation with Christina Leadlay Why are so few Canadian corporations leaders in international markets? Andrea Mandel-Campbell and Embassy Weekley’s Christina Leadlay discuss how we can build the viable multinationals that many believe are the country’s best defense in a globalized world. Canada has all the makings of a global leader. Andrea Mandel-Campbell’s bestseller Why Mexicans Don’t Drink Molson examines of the hidden challenges to Canada’s global success and the perils of continued complacency.
2:00 PM	WORLD PREMIERE DOCUMENTARY SCREENING: *Heard of Poets* A film by Ben Walker and Josh Massey Heard of Poets takes an intimate look into poetry as it happens in Ottawa. Featuring a wide array of poetic performances and discussion on the craft from a multitude of talents including: George Elliott Clarke, Seymour Mayne, Oni the Haitian Sensation, Max Middle, Mark Frutkin, Pauline Michel, Michael Dennis, Melissa Upfold, Terry Anne Carter, and John Akpata.
4:00 PM	THE BIG IDEA: HUMAN RIGHTS IN REVOLUTIONARY IRAN: IMPRISONMENT, TORTURE AND THE ROAD TO FORGIVENESS With Marina Nemat An intimate and remarkable portrait of a childhood interrupted, an escape from imprisonment, a journey to freedom and the search for emotional redemption. Brought up as a Christian, Marina Nemat’s idyllic childhood in Tehran was shattered when the Iranian Revolution of 1979 ushered in a new era of Islamic rule. After complaining to her teachers about her math lessons being replaced by Koran study, she was arrested and taken to the notorious prison, Evin, where interrogation and torture were part of the daily routine. Aged sixteen, she was sentenced to death. After more than 20 years, Marina Nemat breaks her silence with the publication of her memoir, Prisoner of Tehran.
6:00 PM	POETRY CABARET #4 Readings by Genni Gunn, Erin Knight and Erin Mouré On-stage conversation with Stephen Brockwell The Spring Edition’s final Poetry Cabaret offers three breathtaking voices: writer, musician and translator Genni Gunn, whose new collection, Faceless, explores landscapes that are fascinating and treacherous, haunted by faces that are obsessively worn and shed, torn off and replaced; Erin Knight, whose first collection, The Sweet Fuels, touches on the complexity of transformation and translation, asking not “what does it mean,” but “what does it want to say?”; and Erin Mouré, one of Canada’s most challenging and experimental poets, who embraces the lyrical in O Cadoiro, a passage through archive, rhythm, address, and the mystery and wound of authorship itself.
8:00 PM	QUÉBEC SCENE: LITERARY VOYAGES IN THE COMPANY OF QUÉBEC WRITERS Readings by Carmine Starnino, Marianne Ackerman, Neil Bissoondath and Rawi Hage On-stage conversation with Noah Richler Readings by four of Québec’s best-known English-language writers: poet, essayist, critic and editor, Carmine Starnino; novelist, playwright, screenwriter and journalist, Marianne Ackerman; Guardian Fiction Prize and Governor General’s Literary Award nominated novelist Neil Bissoondath; and visual artist, photographer and novelist Rawi Hage. Following the readings, the authors discuss their works with Noah Richler.

SUNDAY, APRIL 22: EARTH DAY FORUM 2007

Climate change doubters notwithstanding, the climate is warming, and humans are largely responsible. What we are going to do about climate change, however, is still subject to significant hot air emissions, but we are hopeful that the Canadian government will accept the sound science of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and be part of the international leadership solution that is so badly needed.

Once again, we are offering a healthy and balanced menu of events for Earth Day that will satisfy and inspire, ranging from Qi Gong to empowering youth to change the world. We are hosting six of Canada’s leading environmental champions—David Suzuki, Bridget Stutchbury, Bill Kemp, Wayne Grady, Shelley Tanaka and Thomas Pawlick—as part of our commitment to environmental sanity.

Proceeds from our Earth Day Forum will go directly into our environmental outreach program in area schools, which arranges for acclaimed authors and experts like Rochelle Strauss and Shelley Tanaka to engage with students.

9:00 AM	INTRODUCTION TO QI GONG With Master Philip Tai-Foo Lai Begin your Earth Day with a free introductory workshop with Master Philip Lai. Philip is the Founder and President of the LAMAS Qi Gong Association of Canada, and a certified naturopathic therapist with over 30 years experience as a teacher of Qi Gong, Kung Fu and Traditional Chinese Medicine. “Qi” means life-breath or energy and “Gong” means work. Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese system that works directly and powerfully with your energy. Wear comfortable clothing and experience one of the most enjoyable, effective and gentle workouts imaginable. Visit Master Lai online at www.lamasqigongcanada.com
NOON	EARTH DAY FORUM: KEYNOTE ADDRESS ON CLIMATE CHANGE Dr. David Suzuki An essential overview of the big picture from Canada’s most respected authority on environmental issues. What is Climate Change? Why is it a problem? What can we do about it? How will our actions affect the economy? Ottawa’s Just Voices: An Activist Choir will welcome Dr. Suzuki, and an audience question-and-answer session will follow his talk.
2:00 PM	EARTH DAY FORUM: SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABILITY With Bill Kemp Climate change is one of the key challenges facing worldwide sustainable development. This multi-media presentation by Bill Kemp, bestselling author of $mart Power and a leading expert in small- and mid-scale renewable energy technologies, will help us understand our energy challenges, find solutions and discuss how Canadians can do their part in protecting the environment. Using fewer resources, becoming more energy-efficient and adopting renewable energy technologies isn’t about making drastic lifestyle changes or sacrifices. Bill explains how adopting these technologies provides an improvement in lifestyle through lower operating costs. This multi-media presentation, with live music by singer/songwriter Terry Tufts, will be followed by an audience Q&A.
4:00 PM	EARTH DAY FORUM: SILENCE OF THE SONGBIRDS With Bridget Stutchbury When we lose a critical piece of our ecosystem, the natural processes we take for granted quickly unravel. We have learned that birds are not just bio-indicators of environmental change; they are nature’s blue-collar workers who help sustain life as we know it. The scale of recent biodiversity loss is so huge that we risk unthinkable and irreversible damage to our ecosystems. Bridget Stutchbury, professor of biology at York University, leads us on a six-thousand-mile migratory journey to explore firsthand the major threats to songbirds and discusses the steps that might save them—and ultimately ourselves—with Festival Director Neil Wilson. Her book, Silence of the Songbirds, is essential reading for anyone interested in ecological interconnectedness and how our feathered friends may hold the key to our survival.
4:00 PM	EARTH DAY FORUM: EMPOWERING YOUTH TO CHANGE THE WORLD With Shelley Tanaka Climate change has been called the single greatest threat facing the planet. The problem is vast, the science complex, and the economic, political and social implications of taking action are immense. It is an issue of particular importance to young adults, who will inherit the consequences created by today’s policy makers. Shelley Tanaka, editor and award-winning author of 27 non-fiction books for young readers, addresses the key questions surrounding this issue: What is the basic science behind climate change? What is going to happen in the future, and what can be done about it? This primer on how our actions will determine the kind of world that awaits future generations is the perfect starting point for students and families interested in staying informed and making the choices that will change the world.
6:00 PM	EARTH DAY FORUM: THE END OF FOOD Thomas F. Pawlick in conversation with Kate Heartfield It all started after an encounter with a supermarket tomato and ended with an eye-opening examination of how the food industry is destroying our food supply and what we can do about it. Thomas Pawlick, organic farmer, bestselling author, three-time winner of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association Journalism Award, and the recipient of a National Magazine Award for agricultural reporting, documents the impending food crisis and traces its direct cause to the harmful methods of food production and processing currently used by the so-called agri-food industries. Not only do these methods damage the environment, they have led to an alarming decline in the essential nutrients in our food. Those of us who want to take back control of our food supply and our humanity will not want to miss this conversation between Thomas Pawlick and the Ottawa Citizen’s Kate Heartfield.
6:00 PM	BOOK LAUNCH: **Seminal: An Anothology of Canada’s Gay Male Poets With John Barton, Billeh Nickerson, Craig Poile and Jean-Paul Daoust Presented with Wilde About Sappho and the Lambda Foundation** Offer a toast to Seminal editors and poets John Barton and Billeh Nickerson and contributors Craig Poile and Jean-Paul Daoust. Join the Wilde About Sappho champagne and chocolate celebration launching Seminal, the first-ever definitive anthology of Canada’s gay male poets—a major, ground-breaking contribution to the queer culture of Canada, revealing a national queer poetic that is equal parts eloquent, subversive and moving. The material includes work by 57 poets spanning the 1890s to the present day and representing every region of the country. Click here to watch a short film of the event on YouTube, produced by Jeremy Dias.
8:00 PM	CLOSING CELEBRATION: THE SOUL OF RUMI Featuring Coleman Barks and Friends Presented with the Iranian Cultural Center A journey into the ecstatic experience of human and divine love and their inseparability, conveyed with Rumi's signature passion, daring, and insights into the human heart and the heart's longings. Join us we celebrate the 800th birthday of the most widely read poet of all time. Translated and performed by the Rumi scholar Coleman Barks, these works echo with a spiritual complexity that defies their outward simplicity. As Sufism acknowledges the truth of other religions, so does Rumi's poetry reflect universal themes: the search for the highest truth, the mystery of surrender, the longing to overcome ego imprisonment. Join Coleman Barks for an unforgettable evening that captures the silence, the love, and the playfulness that make each experience with this work one of sacred wonder.

authors