ETHEL WILSON FICTION PRIZE Supported by Friesens and Webcom
Esi Edugyan, Half-Blood Blues (Thomas Allen Publishers)

RODERICK HAIG-BROWN REGIONAL PRIZE Supported by Transcontinental Printing
Chuck Davis, The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver (Harbour Publishing)

HUBERT EVANS NON-FICTION PRIZE Supported by AbeBooks
Charlotte Gill, Eating Dirt (Greystone Books in partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation)

DOROTHY LIVESAY POETRY PRIZE Supported by the BC Teachers’ Federation
John Pass, crawlspace (Harbour Publishing)

CHRISTIE HARRIS ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN’S LITERATURE PRIZE
Supported by Ampersand Inc.
Sara O’Leary (author) and Julie Morstad (illustrations), When I Was Small (Simply Read Books)

SHEILA A. EGOFF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE PRIZE
Supported by the BC Library Association
Moira Young, Blood Red Road (Doubleday Canada)

BILL DUTHIE BOOKSELLERS’ CHOICE AWARD Supported by the BC Booksellers’ Association
Chuck Davis and Harbour Publishing, The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S AWARD FOR LITERARY EXCELLENCE
Brian Brett is the recipient of this award, established in 2003 by the Honourable Iona Campagnolo, which recognizes British Columbia writers who have contributed to the development of literary excellence in the province.

A total of $19,000 is awarded to winners with each prize providing $2,000 with the exception of the Lieutenant Governor’s prize which awards $5,000.

This year’s gala, hosted by Charles Demers and attended by the Honourable Lieutenant Governor Steven L. Point, OBC, took place at The Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema at SFU Woodward’s, Goldcorp Centre for the Arts in Vancouver May 12, 2012.

The BC Book Prizes were established in 1985 to celebrate the achievements of British Columbia writers and publishers. The prizes are administered and awarded by a non-profit society that represents all facets of the publishing and writing community. The West Coast Book Prize Society congratulates all of the winners!

Visit BCBookPrizes.ca for more info.

Oh, and lastly, the BC Book Prizes wins our unofficial award for “One of the Best Logos in BC” for their incredible seal:

Who are your favourite Vancouver / Lower Mainland writers?
I have been reading Keith Maillard since I was a teenager, and I come back to him again and again. I am currently quite fond of the many incarnations of Charlie Demers.

Maillard and Demers

Do you have a favourite story set in Vancouver?
The Diviners [by Margaret Laurence] has a Vancouver section. I think that counts.

Where is your favourite place to read in Vancouver?
I consider myself quite lucky whenever I get to read.  My bed is the most frequent spot, but I do love the early morning couch before the family wakes up.

What’s next on your reading list?
The Many Revenges of Kip Flynn by Sean Dixon and The Gift of Stones by Jim Crace.

What writer excites you right now?
Patricia Lockwood gives great tweet. And that is no small accomplishment.

What writer would you love to see read their work?
Annie Dillard.

Do you read newspapers?
I go to The Guardian online occasionally, but otherwise I get most of my news from CBC Radio.

What magazines/journals can you not live without?
The New Yorker and the occasional GQ.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Again, Annie Dillard. She slays me.

Photo courtesy of vedahille.com

Check out Veda’s website and follow her on Twitter!

Edited by Jennifer Kim

Side note: The Hillcrest Centre was designed by Darryl Condon (of Hughes Condon Marler Architects) who was the speaker at this month’s Creative Mornings! His talk and the dialogue that followed were fantastic, stay tuned for the video of his presentation in the next few days. For now, check out his Q & A to learn a bit more about where he’s coming from.

What’s on your nightstand right now? Are you enjoying it?

I leave my books on different floors/sections of the house… Kafka’s The Castle near the bed, along with Murakami’s 1Q84, varieties of knitting books nearby, and amongst my to-read stacks from the library(and most urgently in need to be returned) are few pocket books and a copy of James Sallis’ novel The Killer is Dying. I loved his other book Drive, so I thought to pick up a copy. I’m just waiting for a right ‘mood’ to read that one.

I may get shot by other Murakami fans… But I’m not really enjoying 1Q84 all that much.

What is next on your list?

James Sallis’ The Killer is Dying. I’m not sure if I’m waiting for a right ‘moment’ to read or as much as I’ve enjoyed his previous book if I’m dreading it. Reading his Drive left me somewhat… pensive.

What is your preferred genre?

I don’t have a particular preference, but it seems to be that I’m reading fiction a lot. And when I read informational books they tend to be for practical reasons. I think I enjoy fiction more because I don’t enjoy the type of books where you can extract information so easily and ready. When I read academic and informative books I like them more when there is some room for myself to interpret the work presented.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Albert Camus.

What magazines/journals can you not live with.

Everything and nothing. I will read anything and everything from any and every source that piques my interest, or on current states of affairs I feel in need to be informed.

Photo Courtesy Susan Kang

What is the most cherished item in your library?

Several ink sticks. But out of them one in particular that is several hundred years old. It was given to me to use and holds a certain sentimental value. It’s tied to a work I’m interested in pursuing in the future as well.
But other than that – if you mean library as a collection of books rather than as a space that holds these collections – I don’t really ‘cherish’ books: I’m an avid library user and I’ve given away books in the past. I don’t like to accumulate things. Although I am looking to purchase a book on ink sticks.

What books have influenced your life the most?
Lots. That list would be boring and informative.

Where is your favourite place to crack open a book in Vancouver?

Bed. I like the ritual of being able to end the day with at least a couple of pages turned in the comfort of my own warm bed.

Your life story is published tomorrow, the title is?
No. My life’s not that interesting and I would never publish it. However publishing collections of photo books would be interesting.

Photo courtesy Susan Kang

Susan Kang’s Paintings will be on display at the YACTAC Gallery

About 30 poetry-loving people joined the Vancouver Book Club and Rob Taylor at the Waldorf Hotel this past Sunday for an afternoon of conversation about the Vancouver Book Club’s spring selection, The Other Side of Ourselves.

Images from the TOSOO poetry-inspired photo contest served as a backdrop for the event as Rob read poems from The Other Side of Ourselves, which is now in its second printing.

“Shark Chaser” brought forward an unusual tale about history and modern poetry; “The Slave Castle of Elmina” referenced back to the time Rob spent in Ghana. Rob’s landlord, who makes a cameo in the poem “Errant”, was at the Waldorf to hear the poem read aloud for the group.

“The love poems, to me, are what hold the book together,” Rob said as he read a final poem “The Same Thing.”

Rob even had a group member read one of his poems aloud and we learned that the final line of “Early Rain” holds the answer to the question, “Why did you title the book The Other Side of Ourselves?”

“I like to hear other voices read a poem,” Rob said. “It unlocks new things for me.”

A discussion about creating accessible work – such that “any reader will get a meaning of the poem on a first reading,” -  the theme of inspiration, and the idea of a “spirit-like” connection between a poem and its readers all provided insight into Rob’s approach to poetry.

“What makes a poem successful is mysterious,” Rob said as the group discussed how the interpretations and meanings people bring to poems can be things the author never considered.

Rob shared thoughts on what led him to poetry, including the influence of his father and a desire to work with history and keep stories alive. He also talked about how challenging it can be to communicate emotions, stories and ideas in a simple way and he referred a couple of times to “riding on the edge of cliché” as the place he tries to push himself to.

(left to right) VBC host Liam Ford, photo contest winner David Jez, and Rob Taylor. Photos by Erica Mattson

At the end of the event David Jez was announced as the photo contest winner for his black and white landscape image, which was paired with Rob’s poem “The Horse Grazes.” Thanks to everyone who participated in the photo contest, and congratulations to David, who won a coveted first edition of The Other Side of Ourselves as well as a copy of Anakana Schofield’s new book Malarky, which is was revealed as the VBC’s Summer Selection. Subscribe to our mailing list and stay tuned for updates on the date and venue.

Special thanks to the Waldorf Hotel and Cormorant Books for supporting this event, and to Rob Taylor and all the participants for an inspiring afternoon of poetry and conversation.

This Sunday we will be showing the images as Rob reads his poems, before announcing the winner of the contest. We’ll also be having a discussion and Q&A with Rob about his book, The Other Side of Ourselves, and announcing the book chosen for our Summer Selection. We hope to see you there!

Check out our Facebook event page or our March post for more details on this Sunday’s event.

Last week’s poem was “Computer Monitor Ekphrasis” and it resulted in these images:

“Abstract” by David Jez

“Lean close enough to spot imperfections-the edges fray.  A trick of bits and molecules.  That’s art’s simple fact: red and green and blue.” by Carissa D’andrade

“Pause and zoom on one” by Carissa D’andrade

“Archetypes stay few….Red and green and blue” by Carissa D’andrade

]]> http://vancouverisawesome.com/2012/04/27/vbc-tosoo-week-8-photos-and-event-this-sunday/feed/ 0 http://vancouverisawesome.com/2012/04/25/read-all-over-rob-taylor/ http://vancouverisawesome.com/2012/04/25/read-all-over-rob-taylor/#comments Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:22:07 +0000 Liisa Hannus http://vancouverisawesome.com/?p=124187 Read All Over celebrates the bookworm in all of us, showcasing readers in Vancouver and the books they love most. Rob Taylor lives in East Van with his wife, Marta. His first book of poetry, The Other Side of Ourselves, was published by Cormorant Books in April 2011 and is in its 2nd printing. Prior to publication, the manuscript for the book won the 2010 Alfred G. Bailey Prize for best unpublished poetry manuscript. In addition to The Other Side of Ourselves, Rob is the author of three poetry chapbooks, and his writing has appeared in over forty journals, magazines and anthologies. Rob is the co-founder and editor of One Ghana, One Voice, Ghana’s first online poetry magazine, and he is one of the coordinators of Vancouver’s Dead Poets Reading Series. The Other Side of Ourselves is the Vancouver Book Club’s Spring Selection.

What are you reading right now?

I usually have a number of books on the go at once. Right now I’m reading Groundwork by Amanda Jernigan, Fielder’s Choice by Elise Partridge, Every Riven Thing by Christian Wiman, Cathedral by Raymond Carver, and Breathing the Page by Betsy Warland.

How do you like your lit served - audio books, graphic novels, used paperbacks, library loaner, e-reader, other?

I like to buy poetry books, usually new. I do this both because I like supporting small-press publishers, authors and booksellers, and because I enjoy building up my collection. My shelves operate as a lending library for poet-friends, so I have a lot of fun keeping them stocked with interesting stuff.

Most of the fiction and non-fiction that I read is acquired by my wife (who has a similar penchant for hoarding novels as I do for poetry), borrowed from friends, or loaned from the VPL.

I’ve tried an e-reader, and have no big quarrel with them, but I have enough screens in my life already, E Ink or not.

The physical manifestation of Rob’s poem “Reconciliation During the Great Fires.” Read it here.
Photo courtesy Rob Taylor

What publication could you not live without?

My two favourites are Riddle Fence, out of Newfoundland, and Vancouver’s own subTerrain.

Where is your favourite place to crack open a book in Vancouver?

The very back corner seats on most Translink buses – those ones where you can stretch your legs out behind the centre-facing seats. And my couch.

What books have changed your life/influenced you the most?

I don’t want to lump too much credit on a handful of titles – books have changed my life, let’s leave it at that. Poetry, specifically, has taught me to slow down, to look at the world a little more carefully, to consider language’s capacities and limitations. Words can only do so much, after all, but so much is pretty damn good, no?

Photo courtesy Rob Taylor

What is the most cherished item in your library?

Probably my set of Calvin and Hobbes collections, or my illustrated edition of The Hobbit. Both are thoroughly dog-eared from my childhood.

The one book you always recommend is…

The Possible Past by Aislinn Hunter. If that doesn’t stick, I go with The Great Fires by Jack Gilbert. And if that doesn’t do it, I figure you must hate poetry and try Mrs. Golightly and Other Stories by Ethel Wilson or Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. If I still have no luck there, I settle on Ethel the Aardvark Goes Quantity Surveying.

Your life story is published tomorrow, the title is?

I Wrote My Life Story In One Day And Published It The Next Morning (And You Can Too!)

Join the Vancouver Book Club on April 29 for an afternoon with Rob Taylor, 2pm at the Waldorf Hotel! We’ll be showcasing images inspired by his poetry submitted by you, our readers!
Check here for details.

And follow Rob on Twitter!

Scroll down to the bottom of the post to read this week’s poem and find out how you can enter.

And if you’re looking for a copy of The Other Side of Ourselves, check out:

Project Space (Vancouver)
Robson and Howe Chapters (Vancouver)
UBC Robson Square Bookstore (Vancouver)
SFU Harbour Centre Bookstore (Vancouver)
SFU Burnaby Campus Bookstore (Burnaby)
Metrotown Chapters (Burnaby)
Marine Drive Indigo (North Vancouver)
Park Royal Indigo (West Vancouver)
Richport Chapters (Richmond)
Strawberry Hill Chapters (Surrey)
Pinetree Chapters (Coquitlam)

Last week’s poetic inspiration was “You Can’t Lead a Horse.”

“Rivers” by Tara Lowry

Photo by David Jez

“Light will dance with many partners, but none like water.” Photo by liisa hannus

All photos submitted will be entered into a prize draw at the April 29 event.

Week 8 – Our final poetry prompt for your photographic inspiration

Computer Monitor Ekphrasis

Lean close enough to spot
the pixeled imperfections, hitches
for which there is no fix.

The scene we snapped, a trick
of bits and molecules
switched and stitched anew.

Click from shot to shot
from every stop along our lives
or pause and zoom on one.

Either way, in time,
the edges fray, the needlework
shows through.

That art’s, like love, collaged
is hardly news. That what we say
and what we do are distances
apart, a simple fact.

The variations multiply,
but the archetypes stay few.
Lips, hands, hearts and eyes.
Red and green and blue.

- – – – -

To enter:

1) email the photo to us at books@vancouverisawesome.com. Put “TOSOO Photo Week 8″ in the subject line.

OR

2) post the photo on the web and send us a tweet @VIA_Reads with the link and #TOSOO

Please make sure photos are at least 600 pixels wide. Photos must be your own work or you must have permission of the photographer.

The deadline to enter photos for this week’s poem is next Wednesday, April 25, 2012. We’ll post the photos on Friday.

Read All Over celebrates the bookworm in all of us, showcasing readers in Vancouver and the books they love most.   Adam is an actor, director, and arts journalist. You may also know him from CiTR’s Arts Report, which he hosted from 2010 to 2012.  Adam is currently working on a theatrical project, which he conceptualized, called ‘The Closer Variations’ – inspired by ‘Closer’ the play and Hollywood movie. It’s produced by SHIFT Performing Arts, and if you missed the show last week at the Carousel Theatre, you can catch it at the Evergreen Cultural Centre on April 21st. Be sure to check it out! For more info see ShiftArts.ca.

What are you reading right now?

City of God by Paulo Lins. The film version blew my mind when I first saw it in 2004 and sparked in me a love-affair with all things Brazilian. I have to say though, the translation from Portuguese struggles to keep up with Lins’ meandering poetic style and his heavy reliance on street slang in his dialogues. Imagine translating gangsta rap lyrics into Latin and you’ll understand the challenge.

Photo by Maegan Thomas

How do you like your lit served - audio books, graphic novels, used paperbacks, library loaner, e-reader, or other?

Real live papery books are the best! The way they smell, the feel of the paper in our hands, bending back the spine. I appreciate the idea of e-readers but can’t seem to get into them. That being said, I read on my laptop – magazines, blogs, news sites, etc – until my eyes get sting-y.

What publication could you not live without?

Newspapers. When I was in high school I walked into Safeway where a woman was soliciting people to subscribe to the Globe and Mail. I don’t know why exactly she looked at this lanky, pimply boy and thought, ‘He’s perfect!’ But I did sign up and I’ve been a newspaper fiend ever since.

Where is your favourite place to crack open a book in Vancouver?

Chapters. I feel like such a loiterer, but it’s their own fault.  All those comfy couches and arms-length coffee make it too easy!

What books have changed your life/influenced you the most?

The works of Roberson Davies. I started with Fifth Business, and went on to read everything he’d written. He’s definitely my favourite author. And he’s Canadian… Bonus! All his books emphasize that life is a long, meandering journey and that we are like actors whose roles keep shifting, in ways that are sometimes profound and sometimes ridiculous.

What is the most cherished item in your library?

The Kierkegaard Anthologies because it makes me feel smart. (Haven’t read a page.)

The one book you always recommend is…

Fifth Business by Roberson Davies.

Your life story is published tomorrow, the title is?

“The Artful Dodger”

Photo by Maegan Thomas

Last year I shared the story of Voices of The Street Volume 1 which was a perfect-bound edition that featured writing, poetry and prose from Megaphone’s community writing workshop program, which is run in treatment centres, social housing buildings and community centres in the Downtown Eastside and downtown Vancouver. Megaphone vendors happily managed to sell out that first issue, and I’m very happy to let you know that the most recent one (pictured below) is about to be released and it is nothing short of fantastic.

Vancouver Book Award winning author, Michael Christie, is quoted in the foreward saying that this writing program is invaluable in that encourages people in recovery to speak and to grow, so I figured I’d let you know about how this book also affected me, the reader.

The writing program is meant to affect people in treatment, and to help them through it, and I have absolute confidence that it does in a major way. But it also affected me in a big way. I just finished reading it cover to cover and the amount of raw emotion and truth that’s contained within it’s pages is at first a little overwhelming, then heartening and in the end incredibly hopeful. You’ll read real stories from people overcoming their own personal hurdles and, much like Michael Christie’s work in his book The Beggar’s Garden, in the end you will walk away being reminded that they are human and that they are a lot like you. And that they are you.

Buy a copy of Voices On the Street off of a street vendor later this week when it comes out, or if you’re interested head out to the Waldorf this coming Thursday when they’re doing their release for the issue at an event where some of its authors will be doing readings. Details HERE.