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Authors Fest expands
As usual, the big fall literary event is Harbourfront ‘s (235 Queens Quay West) International Festival Of Authors , slated for October 18 to 28. The heavy hitters are here – Margaret Atwood , Anita Rau Badami , M. G. Vassanji – but the focus has shifted to younger writers, and the average age of visiting authors has plummeted. Keep your eye on Marisha Pessl , Nell Freudenberger and Gautan Malkani , for example. Also new this year is a focus on mystery, with crime fiends Louise Welsh , Michael Connelly and Giles Blunt . It seems festival director Geoffrey Taylor isn’t afraid of expanding the fest’s fan base. www.readings.org.
Zine scene
Zine fans shouldn’t miss the Hotel Canzine event, a mammoth alt-culture fair that welcomes 150 zines and includes lots of fun features like an Indie Iron Chef competition with Darren O’Donnell as part of the launch of Broken Pencil ‘s food issue. Look for fabulous hotel-room installations by Jonathan Culp , Amy Lam and others, all-day video screenings and more. At the Gladstone (1214 Queen West) October 29. $5 gets you entry and a copy of Broken Pencil’s new issue. www.brokenpencil.com/canzine.
Muslim women speak out
As the global debates rage, we see miles and miles of male Muslims demonstrating while women seem to fade into the background. Voices Of Resistance: Muslim Women On War, Faith And Sexuality , edited by Sarah Husain , changes that dynamic, bringing female thinkers to the fore. The book launches at the Toronto Women’s Bookstore (73 Harbord) October 6. www.womensbookstore.com.
No reading, this
This Is Not A Reading Series gets recharged this season with another batch of unusual events. We like the pairing of Seth with Mark Kingwell , launching their Classic Cocktails: A Modern Shake and talking about the philosophy and pleasures of mixology on October 10. On the queerer side, Alison Bechdel and Ivan E. Coyote team up for a double book launch October 11, hosted by author and NOW contributor Zoe Whittall . Hockey geeks won’t want to miss Dave Bidini launching his new hockey erotica (huh?) The Five Hole with comedy group the Imponderables on December 5. All three events happen at the Gladstone (1214 Queen West). www.pagesbooks.ca.
Planning for the planet
It’s not too late to save the planet. So says George Monbiot , named one of the 40 major prophets of the 21st century by UK newspaper the Independent, in Heat: How To Save The Planet From Burning . Columnist and economics maverick Linda McQuaig does an onstage interview with Monbiot November 13 at Hart House (7 Hart House Circle). http://events.uoftbookstore.com.
Caribbean catch
Jamaican novelist Colin Channer is a major proponent of Caribbean fiction and a charismatic character in his own right. As editor of Iron Balloons: Hit Fiction From Jamaica’s Calabash Writer’s Workshop , which he edited, he’s featured at the book’s launch at Indigo (55 Bloor West) October 5. 416-925-3536.
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