Literary scholars to rub shoulders

Literary scholars from across Canada and around the world will rub shoulders with an all-star team of Manitoba writers at a four-day celebration of Manitoba's contributions to literature, May 9-12, at the Canadian Mennonite University.

The Symposium on Manitoba Writing, held to mark the 30th birthday of the Manitoba Writers' Guild, is open to readers, writers and teachers with an interest in the province's literature. Participants will discuss a wide range of genres for adults and young readers, in English and French. Prominent writers doing readings include David Bergen, Thomson Highway, Sandra Birdsell, Joan Thomas, Margaret Sweatman and Patrick Friesen.

The event wraps up with a cabaret at 8 p.m., May 12, at the West End Cultural Centre featuring writers paired with musicians. For more information or registration, visit the Manitoba Writers' Guild website, www.mbwriter.mb.ca.

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If your Facebook feed was clogged last fall with the comic video S*** Girls Say and its thousands of imitators, you won't be surprised to learn that a book inspired by the video is in the works.

Toronto comedians Kyle Humphrey and Graydon Sheppard, who created the original video, say their book version will be published this October by Harlequin. It's not the first expletive-ridden Internet sensation to inspire a book, following in the footsteps of S*** My Dad Says and Look at this F****** Hipster.

At this rate, can Look at this F****** Book with S*** in the Title be far behind?

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After experimenting with publication by e-book, Manitoba author David Elias is returning to the traditional format this fall with his novella, Henry's Game.

The novella, dealing with a man's struggle to maintain emotional distance from the people he loves, will be published by Hagios Press of Regina.

He signed a contract with an Australian company, buzzwords.com to publish his last book, For the Sake of Rose, strictly as an e-book. Describing his electronic venture as a learning experience, Elias says he would now make an e-book option part of a print publication contract rather than going 100 per cent electronic.

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Awards season for Manitoba writers didn't end last weekend with the presentation of the Manitoba Book Awards.

Authors of the 10 books shortlisted for the Margaret McWilliams Awards for History, presented by the Manitoba Historical Society, are awaiting the announcement of the winning books May 12.

The awards will be presented in three categories, scholarly history, local history and popular history, at a ceremony at Dalnavert Museum, June 9.

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While the centennial of the sinking of the Titanic grabbed international headlines this spring, that's not the only anniversary of a transportation disaster being marked this year.

Winnipeg author Larry Verstraete, author of 12 non-fiction books for young people, has researched and written an illustrated book on the fiery crash of the airship Hindenburg, which exploded as it landed in New Jersey after its first trans-Atlantic flight.

He will launch the book, with illustrations by David Geister, on May 6 -- the 75th anniversary of the crash known to classic rock fans as the cover image on Led Zeppelin's first album. The launch takes place at 2 p.m. at McNally Robinson.

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Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 5, 2012 J8