Romance writers’ rift widens

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/01/2020 (2419 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The romance writing world continues to be embroiled in controversy following accusations of racism against a publisher, counter-accusations of bullying and a controversial decision by the Romance Writers of America (RWA) in December to punish the writer, Courtney Milan, who made the initial complaint.

The RWA has since cancelled its annual writing award, citing decisions by award jurors and authors to boycott this year’s award in support of Milan. Milan also received support from Nora Roberts, one of the best-selling authors in the genre.

Additionally, the organization’s executive director, chair and 10 of its board members have resigned. In response to the controversy, what’s left of the RWA has retained a law firm to examine how it responded to Milan’s complaint and has brought in a diversity and equity consultant, according to the Houston Chronicle.

● ● ●

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is speaking out against child pornography charges against a Quebec author that are based on his written, fictional description of child abuse.

Author Yvon Godbout and his publisher were charged last April with producing and distributing child pornography over Godbout’s French-language novel Hansel + Gretel, a dark retelling of the fairy tale marketed to an adult audience. In Godbout’s version, Gretel is sexually assaulted by her father.

While the case has received little attention in English-speaking Canada, a petition against the prosecution has attracted 20,000 signatures, according to an article on Vice.

The Vice story, which also includes comments by University of Winnipeg’s Catherine Tosenberger on the dark history of fairy tales, can be found at wfp.to/gretel.

● ● ●

Award-winning teacher Blair Robillard has been introducing students and educators to traditional and contemporary Indigenous games for more than 20 years.

He launches a book about Indigenous games and about using them as a way of teaching Indigenous philosophical concepts on Thursday at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson’s Grant Park location.

His book, Kihcite Metawewina: Playing With a Great Heart, is published by the Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council.

● ● ●

Plenty of universities have writers in residence. Only the University of Manitoba can boast of a voyageur in residence.

The U of M’s Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture is hosting Rob Malo, better known as Tibert le Voyageur, as this winter’s storyteller in residence.

Malo, who has also been an educational program developer at the Manitoba Museum and a professor of tourism at Université de Saint-Boniface, performs as Tibert at Festival du Voyageur and elsewhere.

During his time at the U of M, he will consult with writers and storytellers, lead a pair of storytelling circles in March and teach a six-week session on creating or adapting oral tales. The workshop starts Jan. 28 and registration is required.

Consultations and sessions are open to the general public as well as to the campus community. For details contact ccwoc@umanitoba.ca.

● ● ●

The five finalist books for this year’s Canada Reads, which will use the theme “one book to bring Canada into focus,” will be announced Wednesday.

The CBC announced a 15-book longlist earlier this month, mostly a mixture of personal memoirs on identity issues or contemporary novels set in Canada, the two most prominent being Eden Robinson’s Son of a Trickster (shortlisted for the 2017 Giller Prize) and Megan Gail Coles’s Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club (shortlisted for the 2019 Giller).

The two outliers were a fantasy novel, Evan Winter’s The Rage of Dragons, and a collection of science fiction novellas, Cory Doctorow’s Radicalized.

booknewsbob@gmail.com