Forest of Reading finalists include loads of locals

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This article was published 19/10/2024 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The massive list of nominees has been announced for the Forest of Reading program, which highlights books chosen by committees of library practitioners and which are geared primarily towards young readers in both English and French.

Manitoba authors, illustrators and publishers are featured in many English-language categories: David A. Robertson for The Kodiaks, Sonya Ballantyne for Little By Little: You Can Change the World, illustrated by Saskatchewan’s Toben Racicot and Winnipeg’s Rhael McGregor (whose work also appears in another nominated title, Kristy Jackson’s Mortified), Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac for See It, Dream It, Do It: How 25 People Like You Found Their Dream and Jen Storm for Little Moons, illustrated by Ryan Howe, Nickolej Villiger and Alice RL. The Kodiaks, Little by Little and Little Moons were all published by Winnipeg’s Highwater Press.

For a complete list of all nominees, wfp.to/C6b.

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Theatre Projects Manitoba and Plume Winnipeg have teamed up for Plotting Our Roots, an event highlighting Mennonite literature and music in support of the upcoming production of Armin Wiebe’s The Recipe.

The event takes place Tuesday at Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club (234 Main St.) and will feature readings by Wiebe as well as Andrew Unger, Angeline Schellenberg, Di Brant, Mitchell Toews and Sarah Klassen.

Tickets are $15 (or $5 for Theatre Projects Manitoba season pass holders) and can be purchased at wfp.to/Cjb.

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McNally Robinson Booksellers’ Grant Park location has a stacked week of book launches in the coming days.

On Monday at 7 p.m., longtime Fashion Television host Jeanne Beker will discuss her new book Heart on My Sleeve: Stories from a Life Well Worn, which melds memoir with musings on how we think about what we wear and more. She’ll be joined in by CTV Morning Live host Rachel Lagacé.

On Tuesday at 7 p.m., McNally Robinson will host Winnipeg-born, B.C.-based jaz papadopolous for the launch of their new poetry collection I Feel That Way Too as well as a conversation with Winnipeg’s Hannah Godfrey.

Wednesday will see Icelandic author Jón Kalman Stefánsson read from and discuss his latest novel Your Absence is Darkness, published by Biblioasis in March. The event, which takes place at 7 p.m. is being co-presented by the Consulate General of Iceland in Winnipeg, the Icelandic Canadian Frón and Lögberg-Heimskringla, and will be hosted by McNally Robinson co-owner Chris Hall.

Mystery fans can wish legendary British crime writer Ann Cleeves a happy birthday when she is in Winnipeg on Thursday to launch her latest Vera Stanhope book, The Dark Wives, at Crescent Arts Centre (525 Wardlaw Ave.) at 7 p.m. in an event presented by McNally Robinson and hosted by Winnipeg novelist Joan Thomas.

The event is ticketed; admission is $35 plus fees per person and includes a copy of The Dark Wives, or $45 for two people with one copy of the book. To get your tickets and for more information, visit wfp.to/cleeves.

(For a Q&A with Cleeves and Winnipeg writer Ariel Gordon, see the 49.8 section of this weekend’s Free Press.)

Last but not least, the store will host two authors on Friday — one virtually and one in person.

Legendary Northampton comic writer Alan Moore will join McNally Robinson’s Matthew Montgomery at noon via Zoom to discuss his latest book, The Great When. To register for the virtual chat, visit wfp.to/C69; the launch will also be available on the store’s YouTube page.

Then Winnipeg author Robert G. Penner launches his wartime fantasy novel The Dark King Swallows the World at 7 p.m. — he’ll chat with Dr. Kenneth MacKendrick, a professor in the University of Manitoba’s department of religion.

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Horror bookseller Raven’s End Books (1859 Portage Ave.) is hosting a family Halloween party today from 12:30-2 p.m.

In addition to a reading by Jessica Renwick, author of Ghosts of Gastown (published this month by Great Plains imprint Yellow Dog), there will be pumpkin painting, hot chocolate and candy. Costumes are encouraged but not necessary, and admission is free.

On Wednesday, Raven’s End will host the launch of Donner Parties and Other Anti-Social Gatherings, the latest collection by Winnipeg author (and Free Press book reviewer) Keith Cadieux. The event gets underway at 6:30 p.m., with Susie Moloney hosting.

books@freepress.mb.ca