We all got pretty excited a couple of weeks ago when spring came early here in Toronto. I even went so far as to pack up all my winter clothes—sweaters, scarves, hats & mits—and put them away in boxes in my closet. But alas, the cold has come back again. Shame on us for thinking spring would arrive in Canada before the end of March. I am now living out of those boxes I packed, which I sheepishly hauled back out of my closet early last week.
But nevertheless, March has given way to April, with high hopes for warm days ahead! And in the warm weather to come, what is going on at PQL?
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What’s happening this month?
In Kingston. Look for an interview of Laurie Lewis, author of Little Comrades, on the K-town Source early this month. This Kingston weekly news program keeps residents up to date with events and interesting people in their area. Laurie Lewis has been living in Kingston for some time now, and has become an important member of the Kingston literary scene. Just last year she was invited to speak at two spectacular events at the Kingston WritersFest. Keep watching the K-town Source to see an interview with the author in her Kingston home.
In Toronto. A little closer to home, we’re excited to be bringing a book that is a little bit older back into the limelight. Antanas Sileika, author of Buying on Time, has been asked to read at the Weston branch of the Toronto Public Library on Thursday, April 12, as a part of the Keep Toronto Reading Series. Occasioned by the upcoming event, Mr Sileika has been invited for an interview on daytime Toronto on Monday, April 9. So tune into Rogers TV Monday at 10 am!
Antanas Sileika • Buying on Time • Weston branch, TPL • Thursday, April 12, at 7 pm
Over in Montreal. Mark Lavorato has only just returned from his trip out to British Columbia to participate in the Robson Reading Series at UBC and he has already been asked to take part in another literary festival, this time a little closer to home. Mr Lavorato has been invited to Blue Metropolis in Montreal to moderate an event held for Canadian and international crime writers on Saturday, April 21. Copies of Mr Lavorato’s novels will be on sale, with his collection of poetry forthcoming from PQL in June.
Mark Lavorato • OPUS Hotel, Montreal • Saturday, April 21, at 7 pm
Out in New Brunswick. We are pleased to be launching the ninth book in our Essential Poets series, The Essential Robert Gibbs, out east (twice!). We are holding two launch events for this lovely little collection. The first will be held in Saint John, New Brunswick, at the UNB bookstore Inprint on Friday, April 27. The second will be held in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on the UNB campus at Alumni Hall on Monday, April 30. For guest readers and more details check out our events page.
Robert Gibbs • The Essential Robert Gibbs • Inprint bookstore, Saint John, NB • Friday, April 27, at 7 pm
Robert Gibbs • The Essential Robert Gibbs • Alumni Hall, Fredericton, NB • Monday, April 30, at 8 pm
A little outside the city … And of course, the Porcupine’s Quill will be attending Wayzgoose in Grimsby this year. We look forward to seeing all the regulars and greeting all the newbees. Every year on the last Saturday of April Grimsby welcomes private presses from across Canada to exhibit their work and demonstrate their craft. We’ll be selling freshly printed copies of The Mysterious Death of Tom Thomson so we hope to see you there!
Wayzgoose • Grimsby Public Art Gallery • Saturday, April 28, from 9 am – 5 pm
From the intern’s corner
March was an especially exciting month, but April is looking very promising indeed. Last week I was able to drive up to Erin for the day to pick up the newly printed copies of The Mysterious Death of Tom Thomson so that I might bring them to the Art Librarians conference to sell. I was lucky that it also happened to be the day Andrew Steeves of Gaspereau Press was visiting from Kentville, Nova Scotia. I had an opportunity to speak with him about his press, his design, and his ideas about publishing in Canada.
Lucky for me, this didn’t stop when I left Erin. Andrew was part of a letterpress symposium at Massey College with Will Rueter, Brian Maloney, Stan Bevington, and P Griffin. Rod McDonald moderated. Stan Bevington made up a lovely tabloid-sized takeaway of all the Canadian typefaces at Coach House Press and Brian Maloney set up something so we could all try our hands at printing letterpress. I gave it a go and got my hands inky, as it were. What a great week for an intern!
Canadian typefaces at Coach House Press and my first ever letterpress print.
