Night Work: A Sawchuk Poem - Directed by Justin Simms

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www.bookshorts.com/watch_nightwork.htm ...  "The book by Randall Maggs certainly illustrated for me the power Sawchuk carried in terms of his mythology.  Dealing with heroes, and our interpretations of them, is always a fascinating thing... and Sawchuk, with his great warrior spirit in the face of relentless adversity, is a striking example of the human condition.  I think it makes Sawchuk's story universal.  In its own way, his story is our story."  This from Director Justin Simms, about his short film adaptation inspired by Maggs' NIGHT WORK: THE SAWCHUK POEMS.  Randy has been receiving excellent reviews across the country, and is in great demand by festivals and audience across the country.  Catch him in April at Readings at Harbourfront in Toronto, and in a tour out west in the Fall of 2008.

 (c) BookShorts Literacy Program, with the assistance of Canadian Heritage and Brick Books.  www.brickbooks.ca

What would you do At a Loss for Words: Diane Schoemperlen

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http://www.movingstories.tv -- Read Diane Schoemperlen's novel, "At a Loss for Words." Then read Quarrington's "The Ravine" right after, immediately after. Or the other way around, doesn't matter. Very interesting that juxtaposition.

BookShorts Literacy Program; Special Thanks to Becky at International Readings at Harbourfront and Phyllis Bruce at HarperCollins for sending the novel-that-could-be-my-personal-journal.

Food, Sex, and Salmonella: Why Our Food is Making Us Sick

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www.movingstories.tv -- With solid science and deft humour, celebrated epidemiologist David Waltner-Toews brings us tales of the bacteria, viruses, and parasites that have made their way into our food supply.  He describes the global patterns of foodborne disease, from ciguatera toxins in fish to pandemics of Salmonella, and the changes in climate, culture, agriculture, and trade that have led to the emergence of new diseases and epidemics. It's not all doom and gloom -- "Dr. Dave" provides practical advice for what each of us can do on a daily basis to take responsibility for mitigating the effects for the future.

Directed by Kate Hollett (c) 2008 BookShorts Literacy Program for Greystone Books with the assistance of Canadian Heritage Book Publishing Industry Development Program. 

Charles Taylor Prize Names Richard Gwyn, John A.

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www.movingstories.tv -- The bookselllers in the room, the authors at the podium, they rank the Charles Taylor Prize in an echelon shared by Scotiabnk Giller Prize for fiction, and Griffin Prize for Poetry.  All this literary splendour, within days of the announcement that the plug was pulled on the US, NBC-broadcast Quill Awards.  Makes us feel good in a Canadian way, eh.

Richard Gywn, whose book was published by our favourite rock-star publisher Anne Collins of Random House Canada, won this year's Prize for literary fiction.  Also nominated were David Gilmour, Lorna Goodison, Kevin Bazzana and Anna Porter.  Look for snippets from these excellent authors in the upcoming blog entries.

Shot on location at Le Meridien King Edward Hotel March 3 (c)  2008 BookShorts.

King Leary Crowned in Canada Reads - Congrats Paul!

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www.bookshorts.com/blog -- Congratulations to our friend and colleague Paul Quarrington, and kudos to champion Dave Bidini, in today's KING LEARY'S win on CANADA READS!  There is so much great coverage of all the books (isn't soooo Canadian to obe soooo even handed in awards stuf - LOL!!) that we just want to add our little piece, directly from the boys themselves.

Come out to hear Paul's solo music performance at Hugh's Room on Tuesday night (Mar 4) and be sure to pick up the new Porkbellys Futures CD fronted by PQ with his long-time musical collaborator Martin Worthy and fab musicians Chas Elliott, Stuart Laughton, and Rebecca Campbell. www.porkbellys.com . PQ's next novel, The Ravine, hits the stores March 11.

(c) BookShorts Literacy Program; shot on location at Toronto Public Library, Pape Danforth Branch during FREEDOM TO READ WEEK.

Movieola Features JPOD written by Bruce Pirrie

Heads up from our number one fav shorts broadcaster - Movieola .... Check out another on-screen interpretation of Coupland's novel - there can never be enough of a good thing as far as we're concerned. So, for more excellent short films of all kinds, visit http://www.movieola.ca or add the channel to your cable package and see them on the lean-back screen.

With thanks to Shane Smith for forwarding the news!

Lesley Choyce on surfing, writing, and finding your own insanity

http://www.movingstories.tv/ - Book Expo Canada is a great place to run into authors you've admired from afar, right up close and personal. I'd read about Lesley, for instance, and amongst the thronging passages of the trade show floor I ran into him, almost literally. Not one to lose his feet (and if you know his particular form of insanity, you'll understand exactly why), he is an amazing, refreshing and completely open multi-talented artist. Books, music, television, teaching, publishing - you name it, he's pretty much done it, and very well too. Pick up "Republic of Nothing" and be newly inspired to believe in fables; read "Driving Minnie's Piano" and have faith that humanity is alive and well in some parts of the world; give "Wave Warrior" to a young person you love, and give them the gift of compassion.

For more of Lesley's considerable oeuvre visit him on MySpace or http://www.lesleychoyce.com/

(c) 2007 BookShorts Literacy Program; in association with Book Expo Canada Script to Screen Program.

Does a book win an a award, or does an author win a jury? Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist

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http://www.bookshorts.com/ The press release reads "Today, in a morning press conference that drew over 100 media and members of the publishing industry, the Scotiabank Giller Prize announced its 2007 shortlist. Selected by an esteemed jury panel comprised of author and 2005 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner David Bergen, author Camilla Gibb and author, poet and artist Lorna Goodison, the five finalists were chosen from a record 108 books submitted for consideration by 46 publishing houses from every region of the country." We thought the subject of the jury process itself was pretty interesting, especially considering David Gilmours comment on winning awards a few nights prior (see posting on this blog). He stated, "one does not win an award, one wins a jury." Giller founder Jack Rabinovitch, juror Camilla Gibb, and journalist Martin Levin weigh in.

Oh, and heres the actual shortlist:

Elizabeth Hay for her novel Late Nights on Air, McClelland & Stewart

Michael Ondaatje for his novel Divisadero, McClelland & Stewart

Daniel Poliquin for his novel A Secret Between Us, trans. Donald Winkler, Douglas & McIntyre

M.G. Vassanji for his novel The Assassins Song, Doubleday Canada

Alissa York for her novel Effigy, Random House Canada

(c) 2007 BookShorts.com

Callaghan, Quarrington, Carmody, Cohen - Word on the Street is more than a Book Bazaar

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http://www.movingstories.tv/ -- Perhaps its his self-effacing charm that has made Ben McNally a bookselling hero to publishers and customers alike. He certainly is a good-looking chap, don't you think? Visit his new store at Bay and Richmond and you'll see exactly what we mean, on both counts!

In the meantime, we've captured just a wee bit of the other activities that happen in Queen's Park Circle during The Word on The Street. It hosts all kinds of readings from luminaries such as Barry Callaghan (Between Trains); Tish Cohen (Town House); How to's seminars from the likes of Paul Quarrington on Writing Across Genres for Humber School for Writers; and Storyteller Bruce Carmody at the Children's Activity Tent. It even brings folks like Jon Pressick, Lars-Peter Bjornson (BookTelevision) and Anne Mroczkowski (CityTV) off the screen and onto the stage, hosting musical artists of the caliber of Earl La Pierre Jr, who definately got folks moving to the beat.

With thanks to all the interviewees in this third of three installments, and a special thanks to Tony Tobias for his fantastic still photographs included in the montage. (c) 2007 BookShorts.com

The Word On The Street: What it has done for Sue lately?

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http://www.movingstories.tv/ -- Sue Kenney has a great deal of faith in the goodness of people, a rare quality, and one she shares easily with the majority of those who man booths, speak in tents, give away tomes, and generally make the The Word On the Street one of the most inspiring outdoor events of Toronto's fall season. Watch this first of three vignettes we could not resist compiling, featuring the authors, publishers, booksellers and the 175,000 (or so!) bibliophiles that make this event sing.

With thanks to Joanne Smale, the organizers of the Fest, and our gracious interviewees: Sue Kenney, Author now of two memoirs with White Knight Books; Kitty Lewis of Brick Books; and Conan Tobias of Taddle Creek Press. (c) 2007 BookShorts.

SUE KENNEY, Author & Film Director, Live from CFRB Word on the Street

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www.bookshorts.com/blog -- The Word on the Street is far more than bargain books and beautiful weather, though we were lucky enough to have both. Author Sue Kenney is a wonderful case study in just how enterprising authors can become PUBLISHED authors through the rare access that the street festival provides. From the idea of a book, to actual published author, CFRB radio host Christina Chernesky knew her then and interviews her now, live from the CFRB radio booth on the Street.

Thanks to Christina, Sue and teh good folks at The Word on the Street. For more information about Sue Kenney and the upcoming screenings of her feature film, Las Peregrinas, log on to http://www.suekenney.ca/

Ray Zahab's RUNNING FOR MY LIFE will have you out of your seat

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http://www.bookshorts.com/ -- Winner of some of the worlds most difficult and challenging ultra-distance foot races, to say that Ray Zahab is motivated by challenge, distance and discovery is more than an understatement. In Running for My Life (Insomniac Press, Sep 2007) he documents in words the incredible journeys he has set himself upon, leaving behind a previous lifetime of unhealthy choices. His is an infectious and indefatigable energy that inspires anyone to take on our own life feats.

Ray will be touring across Canada (in the rather more conventional style!) -- check out http://www.rayzahab.com/ for details; visit Insomniac Press to but the book now!

BookShort Author Profile CoProduced with BookExpo Canada "Script to Screen" Program (c) BookShorts 2007; more at http://www.movingstories.tv/

Anne Stone's DELIBLE is a seductive and spooky tome

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bookshorts.com -- Reading the new novel DELIBLE by Anne Stone counts as one of the amazing perks of this job -- it was haunting, and mezmerizing, and immediately conjured all kinds of visual images that would make for a really fantastic short film adaptation. Anne herself is featured in our video profile here, and tells the equally poignant story of how she came to write about the fictional Lora Sprague, a fifteen year old whose sister Mel has gone missing, inspired by real life tragedy. In the book, through Lora's eyes, we come to witness one family's experience of sustained uncertainty and how our identities also exist in the traces we leave behind. "...a seductive meditation on the ways young women mythologize, cling to, enrapture, and lose one another." Heather O'Neill

Jessica Rhaye's song Crazy Jayne provides a rich subtext to the profile, and we are super-lucky to have the support of one of the most forward-thinking music publishers, Pangaea Music House. Thanks Tony! The track is from her most recent recording "Jessica Rhaye-Short Stories" more of which viewers can find at http://www.jessicarhaye.com/ .

The novel is now available from Insomniac Press; CoProduced with BookExpo Canada at Script to Screen (c) BookShorts 2007; Visit MovingStories.TV for more tales behind the stories!

IN AND DOWN by Brett Savory is more than a carnival

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BookShorts.com -- In Brett Alexander Savory's new novel, In and Down (Brindle & Glass, Sept 07), one could simplistically say a disturbed boy gets lost inside the frightening carnival of his own bizarre thoughts. But we agree with Quill and Quire bestowing a starred review, citing the book as a "masterful piece of work" and "transcending the conventions of the genre." Our filmic art-piece barely does justice, with a gesture to the wonderfully creepy dream-state that Brett evokes through the spiralling story. For those of you who love a psychically horrific tale (not the blood-splattering type, though you'll find the book in the horror section) and maximum fodder for cinematic nightmares, dive in and you will not be disappointed. This interview Sponsored by BookExpo Canada Script to Screen Program.

"If you gave me 10 words to describe Brett Savory's writing style, I'd only need 5: Like A House On Fire." -Craig Davidson, Author of The Fighter -- watch Craig's BookShort and many more on www.MovingStories.TV!