Haliburton County’s first-ever Bookapalooza is set to bring writers, readers and creatives of all stripes together at the Minden Community Centre Sept. 24.
The event is meant to “connect readers and writers on a local level,” said one of the organizers, Kathy Lawton Purc. It’s hosted by the Haliburton Highlands Literary Arts Round Table, a division of the Arts Council Haliburton Highlands.
“It’s a chance to meet editors and illustrators and people who have services for writers and for them to connect on a personto-person basis with readers,” Purc said.
Along with a performance by the Rural Rogues theatre troupe, a host of book exhibitors, illustrators and more will attend, along with award-winning author Terry Fallis. He’ll chat about his writing and even lead a hike as part of Hike Haliburton festival.
“He’s going to be kind of ad-libbing things as he works along,” Purc said.
Haliburton County Public Library CEO Christopher Stephenson will host a conversation with Fallis at 7 p.m. at the “Big Book Club,” where they’ll chat about the author’s career and his new novel, Operation Angus.
Fallis has garnered more than a dozen writing accolades, including a Stephen Leacock Award. Seven other authors and creatives will also present at Bookapalooza.
Childrens’ authors Carolyn Huizinga Mills, Irene Davidson Fisher and Erin Thomas will be reading at the Children’s Book Nook, musician Jim Love will host a “Tell Me Your Life Story in 3 Minutes” storytelling session, poet Anabelle Craig will read from her first collection, and historical fiction author Marie Gage will lead a workshop on family history interviewing.
Lawton Purc will also speak about “The Power of Memoir.”
She said the wide age and genre range of the authors shows, “you can be a writer at any age and become a writer at any age.”
She said she’s excited to speak on memoir writing. “Writing memoir is really a journey for the writer, you’re finding out things you’re not expecting,” she said. “It takes you to a whole new level of depth you weren’t expecting and you end up with emotional truths and factual truths you weren’t aware off.”
Bookapalooza is funded through a Haliburton County Development Corporation Local Initiatives Program grant and sponsored by Parker Pad & Printing. It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Minden Community Centre.
