What better time for the annual Bookapalooza than at the beginning of another school year?
The two-day celebration of reading, writing, and sheer enjoyment of books will be taking place at the Minden Curling Club Sept. 15-16.
The Big Book Club, part of the Arts Council Haliburton Highlands (ACHH) Bookapalooza, kicks off the events Friday night featuring author Lawrence Hill in conversation with Chris Stephenson (CEO/chief librarian of the Haliburton County Public Library) starting at 7 p.m.
Hill is also a journalist, educator, documentary writer and member of the Order of Canada and has won numerous literary awards, including the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for best book. His Book of Negroes was also made into a mini-series for CBC television and he’s recently published a children’s fantasy novel, Beatrice and Croc Harry.
The fun continues, for free, on Saturday when the doors open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, to explore close to 60 exhibitors, presentations, activities, and free books. The Lions Club of Haliburton & District is supporting the Children’s Book Nook, where children’s author Heather O’Connor, co-author of Runs with the Stars, a story about rescued Indigenous horses in Canada, will be leading a storybook stroll outside while reading her book.
The Readers and Writers Expo on Saturday also includes a variety of representatives from the Writers Union of Canada, Crime Writers of Canada and other services and organizations related to writing that will be happy to answer questions or provide helpful information.
Rene Woltz, board member of ACHH and chair of the literary arts roundtable is excited about the range of programming for this year’s expo,
“Besides the exhibits, we’re offering a series of five adult presentations that celebrate words in all forms. Not only in the form of publisher panels, but memoirists and non-fiction authors, also singer-songwriter Sandra Bouza will be there to wrap up the presentations. So, a bit of something for everyone,” she said.
Admission for both days is free, however, advanced copies of Hill’s latest adult novel, as well as children’s novel and a guaranteed seat for Friday night’s conversation with the author, can be ordered through ACHH at haliburtonarts.on.ca
