A member of science fiction writing royalty will make a pit stop in Haliburton County this summer.
Robert J. Sawyer has been announced as the featured guest for the sixth-annual Bookapalooza, returning to the Minden Community Centre July 12. With 25 published novels to his name, Sawyer is one of the most respected and prolific authors of the genre, said Douglas Tindal, a member of the Bookapalooza steering committee.
“It’s a very big deal that we have Robert coming here – he’s a big name, world-renowned,” Tindal said. “He’s one of only eight writers to win all three of science fiction’s major awards, and he’s the only Canadian to do so.”
Sawyer earned the 1995 Nebula Award for Best Novel for The Terminal Experiment, the 2003 Hugo Award for Hominids, and the 2006 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Mindscan. His book FlashForward was adapted for television in 2009, airing for one season.
Tindal said he met Sawyer more than 40 years ago and has kept in touch. He offered some comments on the draft form of Sawyer’s latest book, The Downloaded, before it was published in 2023. Already a member of the Bookapalooza steering committee by then, he floated the idea of a future appearance.
“Rob is always very keen to get out and meet fans – he thrives off that, so he is happy to join us,” Tindal said, noting Sawyer will participate in a Q&A during the event and attend a more intimate dinner experience with fans at the Dominion Hotel in the evening. Both will require a ticket, Tindal said, available at haliburtonarts.on.ca.
While Sawyer’s books fit the science fiction genre, Tindal said his style is more The Handmaid’s Tale than Star Wars. “I know a lot of people say they don’t read science fiction, that it’s all to do with space and other-worldly adventures, but it isn’t. Rob’s stories are all about human beings reacting to new situations they’ve never encountered before, grappling with questions of how we adapt and continue in new environments under new threats. He’s a master at all of that,” Tindal said.
The rest of this year’s run is free to attend. There will be more than 40 authors selling and telling their stories about their works in an exhibitor hall, with five private writing workshops scheduled through the day – a new feature this year.
Tindal said those workshops will be led by visiting authors, with a full lineup to be released next month. He said topics will “focus on things that anybody who lives in this area would probably have an interest in.”
The event, now in its third year under the Bookapalooza banner after rebranding from The Big Book Club, has been gaining traction. Attendance has been up for the past two years, Tindal said, with authors traveling from the GTA, Kitchener, and Ottawa.
“It probably takes five years for an event of this kind to become fully established… We want Bookapalooza to be recognized as one of the premiere cultural activities in Haliburton County.
“We have so much cultural activity to be proud of here, but the literary arts are not as prominent, not showcased as often. We want literary arts to take its place among our incredible visual, performing, and musical arts,” Tindal said.
