Readings: Vincent Lam, Alissa York, Marina Nemat and Edward Carson
Thursday, March 6, 2008 @ 7:30pm FREE
Innis Town Hall
(2 Sussex Ave.)
The University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (SCS) and U of T Bookstore are pleased to announce participation in the inaugural U of T Festival of the Arts, which celebrates a rich range of creative talent across all three campuses during three weeks in March. (www.arts.utoronto.ca).
On Thursday, we will host readings by an outstanding line-up of authors including 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner Dr. Vincent Lam. Celebrated authors Marina Nemat and Alissa York, and poet Edward Carson will read as well. Novelist Lee Gowan, who heads up SCS’s Creative Writing Program, says the School’s literary community is thriving. “We are thrilled and honoured to be able to shine a spotlight on such sparkling talent, on four incredible writers affiliated with SCS.”
Book-signing will follow. The writers are featured below in order of appearance.
2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize Nominee Alissa York is the author of award-winning short fiction and the national bestselling novels, Mercy and, most recently, Effigy. York is currently teaching Writing Short Fiction: Master Class at the School of Continuing Studies and will teach the Short Fiction Workshop at their popular Summer Writing School from July 7 – 11, 2008.
Award-winning poet and U of T Alumnus Edward Carson will read from his second book of poetry Taking Shape, to be released in March, 2008. Formerly the President of Penguin Group (Canada), Carson is now the Chief Business Officer and Associate Director of the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.
School of Continuing Studies Creative Writing Certificate holder and international bestselling author, Marina Nemat reads from her memoir, Prisoner of Tehran. Her book first took shape as a project in one of instructor Lee Gowan’s creative writing courses. Her book has been nominated for several awards and Nemat was recently awarded the Human Dignity Prize by the European Parliament.
Dr. Vincent Lam’s short story collection, Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures won the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Now 33, Lam was the youngest ever to win the award. His collection was recently nominated for the Story Prize, a prestigious annual US-based award. Lam is an emergency physician and former student of the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies Creative Writing Summer School.
