10. Icelandic writer Sigurjón Birgir Sigurdsson (aka Sjón) is making four appearances at this year’s Vancouver Writers Fest: The Toast(s) of Europe,
An Intimate Evening with Sjón, The Magnetic North and The Literary Cabaret. Known for his surrealistic take on Icelandic folk tales, among other things, Sjón co-wrote Björk’s “Isobel” with Björk, Nellee Hooper and Marius De Vries. See music video of “Isobel” directed by Michael Gondry here: youtube.com/watch?v=S1QtZqCiP7s. Also Sjón in The Guardian: youtube.com/watch?v=Jli_BFFaR8A and in conversation earlier this year with Hari Kunzru at Scandinavia
House in New York City at an event introduced by Björk:
youtube.com/watch?v=lj4DhoWs9yk
9. Clever print ad spec for the Vancouver International Writers Fest 2012 made by UK creative studio Featherwax: vimeo.com/55853537
8. Born in Ireland the very Irish Emma Donoghue lives in London, Ontario. She discusses her latest novel, Frog Music, at the Politics & Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.: youtube.com/watch?v=bsG3k8y1bos. Donoghue has published eight novels, including The Sealed Letter, which was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and Room, which won the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction and the Man Booker Prize. She is scheduled to appear in two events at the festival: at Performance Works on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. Emma Donoghue and Sarah Waters in Conversation with host Annabel Lyon (sold out) and The Life and Times at Waterfront Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 10:30 a.m. with David Homel and Jane Smiley.
7. Norway’s Proustian author Karl Ove Knausgaard discusses his epic My Struggle series with Steven Gale for Big Ideas Australia ABC:
abc.net.au/tv/bigideas/stories/2013/07/22/3805750.htm. Knausgaard appeared at three events this week at the Vancouver festival: My Way, Karl Ove Knausgaard in Conversation with John Freeman and The Toast(s) of Europe.
6. Early in her career New Zealand’s Anne Kennedy had a hand in writing the cult hit Crush: nzonscreen.com/title/crush-1992. Kennedy’s most recent novel is the acclaimed The Last Days of the National Costume. Her poetry collection, The Darling North, won the 2013 New Zealand Post Book Award for Poetry. She makes three appearances at the fest: Grand Openings — the Alma Lee Opening Night Event,Odd Jobs and Pure Poetry.
5. The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu, a BBC4 documentary can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=Heh_91lhenA. The story of Timbuktu and its long-hidden legacy of thousands of ancient manuscripts collected in libraries in northern Mali.
4. Katherena Vermette — Wildflower. Métis writer of poetry, fiction and children’s literature. Her work has appeared in several literary magazines and compilations, including Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water. Vermette’s first book, North End Love Songs, won the 2013 Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry: youtube.com/watch?v=WxEdkqBn_ic. Vermette will be featured in two events at the festival: Pure Poetry today at Waterfront Theatre and The Poetry Bash at Performance Works on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m.
3. William Gibson discusses the future of science fiction and The Decline of “Cyberspace” with Northwestern University’s Bill Savage in 2011: youtube.com/watch?v=fVnt_Rr-TB4. Gibson has been called the father of the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction, having coined the term “cyberspace” in 1982 and popularized it in his first novel, Neuromancer. Gibson is appearing at two events at the Vancouver Writers Fest: Local Legends which took place last night and Probables and Impossibles with fantasy writers A.M. Dellamonica and Sebastien de Castell at Performance Works Saturday, Oct. 25 at 10:30 a.m. Host: Peter Darbyshire
2. Vancouver Writers Fest website:
writersfest.bc.ca
1. 28 Brilliant Works Of Literary Graffiti
From Animal Farm to Slaughterhouse-Five: buzzfeed.com/danieldalton/literary-graffiti#53sg4z.
