57 Community Centred

Angie Abdou British Columbia	Farzana Doctor Ontario	Dermot Healy Ireland
Suzette Mayr Alberta

Angie Abdou, British Columbia

Angie Abdou is a writer and teacher, with a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Calgary. Her books include the short story collection Anything Boys Can Do and two novels: The Bone Cage (a cbc Canada Reads 2011 finalist and the 2011–2012 MacEwan Book of the Year) and the brand new, critically acclaimed The Canterbury Trail. Abdou lives in Fernie, British Columbia, with her husband and two children. Read more

Farzana Doctor, Ontario

Farzana Doctor’s first novel, Stealing Nasreen, received critical acclaim and was nominated for Masala! Mehndi! Masti! People’s Choice Award. Doctor was recently awarded the Dayne Ogilvie Grant, awarded by the Writers’ Trust to an emerging gay or lesbian writer. She has also written on social work and diversity-related topics, and in her spare time she provides private practice consulting and psychotherapy services. She lives in Toronto. Her new novel is Six Metres of Pavement. Read more

Dermot Healy, Ireland

Dermot Healy is an Irish poet, novelist and dramatist. He lives in County Sligo and is the author of A Goat’s Song, Sudden Times and The Bend for Home. He has previously won the Hennessy Award (twice), the Tom Gallon Award, the Encore Award and the AWB Vincent American Ireland Fund Literary Award. His most recent novel is Long Time, No See.

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Suzette Mayr, Alberta

Suzette Mayr is the author of three previous novels: Moon Honey, The Widows and Venous Hum. The Widows was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (Caribbean and Canada region) and has been translated into German. Moon Honey was shortlisted for the Writers Guild of Alberta Best First Book Award and Best Novel Award. Her newest novel is Monoceros, concerning the aftermath of a teenager’s suicide at a Catholic high school. She lives and works in Calgary. Read more

Host: Aislinn Hunter
Saturday, October 22, 2011 - 2:00pm
Waterfront Theatre
$17

Four very different novels—and novelists—have tackled the subject of community bonds and community restrictions. Echoing the format of The Canterbury Tales, Angie Abdou throws disparate characters together to create a community. Irish writer Dermot Healy writes characters that are misfits and innocents, living together in friendship and feuding in an isolated coastal town in northwest Ireland. Suzette Mayr weaves her novel around the community that forms after a bullied boy commits suicide. And Farzana Doctor tells of one man's attempt to overcome the worst mistake of his life. Come together as a community of readers this afternoon to enjoy a lively discussion about different narrative styles and the pros and cons of humans in groups.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the door 45 minutes before the event begins.

57 Community Centred

2011 Festival