Authors Festival

Meet well-known authors and emerging Canadian writers during the County’s four-day literary celebration.
The Festival begins at 6:30p.m. on Wednesday, May 11 with the popular Fundraising Author Festival Dinner at Portabella Restaurant in Picton, with Charles Foran and Noah Richler.

Take in a Master Class with the award-winning Charles Foran upstairs at:
Books & Company, Picton.
The presentation will be "Telling Lives: How to Build a Biography"The class is limited to 12 participants, and the cost per person is $30.00

Enjoy Poetry In The Pub at the Acoustic Grill. On hand will be the legendary Dennis Lee (YesNo, Un, Riffs), Susan Perly (Love Street), Heather Cadsby (Could be), John Oughton, (Time Slip), and 2010 Governor General Award Winner Richard Greene (Boxing the Compass).

There will be an "open mic" for all local poets at the Acoustic Grill from 5.30, please sign-up for at the door for your chance to read or call 613.476.3037

Schools around the County will bring students at 10:00am to the Regent Theatre to hear famous children's author Dennis Lee (Alligator Pie, Garbage Delight, The Cat and the Wizard) at the newly renovated Regent Theatre.

At the Wellington branch of the Public Library, students can enjoy children’s author and illustrator Ruth Ohi (Clara and the Bossy; Chicken, Pig, Cow)

Poetry lovers take note! Winner of the 2010 Governor General's Award for English language poetry Richard Greene (Boxing the Compass) presents a poetry workshop at Books & Company at 3:30pm Limited spaces. $20.00

In the evening at Books & Company., non fiction reigns with Wayne Grady and Merilyn Simonds (Breakfast at the Exit Cafe) and Merilyn Simonds reading from her new memoir, (A New Leaf) and Iain Reid (One Bird's Choice).

from 9:00am to 10:30am

Joel Yanofsky will read from his non-fiction memoir (Bad Animals - a father's accidental education in autism) followed by a Breakfast Panel discussion on memoir and biography upstairs at Books & Company with Joel Yanofsky, Wayne Grady and Merilyn Simonds. Invigorating chat and delicious Miss Lily's Breakfast.

from 11:00am to 12:15am

Fictions with Richard Cumyn (The Young in Their Country and Other Stories), Kristen den Hartog (And Me Among Them), David Homel (Midway), and Matthew J. Trafford (The Divinity Gene).

from 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Michael Riordon (Our Way to Fight) on peace activists in Israel-Palestine. Hear first hand accounts from Riordon's experiences. Reading followed by Q&A.

from 3:30pm to 5:30pm

Topping off the day it’s The County Reads Debate. Which book will prevail? Come hear Andrew McLuhan, Norma Currah, Lynne Donovan, Caroline Granger and Bev Campbell defend their choices.

The Regent Theatre film presentations of Barney's Version starting with a Tuesday Matinee at 3:30pm followed by evening presentations at 7:00pm Tuesday May 10th to Thursday May 12th.