This Is Not The Shakespeare Stage


 

Host:  Sue Carter Flinn is a Toronto-based writer and editor. Her journalism has appeared in a variety of local and national publications and websites.  She is currently the Web Editor at Quill & Quire, Canada’s publishing trade magazine.
 

Click on a segment below to learn more.

• 12:00 - 1:00 PM :: The Adventure of Writing Collaboratively - Seven (the series)

  Writing is typically a solitary endeavour, but when authors combine their talents and visions, exciting literary projects can be born. Collaborative series writing has to take into account many challenging factors, including intertwining plot points, different authorial voices and styles, and the restrictions of overarching structures and themes. Norah McClintock, Shane Peacock, Richard Scrimger, and Ted Staunton take to the stage to discuss the process of collaborating on a series of connected adventure novels.

  About Seven (the series)

  When David McLean, well-loved grandfather and avid adventurer, dies, he leaves behind an unusual will that outlines sevens tasks he has set for his seven grandsons. Eric Walters, John Wilson, Ted Staunton, Richard Scrimger, Norah McClintock, Sigmund Brouwer and Shane Peacock bring their signature writing styles to a series of adventures that take readers from the top of Kilimanjaro to the bottom of the Mediterranean.

  Norah McClintock is a five-time winner of the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Novel. Although Norah is a freelance editor, she still manages to write at least one novel a year. Norah grew up in Montreal, Quebec, and now lives with her family in Toronto. She is the author of the Seven (the series) novel Close to the Heel.

  Shane Peacock is an award-winning novelist (Boy Sherlock Series), playwright, journalist and television screenwriter. Shane lives in the countryside north of Cobourg, Ontario. He is the author of the Seven (the series) novel Last Message.

  Richard Scrimger is the award-winning author of more than 15 books for children and adults. The father of four children, he has written humorous pieces about his family life for The Globe & Mail and Chatelaine. He is the author of the Seven (the series) novel Ink Me.

  Ted Staunton’s previous books include the well-loved “Green Applestreet Gang” series, the “Cyril and Maggie” series, the Morgan series, Puddleman, Simon's Surprise and several titles in the “Dreadful Truth” series. Ted lives in Port Hope, Ontario. He is the author of the Seven (the series) novel Jump Cut.

  Orca Book Publishers - $9.95 - Young Adult Fiction

• 1:00 - 1:30 PM :: Facing your Fears through Writing, with Meagan Crewe

  Megan Crewe has read quite a few scary books in her life, but only two—both involving epidemics—have ever frightened her enough to give her nightmares. So why did she decide to write her own epidemic book, The Way We Fall, if she finds the topic so disturbing? What are the challenges, and what is the value of writing about subjects that make you uncomfortable?

  The Way We Fall

  When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. When the virus starts to rob Kaelyn of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.  Because how will she go on if there isn't?

  Megan Crewe lives in Toronto with her husband and three cats; she tutors teens with special needs; and—thankfully—the worst virus she's caught so far is the garden variety flu.  She is also the author of Give Up the Ghost. 

  Disney Hyperion; distributed by Hachette Book Group Canada - $18.59 - Young Adult

• 1:30 - 2:30 PM :: Out of the Ordinary

  Four writers.  One Hour. Four extraordinary new reads from bold and imaginative literary voices.

  Under the Moon

  Deborah Kerbel

  Lily has never been much of a sleeper, but since the death of her Aunt Su, she’s lost the ability to sleep completely. Looking for a way to spend her sleepless nights, she slips out of the house. She meets Ben, who works the night shift at the local drive-thru. Ben has a troubled past — and future — that he keeps from Lily. As Lily’s sleeplessness begins to destroy her health, she has no idea that Ben holds the key to finding her sleep and saving her life. But first, she has to find a way to save his.

  Deborah Kerbel’s teen novels include Mackenzie, Lost and Found; Girl on the Other Side, and Lure. A native of London, UK, Deborah now lives and writes in Thornhill.

  Dancing Cat Books - $14.95 - Young Adult Fiction

   

  Starling
  Lesley Livingston

  As a champion fencer on Gosforth Academy’s team, Mason Starling has never had to fight for her life- until now. When a ferocious storm sends a tree crashing into the school, Mason survives thanks to a mysterious stranger who remembers nothing but his name: Fennrys Wolf. As they struggle to make sense of the strange events around them and to piece together his past, they discover disturbing omens about Mason’s future.

  Lesley Livingston is a writer and actor living in Toronto. She is the author of the award winning Wonderous Strange and its sequels Darklight and Tempestuous as well as Once Every Never.

  HarperCollins Canada - $17.95 - Young Adult Fiction

   

  (You) Set Me On Fire

  Mariko Tamaki

  In writer and performer Mariko Tamaki’s new novel, Allison Lee is seventeen and off to college. So far, she's been in love once (total catastrophe) and on fire twice (also pretty bad). Both love and fire have left their scars. Allison takes up residence in Dylan Hall (a.k.a. Dyke Hall) at St. Joseph's College, where she discovers the true gift of freshman year: the opportunity to reinvent yourself. Allison still feels like the odd girl out ... until Shar appears. Beautiful and blinding, Shar quickly becomes the sun at the centre of Allison's universe, drawing her in with dangerous allure. Will Allison get burned again? And, if she does ... what kind of scars will she earn this time?

  Penguin Canada - $16.00 - Young Adult Fiction

   

  Doom: Love Poems for Supervillains

  Natalie Zina Walschots

  Poet and music journalist Natalie Zina Walschots' second book of poems is an edgy and erotic investigation of comic book evildoers. These poems employ a language that is highly technical and dense but it becomes witty, intimate and even tender in its specificity. Doom addresses the results of abuses of power and presents a case study on the pathology of villainy.

  Insomniac Press/ 4 a.m. Books - $16.95 - Poetry

• 2:30 - 3:30 PM :: Open Mic Hour, Presented by:   

  The spotlight is ready, are you? In May this year, The Word On The Street began accepting submissions from writers aged 13-19 who were seeking the opportunity to showcase their work at the festival. From those submissions, seven new voices have been selected to perform short readings of their work.

  Participating authors: Damir Allen, Benjamin Gabbay, Caitlin Gallagher (with Liam Gallagher), Michael Chen, Miranda Lynn, Dante Mottillo, and Anessa Mustafa.

• 3:30 - 4:10 PM :: Looking at Lyrics:  The Art of Song Writing

  A catchy melody is enough to get a song stuck in your head, but the perfect lyrics can often make a good song great. How do unforgettable song lyrics come to be? Join this panel of experienced songwriters and musical performers as they discuss the poetry and craft of song writing.

  Casey Mecija is an accomplished musician and community organizer. She is the lead singer/songwriter of the band Ohbijou and an arts educator for young Filipino women. She is also the co-founder of the Friends in Bellwoods music project, which has raised $35,000 and counting for the Daily Bread Food Bank of Toronto.

  Derek Monson is a member of the indie-pop quintet Hands & Teeth. The band is fresh off of performances at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas, Canadian Music Fest 2012, and NXNE. As a member of Hands & Teeth, Derek has had the unique opportunity to explore the realm of collaborative writing, embracing the important negotiation of ideas that occurs between unique individuals.
  
  Vivek Shraya is a Toronto-based multimedia artist, working in the mediums of music, performance, literature and film. Winner of the “We Are Listening International Singer/Songwriter Award”, Vivek has released albums ranging from acoustic folk-rock to electro synth-pop. His sixth record, 1:1, was released last fall.

  The pedigree of Gentleman Reg (Reg Vermue) is beyond extensive at this point and has included over the years current and ex-members of bands such as Arcade Fire, Islands, Constantines, Great Lake Swimmers, The Weakerthans, Ohbijou, The Unicorns, Royal City, The Hidden Cameras, Owen Pallett, to name a few!Reg is an on again off again member of The Hidden Cameras and has launched another band called Light Fires who have toured extensively throughout Europe and Canada.

• 4:15 - 4:45 PM :: Sherlock Holmes: A Perfect Character for our Times, with Shane Peacock

  Victor Frankenstein, Robin Hood, Elizabeth Bennett – there’s a certain kind of pleasure that comes from reading a retelling of a classic story, starring one of our all-time favourite characters.   However, the success of such a venture lies in the hands of an author who can find the fine line between nailing the authenticity of the original character we know, whilst simultaneously exploring a unique new voice or perspective.  Join Shane Peacock, the award winning author of the Boy Sherlock Holmes series, as he discusses how Sherlock’s appeal has stood the test of time and found a new generation of fans!

  Becoming Holmes

  In the sixth and final novel in the groundbreaking Boy Sherlock Holmes series, our hero discovers that his rival, the criminal Malefactor, has used nefarious means to place one of his two henchmen in a powerful position in the government treasury offices. But the henchman crosses his superior and is brutally murdered and thrown into the River Thames. Sherlock seeks to implicate Malefactor in the henchman’s death, believing that he can, once and for all, bring down his rival. But is the murderer whom Sherlock suspects? Or is some darker, even more powerful force moving about London? Some will be exposed, some will live, and others will die in this surprising and shocking conclusion to the award-winning series.

  A biographer, journalist, and screenwriter, Shane Peacock, is also the author of several novels and plays. He has received many honors for his writing, including the prestigious Arthur Ellis Award for Eye of the Crow and the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Vanishing Girl. The Boy Sherlock Holmes series has won and been nominated for more than forty literary awards in Canada and the United States.

• 4:45 - 5:30 PM :: Death: The Final Frontier

  Death. It’s the less pleasurable certainty in life, even ahead of taxes. Writers and artists have been compelled to talk about mortality in their work since the beginning of humankind. What is it that we look to explore on this, the most final of topics? Join Anthony Del Col, Evan Munday, and Grace O’Connell as they discuss how authors from varying stylistic backgrounds deal with the “undiscovered country.” Filled with humour and pathos, this panel will be the one you’ll die if you miss.

  Anthony Del Col has worked in the music, film and television industries, produced two independent feature films and most recently assisted with the management of international pop star Nelly Furtado and her world tour. Del Col is the co-creator of Kill Shakespeare, an epic adventure story that takes all of the Bard's greatest heroes (Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Falstaff) and pits them against his most menacing villains (Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Iago) on a quest to find and kill a reclusive wizard named William Shakespeare.

  Evan Munday is the illustrator of the novel Stripmalling, written by Jon Paul Fiorentino and DOOM: Love Poems for Supervillains, written by Natalie Zina Walschots. He is also the cartoonist behind the self-published comic book, Quarter-Life Crisis, set in a post-apocalyptic Toronto. He works as a book publicist for Coach House Books. The second book in The Dead Kid Detective Agency series of novels for young readers, Dial 'M' for Morna, will be released in Spring 2013.

  Grace O'Connellholds an MFA in Creative Writing. She is the author of Magnified World, and her work has appeared in various publications including The Walrus, Taddle Creek, Quill & Quire and EYE Weekly. She has taught creative writing at George Brown College and now works as a freelance writer and editor in Toronto.