MONDAY, OCTOBER 22ND, 2012
Nerys Parry with guest Méira Cook — Reading & Signing
McNally Robinson,
7:30 pm in Travel Alcove
1120 Grant Avenue, Winnipeg
Reading & Signing Man and Other Natural Disasters: A Novel (Enfield & Wizenty).
Simon Peters, a bookbinder full of theories on everything from heart-broken shrimp to the consciousness of DNA, is hiding from his horrific past in the basement of the Calgary City Library. Enter Minerva, a twenty-two year-old student. Her ghostly resemblance to Simon’s dead sister compels him to slowly reveal the shocking story of the various natural disasters that killed his family. But Simon’s story does not add up. When he finds Minerva bleeding on his bathroom floor, he must conquer the tyranny of his own memory and confront what really happened that summer of 1962. But the truth proves no less confounding, or tragic, than the original tale.
Nerys Parry’s writing has aired on CBC radio and appeared in publications including Queen’s Quarterly, and been shortlisted for the Event Non-Fiction Award (2004 and 2007). Parry enjoys straddling the divide between science and fiction; she holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from Queen’s and an MFA from UBC. She lives in Ottawa with her husband and two children.
Parry is joined this evening by Méira Cook, a widely published poet based in Winnipeg who won the CBC Literary Award for poetry in 2006. Cook will be reading from The House on Sugarbush Road, her debut novel, which tells the story of the intertwining lives of a once prominent liberal Afrikaner family and their domestic servant of more than thirty years in post-apartheid Johannesburg shortly after the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela.
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PAST EVENTS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9th 2011
3 Women, 3 Books
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street, Ottawa
Click here for mapMeet three Ottawa authors who have taken very different paths to publication. Sandra Nicholls, Jasmine Aziz and Nerys Parry will read from their books and answer audience questions in what promises to be a lively discussion on traditional vs. self publishing. Light refreshments will be served, and books will be available for sale.
For more information on the event, please see What’s On at the Friends of the Library and Archives Canada website.
Download the poster here: Three women three books-1
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10th2011
An Intimate Reading
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Collected Works
1242 Wellington Street West (at Holland), Ottawa
What if you had a secret you couldn’t tell anyone—not even yourself? This is the question local author Nerys Parry explores in her debut novel, Man & Other Natural Disasters, which chronicles one man’s journey to face a past even his own nation wishes it could forget. Based on real events, Man & Other Natural Disasters is a testament to the power of story in a world too often shaken by forces outside our control: nature, terrorism, death—even love. Of all the planet has yet to throw at us, the question remains: can we recover from the worst natural disaster yet—ourselves?
Nerys will be at Collected Works to sign books and read from her novel. She will talk about the pleasures and pitfalls she experienced during her 11-year journey to bring her novel to print, and what surprising lessons her characters taught her along the way. Nerys’ novel was a finalist for the 2011 Colophon Prize. Her writing has aired on CBC radio and been shortlisted for FreeFall’s Fall Fiction Contest, and the Event Non-Fiction Award.
Join Nerys for an intimate evening of good coffee and personal stories at one of Ottawa’s best independent bookstores! For more info, check out Collected Works events page.
Download poster here: Collected works
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17th
Ottawa Public Library Author Series
Words with Weight: preserving our books and resurrecting our stories
7:00 – 8:00 pm
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch
120 Metcalfe Street, Ottawa
Repairing damaged books is more than just a bit of sticky tape here, a quick ticky-tack there. You must understand what holds a story together, not just the make of binding but the type of glue and thread. … The trick to book repair—the art, really—is recognizing what you must do to keep the story alive, and at the same time, true.
– From Man & Other Natural Disasters, by Nerys Parry
As part of the Ottawa Public Library Author Series, local author, Nerys Parry, will be joined by expert book binder Pierre Thibaudeau and antiquarian book dealers Colin Borgal and Peter Jones, for a night dedicated to the beauty of books—a must see for anyone who has a fetishism for the printed form. Nerys will read from her beautifully-bound debut novel, Man & Other Natural Disasters, and talk about the role old books and archival materials played in the creation of her characters, and how they led her to uncover one of our country’s darker, and almost forgotten pasts. Her talk will be followed by an interview with Pierre, Colin and Peter on the art of book repair, preservation collecting and dealing.
Pierre, owner of Book Craft Bindery, studied with a master bookbinder from the National Archives and has been in business full-time for eighteen years. For more information on Pierre, visit http://www.bookcraftbindery.ca/
Colin and Peter are co-owners of Borgal & Jones Rare Books who offer Rare Books to a worldwide clientele through E-Bay handle “csborgal2”. For more information on Colin and Peter, visit www://bajrarebooks.com
Click here to download poster: Words with Weight Poster
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH, 2011
Ottawa Authors & Artisans 2011 Fall Fair
10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Jack Purcell Centre Room 203
320 Jack Purcell Lane (Elgin & Lewis intersection)
Click here for map
Ottawa Independent Writers will be hosting their annual 2011 Authors & Artisans Fall Fair. Books and art will be on sale–perfect for Christmas gifts and supports your local community too! Free admission and parking, wheelchair accessible.Click here to download poster: OIW Fall Fair Nov 2011 Low-Detail poster-3
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH, 2011
Secrets and Stories at Palms
7:00 pm – 9:00 pmPalms Coffee Shop
78 Mill Street, Almonte, Ontario
Join local author Nerys Parry at The Palms on November 24th, 2011, at 7:00 pm to talk about the challenges she experienced during her 11-year journey to publish her debut novel, Man & Other Natural Disasters. She will describe how a school house scribbler she stumbled upon at the National Archives led her to discover an almost forgotten and dark period of our country’s history, and why she felt it was important to share this buried story, and the surprising truths she learned about her country and herself, with readers across the country.
The event is free, and sponsored by Mill Street Books. Copies of Nerys’ novel will be available for sale during and after the event.
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9th 2011
3 Women, 3 Books Reunite!
For Tackling Taboos: 3 Woman Talk Sex, Politics & Religion in Writing
6:30 – 8:30 pmMother Tongue Books1067 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario
Click here for mapThree women reunite two months later to talk about those topics “one doesn’t discuss at dinner” and how they have influenced our writing. Join Sandra Nicholls, Jasmine Aziz and me at the fantastic Mother Tongue Books Store in Ottawa for a night sure to make you laugh and think. We will be sharing our views on what it is like being a woman writer tackling taboo subjects, and reading some of the juicier sections of our books. The discussion is sure to be lively, and Jasmine has promised treats. Everyone welcome!
Download the poster here: Three Women_Mother Tongue-1
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JANUARY 23rd – February 3rd, 2012
Virtual Book Tour
The schedule for my book tour is finally out! It can be viewed on-line here, and the main stops are listed below:
- January 23rd – Jaidis S. @ Juniper Grove
- January 24th – Cheryl F. @ Black Diamond’s Book Reviews
- January 25th – Lindsay H @ Everyday Is An Adventure
- January 26th – Bobbie @ Nurture Virtual Book Tourz™ Blog
- January 26th – Lucy D. @ Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf
- January 27th – Laurie J. @ Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews
- January 30th – Jaidis S. @ Juniper Grove
- January 30th – Jennifer @ Mad Moose Mama
- January 31st – Lindsay H @ Everyday Is An Adventure
- February 1st – Morgen B. @ Morgen Bailey’s Writing Blog
- February 2nd – Gail An. @ Gail Anderson-Dargatz
- February 2nd – Laurie J. @ Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews
- February 3rd – Bobbie @ Nurture Virtual Book Tourz™ Blog
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Click to see full-size poster
SATURDAY, MARCH 3rd, 2012
Celebrate Her’s Opening Night
Three Women / Three Books
Searching for Self
7 pm – 10 pm
Alpha Soul Cafe
1015 Wellington Street,
Ottawa, Ontario
Click here for directions.
Yes, the three women are back, this time in support of a fantastic local cause. Join Jasmine Aziz, Sandra Nicholls and me as we open the week-long Celebrate HER festival with a talk on the search for self through writing, and the expanding role of women in writing. Doorprizes will be available, and donations will be collected for the Sexual Assault Support Centre in Ottawa.
For more information on Celebrate HER, check out http://celebrateher.org/
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THURSDAY, MARCH 15th, 2012
When Cowgirls Get the Blues: Western Women Writers on Murder, Mayhem and Madness
7 pm – 9 pm
Shelf Life Books
Corner of 4th Street and 13th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2R 0X8
Join Alberta authors Betty Jane Hegerat, Barb Howard, Lori Hahnel and Lee Kvern, with guest author Nerys Parry for a night dedicated to some of the best new writing from the “new west”.
These five women writers will tell wild & wicked tales and share their processes for writing through darkness to create stories “that kill”
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FRIDAY, MARCH 16th, 2012
A Debutante’s Ball: The Highs & Lows, Joys & Woes, of Publishing Your First Novel
Calgary Public Library
Noon to 1:00 pm
616 Macleod Trail SE
Calgary, Alberta
T2G 2M2
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SATURDAY, APRIL 21st, 2012
Tackling Taboos in Toronto
The Academy of the Impossible
7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
231 Wallace Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
To get directions, click here.
Riding on the heels of the super success of Tackling Taboos in Ottawa at Mother Tongue Bookstore (click here for a post on the event), ‘the three’ are now heading down Toronto-way to the exciting Academy of the Impossible to again discuss those things that shouldn’t be mentioned at dinner. We’ll be reading from our books and again sharing our views on the controversial issues explored in our novels, and talk about why telling an honest story–no matter how taboo–is important to us all.
Seating is limited, and almost half the tickets are already sold. To register, please contact the School at: http://impossible.ws/contact
Looking forward to being in TO!
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SUNDAY, APRIL 29th, 2012
Ottawa International Writer’s Festival
CockTales with Tamara Faith Berger, Daniel Allen Cox, Megan Butcher, Nerys Parry and Jasmine Aziz
Time: 8:30 pm
Venus Envy
320 Lisgar Street,
Ottawa Ontario
To get directions, click here
Where better than Venus Envy for an evening of prose exploring lust and desire and the power of intimacy to heal and harm?
Join us for an explicit evening with Tamara Faith Berger, author of Maidenhead;Daniel Allen Cox, author of Basement of Wolves; Megan Butcher , author of Here, There, Home; Nerys Parry, author of Man and Other Natural Disasters and Jasmine Aziz , author of Sex & Samosas.
Click here for more information on Ottawa International Writer’s Festival.
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FRIDAY, MAY 18TH
In the Merry Month of May
Books on Beechwood
35 Beechwood Ave. Ottawa, Ontario
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Join writers Gabriella Golinger, Daniel Griffith, Sandra Nicholls and myself at Books on Beechwood for a night of wine, cheese and words as we share stories about coming of age, stopping for strangers, seas turning to lemonade and natural disasters in the merry month of May.
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SATURDAY, JUNE 9th, 2012
Provocative Prose in Perth
Backbeat Books
6 Wilson St W, Perth, ON K7H 2M5
7:00 pm
Join Three Women/Three Books at Backbeat Books in the beautiful village of Perth for an evening of award-winning writing and discussions that might surprise you! Collectively, the work of Sandra Nicholls, Jasmine Aziz and Nerys Parry has been described as compelling, outrageous, hilarious, and brilliant. Come out and decide for yourself!
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FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY JUNE 22ND, 23RD AND 24TH, 2012
Three Women/Three Books/Three Cities
Friday, @ Lakeside Books and Art
341 Ridge Road North, Ridgeway
7:00 pm
Saturday, @ Niagara on the Lake Public Library
10 Anderson Lane, Niagara on the Lake
2:00 pm
Sunday, @ Sami’s Restaurant
87 East Main Street, Welland
2:00 pm
Sandra Nicholls is an award-winning writer who has published two books of poetry and numerous short stories. After spending three years teaching English in a small Maritime town, she got the idea for her first novel, the quirky and darkly humorous And the Seas Shall Turn to Lemonade, published in July, 2011. She was shortlisted for the K.M.Hunter Artists Award for Literature and the Pat Lowther Award, and won the Archibald Lampman Award for her second book of poetry, Woman of Sticks, Woman of Stones. Sandra also writes song lyrics for her husband, composer and guitarist Roddy Ellias. She is currently working on a second novel, The Third Road, set in Malaya in the 1950s during the Communist uprising.
Jasmine Aziz is a retired vibrator seller. She worked as a consultant for four years doing in-home party presentations. In that time she met many amazing and diverse women and was inspired by them to write a novel that would help both men and women navigate the subtle complexities of the modern woman’s life. Her debut novel, Sex & Samosas was released in October 2011 and sold out its first print run in only 4 months. Jasmine has been interviewed on Carleton University’s CKCU program “Special Blend with Susan Johnston”, as well as CBC 1 Radio’s “All in a Day with Alan Neal”. Sex & Samosas has received excellent reviews from both Capital Xtra weekly as well as Ottawa’s largest daily newspaper the Ottawa Citizen. The Citizen review made special note that, “What saves the book from deteriorating into the gratuitousness or banality often found in chick lit is the earnest way the sex scenes are treated – with information, kindness and hilarity – and the surprisingly poignant family anecdotes.” She was recently interviewed on sex therapist Rebecca Rosenblat’s late night show Sex@11. Jasmine is currently working on her next two projects. One, a novel, and the other, her memoirs already titled Bring Your Own Batteries.
Nerys Parry’s debut novel, Man & Other Natural Disasters, was a finalist for the Colophon Prize and tied for seventh in the Giller Prize Reader’s Choice Awards. Her writing has been described as “gorgeous throughout” (Kerry Clare, editor of Canadian Bookshelf), “compulsive reading” (Katherine Lyall-Watson), “engaging and thoughtful” (Winnipeg Free Press), and has been shortlisted for several awards, including the Kenneth R. Wilson Canadian Business Press, Event Creative Non-Fiction, and FreeFall’s Fall Fiction Awards. An engineer with a passion for hidden history, Nerys holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Queen’s and a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from UBC. She lives in Ottawa with her husband and two children.
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SATURDAY JULY 7TH
Success Stories at Humber School for Writers Summer Workshop
Humber College
3199 Lakeshore Blvd. W.
Toronto, Ontario M8V 1K8
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Join myself and other Humber graduates as we talk about our journeys towards publication. Check out the lineup
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MONDAY JULY 9TH
Reverse Reading
In Celebration of Mother Tongue Books
1067 Bank Street, Ottawa, ON
7:00 pm ’till late
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