The 2008 Canadian Federal Election is officially over, and though the results remained relatively the same, with Stephen Harper’s Conservative government gaining another minority government, there were a number of interesting issues that were raised throughout the thirty-eight day campaign. Up until the U.S. economy started to spin out of control mere weeks ago, the issue of arts funding in Canada seemed to take on a new prominence. The cutting of $45 million dollars from the arts budget mainly affected programs which allowed Canadian artists to travel and promote their work abroad, though there were also cuts to programs that fostered development in the film and digital realms as well.
Keep your eye on those small Canadian presses. They may lack the marketing budget of big leaguers like HarperCollins and Random House but each year they publish some of the best emerging writers anywhere. A case in point is Samantha Warwick and her debut novel Sage Island, released in September by Victoria’s Brindle & Glass. Set against the exciting backdrop of 1920s New York, Sage Island chronicles the coming of age of its young heroine Savanna Mason as she deals with relationships and personal flaws while seeking fame as one of the best competitive swimmers of her generation.
Book Expo Canada’s 2008 Conference and Trade Show took place from June 13 to June 18 at the Toronto Convention Centre. It is Canada’s premier book event. Its thrust is to bring publishers, booksellers and authors together in order to:
It’s a rare thing these days for an independent bookstore to celebrate 35 years of business, but The Bookshelf in Guelph took celebration to a whole other level last weekend by holding a birthday party with a special guest reading by Salman Rushdie.
October 26th and 27th, I had the opportunity to attend a couple of events at this year’s International Festival of Authors. Hosted by International Readings at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, the Festival’s been around since 1974 and continually boasts an incredible roster of names—a virtual who’s who of the literary world.
Carmen, you're a student at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia. Are you originally from BC?
Nope, I'm actually from St. Albert AB (Edmonton area) and I moved to Victoria for UVic's writing program and to escape winter… but now it appears winter has caught up with me.
Keep your eye on those small Canadian presses. They may lack the marketing budget of big leaguers like HarperCollins and Random House but each year they publish some of the best emerging writers anywhere. A case in point is Samantha Warwick and her debut novel Sage Island, released in September by Victoria’s Brindle & Glass. Set against the exciting backdrop of 1920s New York, Sage Island chronicles the coming of age of its young heroine Savanna Mason as she deals with relationships and personal flaws while seeking fame as one of the best competitive swimmers of her generation. 
October 26th and 27th, I had the opportunity to attend a couple of events at this year’s International Festival of Authors. Hosted by International Readings at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, the Festival’s been around since 1974 and continually boasts an incredible roster of names—a virtual who’s who of the literary world. 