blogbot | Nino Ricci

Sunshine Coast

The Festival of the Written Arts in Sechelt, B.C. is Canada’s longest running summer gathering of Canadian writers and readers and one of the best venues for getting up close and personal with writers who are often so dazzled by the fresh air and sunshine that they forget to hide out in the hospitality suite. This year’s participants include Bonnie Burnard, Ian Brown, and Brian Brett, and that’s just the Bs. Further up the alphabet you’ll find, among others, Karen Connelly, Lawrence Hill, Jack Hodgins, Annabel Lyon, Shani Mootoo, Joan Thomas, and Jack Whyte.

Come to the festival writers love, and not just because of the stunning setting, the huge audiences, the great hosting, the stomach-churning ride up from Vancouver in a six-seater seaplane, or the chance for a five-star meal at the nearby Blue Heron Inn courtesy of a well-heeled patron of the arts. (Nino is currently taking offers.) What they love above all is that they get a whole hour on stage, all to themselves, to do WHATEVER THEY WANT. Talk about trust.

Nino’s hour begins at 8:30 PM on Friday, August 13th, in the Rockwood Centre (though there is no telling where it will end).

Stephen Leacock Festival

The 2010 Stephen Leacock Summer Festival finishes off with the Paul Quarrington Levee, with readings by Joe Kertes, Antanas Sileika, Kim Moritsugu, and Nino Ricci, a screening of Paul Quarrington: Life in Music, and a live performance by Paul’s band Porkbelly Futures. Sunday, July 25th, 2010 at 2 PM, on the grounds of the Leacock Museum overlooking beautiful Lake Couchiching. Afterwards join Paul’s lifelong friend Dan Hill in concert at the Orillia Opera House at 8 PM.

Check out the Leacock Museum web site for a series of video tributes to Paul Quarrington produced by BookShorts.

20th Anniversary Edition of Lives of the Saints

Cormorant Books has announced the publication of a 20th Anniversary Edition of Lives of the Saints, with an introduction by Steven Hayward and with original colour illustrations by renowned Canadian artist Tony Urquhart. This hardcover commemorative edition will include chapters excised from the original edition and an afterword by Nino Ricci on the novel’s place in his own life and work.

Available November 2010. Check out the 20th Anniversary web page for more details.

Luca’s Lego Lighthouse

This is an image of Luca’s Lego lighthouse. The only reason it is here is because Luca would like to see his lighthouse turn up in a Google image search. So help Luca out by doing an image search for Luca’s Lego Lighthouse.

Thanks!

Big Night at the Green Barn

Harvard Book Store

Harvard Book Store hosts Nino Ricci on the publication of the Other Press edition of The Origin of Species as part of its Spring Author Event Series. Come watch Nino hobnob with Harvard types and talk at excessive length about the Darwinian underpinnings of his novel. 7 PM on Monday, 10 May at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge. Tel. 617.661.1424.

National Day of Mourning – 2 May 2011

The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

Barack Obama to visit Ricci web site

Rumours are swirling that U.S. president Barack Obama may make an unofficial stop at the Nino Ricci web site in the coming weeks after a bookstore mix-up landed Ricci’s novel The Origin of Species on the President’s desk.

“I guess he was planning a visit to Texas and wanted to read up on his Darwin,” said a source close to sources in the Washington rumour mill. “By accident the bookstore sent him the Ricci book instead.”

When the book failed to appear in White House recycling bins, speculation grew that the President’s curiosity had been piqued. “Who is this guy?” he allegedly commented. A Google search by White House intelligence services quickly tracked down the Ricci web site, and the idea of a visit was born.

The secrecy and security surrounding such a visit is extreme, and nothing is known of its timing or itinerary. Said Ricci, “Frankly, I’m happy if he just pops into my home page for a couple of minutes. Though I’d love to show him around the gallery and the archives.”

As for the upshot of the visit, Ricci is keeping his hopes modest. “What would be great is if some right wing religious group got wind of the visit and started organizing book burnings and that kind of thing. That would really boost sales. But to be honest I’m just kind of amazed the book ever made it past White House security.”

President Obama could not be reached for comment.

Extraordinary Canadians at the ROM

John Ralston Saul hosts Andrew Cohen, Douglas Coupland, Nino Ricci and Jane Urquhart in conversation about Canadian identity, political intrigue, unintentional suicide, and whether the medium truly is the message, as Penguin Canada launches another season in its Extraordinary Canadians series. Wednesday, April 28 at 7 PM at the Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto. Level 1B, Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre. Tel. 416-586-5797.

Frye Festival @ Moncton, New Brunswick

Nino returns to Moncton’s annual Frye Festival for several days of fun and hot colloquy in Canada’s most bilingual city.

Thursday, 22 April at 8:00 PM – Soirée Frye
Christian Bök
Gracia Couturier
Christiane Duchesne
Nino Ricci
Musical Guests: Julie Doiron and Guillaume Arsenault
Followed by a community reception to meet the authors.
~Capitol Theatre~

Friday, 23 April at 12:00 noon
Roundtable: Writing Lives and Afterlives
Daniel Poliquin
Nino Ricci
Noah Richler
Maryse Rouy
~Moncton City Hall~

Friday, 23 April at 8:00 PM
An Evening of Canadian Lit with Annabel Lyon,
Linden MacIntyre and Nino Ricci
Host: Noah Richler
~Jeanne-de-Valois, Université de Moncton~

Ricci triumphs in New York

Nino Ricci reached new heights on his recent promotional tour in the U.S., particularly in New York City, where at one point he scaled to the top of the Empire State Building. On the book front, meanwhile, an event at one of Manhattan’s premier independent booksellers, McNally Jackson, drew an audience well into the double digits.

Already the raves have started to roll in. “Anna loved this,” commented culture blog largehearted boy on the Other Press edition of The Origin of Species (Anna herself was unavailable for comment), while an audience member at the McNally Jackson event was overheard to say, “Look, the cover matches our wallpaper!” Said Ricci, with his trademark modesty, “It’s a miracle just to be published.” Experts in the U.S. publishing industry who were familiar with Ricci’s work agreed.

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