Harbourfront’s International Festival of Authors puts the muse back in amusement park as it travels to the Canadian National Exhibition. See Nino and fellow author Steven Heighton brave death-defying leaps of imagination and suspensions of disbelief as they read from their recent works. 3 PM Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at the CNE’s Direct Energy Centre. Stick around until 5:30 and catch Linwood Barclay and Louise Penny as well. Hosted by Bert Archer.
Trillium Stars at the EBar
Guelph’s The BookShelf hosts a grab-bag literary night in which Trillium Award winners and nominees past and present combine a teaser for September’s Eden Mills Literary Festival with a tribute to one of the festival’s stalwarts, the late Paul Quarrington. Nino joins Alexandra Leggat, Susan Holbrook and Cordelia Strube. 7 PM on Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 in The BookShelf’s EBar, 41 Quebec Street, Guelph, Ontario. 519-821-3311.
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.
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.