news | Monday October 24, 2016

Our Fall 2016 books are launched!

From the long-awaited Slick Reckoning by Ken Belford and the caustic and playful poetics and prose of Friendly Fire by Danielle LaFrance, to 1970s Vancouver in Meredith Quartermain’s novel, U Girl, Talon was honoured to launch seven all-star books this fall. We convened on Oct. 20 at the legendary Pyatt Hall at the Vancouver School of Music for an evening of snacks, beverages, books, and many laughs.

Some of the crowd mills about, drinking wine and selecting from seven different types of cheese

Host and Talon editor Shazia Hafiz Ramji introduces the lineup

About 120 people attended the launch (packed house!) – plus one canine guest

Host/Talon editor Shazia Hafiz Ramji with bartender/Talon art director Les Smith

Meredith Quartermain reads from U Girl, a coming-of-age novel set in Vancouver in 1972. Quartermain writes about Frances Nelson, a small-town girl who moves to the big city to attend UBC and who writes a novel in the process

M.A.C. Farrant reads from The Days: Forecasts, Warnings, Advice and loosens some belly laughs with her absurdist humour

Daphne Marlatt reads from Reading Sveva, wowing the audience with Caetani’s art and her own ekphrastic poems

Ken Belford reads from Slick Reckoning , written with his characteristic rigour and questioning of every single thing

Anahita Jamali Rad reads from for love and autonomy, receiving many nods of acknowledgement from the audience after reading about displacement and labour

Danielle LaFrance reads from Friendly Fire, with the cover artwork by Megan Hepburn projected behind her

Stephen Collis reads from Once in Blockadia, only to toss the book aside later and recite a poem from memory; “Canada’s most dangerous poet” speaks to the people!

Books flew off the merch table!

We thank everyone who came out for these wonderful books. These big launches are always such fun! We look forward to the next one, and we hope you do too.