The Prairie Comics Festival returns to in-person events on Sept. 10 and 11, with a weekend of panel discussions and workshops aimed at both fans and practitioners of graphic storytelling.
The event, being held this year at the West End Cultural Centre (586 Ellice Ave.), kicks off Sept. 10 with a day of panel discussions on topics including queer comics, finding your style, self-publishing and pitching to publishers, the latter featuring local publishers At Bay Press and Highwater Press.
A featured panel brings together artists Scott Henderson, who has worked on locally published graphic novels A Girl Called Echo and The Reckoner Rises as well as a new Marvel Pride comic, and Silvanna Moran, who sells her illustrations on Etsy under the name Radish Doodles. Henderson and Moran will also discuss their work that evening at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson Booksellers’ Grant Park location.
On Sept. 11, the festival has a day of workshops on tap and invites participants to bring their sketchbooks or iPads for a day of learning with Jay Cormack.
For festival details, see prairiecomics.com.
● ● ●
Winnipeg’s No. 1 ufologist shares the fruits of his access-to-information requests in his latest book on unexplained phenomena in the sky.
Chris Rutkowski launches Canada’s UFOs: Declassified on Thursday at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson’s Grant Park location, in conversation with broadcaster and city council candidate Hal Anderson. The new book offers details of sightings, including some previously classified reports by pilots, RCMP and military personnel.
● ● ●
Last month’s near-fatal attack on the novelist Salman Rushdie prompted a dispute over the head of the U.K.’s Society of Authors, Joanne Harris, author of the novel Chocolat.
Immediately following the attack, J.K. Rowling received a death threat when she expressed her support on Twitter for Rushdie. Rowling, a controversial figure in the U.K. ever since she came to the defence of an academic who was fired for insisting on a biological definition of womanhood, has come under fire for years for her support of what’s known as “gender-critical feminism,” a school of thought that insists on a difference between biological women and trans women.
Immediately after the death threat addressed to Rowling, Harris posted a Twitter poll that appeared to make light of the threat against Rowling.
In the aftermath of that action, one open letter demanded Harris’s resignation, another open letter voiced support for her and Harris herself issued a statement condemning threats against Rowling and any other author.
Details can be found at wfp.to/rowling.
● ● ●
If the word “storytelling” brings images of wandering bards, skalds or griots to your mind, you haven’t been spending much time in business strategy and marketing meetings.
The term has gained a whole new life to refer to ways businesses reach out to customers, clients and other stakeholders, and refers to ways of communicating that don’t sound like a sales pitch.
Winnipeg communications professional Rob Wozny, co-owner of Sound Strategy Communications and a former reporter/anchor for CTV and Global, as well as former communications head for True North Sports and Entertainment, presents case studies in the communication approach in his new book Storytelling for Business: The Art and Science of Creating Connection in the Digital Age. He writes in the book “Nothing connects people to engage emotionally with your business better than a well-told story — your story.”
Wozny will be at the St. Vital Indigo store Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon signing and discussing the book.
● ● ●
With the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series between Canadian and Soviet hockey stars on the horizon, Montreal Canadiens goaltending legend Ken Dryden is launching his latest book, titled The Series: What I Remember, What It Felt Like, What It Feels Like Now (McClelland & Stewart).
He’ll take part in an online event presented by McNally Robinson Booksellers on Wednesday at 7 p.m., hosted by Greg Mackling of 680 CJOB. To join in, register at wfp.to/dryden.
booknewsbob@gmail.com
