As the Art Crawl kicks into high gear this weekend (see coastculture.com for listings), literary events complement the visual riches of Sunshine Coast studio and galleries.
On Friday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m., the Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society presents Good Stories Live Here. At this free event, eight talented writers will read their works at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt. Featured scribes are Jan DeGrass, Del Lobo, Mark Cameron, Isabelli Mori, Heather Conn, Rosella Leslie, Cathalynn (Cindy) Labonté-Smith, and Atma Frans. Masks are requested. Books will be for sale.
On Saturday, Oct. 22 at 2 p.m., another panel of local writers will present short readings from their books, three of which were reviewed by the Vancouver Sun’s critic Tom Sandborn. In the authorial spotlight will be Bonnie Sherr Klein, Marion Crook and Claire Findlayson. All of the books draw on memory and exemplify different ways of relating to lived experience. The event will include a discussion of the books’ themes, the current popularity of memoirs, and the alchemical work of the writer turning raw memory into literature.
The latter event takes place at the Gibsons and District Public Library. Registration is required by contacting the library.
Flee on film
The Sunshine Coast Film Society presents the highly acclaimed mostly animated documentary feature Flee on Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse and at the Raven’s Cry Theatre in Sechelt on Oct. 29 at 2 p.m.
This film tells the true tale of Amin (an Afghan refugee who arrives in Denmark as an unaccompanied minor) and his extraordinary journey. Now, at age 36, and preparing to marry his long-time boyfriend, a secret he has been hiding all his life threatens to ruin his future.
Flee won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and has the distinction of being nominated for three Oscars: Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best International Feature Film.
Society memberships and tickets can be purchased in cash at the door at both theatres and also in advance online at www.scfs.ca
Geography of belonging
On Oct. 27 at 6 p.m., the Gibsons and District Public Library will present an interactive syiyaya workshop that complements and furthers the KAIROS Blanket Exercise experience.
syiyaya facilitators and Indigenous witnesses will lead this unique educational event. Standing on a map invites Indigenous and Settler participants to consider relationships with each other and history. Reflections on “Terra Nullius” (Empty Land) and the colonial “Doctrine of Discovery” are juxtaposed with exploration of Indigenous traditional knowledge.
Space is limited and advance registration is required. Contact the library to register.
Brighter shade of blue
An upcoming screening of the award-winning Canadian film Bye Bye Blues will take place at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. Director Anne Wheeler plans to introduce the film and answer questions. The event is a fundraiser for the Granthams Wharf Association; proceeds will be directed to the maintenance of the Granthams community wharf.
Bye Bye Blues is Wheeler’s best-known film. It was inspired by Wheeler’s mother’s wartime years on the prairies following the capture of her husband by Japanese forces.
Tickets ($25 for adults, $12 for youth, with discounts for advance sales) can be purchased by calling Cheryl at 604 340-7145 or visiting granthams-wharf.org.
Mechanical ghosts
Gibsons filmmaker Liz Marshall explores the question “are non-human animals property to be owned and used, or are they sentient beings deserving of rights?” in her thought-provoking and award-winning documentary The Ghosts in Our Machine.
The St. Hilda’s Green Forum speaker series presents a special free screening of Marshall’s film on Friday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., which will take place in-person at St. Hilda’s Church and on Zoom. The event will include an opportunity to direct questions to Marshall.
The Green Forum series creates opportunities for discussion of environmental issues and how individuals and communities can take effective action.
