The four-month countdown to the 2016 edition of the St. Albert Readers’ Festival just kicked into high gear with Monday’s release of the star-studded lineup.
Among the list of special guests include Clara Hughes, the six-time Winter and Summer Olympic medallist. She wrote her book Open Heart, Open Mind to tell people about her athletic journey through both physical and mental pain to become a committed humanitarian and mental health advocate.
In addition to Hughes, the full lineup also includes Gail Anderson-Dargatz, Anita Rau Badami, Ian Brown, Camilla Gibb, Plum Johnson, Donna Morrissey, Michael Redhill (Inger Ash Wolfe), Peter Robinson, Dianne Warren, and Alissa York.
“We have a very good mix of authors this year; we range from memoirs to mysteries, from stories about Canada to those set in India and England,” stated festival director Heather Dolman.
“Many of our writers have a significant body of work and have been popular with our patrons for a long time, and many have new books out that have garnered significant attention.”
She added that, the slate of names also represents a spate of critical acclaim. There are four Giller Prize finalists, two Leacock Medal for Humour nominees, both winners and nominees of the Governor General’s Literary Award, the RBC Taylor Prize, plus a Man Booker nominee and the 2016 runner-up in the Canada Reads competition to boot.
Dolman said that each event is also like a double-whammy for the lit set.
“Alongside our guest authors, we welcome an equally impressive lineup of hosts who will, as always, keep the conversations flowing. We welcome back Laurie Greenwood, Gail Sidonie Sobat, Paula Simons, Diana Davidson, Marty Chan and Angie Abdou. We are also delighted to have as first-time hosts journalist Jana Pruden, and authors Marina Endicott, and Wayne Arthurson.”
Tickets for events at the library are $5, $10 for the events at the Arden Theatre, and $55 for the Clara Hughes event. They will go on sale on Monday, July 11 and can be purchased in person at the library’s main floor desk, by calling 780-459-1530, or online via www.eventbrite.ca. The tickets for Clara Hughes can be purchased from the Arden Theatre itself, by calling 780-459-1542, or online via www.ticketmaster.ca. All proceeds from this event will support mental health initiatives in St. Albert.
Library director Peter Bailey said that the festival, now approaching its sixth season, is a true reflection of what the library does all year round to cultivate community.
“While this is our single biggest event of the year, the festival exemplifies what we do all the time: promoting books and reading, engaging the community in conversation, improving the quality of people’s lives, and welcoming people to great social events.”
STARFest is set to run from Oct. 12 to 25. For more information, visit www.starfest.ca.
