Prose brings the prose to early STARFest date

The St. Albert Readers Festival is offering book-lovers an early taste of what's to come this week. Nita Prose, the author of The Maid, will make a virtual appearance on June 27. Her debut novel, The Maid, was one of this year's most anticipated books.

"How much so?" you ask.

"It completely took off even before we had it on the shelf in the library; we had so many holds on it. Also, The Maid was picked up to be adapted to a film before it was even published, so that also is really exciting," said STARFest director Michelle Steinhusen, noting that the buzz can really start well before the public has a chance to see a book.

The Maid is an endearing mystery with 25-year-old Molly Gray at the centre of the story. Her social skills sometimes lead her into trouble, but her grandmother is pretty good about helping to interpret things for her. That is until she died, leaving Molly to fend for herself. Yes, she becomes a hotel maid, a job that leads one to meet lots of new people. Unfortunately, the wealthy Charles Black is found dead in his bed, and her strange mannerisms make the police suspect her.

"It was absolutely lovely," said Steinhusen. "I read all sorts of books and sometimes it's nice to read a book that's just nice. There's a lot going on in the book, but the character is so good. I found the ending very satisfying."

As expected, the book was an instant New York Times and Canadian bestseller when it was finally released in January. There's no word on the production or release of the film adaptation. Prose is a long-time editor at Simon & Schuster Publishing so she must know a thing or two about crafting the perfect tale.

Prose will be in conversation with STARFest alumni Amy Jones in an online event. Jones made her first festival appearance in 2019, bringing her critically acclaimed novel Every Little Piece of Me with her. Her first novel, We’re All in This Together, won the Northern Lit Award and was also a finalist for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Her story collection What Boys Like won the Metcalf-Rooke Award and was also a finalist for the ReLit Award.

This STARFest event will take place via Zoom starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 27. Admission is free and attendees will have the option to donate to STARFest online when they register in advance at https://sapl.libcal.com/event/3675072.

A map to the STARs of the future

Some fan faves and some soon-to-be literary loves are on deck for this year’s STARFest. While the big show is almost four months away, festival organizers are hyping it early by announcing the slate of author appearances.

Expect to be enthralled, said Steinhusen.

“We’re thrilled to be able to again offer the intimate, in-person events that STARFest audiences love. This year’s lineup is fantastic. We’ve got a range of voices and reads to make our audiences think, laugh, learn, and — in some cases — want to leave the lights on at bedtime.”

Look for Heather O’Neill and Genevieve Graham to bring their new works — When We Lost Our Heads and Bluebird, respectively — as they make their STARFest returns to grateful local audiences. They will be joined, figuratively speaking, by seven new faces to the crowds.

STARFest kicks off on Oct. 13 as Omar El Akkad brings his Giller Prize-winning What Strange Paradise, a beautiful and profound story of a Syrian boy refugee who survives a shipwreck to land on an island where he comes into the acquaintance of a teenaged girl who lives there.

Little Mosque on the Prairie creator Zarqa Nawaz offers her hilarious book Jameela Green Ruins Everything, a satire about a disillusioned Muslim woman who somehow gets mixed up in a plot to infiltrate an international terrorist organization. In doing so, she manages to reconnect with her loved ones and her faith in Islam at the same time.

Nawaz will be followed by Donna Morrissey, who brings her memoir Pluck, the author’s story of navigating tricky waters to become a writer. Renowned Cree environmental activist Clayton Thomas-Müller has his own memoir, Life in the City of Dirty Water, his story of overcoming substance abuse and crime to become a land rights activist.

Giller Prize-winning novelist, poet, and essayist Ian Williams comes to the STARFest stage with his book Disorientation in hand. It is a series of essays about being a Black man in the world. Steven Price has his own story to tell except he prefers to do so under an alias. Using the nom de plume J.M. Miro, he has a new historical fantasy novel called Ordinary Monsters to share with readers. Set in Victorian London, two children with strange powers are hunted by a man made of smoke.

“We’re proud to bring world-class authors to St. Albert through STARFest and to bring our audiences the engaging, provocative events that make our festival stand out,” said Peter Bailey, the CEO of the St. Albert Public Library. “Libraries are about people and STARFest does a great job of bringing communities together.”

The 12^th annual festival runs from October 13 to 30 with some event dates still waiting to be finalized. Tickets go on sale on Aug. 15. Visit STARFest.ca for more details.