October 29, 2007 - 2:43am
Multiple-award winning author Audrey Thomas will be reading from her latest book at Malaspina University-College on Oct. 29 as part of the ongoing Poets on Campus series.
Thomas is the author of many highly acclaimed novels, including Intertidal Life and Coming Down From Wa, which were both nominated for the Governor General’s Award for fiction. She has also won the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize an unprecedented three times.
“Audrey Thomas is one of our great story-tellers,” said Marilyn Bowering, creative writing professor at Malaspina. “The worlds she creates are almost palpable, and you feel her characters’ voices as if they speak from inside you. Not only does she make a bridge for us to the past, but her characters live within the constraints of social, gender and class structures that resonate today.”
Thomas’ newest novel is Tattycoram, which takes readers into the fictional world of Charles Dickens’s England and the life of his housemaid Harriet Coram, where, in an unusual twist, Dickens interacts with his own characters, allowing Thomas to raise questions about the intersection of life and art. Thomas will be reading from Tattycoram at Malaspina and discussing the ideas within.
“My books really are written to be read by individuals sitting in comfortable chairs in their own homes,” said Thomas. “Public readings are performances and are quite another thing. Because the writer can't read out the whole book, selections are carefully made, in order to give a taste of what the book is like. But as I always say - this is like displaying your baby's hand or ear and then saying, How do you like my baby?”
Thomas lives on Galiano Island in British Columbia and finds the serene setting helps her focus on her writing. She will be reading at Malaspina on Oct. 29 at 1pm in Building 355, Room 102. The event is open to the public and promises to be an exciting event showcasing Thomas’ extraordinary talent.
“She’s a thinking writer who writes with passion,” said Bowering. “Her work always moves me and teaches me and enriches my life. I can’t think of a better model for students, not only because of what she writes, but how she’s chosen to live the writing life.”
Poets on Campus will also feature two other poets on the Nanaimo campus, including Marilyn Dumont on November 5 and Baba Brinkman on April 8. Readings on Malaspina’s Cowichan campus will include Marilyn Dumont on November 6, John Barton and Rhonda Batchelor on February 12 and Cornelia Hoogland (date and time TBA). All readings are sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Malaspina will also be featuring several open mic poetry readings on the Nanaimo campus on October 15, November 19 and December 3. The open mic readings are open to everyone, with poets limited to 3 poems or 5 minutes of material (maximum). The readings will take place on the fourth floor of the library in room 474.
For more information about Audrey Thomas’ reading, Poets on Campus or the open mic readings, please contact Sara Wilson, student poetry coordinator, at 753-0520, or visit the website at www.viu.ca/poetsoncampus
Tags: In the Community
