The staff of the Cobourg Public Library would like to extend an invitation to our community to join us in a celebration of Canadian writers. CBC listeners will be aware of the project 'Canada Reads,' which hopes to encourage Canadians• to read one book together. The question posed is "is it possible to find a single book that captures the imagination of an entire country?"
During the week of April 15 CBC host Mary Welsh will lead five panelists who have chosen one work by a Canadian writer as the title all Canadians should read. Day by day they will vote a book off the list until only one work remains. The winning title will be unveiled on Tuesday, April 23, Canada book Day.
The panelists are as follows:
- former prime minister Kim Campbell, who has chosen The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood; - actor Megan Follows, who has chosen A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry; - musician Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies, who has chosen In the Skin of the Lion by Michael Ondaatje; - writer Leon Rooke, who has chosen The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence; and
• writer Nalo Hopkinson, who has chosen Whylan Falls by George Elliott Clarke.
CBC Radio will broadcast the panel discussion twice-daily from April 15 to April 19. On Radio One, it will be heard during the first half-hour of This Morning, 9 a.m. and the last half-hour of As It Happens, 7.30p.m.
On April 15, 18 and 19 the library will participate in Canada Reads by listening to the CBC Radio panel discussion from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and then engaging in our own discussion. These discussions will be led by members of our Friends book club, Probus book discussion group and Library Board members. We are aware that there are some wonderful storytellers in our community, and we know that there are also many story readers.
So please join us for coffee and discussion. A ballot box will be available all week to enter your choice. The winner will be chosen on Canada Book Day, April 23.Who knows, we may soon find Cobourgers walking down our main street reading and discussing one book together.
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