|
Lisa Bird-Wilson, book in hand, knit shawl on shoulder, traditional woven shawl on podium. |
The
FictionKNITstas Tour arrived in Regina last week, featuring Lisa Bird-Wilson (
Just Pretending - Coteau Books)
and Faith Johnston (
The Only Man in the World - Turnstone).
The event was sponsored by Coteau Books, the first publisher behind the
Fictionistas, a unique reading series promoting female Canadian writers. (Several other presses have since joined in.) And it was hosted by Brenda Niskala (
For the Love of Strangers - Coteau Books).
This was the first reading I've attended at The Artful Dodger, a licensed coffee house on 11th Avenue, whose full name goes on to include "Cafe and Music Emporium".
Not a bad location for a reading — though there is the matter of that Dodger. who looms with Dickensian grace over the stage, competing for audience eye contact... But the readers were entertaining and their work, engaging, so I ignored that guy...
The FictionKNITstas Tour features a twist on the original reading series by showcasing hand-knit items that tie into elements of the authors' work — a Métis sash knit by a Saskatoon knitter (Bonnie Zink) for Lisa Bird-Wilson, a shawl by a Port Elgin, Ontario, knitter for Faith Johnston.
|
Faith Johnston with pine cone patterned shawl |
|
Brenda Niskala, with the Artful Dodger. |
Thanks, FictionKNITstas, for a great evening! Great yarns, great books, great readings.
~~~~~