Wednesday 18 June 2008

Kafka in Kanada

Fall of Icarus (Bruegel The Elder, 1558)

Fed up with extreme security checks by Air Canada at both Calgary and Montreal airports, Véhicule Press author Jaspreet Singh reluctantly cancelled two appearance in Torontothis past weekend. He was to have participated in a main-stage event at the Luminato Toronto Festival of the Arts on June 14 and at the BookExpo trade show on June 15, part of an author tour to promote his recently-published novel, Chef.

In April he was intensely questioned by Air Canada in Calgary before he was able to board his plane to attend launchings and readings in Ottawa and Montreal. “Air Canadaemployees informed me that I was on a ‘list’ but refused to give me particulars … On the return flight [from Montreal] Air Canada staff made the preposterous suggestion that I change my name…”

Yesterday’s Calgary Herald reports that they contacted Transport Canada and were told that Singh was not on Canada’s no-fly list. An Air Canada spokesperson confirmed that they received a faxed complaint from Singh which he sent May 9 and that they would be in contact with him.
Please see the Véhicule Press June 14 press release and coverage in the Calgary Herald, The Globe and Mail and the Quill & Quire Blog.

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