Our 45th Anniversary

Blue Metropolis Literary Festival Celebrates Véhicule Press

PART TWO 

More photos by Susan Moss. Thanks to all who participated in this event.

Our 45th Anniversary

Blue Metropolis Literary Festival Celebrates Véhicule Press

PART ONE 

Here are some of the photographs from the April 29, 2018 event taken by photographer Susan Moss. The MC was Mark Abley. The presenters were Nyla Matuk, Anita Anand, Guillaume Morissette, Katia Grubisic, Pierre Nepveu and Sherry Simon. Each chose a favourite book or books published over the years by the Press. Pierre Nepveu talked about the value of translation. Near the end, the surprise speaker was Anne Dardick. The celebration was co-ordinated by Derek Webster.

Nyla Matuk and Derek Webster Reading at McGill

On Thursday, April 12 Mordecai Richler Writer-in-Residence Nyla Matuk, author of Stranger and Sumptuary Laws, and Derek Webster, author of Mockingbird, gave a reading of new and selected poems. Following the reading there was a fascinating conversation with the poets led by Professor Eli MacLaren. The event took place in the newly-renovated Colgate Room of McGill's Rare Books and Special Collections in the MacLennan Library.

Eli MacLaren, Nyla Matuk and Derek Webster

Nyla, Derek, Adrian King-Edwards and Rare Books Librarian Chris Lyons

Adrian King-Edwards and Donna Jean-Louis of The Word Bookstore, and Derek Webster

Robyn Sarah and Chris Lyons

Meet The Bleeds

“For half a century, the Bleeds have ruled with an iron fist. Once hailed as the founders of an independence movement, they’ve long since cemented into corrupt autocrats upheld by the foreign investors who manage their region’s uranium trade.”

Sound familiar? Regrettably we know of too many nations whose leaders, in their quest for riches and power, have betrayed their people. The above quote is from the description of Dimitri Nasrallah’s third novel, The Bleeds, which hits Canadian bookshelves next February. A fresh take on the contemporary thriller, from the author of Niko (nominated for CBC Canada Reads and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award) comes an allegory of power and privilege resurrected from the thwarted ideals of the Arab Spring.

With advance reading copies in hand we are spreading the word. And what a year 2018 is for Dimitri. In addition to The Bleeds, his translation, Mayonnaise, the second volume in Éric Plamondon’s classic “1984 Trilogy" appears this fall. Plus the French language edition of his second novel Niko, a commercial and critical success, has been optioned for a French-language film and is awaiting a high-profile publication in France this March.

Dimitri Nasrallah’s The Bleeds (An Esplanade Book) is a harbinger of many good things that await readers in 2018—our anniversary year.