The Book Drunkard Literary Festival

2020 Festival – Virtual Edition!

2020 has been a challenging year, but we have exciting news! We are pleased to present the virtual edition of The Book Drunkard Literary Festival 2020! Remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and take a look at our upcoming events below!

Looking for the BOOK IMBIBER 6-PAK? See details here!

Interested in what happened at the 2019 Book Drunkard Literary Festival? We will be updating our site soon with an archive of all the wonderful events which took place last year. In the meantime, check out our beautiful festival gallery!

View 2020 Events

Featured Event

Quill and ink

Penguin Random House Canada and The Book Drunkard Festival present: Lorna Crozier and Margaret Atwood

Zoom (virtual event) - November 19 | 2020 - 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

This is the event of the season—two giants of Canadian literature sharing one screen. Margaret Atwood and Lorna Crozier will discuss their latest books, Dearly and Through The Garden, with their publisher, McClelland & Stewart’s Jared Bland.

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"An International Festival Done Local"

ANNOUNCING BOOK LUSH EVENTS

 

Three signature events presented by The Book Drunkard Literary Festival and our publishing partners to bring you literary highlights during our 2020 virtual edition!

Featuring Bianca Marais

The glue that holds the Book Drunkard Festival 2020 together is, without a doubt, author Bianca Marais. When Bianca approached about ‘helping out through Covid’ she had no idea what she was getting into!

Bianca hosted our Zoom Summer Series and gained an audience of fans. As the Zoom voice of Blue Heron Books she brings her signature style to all her interviews. As the host of The Book Drunkard Festival, she has read, researched, and reviewed each of the books and in her interview will bring her warm. empathetic style to bear. Her genuine and intimate manner ensures that the listener feels as if they’re eavesdropping on two friends having a social conversation.

Learn more about Bianca below!

View Bianca's Biography

Spilled ink bottle

“The Book Drunkard Beer” is back and coming to tap at The Second Wedge on October 8th!

Märzen | 5.5% alc./vol. – Seasonal

The Book Drunkard Literary Festival captures the wonderment of the written word and praises its ability to intoxicate, transport and transform. What better way to celebrate than with the traditional beer of Germany’s Oktoberfest? Pouring a clear pale amber, The Book Drunkard märzen is an exceptionally smooth, medium-bodied lager. An aroma of fresh-baked bread draws you into the sip, where rich malt flavour is gently balanced by spicy/floral noble hops. Ein prosit!

This seasonal beer will be available in cans and on tap at The Second Wedge Brewing Co from October 8th!

 

Introducing the “Kindred Spirits” Chocolate Bar by DesBarres Chocolate

This bar is in honour of L. M. Montgomery who penned many of her books a few kilometres away from Blue Heron Books and DesBarres chocolate factory. The bar combines the smooth and chocolatey richness of 70% Dominicana with tart freeze-dried raspberries and a hint of fresh lemon peel. Munch on this bar while re-reading the story of Anne Shirley, Diana Barry and the rascally “raspberry cordial”. You will fall in love with Anne and the Kindred Spirits bar!

Available for purchase at Blue Heron Books.

(Fun fact! The inner liner of your Kindred Spirit Raspberry Cordial bar is a beautiful bookmark, designed by artist Tracy Walker!)

More Events

CONSENT to being entertained by Annabel Lyon!
CROSSING RIVERS WITH PETER ROBINSON
JESSE THISTLE RISES “FROM THE ASHES”
Alan Doyle's Cure for the Covid Blues - Newfoundland style
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CONSENT to being entertained by Annabel Lyon!

Annabel and acclaimed interviewer Bianca Marais will dive into Consent just as it hits the shelves! Noted as “this generation’s answer to Alice Munro” (Vancouver Sun) Annabel delivers a sly, sensual, haunting novel about two women whose lives collide when tragedy changes them forever.

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CROSSING RIVERS WITH PETER ROBINSON

PETER ROBINSON grew up in the United Kingdom, and now divides his time between Toronto, and Richmond, Yorkshire. Many Rivers to Cross is the 26th book in the DCI Banks series. He has also written two collections of short stories, and three stand-alone novels. Robinson’s critically acclaimed crime novels have won numerous awards in Britain, the United States, Canada, and Europe, and are published in translation all over the world.

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JESSE THISTLE RISES “FROM THE ASHES”

JESSE THISTLE is Métis-Cree, from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He is an assistant professor in Métis Studies at York University in Toronto. You won’t want to miss this virtual event on Thursday, November 17, during which THISTLE and BIANCA MARAIS discuss this extraordinary and inspiring debut memoir.

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Alan Doyle's Cure for the Covid Blues - Newfoundland style

ALAN DOYLE is a Canadian musician, actor and writer. His albums as a solo artist and as front man for the Newfoundland Celtic-rock band Great Big Sea have sold over a million copies, and he has starred in such features as Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood and CBC’s Republic of Doyle.

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Celebrating 30 Years – Blue Heron Books

In bookselling, 30 years is something worth celebrating. Small business is tough and bookselling even tougher. But Blue Heron Books succeeded! And the future is looking very bright indeed.

To mark this auspicious occasion, Blue Heron Books inaugurated The Book Drunkard Literary Festival. A longtime dream of owner, Shelley Macbeth, the festival embraces all things dear to booklovers – great books and authors, great theatre, great food and drink and great music. You will be impressed by the depth and breadth of the festival. There truly is something for everyone!

In addition, 30 Random Acts of Book Kindness is Blue Heron’s way of acknowledging this milestone by giving back to the community that has supported the store through thirty years of ups and downs. Blue Heron commits to undertake 30 acts of book kindness – big and small –that will initiate or enhance the reading life of many. One of these projects, well underway, is establishing a read-aloud program at local nursing homes.

As well, a Facebook campaign to nurture indie bookseller love across the country will be ushered in to encourage Canadian readers to continue supporting the indie bookstore in their neighbourhood.

And finally, what’s a milestone without a party? Blue Heron Books opened its doors to former staff and all customers during the fall of 2019, where an anniversary scrapbook was on display with LOTS of memorabilia. Stories were shared – a common occurrence at Blue Heron Books – and guests came armed with theirs!

View 2019 Festival Gallery

Thanks to Our Sponsors

Book Imbiber 6-Pak

The Book Drunkard Festival 2020 (virtual edition) offers this very special package!

Purchase the BOOK IMBIBER 6-PAK for $150.00 + HST and receive THIS:

– SIX extraordinary books

– SIX signed bookplates

– SIX exclusive Zoom invitations to hear the incomparable Bianca Marais interview each of these 6 authors

– ONE roomy Book Drunkard jute bag

– ONE Book Drunkard Beer Stein

– AND SIX events for the price of FIVE:

October 13 at 7:00 pm – Aislinn Hunter
October 25 at 3:00 pm – Peter Robinson
November 15 at 3:00 pm – Jane Johnson
November 17 at 7:00 pm – Jesse Thistle
November 24 at 7:00 pm – Alex Pugsley
November 30 at 7:00 pm – Alan Doyle