This past Wednesday, the Saint John Free Public Library in Market Square was very proud to host a celebration of some of our past and current nominees for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The prestigious international award is given every year to a nominee from one of the award’s 110 contributing international libraries, including SJFPL. Four this special evening, more than sixty people came out to the Central Library’s Millennium Art Place to see and hear some of New Brunswick’s and Canada’s finest literary talent.
More than 60 people showed up to hear our nominees read their works
Each author was introduced by a member of our local literary and library community.
The evening’s first author was Beth Powning, a long time resident of rural New Brunswick. She read from two works: The Sea Captain’s Wife, which earned her the 2012 nomination from the Saint John Free Public Library; and one of her currently unpublished works. The former tells the story of one Azuba Galloway, a young woman from the Bay of Fundy who marries a ship’s captain, Nathaniel Bradstock. When a scandal embroils the family, Azuba and her daughter have no choice but to take to sea with Nathaniel. Under the duress of the high seas and a male-dominated seafaring culture, Azuba stands as a heroine exemplifying compassion, courage and love. Ms Powning then teased us with an excerpt from her currently unpublished new novel, a work of historical fiction placed in Puritan-era New England.
Beth Powning reading from A Sea Captain’s Wife
Next on tap was 2013 nominee Riel Nason, born and raised in the Nackawic area and currently residing in Quispamsis. Nason read from her book The Town that Drowned, the story of a young girl named Ruby in a small riverside town in the 1960s. As if growing up doesn’t have its own challenges, Ruby struggles with the fact that her younger brother has aspergers syndrome, a deeply misunderstood condition at the time. Then, survey pickets begin appearing, and after a flurry of small town gossip, it soon becomes clear that the entire town is going to be flooded with the construction of a new dam. How will Ruby and her neighbours cope?
Riel Nason reading from The Town that Drowned
The third author of the evening was 2014 nominee Ben Stephenson, a local man and graduate of Saint John High School, who read from his debut novel A Matter of Life and Death or Something. The book details the anxieties of a ten year old adoptee, who longs for a relationship with his real father while growing up with his adopter, a single father who lives in the woods of Central New Brunswick. Stephenson also shared one of his most recently published short stories.
Ben Stephenson reading from A Matter of Life and Death or Something
To finish off the evening, another 2014 nominee, Tanis Rideout, a novelist and poet currently living in Toronto (but with New Brunswick roots), shared from her work Above All Things, the dramatic tale of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, who died while attempting to climb Mount Everest in 1924. Written from the perspectives of the two climbers and Mallory’s wife, Rideout explained how the book was her attempt to understand why people would try such a dangerous, and to many critics crazy feat, and to explore the consequences of such a quest.
Tanis Rideout reading from Above All Things
Following the readings, those in attendance had an opportunity to chat with the authors, and get autographs. Indigo Books had all the authors’ books on display for sale. There was cake and other delicious refreshments to be had, and the evening proved to be highly successful. We thank all of the authors for their participation and our patrons for attending. For those who did not attend, we hope to see you at a future author reading!
Peter C
Saint John Free Public Library 