Kingston Friends of Horizons invite you to “Celebrate Spring” in the company of some of Canada’s most remarkable writers. Join us on Sunday April 4, 2004 at Kingston City Hall, 216 Ontario St., for our 8th Annual Writers & Friends featuring readings, music, culinary delights complements of many of the finest chefs in the Kingston region, book signings and a silent auction.
You will meet Guy Vanderhaeghe, Canada Reads 2004 winner (The Last Crossing), Commonwealth Literary Award winner Frances Itani (Deafening), Giller nominee Elizabeth Hay (Garbo Laughs) and nationally acclaimed journalist and writer Roy MacGregor (Escape). Our special musical guest will be singer-songwriter Georgette Fry. Tickets $100 (tax receipt for $75). For more information about Kingston’s 8th Annual literary afternoon on behalf of Horizons of Friendship’s work in Central America and Mexico call 613-546-9199. Or for credit card orders, call 1-888-729-9928.
“Canada Reads” Winner Guy Vanderhaeghe and Commonwealth Award Recipient Frances Itani at Horizons’ Writers & Friends April 4, 2004.
Kingston’s Friends of Horizons are delighted to announce that their 8th Annual Literary afternoon will take place Sunday April 4th at Kingston City Hall, featuring an outstanding roster of contributing guests:
~ Guy Vanderhaeghe, Saskatoon based writer and author of numerous award winning novels and short stories who has twice received the Governor General’s Award, notably for the acclaimed The Englishman’s Boy. His most recent novel The Last Crossing, a sweeping tale of interwoven lives in the late 19c. Canadian and American West has been hailed as “best book of the year” by critics and readers alike. It has won the CBC Canada Reads competition as the book every Canadian should read in 2004.
~ Elizabeth Hay, Ottawa writer and recipient of the prestigious Marian Engel Award (2002). Her first novel A Student of Weather was a finalist for the Giller Prize and her much anthologized stories and short fiction have received many national writing awards and nominations. Her most recent novel Garbo Laughs a “funny and sad-eyed novel about the patience of love and the allure of movies in our lives” was a 2003 nominee for the Governor General’s Award for Literature.
~ Frances Itani, writer of dramas, essays, poetry, children’s books and features for CBC Radio, is the author of four acclaimed short story collections (Leaning, Leaning Over Water). Her first novel, Deafening, a tale of love and war in the life of a young deaf woman has been called “a brilliant ode to language”. A record breaking bestseller, Deafening just won the 2004 Commonwealth Fiction Award.
~ Roy MacGregor, award winning author and journalist is one of Canada’s most popular and best selling writers (Home Team, Life in the Bush, Screech Owls Childrens Series). The winner of numerous awards for his magazine and newspaper writing (currently for the Globe & Mail), he has twice received an ACTRA Award as best Canadian dramatist. His new book Escape: In Search of the Natural Soul of Canada is “a marvel of humour, understanding and grace”.
We are delighted as well to announce the participation of singer, songwriter and recording artist Georgette Fry, a Juno nominee and winner of the Real Blues Award 2002 for “Best Blues Songwriter and “Best Blues Female vocalist”.
The afternoon of “literary schmoozing” with master of ceremonies Kingston writer, Larry Scanlan, begins at 1:30 pm featuring readings by the guest authors, music, delectables by some of the region’s finest chefs, book sales, signings and a Silent Auction of specialty art and craft items from around the world. All this on behalf of Horizons of Friendship’s work with communities and families in Central America and Mexico. Funds raised by Writers & Friends will help address problems caused by continuing drought and food shortages in impoverished communities in many areas.
Tickets are $100; an income tax receipt is provided for $75. A limited number of tickets are now on sale at Novel Idea, Tara Foods, Chez Piggy and Renaissance Music. For more information call 613-546- 9199; for credit card orders call 1-888-729-9928.
Kingston Friends of Horizons: Henry Becker, Barb Perry, Evelyn Gervan, Oscar & Joanna Malan, Joanna Malan, Gord McDiarmid, Janet Pearse, Beth Pater, Larry Scanlan, Jamie Swift, Wayne Westfall, Barb Wilson
Horizons of Friendship is a community-based federally registered charity founded in 1973 by three volunteers from Cobourg. The goal of this international development organization is to help Central American and Mexican communities meet their basic needs as expressed by the people. With local partners, Horizons supports low-cost housing, health services, clean water, food production and literacy and education. The projects provide entire communities with the potential for self-sufficiency through training and income-generating opportunities. Kingston Friends of Horizons are represented on the Board of Directors of Horizons of Friendship by Kingston residents Evelyn Gervan and Dr. Henry Becker. For information about Horizons of Friendship call 1-888-729-9928
Gilbert is an active member of ARADIKES a non-governmental organization that represents four indigenous groups (The Bri Bri, Brunca, Cabecares and Teribes) in six territories of the Buenos Aires area. ARADIKES’s mission is to strengthen indigenous communities in the struggle to defend their rights through grass-roots associations. ARADIKES also strives to promote environmental conservation and micro-enterprise economic development. Many of their programs are directed at indigenous farmers whose ancestral tradition includes maintaining forest areas so they can provide raw materials for crafts, medicinal plants and other resources. 
