The Concordia Co-op Bookstore kicks off its (Not-So-Local) Local Legends Reading Series

Now that the sun is vanishing at an early hour, and the cold is slowly creeping in, what better way to spend an autumnal night than by attending a book reading in the cozy dwelling of the Concordia Community Solidarity Co-op Bookstore? To celebrate their ninth year of bringing alternative culture to the people, the Co-op is hosting a month-long event called the (Not-So-Local) Local Legends Reading Series. All throughout October, not-so-local authors will be visiting the Co-op to read from their novels. Co-op programming and outreach coordinator Larissa Dutil points out that the reading series has an “LGBTQ twist.” Dutil explains that “all featured authors have works of fiction that deal with a facet of either sexuality, gender, racial politics or belonging. Sometimes, all of the above.”

Check out the roster below for a who’s-who of the reading series.

Wednesday, October 5 at 7:00pm: Kristyn Dunnion and Heather J. Wood. A self-professed “Lady punk warrior,” Dunnion kicked up some grit in 2004 with the highly acclaimed Mosh Pit, a YA novel about rebel girls, sexual ambiguity, and modern love. This will be the Montreal launch of her new novel The Dirt Chronicles, a collection of stories about urban outlaws rowing against the undertow of the masses. Author of Fortune Cookie, Heather J. Wood is an ex-pat Montrealer. She’ll be reading from her latest novel Roll With It, a story where blades are exchanged for wheels, as a figure skater turns to the world of roller derby, and breaks free of the path her family has built for her.

Wednesday, October 12 at 7:00pm: Vivek Shraya. Toronto-based musician, writer, performer, and artist Vivek Shraya will read from his Lambda Literary Award finalist novel God Loves Hair. The collection of twenty short stories follows a curious child navigating identity, individuality, and community. Vivek also creates and delivers workshops about writing, art, gender, sexuality, and homophobia. He is currently touring around Canada, and his Montreal stop will no doubt be intimate and engaging.      

Wednesday, October 19 at 7:00pm: Farzana Doctor. Psychotherapist turned author Farzana Doctor has written a novel about the death of an infant, and the visceral repercussions that follow. Six Meters of Pavement centers on three vivid characters living in the heart of Toronto’s Little Portugal as they wrestle with the ramifications of the past. It is a meditation on memory and catharsis. The novel, from Dundurn Press, is what author Shauna Singh Baldwin calls a “guide to remaking and choosing your family.”

Thursday October 27 at 7:00pm: David Pratt. The fact that this reading is taking place on a Thursday, rather than a Wednesday, is hardly the only queer thing about Pratt’s appearance. The NYC author will be reading from Bob the Book, his 2011 Lambda Literary Award winning novel about a gay book. While questions may abound, fear not! Pratt’s novel manages to answer two fundamental queries: what is a gay book? Moreover, can sentient gay books find true love? Join Pratt for an endearing take on our love affair with the printed word.

(Not-So-Local) Local Legends Reading Series
October 5, 12, 19, and 27 at 7:00pm
Concordia Community Solidarity Co-op Bookstore |2150 Bishop | co-opbookstore.ca