Cartoonists, writers of historical fiction welcome at this year’s Jewish Book Festival
Writers from Canada, the US, and Israel are guests at this year’s Jewish Book Festival. Historical novelists, cartoonists, YouTube sensations with their own cookbook and YA authors will take part in readings, workshops, panel discussions, and multi-media events as part of the annual event.
The 33rd Annual JCC Jewish Book Festival takes place Nov. 25-30, with most of the events at the Jewish Community Centre (950 West 41st Ave.) and other venues in the Lower Mainland. Here are some highlights.
Alison Pick—The Toronto poet’s novel Far to Go was nominated for the Man Booker Prize, won the Canadian Jewish Award for Fiction, and was named a Top Ten of 2010 book by the Toronto Star. Her memoir, Between Gods, was a Globe and Mail “Best Book” of 2014, and a national bestseller. As part of the Opening Night Gala (Nov. 25), Pick talks about her latest book, Strangers With the Same Dream. The novel is set in the 1920s, in the Middle East.
Ruby Namdar—Originally from Jerusalem, Namdar now lives in New York. He is the winner of Israel’s most prestigious literary award, the Sapir Prize, for A Ruined House. The novel has been called “one of the most monumental works written in Hebrew in the last century.”
Rachel Kadish—Kadish is the author of The Weight of Ink, a novel set in London in the 1660s and the early 21st century. She headlines the festival’s annual Book Club Event (Nov. 28). The event includes food and a discussion with the author. Participants are invited to register in advance, and can order the book at a 25% discount by calling(604) 257‐5111. Her previous work includes the novels From a Sealed Room and Tolstoy Lied: A Love Story.
Miriam Libicki—This year’s writer-in-residence at the Vancouver Public Library, Libicki is an Israeli-Canadian graphic novelist/cartoonist. Graphic novel authors Orli Auslander (I Feel Bad. Every Day. About Everything) and Jonathan Rotsztain (Self-Loving Jew Comics) will join her for Jewish Graphic Expression (Nov. 29) for an evening dedicated to comics.
The VPL’s writer-in-residence Miriam Libicki is one of the guests at this year’s Jewish Book Festival.
Regular updates can be found at jewishbookfestival.ca. The JCC Jewish Book Festival program guide is available at select locations throughout the Lower Mainland. Most events take place at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (950 West 41st Ave. at Oak).
Full Festival information and tickets are available on the website or by calling the Festival Box Office at 604-257-5111.