Book clubs, bookstores and libraries from throughout the Foothills are coming together this weekend to Celebrate Reading.
The Highwood Readers wanted to do something to mark their 25th anniversary so the club has joined forces with other book lovers to host a free event that will feature a pair of prominent authors.
Set for Saturday, Oct. 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at High River United Church, Celebrate Reading will allow book enthusiasts to hear from renowned Canadian authors Lecia Cornwall and Sharon Butala.
“We just felt we'd like to do something to celebrate reading,” said Elaine Mason, a member of the Highwood Readers as well as the team that's putting the event together.
With much help from the High River Library and a grant from the Calgary Foundation, Mason said organizers found support among book lovers from throughout the region, including High River, Okotoks, Diamond Valley, Longview, Nanton and Vulcan.
The afternoon will kick-off with a presentation from Cornwall, author of That Summer in Berlin, The Woman at the Front and numerous historical romance novels, who lives in the Foothills and volunteers at the Museum of the Highwood. Cornwall will talk about her books as well as the research that goes into them.
Following a break that will feature refreshments, prize draws and games, Butala will talk about a writing career that has produced 21 books of fiction and nonfiction dating back to 1984 when she published her first novel, Country of the Heart, which was nominated for the Books in Canada First Novel Award.
An officer of the Order of Canada, the Calgary author has also penned numerous essays and articles, some poetry and five produced plays.
Both authors will also take part in question-and-answer sessions.
Mason said the event builds on a strong tradition of reading in the region that can be traced back to the opening of the High River Library in 1922 and the first book club in Cayley a decade later.
“I think it's a feather in the cap of rural areas that we realized the importance of reading in our lives,” she said.
To register for Celebrate Reading, visit showpass.com/celebrate or reach out to the High River Library.
