If you ask us, the annual Afterwords Literary Festival is the event manifestation of your coolest book-loving pal. You can trust its curated calendar of events to get you up-to-date on the buzziest books and on-the-rise authors, both locally and internationally. The fact that its 2021 lineup is 100 percent online only fortifies the feeling that it loves you back juuuust as much. And while the entire fest—held from Sep 28-Oct 3—looks lit, here are some of the events we’re most excited for.
Former Halifax Poet Laureate Rebecca Thomas debuts a new poem as part of a star-studded talk taking place on Truth and Reconciliation Day (Sep 30). The poem was specially commissioned by the festival, and will be presented before Governor General Award-winning, bestselling author Katherena Vermette talks about her new book, The Strangers, with decorated poet Janet Rogers.
Thu Sep 30, 7pm-8:15pm, free, livestream details here.
Fri Oct 1, 8:30pm, $8, livestream details here.
The Giller-longlisted Francesca Ekwuyasi provides one of the best conjurings of Halifax in recent years in her 2020 chapbook Butter Honey Pig Bread—and it's not just us who think so: The New Yorker, The Globe and Mail and Quill and Quire all made note of the debut novel. Tune into this livestream to see Ekwuyasi in conversation with Halifax Fringe's director, Lee-Anne Poole.
Sun Oct 3, noon, $5, livestream details here.