The River City Reading Series

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The River City Reading Series aims to introduce readers to writers from Eastern Ontario and beyond. River City brings in a mix of new and established poetry, spoken word and fiction writers to enrich, enlighten and entertain.

On Saturday, September 24, authors reading from their work include:

Rick Revelle (Napanee):

Rick Revelle was born in Smith Fall and worked for Northern Telecom and Nortel for 30 years. Rick belongs to the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and is a Knowledge Keeper for the Limestone and Algonquin Lakeshore School Boards. His novels include I Am Algonquin. (2013, Dundurn Press), Algonquin Spring (2015, Dundurn Press), Algonquin Sunset. (2017, Dundurn Press), and Algonquin Legacy (2021, Crossfield Publishing). Rick will be reading from his most recently published novel, The Elk Whistle Warrior Society. (2022, Crossfield Publishing).

Lois Lorimer (Brockville):

Lois Lorimer was born in Brockville and has a deep affection for Eastern Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Lois is a poet, actor and educator. Her first collection, Stripmall Subversive, was published by Variety Crossing Press in 2012. Her poems have appeared in Arc, Literary Review of Canada, and in anthologies Heartwood (2018) and The Bright Well (2011). As an actor, Lois Lorimer performed at the Shaw Festival Company for five seasons, and in film and radio drama. For the Toronto District School Board, she taught English, Creative Writing and Drama. She has happily returned to Brockville after 4 decades in Toronto.

Christopher A. Taylor (Brockville):

Christopher A. Taylor has degrees in mathematics and law. His poetry and fiction have appeared in numerous Canadian literary journals, including the New Quarterly. He has published two collections of poetry: Shedding Knowledge (2007) and This May Sound Strange (2012). Travel Light and Other Stories is his first collection of fiction. He will be reading from a selection of his work.

Sandra J. Jackson (Lansdowne):

Sandra J. Jackson was born in Montreal. She has four published novels (also available as audiobooks) with Next Chapter Publishing. Her first novel, Promised Soul, received a silver badge from Global E-book Awards in August 2019. The first book in new trilogy series, Playing in the Rain, received the Golden Quill Award in 2018 and in 2019 received an honourable mention for the Cygnus Sci-fi Award through Chanticleer Book Reviews. Sandra is currently working on her fifth novel. She will be reading from a selection of her work.

Host: Carolyn Bennett (Brockville/Toronto):

Carolyn Bennett is a writer and comedian. She won the 2013 TIFF Studio Screenwriting Intensive Jury Prize, and was a member of the 2017 Thousand Islands Playwrights' Unit where her play The Monarchists received a public workshop. Bennett's first novel, Please Stand By was published in 2019 by Vancouver's Now or Never Publishing. She is currently working on a collection of short stories. Bennett freelances for the Toronto Star and Canadian Immigrant magazine. She founded Bright Lit, Big City, a literary reading series at Toronto's Hirut Cafe.

There will be a Q&A with the audience. Mask wearing is encouraged.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Writers' Union of Canada.

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River City Reading Series

The River City Reading Series aims to introduce readers to writers from Eastern Ontario and beyond. River City brings in a mix of new and established poetry, spoken word and prose writers to enrich, enlighten and entertain. Organized by transplanted Toronto writer and comedian Carolyn Bennett, River City celebrates arts, culture and community.