Women's History Book Events coming up...

This should be a good week for reading and discussing women's history and women's issues.

There's the Women's History Network of BC (WHN/BC) conference this afternoon in Victoria to start. Mahinder Manhas will be there to discuss and read from her new book, Zhindagee, Selected stories of our first daughters, the history of Asian Indian first daughters in British Columbia, Canada from 1920-1950. I am really looking forward to hearing her. Manhas was one of the participants in the WHN/BC Women's History Fair in Vancouver this year and showed some of her photographs then. (To purchase the book, contact her through WHN/BC. Details on the website.)

On Monday evening, at the History Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver, there's the launch of the new book, Walk Myself Home, edited by Andrea Routley. This is an anthology of prose, poetry and non-fiction on the theme of violence against women. A number of authors will be there to read and discuss the book.

Then on Tuesday evening, early over dinner, Herstory Cafe is hosting a discussion of Jean Barman's book, Maria Mahoi of the Islands. That's at the Rhizome Cafe, one of my favourite Vancouver spots.

And what am I reading this weekend in sunny (I hope!) Victoria? Well, I'm re-reading Maria Mahoi, of course, but also a dystopian science fiction book, The Olive Readers, by Christine Aziz. It's not new - this was published in 2005 as the winner in a 'How to Get Published' competition (See Pan Macmillan for more about the book). It's had mixed reviews, I think, but so far, for me, it's very good. And, coming over to Vancouver Island I finished a novel mystery, The Face on the Wall by Jane Langton - one of her Homer Kelly books. (And I know just the person who'll want to read this next!)

And, of course, I'm hoping there will be time for bookstore hopping in sunny Sidney on Vancouver Island - Sidney's the Booktown of Canada!