On Tuesday night, I had dinner with a few girlfriends and the big topic of the night was the cancellation of BEC. Well, it was for them. By then, it had been more than twenty-four hours since Reed made the announcement, BookCamp Toronto was taking shape and I was tired of talking about BEC.

But that’s an aside for another day.

Since entering publishing a little more than a year ago, I’ve been troubled by the fear-driven backwards-thinking happening (nearly) everywhere in publishing. Book publishing needed to move forward with confidence and gusto, needed to try new things, shake old things up and not to be afraid of failing. Clinging to the old way of doing things is a way to ensure its demise, but if we at least try to enter this brave new world, we’ll go down swinging.

I’m not the only one who feels that way. There’s a dynamic online community who is constantly chattering and sharing ideas and concerns about this. It’s amazing and I feel lucky to be (virtually) surrounded by and engaging with them.

Within hours of BEC being cancelled, the idea for BookCamp Toronto, an unconference modeled on the successful BookCamp in London and various other “camps” we’ve seen happening in Toronto over the past year, solidified. Hugh Mcguire of BookOven and Mitch Joel of Twist Image really took the reigns and created a community wiki for organization and secured MaRS as the location. Mark Bertils (whose blog, I think, has the smartest commentary on the state of Canadian book publishing I’ve ever read) and Alexa Clark (whose projects and ideas are always inspiring!) and myself are board too, and hopefully we’ll make this event a huge success. (It should be, I’m making buttons!)

So on June 6 at the MaRS Centre, BookCamp Toronto, the future of book publishing will be debated, discussed and challenged. Please join us by registering here (attendance is capped at 150 people. We learned from CupcakeCamp!) and be sure to share your seminar ideas and anything else you have.

Stories That Bind Festival

Hart House Library | 11am-6pm| free
7 Hart House Circle

Come celebrate authors, poets, storytellers, presenters and more with readings from Rishma Dunlop,
Flavia Cosma, Charles Seidlecki, Al Moritz, Lien Chao, Anthony DeSa, Patrica Rivera, Dae Tong Huh,
Jennifer Duncan and more. Creative performances and artwork will be there for you to enjoy too!

Public Demystification workshop with Karen Connelly

Toronto Reference Library | 1pm | free
789 Yonge Street

Karen Connelly, TPL’s Writer in Residence, will be leading a workshop on Publication Demystification.

Toronto Poetry Slam

Drake Hotel | 7:30pm | $5.00
1150 Queen Street West

Dave Nichols, a member of the Black Pearl Poetry National Slam Team will be a featured guest at tonight’s slam. Expect tons of fun and a competition or two!

Robert Gill Theatre | 7:30pm | free
214 College Street

David Hackett Fischer (Champlain’s Dream) and Peter MacLeod (Northern Armageddon) will be reading as part of the U of T reading series. There’s limited seating, so get there early!

Image by swamibu. Licensed via Creative Commons.

The Heliconian Club | 6:30pm | $10
35 Hazelton Avenue

HarperCollins and the Cookbook Store present the Globe and Mail’s Amy Verner in conversation with Tana Ramsey. As in Gordon Ramsey’s wife. Yeah, I want to go too.

Get Lit 2008

Gladstone Hotel | 7pm | $100
1214 Queen Street West

Readers for this year’s Get Lit include mayor David Miller, Vincent Lam, George Stroumboulopoulos, Amy Verner (she’s having a busy evening!) and Elvira Kurt. Proceeds will help the Running & Reading Club. Ticket info is available on the website.

Harbord House | 7:30pm | free
150 Harbord Street

Enjoy readings with Christopher Doda, Karen Connelly, Halli Villages, and Leigh Nash as we celebrate the multiculturalism of Canada, presented by KCLF-21 Press.

Art Attack!

University of Toronto Visual Studies building | 7pm | free
1 Spadina Crescent

Okay, so this has nothing to do with books. But it sounds like tons of fun and it’s free! Toronto Public Space Committee wants you to help create a foliage installation.I think that’s a fancy way to asking you to come play in the leaves with them, resulting in wheat pasting and leaf mobiles for all!

Image by aldinegirl12. Licensed via Creative Commons

Toronto Public Library Reading: Edo van Belkom

Fairview Branch | 10:30am | Free
35 Fairview Mall Drive

Edo van Belkhom will read from Wolf Man (Tundra Books).

Young Hunting Launch

Seeley Hall, Trinity College | 5pm | Free
6 Hoskin Avenue

ECW will be celebrating the launch of Young Hunting by Martin Hunter.

Into the Drowned World Launch

Mitzi’s Sister | 7pm | free
1554 Queen Street West

Insomniac Press will be celebrating the launch of Into the Drowned World by Ryan Kamstra.

TINARS: Belonging and Banishment: Being Muslim in Canada

Gladstone Hotel | 7:30pm | free
1214 Queen Street West

A panel discussion about the integration and identity of Muslims in Canada, lead by the editor of Belonging and Banishment, Natasha Bakht. Should be an interesting night, especially in light of the recent Toronto Life cover and controversy.

York’s Canadian Writers in Person presents Djanet Sears

York University | 7pm | free
Accolade West Building, Room 109

Djanet Sears, author of Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Playwrights Canada Press) is giving a lecture.

Book Thug Launch Party

Supermarket | 7:30pm | free
268 Augusta Ave

Come celebrate the launch of a whole bunch of new books, including In Stereo by Paul Hegedus, The SubWay by Philip Quinn, MAL ARME by Victor Coleman, After Rilke by Mark Goldstein, Welcome to Earth by Amanda Earl and This &That Lenin by Steven Zultanski.

Art Bar Poetry Series: David Clink, Maurice Mierau and Margaret Christakos

Clinton’s | 8pm |free
693 Bloor Street West

David Clink, Maurice Mierau and Margaret Christakos will all be reading their work.

Image by Crystl. Licensed via Creative Commons.

TINARS: Emily Holton and JR Carpenter

Gladstone Hotel | 7:30pm | free
1214 Queen Street West

This book launch comes equipped with an interactive element-animation, commentary and much more! It promises to be tons of fun. Emily Holton is the author of the reversible novellas Our Starland/Dear Canada and JR Carpenter penned Words the Dog Knows.

If you go, I’d love for you to share pictures, videos, stories and more!

Image by jekinthebox. Licensed via Creative Commons.