Your guide to the Concordia Effect at Blue Metropolis 2019

Concordians have participated in every edition of the Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival since its inception more than two decades ago.

This year, for the third year in a row, they have their own section in the program: “The Concordia Effect at Blue Met.”

Blue Metropolis runs from May 2 to May 5, and the theme is social inequality.

Attendees can expect readings, interviews, panel discussions and more from students, faculty and alumni.

Check out this selection of events you won’t want to miss:

SpokenWeb Deep Curation

Reading + discussion | Friday, May 3, 2 p.m. | Hôtel 10, Salle Jardin (10 Sherbrooke St. W.)

Deep curation is an experimental approach to organizing a poetry reading, emphasizing the directed nature of literary event planning. The curator selects the poems each reader will recite, as well as the thematic arc of the poems’ placement and progression in relation to each other.

This event, which will be followed by a discussion, was developed by PhD in English student and host Klara du Plessis. Alumna Tess Liem (MA 17) is also part of the lineup.

Ninth Annual Linda Leith Publishing Launch

Launch | Friday, May 3, 6 p.m. | Hôtel 10, Salle St-Laurent (10 Sherbrooke St. W.)

Linda Leith Publishing/Éditions launches new books published by the press in English and French — and welcomes recent authors from the Salon .ll. magazine.

This event features Ariela Freedman (BA 94), associate professor in the Liberal Arts College, who is launching her second novel, A Joy To Be Hidden.

DC Books Spring Launch

Launch | Friday, May 3, 6:30 p.m. | Librairie Paragraphe (2220 McGill College Ave.)

DC Books hosts its annual book launch with readings from the press’s new and upcoming titles. Concordia alumna and Vallum co-founder Eleni Zisimatos (MA 02) will be launching her debut poetry collection.

A Bouquet of Titles for Spring: New English Books from Quebec

Reading | Saturday, May 4, 12 p.m. | Hôtel 10, Salle Godin (10 Sherbrooke St. W.)

Novelists and poets read from their latest work. This event is hosted by Meredith Marty-Dugas, president of the Concordia Association for Students in English.

Love, Identity and Expectations

Panel discussion | Saturday, May 4, 12:30 p.m. | Hôtel 10, Salle Jardin (10 Sherbrooke St. W.)

Three writers discuss their original takes on LGBTQ relationships in their most recent books, which bring us from Canada to Egypt, South Africa and St. Vincent. The panel features Concordia alumna Leila Marshy (BFA 85).

Orly Castel-Bloom’s An Egyptian Novel: “Irrational and Astonishing”

Interview | Saturday, May 4, 1 p.m. | Museum of Jewish Montreal (4040 St Laurent Blvd)

A three-time recipient of Israel’s Prime Minister’s Award, Orly Castel-Bloom fuses fact and fiction in this unconventional telling of her family’s story. An Egyptian Novel won the 2016 Sapir Prize. Castel-Bloom’s earlier title, Dolly City, is included in UNESCO’s Collection of Representative Works.

Yousef Bashir: Peace-builder and Memoirist

Interview | Saturday, May 4, 2:30 p.m. | Museum of Jewish Montreal (4040 Saint-Laurent Blvd.)

Palestinian Khalil Bashir was a committed pacifist, even after the Israeli Defense Forces occupied his home and shot his 15-year-old son, Yousef, who was paralyzed from the waist down. Now, Yousef embraces his late father’s pacifism, writing about it in his memoir, The Words of My Father.

He will be interviewed by Marshy.

Blue Metropolis International Literary Grand Prix

Award Ceremony | Saturday, May 4, 4 p.m. | Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Auditorium (475 De Maisonneuve Blvd. E.)

Award-winning American author and Concordia alumna Annie Proulx (MA 73, LLD 99) receives the Blue Metropolis Literary Grand Prix for her body of work, which includes Barkskins, The Shipping News and the short story “Brokeback Mountain,” which inspired the critically acclaimed major motion picture.

Proulx will be in conversation with Eleanor Wachtel (LLD 10) of CBC Radio’s Writers and Company.

Never Apart Legend Series: John Greyson

Interview | Saturday, May 4, 6 p.m. | Never Apart (7049 Saint-Urbain St.)

This event features a one-on-one interview with director, writer, video artist and activist John Greyson, whose work has made an indelible impact on Canadian and queer cinema.

Greyson will be interviewed by Matthew Hays (BFA 91, MA 99), part-time Concordia professor at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema and the Department of Journalism.

The Power of Literature

Talk | Sunday, May 5, 2 p.m. | Hôtel 10, Salle St-Laurent (10 Sherbrooke St. W.)

Can literature change the world? Six Canadian writers — poets, novelists and translators — chosen among the 2018 Governor General’s Award winners, answer this question from both a personal and a literary perspective.

The panel is hosted by Concordia alumna Katia Grubisic (MA 06).

Performing the Archive: A Remix

Literary performance | Sunday, May 5, 2 p.m. | La Vitrola (4602 Saint-Laurent Blvd.)

Poet-musician Jason Camlot (BA 90), associate professor of English, and academic-flamenco dancer Katherine McLeod, affiliate assistant professor of English, take on the challenge of making a new poetry reading out of readings from the past.

Join them as they unarchive recordings from the SpokenWeb project, transforming voice into rhythm and movement into poetry. The performance will be followed by a Q&A session.

Bonus Concordia event:

Tribute | Wednesday, May 1 | The Rialto Theatre (5723 Parc Ave.)

Be sure to check out the tribute to Montreal playwright and actor Vittorio Rossi (BFA 85). The Italo-Québécois Concordia alum wrote 14 memorable plays that gave voice to the immigrant family experience.
 

The 2019 Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival runs from May 2 to 5 at venues throughout the city. See the full festival program here.

Find out more about Concordia’s Department of English.