2006 Freedom to Read Week
Calgary Calendar of Events

Wednesday, February 15 - Deadline for submission of essays to the Free to Read Essay Contest sponsored by the Calgary Public Library. The contest is open to junior high school students in Calgary.
Website: http://www.calgarypubliclibrary.com/teens/essay.htm

Monday, February 27 - approximately 1:30
The Calgary Freedom to Read Week Committee will present the Official Book of Freedom to Read Week to City Council, during the City Council meeting. Anne Jayne, chairperson of the Committee, will present a copy of The Sledding Hill, by Chris Crutcher.

In The Sledding Hill, some townspeople in a small town in Idaho call for a novel to be taken off the shelves of the school library, and off the reading list for a high school English course. Parents, teachers, church members, and students all have their say about whether students should be allowed to read the book if they wish, or whether the school board should take it out of the school on the grounds that it has bad ideas that may be harmful to readers.

Chris Crutcher is the author of a number of books, including Whale Talk, Ironman, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, and Athletic Shorts. His website is at http://www.chriscrutcher.com/

Wednesday, March 1 - morning and afternoon
Chris Crutcher will visit two senior high schools (Calgary Board of Education), to speak about censorship and read from his work.

Wednesday, March 1 - 4 p.m.
The Village Square Branch of the Calgary Public Library will host an appearance by Chris Crutcher. The branch will accept registration for this event, beginning on February 15 (phone 221-2060). The branch is located at 2623 56 St. NE.

Wednesday, March 1 - 7 p.m.
Chris Crutcher will read from his work, speak about freedom of expression, and sign books at McNally Robinson Booksellers, 120 8th Ave. S.W.

Friday, March 3 - 7 - 9 p.m.
The annual celebration of Freedom to Read Week will take place in Prairie Ink Café, at McNally Robinson Booksellers, at 120 8th Ave. SW, Calgary. Everyone is welcome.

Jeff Collins, host of Homestretch CBC Radio One, will be the Master of Ceremonies. Author Richard Harrison will read from his own work. Student authors will read their winning essays in the Free to Read Essay Contest.

The 2006 Calgary Freedom of Expression Award will be presented to Catherine Ford. Ms. Ford will speak about freedom of expression. She will read from her new book, Against the Grain. The Calgary Freedom of Expression Award is sponsored by Fast Forward (FFWD).

There is no charge for tickets, although a donation to Bookbags for Kids, an initiative of the Calgary Board of Education, is requested. Tickets will available from McNally Robinson Booksellers by February 6. For more information, contact Anne Jayne at 283-2085 or at freeweek@writtenword.org.

This celebration will be the kick-off event for the 24-hour marathon of readings from banned and challenged books.

Friday, March 3 - 9:15 p.m. - to Saturday, March 4, about 9:30 Calgary's first twenty-four hour marathon of readings from banned and challenged books will begin in the Prairie Ink Café, McNally Robinson Booksellers, at the conclusion of the celebration event.

Each volunteer will read for about fifteen minutes from a banned or challenged book.

Readers will be in the bookstore from 10 p.m. on Friday, when the store closes, until 9 a.m. on Saturday, when the store re-opens. The readers will have each other as an audience, as members of the public will not be present when the store is closed. And, yes, there will be continuous readings from 10 p.m. until 9 a.m.

All week long - Look for displays on freedom to read at Calgary's libraries and bookstores.

National website: www.freedomtoread.ca
Local website: http://writtenword.org/calgary_freedom/

The Calgary Freedom of Expression Award was instituted by Sandpiper Books following an attempt in the Alberta Legislature to ban John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. The award is now sponsored by Fast Forward (FFWD). Past winners have included the late educator Lorne McRae, author and journalist Ken McGoogan, former Producing Director of Alberta Theatre Projects Michael Dobbin, former owner of Sandpiper Books and founder of the award Kerry Longpré, puppeteer Ronnie Burkett, Calgary Alderman Suzanne Higgins, former Calgary Member of the Legislative Assembly Gary Dickson, writers Bob Stallworthy and Tony King, Group of Six Billion (G6B) organizer Lynn Foster and Pages on Kensington owner, the late Catherine McKay.

More information events is available by email or phone - 283-2085.

Look for displays in your local branch of the Calgary Public Library.