MONTREAL
May 17th – 20th Montreal Underground Film Festival, various locations
This annual festival celebrates its 7th year promoting low-budget filmmakers, in experimental or avant-garde filmmaking.
The Anarchist Book fair — part of the Anarchist Festival in Montreal — takes place in two buildings and hosts screenings of alternative films and documentaries, workshops and presentations. There is also free childcare available via the Kid Zone. Donations are encouraged.
TORONTO
Tuesday May 15th 8pm, Art Bar Poetry Reading Series, Paupers Pub (2nd fl), 539 Bloor St. W, Free
Every week Art Bar meets to hold poetry readings. This week’s gathering will feature Jonathan Eskedjian, Sam Turner, and Allison LaSorda.
Tuesday May 15th 7pm, Insomniac Press 2012 Spring Launch Party, Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W.
Join Insomniac Press as it celebrates the launch of its Spring 2012 literary titles. The event will feature new poetry books from Marcus McCann (The Hard Return) and Natalie Zina Walschots (Doom), and fiction from Jamie Popowich (Metraville), Liz Bugg (Oranges and Lemons), and Julie McIsaac (Entry Level).
Wednesday May 16th 7pm, Short Story Shindig, Type Books, 883 Queen St. W., Free
Coach House Books, House of Anansi, and Vehicule Press invite you to a Short Story Shindig at Type Books. Attendees will hear excerpts of three of this spring’s freshest new voices — Heather Birrell, reading from her hotly anticipated new collection Mad Hope; Daniel Griffin, reading from his dazzling debut collection Stopping for Strangers; and Carrie Snyder, reading from her acclaimed new book, The Juliet Stories. Host Kerry Clare (49th Shelf) will MC and lead a short discussion of short fiction following the readings.
Thursday May 17th 10pm, InsideOut Opening Gala, OCADU, 100 McCaul Street, 2nd fl Great Hall, $10
The kick-off for the 11-day InsideOut LGBT Film Festival will be held at OCADU, featuring performances by Yura (Viva Cabaret) and DJ Shane Percey of Grapefruit and Pop✮Machine.
WATERLOO
Tuesday May 15 7pm, Indie Lit Night at the Starlight, Starlight Lounge, 47 King St. N., Free.
This Tuesday, several of Canada’s independent presses —BookThug, Coach House Books, ECW Press and House of Anansi — will team up with Waterloo-based publisher Blaurock Press for a multi-author book launch at the Starlight Lounge. The annual event, organized by Waterloo’s Words Worth Books and local lit journal The New Quarterly, brings some of the country’s best fiction writers and poets to Waterloo. This year, featured authors will include Marianne Apostolides, Heather Birrell, Walid Bitar, Joey Comeau, Elisabeth de Mariaffi, Carrie Snyder and more.
HALIFAX
Tuesday nights are dedicated to female and transgendered cyclists, while Mondays and Wednesday are open to everyone.
Tuesdays 6-9pm and Sundays 2-5pm, Roberts Street Social Centre summer hours, 5684 Roberts Street
Until the zine library and all of the entities within Roberts Street Social Centre move to their new location, Ink Storm Screen Printing Collective’s studio and the library are open Tuesdays and Sundays for drop-ins. While Ink Storm is open during those hours, there’s currently no staff available for training, so for the time being it is only for people who have had an orientation or taken a class with Inkstorm. If you’d like to use the studio, but need some assistance doing so, please email them and they will set up a time to help out.
A free workshop in the home of some of Halifax’s most fashionable wheels, learn how to take care and fix up your beloved bike.
This rug hooking event is one among many other events at the Craft Space series in the library. It is a casual drop in to share knowledge, tips and ideas while checking out some of the newest craft books. Everyone is welcome.
Sunday May 20th, 6pm, Community Vegan Potluck, Dalhousie Women’s Centre, 6286 South Street, Free
All people welcome to a monthly community vegan potluck. This month’s theme is Asian cuisine. Mix and mingle, and eat delicious food!
If you are putting on an independent arts, craft, zine or small press event, please let us know.