Weekend fiction fest

by · Castanet
The Girlship Collective, Kenyan and Canadian authors of the Seeing Our Sisters short story anthology. From left to right: Hellen Mwololo, Rehema Zuberi (ResH), Ellah Hallets, Joanna Cockerline, Munira Hussein, and Jacque Nzioka (TJ).Photo: Valley Voices

African authors take centre stage at the Valley Voices Fiction Fest this weekend.

Nigerian novelist Umar Turaki will read from his new novel, Every Drop of Blood is Red at the opening event at the Alternator Gallery in Kelowna on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

UBC Okanagan instructor Joanne Cockerill will also be reading for the anthology Seeing Our Sister, which includes a story she worked on with several emerging Kenyan women writers.

"These are truly world-class, international writers," says Valley Voices Kelowna organizer Nancy Holmes. "One day you'll brag about having seen them here first!"

On Saturday at the Summerland branch of the Okanagan Regional Library, Turaki and Cockerline will also read from their new works from 1 to 2 p.m. Both events will also include a sample of work by undergraduate Creative Writing students from UBCO.

The Valley Voices Fiction Fest also offers a free writing workshop on Saturday morning at the downtown Kelowna branch of the Okanagan Regional Library.

There will also be a brown-bag lunch, where Corinna Chong will be reading from her Giller Prize long-listed book Bad Land.

Find out more about the festival here.