National Crime Writing Month in Canada

May is National Crime Writing Month in Canada as proclaimed by the Crime Writers of Canada.

Events are taking place at libraries and bookstores across Canada.

David Russell has talking about and signing copies of his new book in several communities around British Columbia.

Owen Laukkanen is at the Drumheller Library and other places talking about his first book, The Professionals, which is a thriller.

I found interesting that a pair of brother authors I have read are appearing at a bookstore in the small Ontario town of Fergus on Thursday of this week. The promotion says:

Robert Rotenberg will join his brother and fellow thriller

author David Rotenberg at Reflections Bookstore in Fergus to

meet with fans and discuss the art of crime writing.

And then there is this year’s FICTIONista tour which has made its way across Canada.

They have a very interesting blog / website.

They describe their program as:

FICTIONistas is a unique reading series conceived in 2006 under the leadership of Coteau Books. It’s a collaborative project among independent publishers to bring together Canadian women writers for events with a difference.

The FICTIONistas describe their events:

Each event has four authors, usually hosted by a FICTIONista alumna, with Q&A and discussions this year, led by Book Clubs in the Adopt-a-FICTIONista program!

Alison Preston was part of the group crossing the country. She was talking about her new mystery, The Girl in the Wall.

For the online community the CWC have created the National Crime Writers Blog which goes year round. This month Canadian mystery authors are putting up posts on why they turned to crime.

Who could have guessed that Anthony Bidulka was inspired to write about crime while a teenager in rural Saskatchewan because of his love for the original Charlie’s Angels T.V. series.

The CWC has partnered with our national public broadcasting system, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. At the Canada Writes website there are several activities taking place. One of the most interesting is a crime fiction master class with Louise Penny. In a recent post she discussed the creation of Armand Gamache. She starts:  

      It was a mistake. I'd initially wanted Clara and Peter Morrow to

      be the main characters. An updating of the Thin Man series.  

      It would be a series of  books featuring these amateur 

      detectives, who'd have the help of a Surete du Quebec homicide

      detective, Chief Inspector Gamache.

And thus a great series is born with an unplanned lead sleuth.

The month ends with the Bloody Words Conference in Toronto

Why not make an online trip this spring to Canada and visit some Canadian crime writers!