Coach House Books' Early 2014 Events Include Margaret Christakos, David McGimpsey and More

If there's one New Year's greeting we don't use in the 'book biz,' it's 'many happy returns.' No returns are happy to us! (A little book publishing humour, folks.) That said, we at Coach House do wish you the best in 2014. Thanks for all your support in 2013 - you read and reviewed our books, came to our events, frequented our pop-up shop and generally made us feel like we were doing important work in the world of Canadian publishing. And with a Spring 2014 list (see the catalogue here) that includes Margaux Williamson, André Alexis, Harry Karlinsky, Élise Turcotte, Sina Queyras, Brecken Hancock, Jen Currin and Sean Dixon, we know 2014 is also going to be a banner year!

Ebook? More like FreeBook!

Have you heard about these things called ebooks? Apparently they're all the rage amongst frequent travellers. You may have even come into the possession of an e-reader - be it Kobo, iPad, Kindle or Nook - over the holidays. Heck, even most phones can now read ebooks! And given the long winter ahead, you may need to stock up on ebooks, as every trip to the library or bookstore could be a harrowing trek through a deadly icescape.

Like any good enabler, Coach House wants to help you feed your ebook addiction: throughout January, our entire ebook list is available for 50% off when you order two or more ebooks! Even brand-new ebooks like The City Still Breathing, Multitudes and Jeet Heer's nonfiction book on Françoise Mouly,In Love with Art, are half-off! Get these ebooks while they're ridiculously cheap! Load your e-reader this January with our 'Ebook? More like FreeBook!' Sale. The sale lasts until February 1.

[Note: if you own a Kindle, please do not order from the Coach House site. Kindle editions of our books are available from the Amazon site only. Sorry for the inconvenience!]

Get ready for the AWP!

It's still two months away, but before you know it, the AWP Conference will be here! Once a year, theAssociation of Writers & Writing Programs Conference hits a major North American city, bringing some of the continent's best writers (and most enthusiastic MFA students) to town. This year, Seattle's Washington State Convention Center and Sheraton Seattle Hotel play host from February 27 to March 1.

Details are still accumulating, but Coach House will be at the fantastic AWP Book Fair at Table L4, in the North Hall. The Book Fair is open to the public on Saturday, March 1. Not only will we have great discounts on new and backlist Coach House titles, but you may even witness a visit from one of the Coach House poets at the conference, like Jen Currin!

Currin, the author of such poetic gems as Hagiography and The Inquisition Yours, will be at the AWP Conference in support of her new book, School, and will read at the UW Bothell-presented off-site reading, From the Convergence Zone, taking place at Seattle's Sole Repair Shop (1001 East Pike). Currin will share the stage with authors from Belladonna, Les Figues Press and more. Watch the February mailbot for more details or visit the Facebook event pagehere.

Ontario Librarians, Assemble!

Calling all Ontario librarians: see you at the OLA Super Conference! The conference, organized by the Ontario Library Association, is the country's largest library trade show, offering speakers and sessions and an extensive large book fair. Not only will attendees be treated to talks by authorsRobert Sawyer and Miranda Hill, astronaut Chris Hadfield and 'creativity expert' David Usher (who looks exactly the same as he did twenty years ago!), they'll be treated to the latest and upcoming titles from some of Canada's best presses.

Our sales force, the good people at Publishers Group Canada, will be at the OLA Super Conference in full force. And if you're a librarian and if you happen to be at the OLA Super Conference on January 30 or January 31, you can pick up advance reading copies of one of our most anticipated Spring titles, André Alexis's new novel Pastoral. Pastoral gives a modern sensibility and a new liveliness to an age-old genre of the pastoral, through its protagonist Father Pennant and his introduction to the sleepy town of Barrow. And you'll get the chance to read it before it hits bookstores in late March. See you at the Super Conference!

Other Events

TORONTO

Jan 15 - Margaret Christakos at the Pivot Reading Series

Pivot Reading Series
featuring Margaret Christakos (Multitudes), Catherine Graham, Stevie Howell and Ann Shin
The Press Club, 850 Dundas Street West
8 p.m., pay-what-you-can
pivotreadings.ca for more information

Jan 29 - David McGimpsey at the Pivot Reading Series

Pivot Reading Series
featuring David McGimpsey (Li'l Bastard), Eufemia Fantetti and Julie Joosten
The Press Club, 850 Dundas Street West
8 p.m., pay-what-you-can
pivotreadings.ca for more information

MONTREAL

Jan 30 - David Seymour at the Atwater Poetry Project

The Atwater Poetry Project
featuring David Seymour (For Display Purposes Only)
The Atwater Library, 1200 Atwater Avenue
7 p.m., free
atwaterlibrary.ca for more information

OTTAWA

Jan 28 - David Seymour at the Tree Reading Series

The Tree Reading Series
featuring David Seymour (For Display Purposes Only) and Sandy Pool
Club SAW, 67 Nicholas Street
8 p.m. (6:45 p.m. for poetry workshop), free
treereadingseries.ca for more information