New books celebrate B.C. arts, spirit bears, and cultural stories
Summer reading lineup features Christopher Gaze's memoir on Bard on the Beach, a photographic journey into B.C. rainforests, and stories of Nikkei resilience.
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An unusual array of local arts-related books is hitting shelves in time for summer reading season. From a detailed history of Western Canada's biggest Shakespeare festival to an immersive photographic look into one of B.C.'s most remote rainforests, these publications offer equal parts adventure, creativity, and emotion.
"The Road to Bard: A Legacy of Shakespeare on Canada's West Coast" by Christopher Gaze (Harbour Publishing)
Christopher Gaze's memoir opens with a scene of a young actor, "modestly hungover," dragging a beaten-up trunk full of his belongings across London toward the Tilbury Docks, where he boards a transatlantic liner to Canada with stage dreams and no real plan.
The prologue perfectly captures the tone of the ensuing book—charmingly self-deprecating, refreshingly candid, and driven by a sense of adventure and optimism. For anyone interested in the local arts scene, it's a must-read. Gaze tells the story of founding and building Bard on the Beach, Western Canada's largest Shakespeare festival, with the same blend of humour and honesty that characterizes the memoir as a whole.
"Spirit of the Great Bear" (Figure 1 Publishing)
A photographic deep dive into one of B.C.'s most remote rainforests, this book captures the spirit and wildlife of the Great Bear Rainforest with stunning imagery.
Other Notable Releases:
The B.C. Bestseller List this week also highlights "Real Enough: The Unlikely Story of Doug and the Slugs" by Aaron Chapman (Anvil Press), a tribute to the legendary local band; "Unceded: Understanding British Columbia's Colonial Past and Why It Matters Now" by George M. Abbott (UBC Press); "Tess's Red Dress: Honouring Love and Family" by Carolyn Roberts, illustrated by Kelsey Matafoote (Medicine Wheel Publishing), a moving story of Nikkei resilience; and "David Suzuki: Lessons From a Lifetime" by David Suzuki and Ian Hanington (Greystone Books), ninety years of inspiration and activism from Canada's environmental voice.