Welcome spring and the coming Authors’ Festival and County Reads event

The birds are chirping, the snow is finally melting (again) and if you’re especially brave, the mittens and scarves tucked away. That can only mean one thing – the imminent return of the annual County Reads and the County Library Authors Festival.

Each April, the County celebrates the written word through these events, organized by the library with a committee of passionate volunteers.

The County Reads, inspired by CBC’s Canada Reads, is a lively event where five local residents each share the one Canadian book they think you should read – and then you get to vote for your pick with one champion declared at the end. While the five participants are still a closely guarded secret, I can assure you this is sure to be an excellent year with enthusiastic and entertaining defenders. This year we have a new moderator, the always-excellent Janet Kellough – a previous participant herself. Janet is an incredible storyteller, writer, and performer, and is sure to keep the night on schedule and engaging with her signature style. The County Reads is set for Thursday, April 16 at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Picton.

The County Reads is always followed by the County Library Authors Festival; a series of author talks that provides the opportunity to hear from Canadian authors in person. It is a great opportunity to discover authors who may be new to you or hear from those you already enjoy.

The series will kick off with a talk by Andrew Coyne, to be held at St. Mary Magdalene Church Friday, April 18. You may recognize his name from publications including Maclean’s, the National Post, the Globe and Mail, or CBC’s The National, where he’s a member of the At Issue panel.

His book, The Crisis of Canadian Democracy is described as a “powerful exposé of the nation’s crumbling democratic institutions. With characteristic wit, insight, and rigor, Coyne dismantles the comforting myths Canadians tell themselves about their political system, revealing a parliamentary structure eroded by unaccountable leaders, disempowered MPs, manipulated elections, and systemic dysfunction.

“The Crisis of Canadian Democracy is both a wake-up call and a call to action, offering compelling solutions to restore genuine self-government to Canadian politics. Essential reading for leaders, citizens, and anyone who cares about the future of democracy in Canada—or anywhere else.”

There’s no question that the state of healthcare is on the minds of many people. On Saturday, April 19, Dr. Brian Goldman is to be at the Picton Branch Library to discuss his book, The Casino Shift.

He’s a veteran emergency room physician as well as the host of CBC’s White Coat, Black Art – a long running podcast. The book is an hour-by-hour account of a healthcare system at a critical inflection point. Dr. Goldman argues for innovative solutions to survive the “perfect storm” of modern medicine. He’ll bring his hands-on experience and thoughtful understanding of the greater system to the event that you won’t want to miss.

Tickets for each of these events, plus two author events that are yet to be announced, are available at peclibrary.org/festival or at any branch of the library.