As I mentioned, the anthology launch of a Gatineau Valley spec fiction anthology is coming. Hill’s Al-manach des Collines has arrived. For locals, you can check out the library copy, when it gets processed into the catalogue and shelves.
It is a fun and beautiful thing, split run, some with sewn binding, some with stapled to a warm reception regardless. About 40 attended which is pretty decent for any literary readings these days.
If you missed it you can still get copies. I’m not sure how many sold last night, but there were somewhere around 50 in the print run, after contributor copies. They are $20 each with proceeds going to a mutual aid society. The image on the covers is a risograph print by Marc-Alexandre Reinhardt of a brass sculpture of a moose vertebrae by Craig Commanda. From the tradition of zines, it is without isbn and its own creature.
I tried to get a photo of each contributor but I lost count and at least one person called in sick. The contributors were both French and English. I won’t do the post bilingually but the event was.
There was some social time, and some pizza and some flipping through copies while people gathered.
The organizers, névé dumas and Marc-Alexandre Reinhardt welcomed and introduced the concept and process.
Because the process was collaborative, starting with a grounding workshop of envisioning land and community, literally walking the hills, and some was done as collaboration between writers and artists, it was fitting to do a launch in a circle with a lamp at the centre.
Each present could add, ask or discuss whatever, share process or what was included in the anthology or what they didn’t submit to include.
Anya (right) shows the art cart that became a whole large page image.
Ariane went ahead to 2286. Some responded in poetry, some in short story. Art was made digitally, in painting, in watercolour, in pencil and all converted to green, blue, black and pink..
Madeleine composed songs which she performed to a tidal wave of applause.
Contributors:
Craig Commanda: moose spine / glass beads (scuptures reproduced)
névé dumas: échos d’une colline
Ariane Roberge: 2082 / 2109/2286 (poetry)
Finn Douglas Drake: bridges (art)
Pearl Pirie: history flashes / recipes / ads / did you know?
Hannah Kaya Sideris Hersh: field manual / recipes
Dalie Giroux & Amélie-Anne Maillot: bestiaire
Ilse Turnsen & Marianne Labonté: fieldguide (poetry and art)
Genevieve Cloutier: chairs (art)
Madeleine Cloutier-Lynch: one after the other (song)
Hannen Sabean: the heavy coffin (short story based on local history)
anya: in the summer we can only go out at night
Marc A. Reinhardt & névé dumas: édition / impression
Jamie Ross: faerie magick
All in all a warm festive night thinking about how to make a future that’s healthy, connected, an act of listening to one another’s visions. There was talk of sequels. Time will tell.