Rossland Reads 2014
By Jennifer Ellis
What does travel mean to you? Why do we travel – for escape, for adventure, for education, for work, for something else entirely? How is travel represented in our literary fiction and non-fiction landscape? Can you experience the richness of a culture through a book? What constitutes a journey? Are some journeys more important than others?
These are just a few of the questions that our Rossland Reads debaters will have to address as we explore the theme Travel – Literal and Metaphorical. Yes, that’s right! Rossland Reads is back. On Wednesday evenings in late October and November, our four intrepid debaters and I will meet for a couple of hours to discuss books, reading and travel, while they battle it out to be the last book standing.
There will be door prizes, animated discussions, pointed questions and timed rounds, and each week, the audience will vote on which book should be removed from the debate. Audience members will also be given the opportunity to pose their own questions to our esteemed panel.
Our exciting debate panel this year includes: Aerin Guy, Liz Anderson, Kate Harrison Whiteside and Mark Jeffery. The books are The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen, Riding the Bus with My Sister by Rachel Simon, and Endurance by Alfred Lansing. In the coming weeks, we will feature short interviews with each of the debaters with regard to their books. In the meantime, I will leave it to you to match the book with its defender.
If you are interested in reading one or more of the books in advance so you can sling those tough questions at the debaters, or just smile knowingly while they squirm in their seats, the Rossland library has copies of all four books.
If you love travel and reading, don’t miss this exciting event!
Jennifer Ellis is a local writer and consultant. Her second novel, In the Shadows of the Mosquito Constellation, explores a climate changed post-apocalyptic future, and is available on Amazon, at Café Books West and at Otter Books.
