Bookcamp

The funny thing about books is, whether you're writing, reading or editing them you're usually doing it alone. But they're also a prime conversation starter, something you want to dissect and talk about with people. Well BookCamp's all about the talking. Following the unconference model---where discussions are facilitated but audience driven---BookCamp Halifax will bring together industry professionals, avid readers and all the bookworms in between to share opinions and ideas. And get this, it's free.

"The books and publishing industries are changing rapidly and this is an opportunity for both insiders and the general public to come together to talk about what we want to see in the future," says Fierce Ink Press' Kimberly Walsh who, after being inspired by a camp in Toronto, helped organize Halifax's first one in 2010. After a year off, she and a small team of fellow book lovers are bringing BookCamp back to take over the Khyber on November 9 with 20 one-hour sessions covering topics like self-publishing, how to submit work to a traditional publisher and young adult authors and social media, all under the umbrella theme of Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

"It came out of seeing so much negativity online pitting traditional versus independent publishers, print versus digital," says Walsh. "The event organizers firmly believe there's plenty of room in the sandbox for everyone to play. We just want to produce or read good quality books." —Allison Saunders