After the success of the first Whistler Reads experiment, participating in a nation-wide challenge to get as many people to read Frank Parker Day’s maritime classic Rockbound, the fledgling book club has assigned a second book for discussion.
This time the book is Small Island by Andrea Levy. The book has already won critical acclaim as well as the 2004 Orange Prize for Fiction, the Whitbread Novel Award, the Whitbread Book of the Year, and the 2005 Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for Best Book.
The book is about two Jamaican immigrants who arrive in London shortly after the second World War.
"I picked it because it’s an interesting book, it’s winning a lot of literary awards, and that almost guarantees a good discussion. It deals with issues like immigration, cultural issues, issues after the war. North America is made up of immigrants, so that’s a universal theme that everyone can appreciate," said Whistler Reads organizers Paula Shackleton.
The book is available through local coffee shops, or Whistler Reads’ new online hub at www.bookbuffet.com. When you get to the home page type in Whistler Reads in the search bar to get into the Whistler site.
Discussions on the book with take place from May 26 to May 29 at locations to be announced.
Shackleton is hoping to get between 20 and 30 people out to discussions. "I really think it will take off when we can get an author here, and start building on a regular following," said Shackleton.
Whistler Reads is based on the CityWide Reads events held across the country, founded on the appreciation and discussion of literature.
For more information, visit www.bookbuffet.com, or contact Paula Shackleton at paulas@bookbuffet.com.
