Headlines (News Releases)
WLU
Laurier launches campaign to get people reading and discussing books
Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing
Oct 17/07| For Immediate Release
| Contact: | Clare Hitchens, Publicist |
WATERLOO — Laurier Reads, a community reading event, celebrates its official opening on Thursday Oct. 18 at 1:00 p.m. in the lower concourse of Wilfrid Laurier University.
Staff, students and faculty are invited to enjoy snacks, enter their names in a draw for free books or purchase a copy of the featured 2007 Laurier Reads books at a discount.
Dr. Max Blouw, Laurier’s president and champion of the event’s first book, The Chickens Fight Back, will be on hand for tomorrow’s launch from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to speak about why he reads and to introduce the book’s author, David Waltner-Toews.
Laurier Reads is a campaign to encourage people to read, debate and discuss works of literature. It runs until Jan. 31, 2008, and features three books of local interest, each with its own advocate from the Laurier community. Throughout its run there will be author readings, discussions and free giveaways.
“This is the first year of what we hope will become an annual event,” says Clare Hitchens, publicist for the Wilfrid Laurier University Press. “We’re excited about the possibilities the Laurier Reads campaign will provide for authors in the Laurier community. It was important to us to plan an event that could unite the whole community — students, faculty, and staff — in the love of reading.”
This year’s books include The Chickens Fight Back by David Waltner-Toews; Last Notes and Other Stories by Tamas Dobozy; and Watermelon Syrup by Annie Jacobsen. Multiple copies are on reserve at the university library, and each book can be purchased at a discount at the Laurier Bookstore.
In addition to Dr. Max Blouw, participating campus personalities include Ginny Dybenko, dean of the Laurier School of Business & Economics, and Keren Gottfried, president of Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications. They will each read a book and a keep a blog of their thoughts at http://www.clublaurier.ca.
