Monday 26 September 2011

Books, Binding, and Vancouver

Yesterday was Word on the Street here in Vancouver, and of course I went as I do every year. I go with a writer friend, who comes with me to see the book arts table, and then I go with her to the Romance Writers' table, and then we both hit the mystery writers' display. Then a general tour, lunch, a couple of talks, and revisiting our favourites. I always plan to join the Calligraphy Society and never quite actually do. What can I say? It's tradition.

This year I bought a book, "The Silk Train Murder: A Mystery of the Klondike" (all of us long-time Vancouverites know about the silk trains, or should), and was sorely tempted by this lavishly illustrated tarot-based cookery-based thing. Downstairs in the library ("Word Under The Street") is always the lair of the cartoonists, anime and e-zines. This year I was amazed by the quality of artistic talent, as otherwise normal-looking people lounged behind their display tables casually doodling out pictures I could never hope to even begin to draw. The calligraphers evoke the same amazement, only I always think I could conceivably learn calligraphy, while I never think I could learn anime. (There's supposed to be an accent on the last e of anime but I don't know how to type it. Kindly imagine it for me, will you?)

My big delight of the day was finding out that a group of enterprising book arts folks have applied to start a Vancouver chapter of the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild. They've already set up their own blog, and I'll be watching for the first meeting.

In the meantime, I've embarked on an entrepreneurial venture - more in the next post.