Author W.D. Valgardson in Toronto

Share this article:

• What: Spellbound by Iceland: Author W. D. Valgardson and Storyteller Carol McGirr
• Date: Wednesday, August 31
• Time:6:30 – 8PM
• Address: Lillian H. Smith Library, 239 Congress St., Toronto
  
• Tickets: Free
• About: Join W.D. Valgardson and Carol McGirr as they weave original, new stories of the Icelandic Settlers’ experience in Canada, and old legends from the land of mists and volcanoes.

• What: W.D. Valgardson Reads from “What the Bear Said: Skald Tales from New Iceland”
• Date: Thursday, September 1
• Time:3 – 5PM
• Address: Spring Garden Baptist Church, 112 Spring Garden Rd., Toronto
  
• Tickets: Members: $8, Non-Members: $10 – on sale at the door
• About: Join W.D. Valgardson and Carol McGIrr as he read from his new book.

About What the Bear Said:
“A land of volcanoes, geothermal pools, and barren wilderness, Iceland is full of mists and mystery. For a thousand years, its inhabitants passed down oral histories full of fantastical fables as a way to understand their strange land. For settlers escaping starvation in the wake of volcanic eruptions, Manitoba’s Interlake area held further mystery. In this collection of stories, W.D. Valgardson creates new legends, capturing the settlers’ experience in New Iceland: how they tried to explain the unexplainable, and preserve the memories of loved ones for future generations. Blurring lines between reality and fantasy, Valgardson continues the Icelandic folk-legend tradition.” -Turnstone Press

About W.D. Valgardson:
W.D. Valgardson is the author of the Canadian classic Gentle Sinners in addition to The Girl with the Botticelli Face, four short-story collections, two collections of poetry, and several books for children. Among his numerous awards are the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the Books in Canada First Novel Award. Currently, he lives in Victoria, British Columbia.