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CURRENT EVENTS
274 Garry St. OPEN EMAIL
What people are saying: Your place is my venue of choice when the question is, “where should we go?” and here is why: 1) It is not pretentious, stuck-up, snobby, or takes itself seriously in any way; 2) Maintains a balanced sense of arts and culture in Winnipeg, without going down the path described in (1) that most places have; 3) Food is reasonably priced. And considering the quality, is downright cheap; 4) I can eat there (gluten-free options), and peanut allergy people can relax and eat there too, as can those avoiding dairy, like vegans; it truly is amazing how accessible your menu is.; 5) Open late; 6) On several good bus routes, and if not taking a bus, the parking options are reasonable. I could go on, but I’m sensing your ego might just explode. You and Candace have done an amazing job. Your place is EXACTLY the kind of place that Winnipeg needed. - Helen Konrad, Wolseley
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EVENTSAqua Books is Winnipeg's premiere spoken word venue, seeing an audience of over ten thousand people at two hundred and fifty readings, book launches, meetings, workshops, concerts, plays, film screenings and lectures every year. Unless noted, all events are free, take place at 274 Garry Street and are presided over by Margaret Laurence's Stone Angel (you'll know what I mean when you see it). For information on utilizing Winnipeg's Cultural City Hall (seats 93) or the Vicki Karon Francis events room (seats 30), contact events coordinator Ariel Gordon at ariel@aquabooks.ca. (Please note: Events denoted by VKF take place in the smaller room.) For previous readings/workshops/launches, go to our Past Readings page, or click here to receive This Week at Aqua Books in your inbox, so you don't miss a thing. Readings, Launches and WorkshopsTechnologyTuesday, February 9/10 6pm EAT!Winnipeg Girl Geek Dinner
Girl Geek Dinners started in 2005 in London as a way for Girl Geeks (and their invited male friends) to get together, learn and talk about technology. All ages and fields (math, science, new media, graphic design, dev, tech, etc.) are encouraged to participate. (Guy geeks are welcome to attend as well, but the rule of thumb is to be invited by a girl attending. At many technical conventions, guys outnumber girls by about 10 to 1. Using this guideline ensures that at most the ratio will be 1 to 1.) Coree Francisco has helped pioneer the digital media industry in Manitoba as a board member, mentor and teacher. She is the principal of Girlone Interactive, and LIV Interactive, a digital media-marketing platform. Coree currently sits as the Chair of the Interactive Advisory Board for New Media Manitoba, and was awarded the 2009 Manitoba Woman Entrepreneur of the year award for her contribution to the community. She was also named one of the Top 10 Young Canadian Entrepreneurs in 2004, and travelled to Paris to represent Canada's young entrepreneurs. For more information about Winnipeg Girl Geek Dinners, click here. ComedyThursday, February 11/10 7pm $12Clarence Two Toes CD Fundraiser
Winnipeg's Only Live Talk ShowFriday, February 12/10 7pmKelly Hughes Live! DIY Go to the Kelly Hughes Live! page for details for this event. StorytellingFriday, February 12/10 7:30pm VKFStone Soup Storytellers
The long-running Winnipeg storytellers' group has been around since the early '80's. Since 2005, they have been meeting September through May at Aqua Books, now normally on the second Friday of the month. All sessions start at 7:30 pm, and are open to all (including children, although it's not really for the very young and squirmy.) Admission is free. Book LaunchSaturday, February 13/10 12pmThe Deserter's Tale Reading
Book LaunchSaturday, February 13/10 2pmTurnstone Press presents
Mondo!Kroetsch Poetry FestivalFebruary 16-20/10Mondo!Kroetsch Open MicTuesday, February 16/10 7pmSoapbox Open Mic 
Every third Tuesday of the month, Aqua Books presents our new open mic series, Soapbox, hosted by Bookstore Owner Kelly Hughes. Soapbox starts at 7pm and consists of two open-mic sets and a short break in between. This is Winnipeg's only cross-genre open mic series. Bring your fiction, memoirs, fragments, poetry, songs, and anything you've written, for your 4 minutes of fame.
Winnipeg's Only Live Talk ShowThursday, February 18/10 7pmKelly Hughes Live! Mondo!Kroetsch Go to the Kelly Hughes Live! page for details for this event. PoetryWednesday, February 24/10 7pmrEmiX MACHINA When Jonathan Ball published his first book, he issued it under a Creative Commons license that allows for non-commercial, unauthorized derivations. Join Ball as four artists present their own creative work remixing or drawing inspiration from the book: GMB Chomichuk (writer/illustrator/publisher of Alchemical Press), John Toone (poet/children’s author), Colin Smith (poet/miscreant), and Patrick Short (singer/rock god). Jonathan doesn’t know what to expect, and neither should you! Click here for more about EX MACHINA, and come on out, buy a copy, and remix it yourself!
AnthologyThursday, February 25/10 7pmAnthology Reading Series Go to the Anthology reading series page for details for this event. Speaking Crow Open MicTuesday, March 2/10 7pmFeatured poet TBA Aqua Books is pleased to be the permanent home of the venerable poetry series Speaking Crow. The Crow starts at 7pm and is followed by two open-mic sets and short breaks in between. Come take up the mic and wax poetic about life, the universe and everything! For previous Speaking Crows, go to our Dead Crows page. Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry SeriesWednesday, March 17/10 7pmAqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry Series Go to the Aqua Books Lansdowne page for details for this event. StorytellingThursday, March 18/10 7pmHow Many Jewish Mothers?
StorytellingSaturday, March 20/10 7pmManitoba Storytelling Guild and Cabbages and Kings Radio present
Telling Tales Spoken Lit Concert SeriesFriday, March 26/10 7pm $10Whale Tales to Balaam's Ass: Bringing Out the Animal in the Old Testament
Aqua U. SeminarTuesday, March 30/10 7-9pm $30Aqua U. presents 
This is for anyone who wants to sell themselves and what they do without selling their soul. If you love what you're doing and want to build your profile out in the world, this is for you. If you believe and care about something, and want others to care too, this is for you. This two hours will give you the tools to get people with your program. This seminar is especially useful for (but not limted to) those in creative endeavours (photographers, designers, writers, musicians, artists, indie business startups, etc.). Over the past decade, Aqua Books owner Kelly Hughes went from no retail experience to building one of Canada's most acclaimed bookstores. For the first time, he'll share how he did it. And he'll teach you how you can sell yourself, your skills and your dream, without losing your self-respect or your friends.
LaunchTuesday, May 11/10 7pmThrough the Window of a Train: A Railway Anthology
TheatreJuly 14-24/102010 Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival 
Psycho Bitch is a comedic tale of a mood disordered, medicated, sweetheart of a mess. Tamara Lynn Robert will take you on bipolaresque journey through attacking brains, wacky therapists, and what we all really need to cope.
TheatreJuly 14-24/102010 Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival 
Fringe favourite TJ Dawe’s first hit comedy returns! What at first seems to be a scattering of unrelated thoughts – about graveyard shifts, traffic lights, and how gracefully cats vomit – soon becomes a story about a young man working the nightshift who gets caught up in a bizarre chain-reaction of events. Dawe’s hilarious script weaves jokes and stories into a multi-character whirlwind that all ties together in a way you’d never expect. Performer Alex Eddington marries TJ’s unique storytelling style with high-energy physical theatre, toy instruments, absurd prop comedy, and sleight-of-hand magic... “FANTASTIC!” - Indyish.com (Montréal) “PHENOMENAL!” - SEE Magazine (Edmonton) “MAGICAL!” - Now Magazine (Toronto)
Winnipeg's BookWalkAqua Books produces Winnipeg's BookWalk, the self-guided walking tour of bookstores in Winnipeg's Book District. Winner of an Exchange BIZ Award of Excellence for bringing people to the Exchange District, the guidemap has had over forty thousand copies distributed since its creation by Aqua in 2001. For a printable copy, click on the link above. |
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Aqua Books is proud to present the inaugural Winnipeg Girl Geek Dinner at EAT! bistro. The action begins with dinner at 6pm in the restaurant (you order off the menu and pay for your own dinner), and then moves upstairs to the Live! Lounge (the bar will be open). As this is the first event, the discussion will start with what you'd like to see for upcoming dinners (including topics, speakers, etc.).
People in all times and places have told stories. Stone Soup storytelling happens in the round, with the participants passing the talking stick around. If you want to tell a story, keep the stick. If you just want
to listen, pass it along. Stone Soup has some very experienced tellers, but amateurs and listeners are always welcome.
Joshua Key is a United States Army deserter, who fled while on leave from the Iraq War. He is the author, with Lawrence Hill, of The Deserter's Tale, a book chronicling his service in Iraq and his subsequent departure from military life. Josh now lives in Canada.
Lil Anderson spends every minute she can outdoors. When she is not working as a fish and wildlife technician for Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources, she and her husband Bruce Ranta rehabilitate woodland creatures on their Kenora-area property, known as Iggy’s Wildlife Rehab Centre. Pond Memories is Lil's second book, following up Beavers Eh to Bea. Teaching respect for her patients' non-human-ness, Lil shows that wild animals have their own ways of expressing emotions. Always mindful of the risk of imprinting on wildlife, Lil drives home the message that once helped and healed, they must return to their natural habitat.
Bardie is a thirteen year-old female Barred Owl who came to Winnipeg's Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre from British Columbia eleven years ago. She had been hit by a car and had fractures and trauma. She was deemed not releasable because she would never be able to hunt successfully in the wild. Bardie will be here with WHRC presenter Judy Robertson.
Bookstore Owner Kelly Hughes has worked as an actor (Pacific Theatre), a pre-teen TV star (Let's Go!), an arts administrator (Winnipeg Cultural Alliance), and an operations manager (WHERE Winnipeg). He founded Aqua Books a decade ago,
and is somewhat infamous as the writer of 
GMB Chomichuk is a writer/illustrator living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He recently worked as Artistic Director on the feature film Aegri Somnia: A Sick Man’s Dreams, and is feverishly writing and illustrating the graphic novel adaptation. He is also at work on the new Bluewater Productions Mini-Series Insane Jane: The Avenging Star. His work can be found in the literary journal Dandelion, and in his new serialized graphic novel, The Imagination Manifesto.
Patrick Short is the lead singer/songwriter of Softcops and former member of numerous bands, including the hardcore group Under Pressure.
John Toone's first collection of poetry, From Out of Nowhere, was published by Turnstone Press in spring 2009. He published two kids' books in fall 2009, Catch That Catfish! and Hope and the Walleye. His poems also appear in the story Sixgun Quixote from the new graphic novel The Imagination Manifesto published by Alchemical Press. John is past president of the Manitoba Writers' Guild.
Colin Smith is a poetry scalawag. Books = 8X8X7 (Krupskaya, 2008) and Multiple Poses (Tsunami, 1997). More current work pops up in CV2, The Collective Consciousness, and Dandelion. Rarely meets a curse he doesn't like.
Alix Sobler is a writer and performer, originally from New York who is living out every little girl's dream to grow up and move to Winnipeg to try and make it big. Her Jewish humour can often be heard on CBC One’s Definitely Not The Opera. She recently returned from the Minneapolis Jewish Humor Festival where she performed her solo show Jason Neufeld is Impotent. In April, her new comedy Some Things You Keep will premiere at the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre. She is definitely Jewish, and apparently funny, and happy to be in such good company.
Murray "Moishe" Goldenberg
Nurit (Nora) Drory lives in Winnipeg and writes humour and poetry. She has a varied background including nursing, teaching, writing, radio, singing, and talking. Any topic is fair game. 
Sam Knacker began playing harmonica in his native Romania in the 1930s. He was captured by the Russians in 1944 and spent four years as a POW. He returned to Romania, then lived in Israel for a short time, and
finally landed in Winnipeg. He worked for years in the local schmatta industry, and is now know as Winnipeg's Jewish harmonica king.
World Storytelling Day is a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling. It is celebrated every year on the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, the first day of autumn equinox in the southern. On World Storytelling Day, as many people as possible tell and listen to stories in as many languages and at as many places as possible, during the same day and night. Participants tell each other about their events in order to share stories and inspiration, to learn from each other and create international contacts.
Ron Robinson is the host of Pages and the Saturday Morning Show on CKUW FM. He learned storytelling at family gatherings where the tales were wild and windy.
Rebecca Hiebert is a member of Stone Soup Storytellers of Winnipeg. Rebecca is a lively and energetic teller who knows how to connect with an audience.
Wayne Drury is a charter member of Stone Soup Storytellers and has told stories at the Winnipeg International Storytelling Festival, the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, the Sundog Storytelling Festival, and the Magic Of One Story Concerts. He plays mandolin with the Flatland Ceili Band.
Telling Tales is the new spoken word performance series from Aqua Books, and features the city's best (resident and visiting) storytellers, taking on folklore and literature's best stories. Some shows feature music by outstanding performers that complement the spoken word, and
most shows are geared towards adults (but non-squirmy kids can come).
Anne Morton is a native Winnipegger, born on the banks of the Assiniboine. She worked in the Hudson's Bay Company Archives for 25 years. She started
telling stories before she retired, and one of the reasons she retired was
to have more time for storytelling. Anne is now a Theology student at the U
of W. This summer she is going to Jerusalem to study Torah.
Bush Wiebe plays a style of blues that slides, stomps and thumps. From playing slide on his resonator guitar and pounding on his homemade stompbox stage he creates a sound that is exciting and unique. Digging into his Mennonite roots, he references a culture that is often misunderstood and puts it on display in all its strange glory. It’s an electrifying mix of a conservative culture and sweaty blues. Bush Wiebe’s first ever live performance was at his father’s funeral. From that auspicious beginning he now plays at all kinds of festivals, coffeehouses and parties.
Through the Window of a Train: A Railway Anthology
Tamara Lynn Robert is a writer-performer who once called Winnipeg her home. She appeared in U of W's V-day (2007), co-directing and performing in their production of The Vagina Monologues. Also in 2007, Tamara produced her critically acclaimed show Strange Bedfellows. Tamara has since moved to Toronto where she quickly became a favourite at the Porn Room Comedy Nights and has also appeared at the Mary Janes of Comedy and the Dragons of Comedy. She returned to Winnipeg in 2009 to perform her one-night only cabaret Love and Other Delusions. Tamara is thrilled to bring her newest solo show, Psycho Bitch to Aqua Books for the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival 2010.