Wednesday, March 08, 2006

freedom to read

Another year of the Manitoba Writers' Guild's 24 hour Freedom to Read Marathon is past.

I've read all four years of the marathon, the first few times as a member of a cohort, a bunch, a clot (specifically the late Wolseley Writers' Group) and the last few times as an individual whose former writing group colleagues happen to be reading around the same time.

My partner M has always worked the night of the marathon, but most years we read late enough that he's able to attend and snap a few pictures. You know, for my WWG ephemera...


2004 Freedom to Read Marathon, Mondragon Bookstore & Cafe, Winnipeg, MB.

This year, the marathon WAS his work. He's a newspaper photographer and has recently become interested in soundslides, a way of combining what are basically photo essays with sound.

And so, in pursuit of his first 'official' soundslide, M spent several hours, over the course of the 24 hours that make up the marathon, shooting EVERYthing.

And that was how I found myself, towards the end of February, standing among the bookstacks at my local independent bookseller, holding aloft a bible as though I was third or fourth generation thumper.

(But those are trade secrets. I'm not supposed to tell you that...)

So if you'd like to see what a marathon around banned and challenged books in late February in Winnipeg looks AND sounds like, click here...

1 comment:

Anita Daher said...

This is terrific! This was my second year at the marathon. Last year I read, but this year I had a sore throat, and didn't feel up to it. Still, I wanted to participate. Seeing as I'm up so early I signed up to sit at the registration desk at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday. I learned that at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday there isn't much call for a registration desk. I was asked if I would like to read instead. I picked up Dubliners, and would have despite the throat, but they had a couple of people happy to read until I had to go. Perhaps one year I will try to join those who read through the night.