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Stettler Public Library hosts Battle River authors for reading and book signing

The author reading was held in conjunction with the Annual Giant Book Sale on Saturday, April 8.
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Library patrons browse the selection at the Friends of the Library Annual Giant Book Sale at the Stettler Public Library on Saturday

In conjunction with the Friends of the Library Annual Giant Book Sale, hosted this past weeked from April 7 to 9, the Stettler Public Library hosted several authors from the Battle River region for a public reading and book signing event on Saturday afternoon, April 8.

Eight authors from the Battle River writer’s group took part in the event, which also included music and visual art.

Authors came from places like Castor, Camrose, and Wetaskiwin to sign copies of their books and deliver public readings.

Although the eight authors present were all united as residents of the Battle River region, they also brought a sense of diversity to the readings, according to Library Manager Matt Barabash.

“There was a book about paddling the Battle River and the Red Deer River,” Barabash recounted. “One book was about the history of the area and stories about the area. We also had an orator; she played the role of her great-grandmother and she told her great-grandmother’s story about growing up in Castor.”

The event was based around a collection called “Beauty Everyday: Stories from Life as it Happens,” edited by Dr. Jane Ross, which brings together various stories about the Battle River region.

The idea for the event came from Ross, whom Barabash met at an event at Maskwacis College.

“She gave me the idea of doing the event on a big weekend like this,” Barabash said, referring to the trade show happening in the same building as the library over the weekend.

While this was the first time the library had hosted an event such as this, the success of the event was promising, according to Barabash.

“It’s something we’re considering doing every year,” he said.

The Friends of the Library Annual Giant Book sale, on the other hand, is something the library has been hosting for a long time.

This year’s book sale was a success, Barabash said. “We probably sold about 60 percent of the books that were donated, which is quite a lot,” he added.

In total, the library raised $1,500 from the book sale, which will be used to support the library.