The Word On The Street is coming up, and we're partnering with Toronto WOTS to bring you author interviews, contests, and lots of snaps on the day!
When: Sunday, September 23, 2012—11:00 a.m.
Where: Queens Park Circle
, Toronto, ON
M5R 2E8
As part of 49th Shelf's #Fest2Fest, Julie Wilson is speaking with authors across the country (and abroad) who are appearing at literary festivals to promote their latest books.
For all our #Fest2Fest updates, bookmark www.49thshelf.com/Festivals.
Nora Young (The Virtual Self: How Our Digital Lives Are Altering the World Around Us) will appear at Word On the Street in Toronto, September 23, 2012, in the Nothing But the Truth Tent at 1:30 p.m.
49th Shelf talked to Nora Young when The Virtual Shelf first came out.
About the podcast:
The impulse to self-track is not a new one. But with the advent of digital technologies — cheap devices, open-ended storage space and the ability to widely share our data — it would appear as if the digital realm has taken over. But Nora Young argues that there's still a lot of ground to cover if we're to take our banal and trivial information and translate it into creating better communities.
About the book: The Virtual Self: How Our Digital Lives Are Altering the World Around Us (McClelland & Stewart) explores the impact of data mapping/self-tracking/life-caching — the virtual information we generate about ourselves, our own lives, our communities, and our government. Where we go, what we do, how we feel.
The book then looks at the challenges around how we share that data — from Facebook status updates to Google Navigator — with an eye turned toward how we might build more responsive communities and governments. And while some would say that the privacy wars are over — and that we've lost — Young argues that the technologies and conversations are still in their early days, and that it's citizens, not technocrats, who should lead the next leg of discussions over how and when our data is used.
Nora Young is a writer-broadcaster, producer, and documentary-maker. She was the founding host and producer of Definitely Not the Opera and currently hosts CBC's national radio show Spark. She is fascinated with the intersection of technology and culture: how changing technology affects the way we see ourselves, and each other.
Find Nora Young at any or all of her online homes: NoraYoung.ca | @nora3000 | CBC's Spark | The Sniffer
More about Word On the Street: Toronto
As always, WOTS will celebrate readers and literacy by hosting authors and speakers in a variety of venues.
The Nothing But The Truth Tent features authors talking about literary non-fiction. The Great Books Marquee features the buzz spring and fall titles. The Penguin Pavilion showcases some of their upcoming and favourite releases, as does Random House at the Remarkable Reads Tent. And there's always a huge crowd for the Scotiabank Giller Prize Bestsellers Stage and the Toronto Book Awards Tent where you'll hear newly-nominated authors read from their works.
The Humber School Of Writers hosts a day of writing working shops at the Scribendi.com Workshop Marquee.
Young adults will enjoy This is Not The Shakespeare Stage, a new venue featuring sessions with Canadian young adult authors and artists, while KidStreet is back, as always, along with the Children’s Activity Tent featuring activities, crafts, entertainment, and appearances from some of your favourite children's authors and illustrators! Same goes for the Children’s Reading Tent and the TVOKids Stage! Family fun!
Finally, be sure to stop by The Toronto Start Tent and Open Book's Vibrant Voices of Ontario Tent, which celebrates Canadian fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
Visit The Word On The Street website for all venues, locations, and schedules.