Street art in Penguin covers

Street art (known mostly under the name of 'graffiti') was promoted from vandalism to serious art a long time ago when it started to be displayed in exhibits and museums. Penguin UK took it a step further when it decided to reprint ten of the most representative books of our time and decorate them with covers that focus on street art. Note that the artists featured hail from all over the world, among them the renowned Yok, Agostino, and Sickboy. For a closer view of the individual covers, go here.

British Columbia in cookbooks

There is no greater delight for a cook than producing a delicious meal, appreciated solo or in company. It becomes even more rewarding if the ingredients come from close to home, so that the environment gets to say thank you as well. In addition, it is great knowing that you supported the local economy and contributed to the welfare of those around you.

Fortunately, we are blessed with a bounty of produce in British Columbia. And to help us get ideas about what to do with it, there are a quite a few local cookbooks as well.

Heather Cameron, from Missing Goat Farm, in Surrey, started her creative journey as a blogger. Her cookbook, Fresh-farm Recipes from the Missing Goat Farm, is both tender in tone and bold in attitude.  Her stories are personal and easy to relate to, and, in spite of the fact that she is not a professional photographer, her amazing pictures seem good enough to eat.

Merida Anderson, from North Vancouver, is a ceramist and a self-taught chef. At a time when vegan food was new to Vancouver, she started a club called Vegan Secret Supper in her own apartment. Arsenal Pulp Press then published the Vegan Secret Supper cookbook, for those who want to follow in its author footsteps and experiment with plant-based recipes.

Food and wine columnist Jennifer Schell created the new go-to, must-have cookbook for the Okanagan region, aptly called The Butcher, the Baker, the Wine and the Cheese-Maker - An Okanagan Cookbook. It features the distinctive community and style of the Okanagan Valley, with stories from local farmers, chefs and winemakers.

For even more local inspiration, you can check out this article from Vancouver Sun, a roundup of 15 British Columbia cookbooks.

Sheffield International Artist's Book Prize

Sheffield International Artist's Book Prize is organized by Bank Street Arts, an independent arts centre and charity, using public funding by Arts Council England and sponsored by the Open College of Arts. In its fourth edition, the Prize is free to enter and all books submitted will be featured in a 8-week exhibition, as well as online and print catalogues. The Prize's goal is to promote book artists, and as such it encourages artists from all over to world to enter.

Entry forms, rules and further information here.

Atlantic Summer Reading Guide

For those interested in getting closer to the spirit of Atlantic Canada as it is captured in words and stories, the Atlantic Publishers' Marketing Association produced Atlantic Summer Reading Guide. It includes over 80 titles from the Atlantic Canada provinces and as well as editorial content, such as original travel essays by Lisa Moore and Alistair MacLeod.

This is a lovely initiative, that works on so many levels: it inspires readers to explore the local literature rather than the predictable best sellers, it helps those who are not familiar with the region to get a better understanding of its people, culture and places, and of course, it gives a boost to local book publishing. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a similar guide for Pacific Canada?

The electronic version is available here.

Aeroplan points donation

This is a reminder that Alcuin Society welcomes any donation of Aeroplan points, which will go towards helping to fly our esteemed speakers. The arrangements for the keynote speaker for the Vancouver Alcuin Society Awards on October 2 are being made right now, so if you can spare any Aeroplan points by the end of the day, you will be able to sleep tight knowing you did your good deed for today. If you do not make it on time, no problem, you can contribute any time and it will help another guest. To make a much-appreciated donation, go here.