On October 12, the SD&G County Library welcomed award-winning author Lawrence Hill to North Stormont Place in Avonmore for the final event of the Library’s 2017 ‘SDG Reads’ program. Over the past six months, residents of SDG were invited to read Hill’s novel, The Illegal, as part of the community reads program.

More than 200 people came out to hear Mr. Hill speak, read from his novels, and ask him questions about his writing process. The audience was double in size of previous ‘SDG Reads’ events, showing the growing popularity of the program, as well as the attraction of an author such as Mr. Hill.

“We were thrilled to have Lawrence Hill agree to participate in our 2017 ‘SDG Reads’ program” said Susan Wallwork, Communications & Marketing Librarian. “And even more thrilled at the response from our communities. A lot of planning goes into our annual community reads program and seeing the enthusiasm of the participants makes it all worth it.”

The ‘SDG Reads’ program celebrates Canadian literature and authors, as well as promoting a sense of community through a shared love of reading. While the program runs from May to October, Library patrons are still encouraged to borrow the book if they have not yet had a chance to read it.

For more information on ‘SDG Reads’, including providing suggestions for potential future titles or authors, please contact Susan Wallwork, Communications & Marketing Librarian at (613) 936-8777 ext. 226 or [email protected].

About Lawrence Hill

Lawrence Hill is a professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph and the author of ten books, including The Illegal, The Book of Negroes, and Any Known Blood. He is the winner of numerous awards, including The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and a two-time winner of CBC Radio’s ‘Canada Reads’. His novel The Book of Negroes was made into a six-part television miniseries, which he co-wrote the adaptation for. He is the grandson and son of African-American soldiers who served with the American Army during WWI and WWII, respectively, and is working on a new novel about the African-American soldiers who helped build the Alaska Highway in 1942-43. He is a Member of the Order of Canada, and lives with his family in Hamilton, ON and in Woody Point, NL.

For more information, visit www.lawrencehill.com.