CBC Prince Edward Island

Battle of the Book Clubs 2011

It's time for the annual Battle of the Book Clubs, featuring the best of Canadian literature and some witty Islanders who love to read!

The 2011 literary faceoff is scheduled for Thursday, January 20th at the Guild in Charlottetown. CBC Radio's Matt Rainnie will be back as host of this lively evening of free entertainment!

The Contenders

The 2011 event will feature some familiar faces, including a high school book club from Morell High School as well as the two-time champions from Bluefield High School. They will be joined by the event's first ever all-male team, led by the effervescent Patrick Ledwell. There will also be a couple of rookie teams, and even a few wildcards! Stay tuned for more details.

In the weeks leading up to the Battle of the Book Clubs, we'll meet the book clubs. And we'll even hear from some of the authors of this year's Canada Reads selections.

The Main Event

At the Battle of the Book Clubs, each group gets to make a "pitch" for their books and the audience votes by secret ballot for the winner. The live audience is treated to an evening of literary hilarity and fierce debate.

The event will be held Thursday, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free but you can pick up tickets ahead of time at the Guild Box Office. The storm date is Monday January 24th. The entire show will be available online and highlights will air on Island Morning. There is also a Facebook group, called Canada Reads P.E.I., and a blog, where you can keep up with all the action.

The Battle of the Book Clubs 2011 is CBC Prince Edward Island's contribution to Canada Reads, the national celebration of Canadian literature. This year, the Canada Reads debates will air on CBC Radio One on February 7, 8 and 9 at 11 a.m. and again at 8 p.m. The discussion will be hosted by Jian Ghomeshi.