VPL's One Book Goes Beyond the Book and into the Ring

Visit the official 2008 One Book, One Vancouver Website

For Immediate Release - June 12, 2008

(Vancouver, B.C.) - Authors have read, musicians played and singers sung and now boxers will box in the Central Library Promenade!

For the first time in a Canadian library, sport takes centre stage to illustrate one of the central themes in the book chosen for the entire city to read. Boxing figures prominently in this year's knock-out One Book, One Vancouver selection, The Five Books of Moses Lapinsky by Karen X. Tulchinsky.

Two Canadian Olympic boxers will be joined in a regulation-size ring by the current Canadian and BC Junior champions to demonstrate the skill and finesse involved in this much-loved sport and to explore with Tulchinsky how boxing came to feature so prominently in her novel.

Dale Walters, Olympic bronze medalist at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, will host the two-hour event that he has coordinated with Manny Sobral, who represented Canada at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, and library staff.

"Boxing has a history of being a male only sport. Over the last 15 years boxing for fitness has helped to establish women as competitors also," said Walters. "Further, it has promoted boxing to men, women and children of all ages as a great form of exercise to create better health, confidence and self esteem."

Boxing at the Square (Library Square) features five exciting bouts with Junior champions Robert Couzens and Stuart Hall, business people who train in White Collar Boxing, which is quickly growing in popularity, two Metro Vancouver women boxers and a final champion bout with two of Canada’s top professional boxers, Kevin Reynolds and Paul TyrlTo highlight Vancouver Public Library’s One Book, One Vancouver title, a series of programs are held that relate to the book’s major themes in order to promote reading and discussion around one great book. Upon choosing this year’s title, Library staff thought hosting live boxing was a must.

"One of the things that makes One Book, One Vancouver so much fun for readers is the creative programming that highlights our selected book's themes," said City Librarian Paul Whitney. "With boxing being such an important part of the story we could not think of a more exciting way to bring this book alive."

When Tulchinksky began writing The Five Books of Moses Lapinsky, which was a finalist for the Toronto Book Award, she had no idea her main character, Sonny Lapinsky, would be a boxer.

"That part of him emerged when I was writing his character sketch. At first, I rebelled against the idea because I knew nothing about boxing," Tulchinsky said. "But there's a mysterious process that occurs when you are writing: The characters take on a life of their own. From that point on, I really had no say in the matter. I had to educate myself about boxing."

Tulchinsky said she loves the juxtaposition her book has brought to the Library - boxing at Library Square.

"When I heard that VPL was organizing a boxing demonstration as part of the One Book, One Vancouver events, I was fantastically excited," she said. "I can’t wait to get into the ring with the boxers where they can show me a move or two. After all the research I did I wouldn't exactly call myself an expert on boxing, but I do know a left hook from a right uppercut," she joked.

With the popularity of boxing on the rise, this One Book, One Vancouver program is sure to appeal to a wide audience from book-loving bibliophiles and curious spectators to sports enthusiasts and avid boxing fans. Walters, Sobral and Gerry Gionco, who is supplying the ring for the June 19 event, are thrilled that boxing will gain exposure in such a non-traditional venue.

"When the library first approached us about creating a live boxing exhibition at Library Square we were really surprised but thrilled by the idea," said Sobral. "It is a unique way for people to get a more intimate look at boxing and gives the Metro Vancouver boxing community a chance to show what this great sport - 'the sweet science' - is all about."

DATE OF PROGRAM:
Thursday, June 19
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

LOCATION OF PROGRAM: Library Square - 350 West Georgia St.
Held in the Promenade

Admission is free; all are welcome.

Now in its seventh year, One Book, One Vancouver continues to be Vancouver’s only city-wide book club, promoting and encouraging a culture of reading and discussion in Vancouver by bringing people together around one great book.

The 2008 One Book, One Vancouver program is presented by Vancouver Public Library with support from Raincoast Books, Book Warehouse, Friends of Vancouver Public Library, Spirit of Vancouver, the Writer's Union of Canada, Public Library Services Branch, Ministry of Education, Canada Council for the Arts, the Word on the Street Festival, Gionco’s Sportsworld Boxing & Kickboxing Promotions and The Vancouver Sun.

Founded in 1869, the Vancouver Public Library is one of Canada's largest library systems, dedicated to meeting the lifelong learning, reading, recreation, and information needs of the people of Vancouver. Each year, the Library’s 22 branches serve over 370,000 patrons, offer over 2.5 million items and countless online resources to the public, and answer more than one million reference questions. In 2006, a record 10 million items were circulated.

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For more information contact:

Marya Gadison
Coordinator of Marketing & Communications
Vancouver Public Library
(604) 331-3681