Welcome to One Book, One Vancouver!
Don't panic! Discover the meaning of life, the universe and everything in between.
From September 26 to November 30, join Vancouver's award-winning One Book, One Vancouver program and enjoy the seriously funny, out-of-this-world classic The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Then read, listen to and chat about the book and check out some inspiring intergalactic events you won't soon forget.
Pack your towel and prepare for high adventure and hilarity!
More Time To Find Your Time Capsule Contribution!
We are delighted to announce that the Time Capsule Contest's deadline has been extended to December 31, 2010.
Now you have more time to find the perfect item for the Library's time capsule. Plus, with the upcoming holidays, who knows what other strange items you might find. for more information on what we're looking for, check out the Time Capsule Contest page.
The Best Worst Poetry Contest in the Universe a Huge Hit!
In other One Book, One Vancouver news, our Vogon Poetry Slam was an enormous success! Over ninety iron-stomached Vogon poetry enthusiasts of all ages joined MC Sara Bynoe and braved the worst poetry in the universe (and had a great time doing it.)
"It was fantastic," said one delighted, yet slightly nauseated participant. "The organizers really pulled out all the stops with the towels and vomit bags. The poets consistently delivered awful poetry of the highest calibre. A riotous good time was had by all."
What else could be possible add to that but we came, we vogged-off and nobody threw up. Well, not very much, anyway.
Thank you to our Ms. Sara Bynoe, our intrepid judges, our wonderfully disgusting and very talented contestants, the best audience in the galaxy, our event sponsors (H.B. Fenn & Company, The Friends of the Vancouver Public Library, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, White Dwarf Books, The Word on the Street Festival, Starbucks and The Vancouver Sun) and the One Book, One Vancouver Vogon Team (Dana Putnam, D'Arcy Stainton, Marcia Thomas and Sophie Middleton) for a making this an evening to remember!
Happy travels, Froods! So long and thanks for all the fish!
P.S. Don't forget to get your Time Capsule Entry form in today!
The Most Dangerous Program Arrives November 29
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It's been a great One Book, One Vancouver so far. With towels in hand, we've explored future technology at the Hitchhiker's Innovation Expo, improved our travel writing and drawing skills and learned more about UFOs, life, the universe and everything. Now comes the most hilarious and some say the most dangerous One Book, One Vancouver event of all time. And no, we don't mean the Time Capsule Contest. Come to our "Restaurant at the End of the Universe" as actor, writer and humorist Sara Bynoe courageously throws caution to the wind and hosts our final event, the first-ever VPL Vogon Poetry competition. Our brave contestants will present the universe's WORST poems "slam style" for your pleasure (or not) in an effort to win a spiffy grand prize of $100! Come to cheer for your favourite Vancouver Vogon and you may win a great prize, too! Monday, November 29
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Caution! Vogon Poetry Slams may cause intense bouts of laugher and/or queasiness. Attend at your own risk, but please do attend! Barf bags provided.
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Don't Forget to Enter the Time Capsule Contest! Make history, amuse and/or mistify your grandkids and give future generations a reason to smile. Have a silly or amusing item from 2010 that should be included in our time capsule? Pick-up an entry forms at any library branch or fill out our online entry form by November 30, 2010. |
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Author Eoin Colfer Talks About The Hitchhiker's Trilogy During his visit to Vancouver Public Library on his North American Artemis Rocks Tour, Eoin generously answered a few questions about the experience of writing, And Another Thing, the sixth and final book in the Hitchhiker's Trilogy. To see the entire interview visit http://tiny.cc/EoinColferTalks! |
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Again, special thanks to Eoin, H.B. Fenn & Company and Imagination THINK for making these videos happen. |
Hitchhiker's Innovation Expo Explores Future Technology this Saturday!
So much of Douglas Adams' vision for the future has come to pass. Come and see what the future holds for us! Join us on Saturday, November 20 as One Book, One Vancouver explores future technology at the Hitchhiker's Innovation Expo.
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Check out more than 20 interactive displays featuring the latest technology and eco-gadgets, including:
Plus a retro technology display, prize draws, gifts, crafts for kids and more! Free Library ipod covers for first 100 visitors! Saturday, November 20
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Missed Last Week's Episode
of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?
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Best H2G2-Related 404 Error Message on the Internet Fans of H2G2 at the Electrical Engineering at the University Twente in the Netherlands have set up a script on a web server that returns errors in the style of the one and only Marvin, The Paranoid Android. Share and enjoy (if you're not too depressed, that is).
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Your Chance to Amuse Future Generations
with Strange & Mysterious Items from 2010!
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Thirty years ago, Douglas Adams gave today's readers a hysterically funny, satirical look at life in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Now you can give future generations a good laugh and a compelling taste of life, the universe and everything in 2010. |
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Starting November 1, we are looking for 42 (yes, 42) hilarious, ridiculous and/or useless items to be sealed away in our almost-hermetically sealed time capsule. Have a great item idea? See our Vision 2040 Time Capsule Contest for contest details and how to enter. Also kicking off this week, Classic Rock 101's Light's Out will be airing all six episodes of the original Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - The Primary Phase radio show on Sundays in November. Listen to the program that started it all! Whether you are already a huge H2G2 fan or if you haven't heard the show or had a chance to read the book before, you're in for a real treat. |
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Parts One & Two begin on Sunday, November 7 at 11 p.m. Thank you to Rock 101 and the wonderful Owen Coppin for making this happen!
Finally, much to our horror (and delight) we are STILL happily receiving submissions of your most repulsive, disgusting bad poetry for the upcoming Vogon Poetry Contest.
Grand prize is $100! So, do your worst! We can take it! Send two of your worst poems to programs@vpl.ca by November 12, 2010.
P.S. Please enjoy our next One Book message from our friend, author Eoin Colfer.
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FYI, this almost historical video also records the first time that Eoin tastes a "bubble tea" (aka. our version of a Pan Galactic Gargleblaster). We're not sure if he actually liked it or not, but he did politely drink it. (Thus proving that he is definitely one brave, cool hoopy guy.) More to videos plus a special H2G2 interview with Eoin, to come! Thanks to Eoin, H.B. Fenn & Company and Imagination THINK. |
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Rock 101's Lights Out presents
Starting on November 7, join Rock 101's Dean and Hatch for a special rebroadcasting of the original 1970s radio play that started it all! Part One & Two - Sunday, November 7 - 11 p.m. |
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Drawing Life, the Universe & Everything Else Learn how to illustrate your own guide to life, the universe and everything else with graphic novel artist Julian Lawrence. Registration required. Call 604-331-3603. Wednesday, November 17 - 11 p.m. |
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The perfect place to visit when you need more "space." Find out why do we float in space, check out the NASA image of the day and more.
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Tell Your Friends to "Vog-Off!"
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It's been a great program so far! More than 80 people explored the origins of UFOs with BC UFO on Tuesday at our Threshold of Contact event and registration was full at the travel writing workshop. This week we also launched our Vogon Poetry Contest. From now until November 12, the Library is looking for the absolutely WORST poems in the universe to be presented slam style at our evening Vogon Poetry Slam on November 29. On Wednesday, our lovely Vogon Slam host Sara Bynoe spoke with CBC's On the Coast about the contest and shared an utterly dreadful (and by dreadful we mean good) example of Vogon Poetry. Listen in! If you think your sonnets may cause spontaneous vomiting or involuntary giggling or your haikus could be used for self-defence, send in two of your worst poems to programs@vpl.ca by November 12, 2010. |
Next week we will have even more One Book, One Vancouver fun! Join us for an awesome alien double-bill of District 9 and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. (Just in time for Halloween!) Don't miss your chance to meet District 9 acclaimed Creature Supervisor James Stewart and enter your costume in our contest for some fun prizes. See details below.
Happy travels, froods!
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Here's the first of a series of YouTube videos featuring the delightful Eoin Colfer, highly acclaimed author of the sixth volume of the H2G2 series (And Another Thing and all around nice chap. Eoin dropped by the Library in September during his North American Artemis Fowl Rocks! Tour. More to come. Enjoy! Special thanks to Eoin, H.B. Fenn & Company and Imagination THINK for making this happen. |
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Rock 101's Lights Out presents
Starting on November 7, join Rock 101's Dean and Hatch for a special rebroadcasting of the original 1970s radio play that started it all! Part One & Two - Sunday, November 7 - 11 p.m. |
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BBC's Original Hitchhiker's Website Explore this fun and interactive website that focuses on all things related to H2G2. Games, interviews, a Vogon poetry generator and more.
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Hitchhiker's Guide Blasts Off at Word on the Street!
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On September 26, Library Square visitors at the Word on the Street book and magazine festival had a close encounter of the library kind. Internationally acclaimed science fiction author, Spider Robinson (and a wild assortment of off-planet "dignitaries") started off the day's One Book festivities by announcing The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as this year's winning choice. Getting a taste of events to come, enthusiastic festival audiences enjoyed Word on the Street's first-ever One Book, One Vancouver flash mob, led by dancers and the Carnival Band (see below), followed by a run through the Human Maze, free Don't Panic towels and other out-of-this-world experiences. From now until the end of November, the book will be brought to life for audiences around the city through an array of fun events and contests, including writing workshops, a film screening, a high-tech Innovation Expo and a Vogon Poetry Slam! |
Patrons at each of the Library's 20 branches and the Central Library will also be asked to suggest items for a Vision 2040 Time Capsule that will be locked in the Central Library and opened in 2040.
In November, Rock 101's Lights Out radio show will join the fun with a special airing of the origninal radio play.
More program news and links will be highlighted on this page soon, including a message from world-famous writer (and author of the sixth volume in the Hitchhiker's trilogy) Eoin Colfer.
Special thanks to Spider Robinson; Bryan Pike, Monica Miller, Carolina Lopez & the Word on the Street team; Laura Skelton & the Vancouver Theatresports League; Susan Walsh, Terry Chui and the 501st Legion (Badlands Garrison); the Carnival Band; Circus Fungus Entertainment, H.B. Fenn & Company; H.R. MacMillan Space Centre; VPL staff and Team One Book, One Vancouver for helping us to create the best launch in the universe. |
This Week's List of Fun Features for Froods:
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Threshold of Contact: Exploring UFO Origins Explore the origins of UFOs and discuss advanced technologies from extraterrestrial civilizations with the BC UFO Society. Tuesday, October 19; 7 p.m. |
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Bored? Try UK's Science Museum's "42 Games" Challenge your H2G2 knowledge and skills in this very silly (and fun) game. |
It Was Your Pick Vancouver!
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This year's One Book, One Vancouver winning book was chosen by Vancouver residents. For three weeks in June, Vancouverites voted online and at the Library's 21 branches for the book they think we should all read this fall. The choices were: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie or The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And in a vote closer than the hairs on the head of a ravenous bugblatter beast of Traal, you chose Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! This 1979 classic is rich with intelligent satire, hilarious dialogue and thought-provoking situations that have withstood the test of time (and some say space itself). |
Welcome to this year's One Book, One Vancouver and happy travels!
Presented by Vancouver Public Library, One Book, One Vancouver is an award-winning program for the entire city. It encourages reading and creates discussion about a variety of subjects by bringing people together around one great book.
One Book, One Vancouver is presented by Vancouver Public Library in partnership with:
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and Media Partners:
Sponsorship Opportunities
Are you interested in sponsoring One Book, One Vancouver? For more information about community, corporate or media sponsorship opportunities, please call 604-331-3681.