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If you volunteer for the Writers festival, you get a free ticket to an event. This morning, I attended a reading and panel discussion called "On the road with a good book". Participants read from their books and they told funny stories about things that happened to them while they were on tour. I got to hear Susanna Clarke read from "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell", which I haven't read yet, Michael Winter, Esi Edugyan, Colin McAdam, Agnes Desarthe, and Andrea Levy. Andrea Levy is this year's winner of the Orange Prize for her book "Small Island." I really enjoyed this panel, as the group was fun and lively. Esi Edugyan's relatives were in the audience and they were just beaming.

***On Thursday night and Friday night, I saw Shane Koyczan perform. Shane is the first non-American to win the Individual Championship at the National Poetry Slam in 2000. He is one of the most amazing poets I've ever seen and has apparently opened for Ani DiFranco, Spearhead and Maya Angelou. On Friday, he read a mom about his mother's death which had the audience (including me) in tears. If you ever get a chance, please go and see him. You won't be sorry. I promise.