A delectable buffet of literary discussion will be laid out at McMaster Tuesday night.

Authors Daniel Coleman, Terry Fallis, Kathleen Gallagher and Ann-Marie MacDonald will
all be on campus for free events open to the community. Coleman and Fallis will speak
at a wrap-up event for a student summer reading program that featured their books
and Gallagher and MacDonald will appear in conversation for a public lecture on
literature, theatre and performance.

Coleman and Fallis will each share stories about their journey as authors and read
excerpts from their books. They are scheduled to speak at 5:30 p.m. at separate venues
and converge at 6:30 p.m. for an informal reception and book signing. Coleman will
appear in Council Chambers, Room 111 in Gilmour Hall and Fallis will be in CIBC Hall on
the third floor of the McMaster University Student Centre. The reception and book
signing will also be in CIBC Hall.

As part of the Student Success Centre's Summer Reading Program, students read
Coleman's In Bed with the Word and Fallis' The Best Laid Plans. Coleman is a professor
in the Department of English & Cultural Studies and holds the Canada Research Chair in
Critical Ethnicity and Race Studies. In Bed with the Word underlines the role that reading
and books play in our lives. Fallis is a McMaster engineering alumnus and award-
winning author of two satirical novels about Canadian politics: The Best Laid Plans and
The High Road.

The public lecture featuring Gallagher and MacDonald will start at 7:00 p.m. at the
Robinson Memorial Theatre in Chester New Hall. The lecture is co-presented by the Arts
& Science Program, Department of English & Cultural Studies, School of the Arts, Faculty of Humanities, McMaster Alumni Association and MAPS Liberal Arts Speakers Series.

“The most exciting part is that it's a dialogue and it will open up into a dialogue with the
audience,” said Jean Wilson, director of the Arts & Science Program. “They'll engage in
conversation for 30 to 40 minutes with about 20 minutes for questions.”

Gallagher is a professor at the University of Toronto and a Canada Research Chair in
Theatre, Youth and Research in Urban Schools. She is the author of several award-
winning books and her research is focused on exploring student engagement and
learning through the arts. MacDonald is a beloved Canadian actor and writer and the
current host of CBC's Doc Zone.

“The response from the McMaster community has been wonderful,” said Wilson.

The two women are on campus during the day to run a workshop for first year Arts &
Science students. The incoming class read MacDonald's play, Belle Moral, over the
summer.