Books on Main and Welborne Commons are partnering to connect a hungry community with cutting edge Canadian author Catherine Hernandez, author of Scarborough, in their first collaborative event since both family-owned businesses opened during the pandemic, taking place June 15 at 6 p.m.
Unique to the sleepy, lakeside community of Bath, Ontario, this evening pairs fresh, locally sourced, gastropub fare with a reading and conversation with one of Canada’s leading authors and champion for queer and diverse voices.
Both Books on Main and Welborne Commons are co-owned by local Bath-based families who are working hard to bring the community together and start conversations in a time when the divide seems stronger than ever.
“Since we opened in June 2020, we’ve seen the community rally around this local, independent bookstore and find ways to gather and talk about literature and world views, even with all the barriers that lockdowns and restrictions have thrown at us,” said Aline Ellingwood, co-owner of Books on Main.
“Our restaurant is designed for bringing people together and we’ve always hoped that we could host events that will offer our community the chance to learn and grow together and this is a wonderful way to kick off that trend,” said Andrew Lloyd, co-owner of Books on Main and Welborne Commons.
Tickets for this event are selling quickly. They’re available on BooksOnMain.ca for $75 each or $125 for a pair, which gains entry as well as a three-course meal and a signed copy of Hernandez’s best-selling, award-winning novel Scarborough.
Catherine Hernandez (she/her) is an award-winning author and screenwriter. She is a proud queer woman who is of Filipino, Spanish, Chinese and Indian descent and married into the Navajo Nation. Her best-selling first novel, Scarborough, has won many awards and was a finalist for Canada Reads 2022. Catherine also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of the same name which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival and received 8 Canadian Screen Awards. She is also the author of Crosshairs and several children’s books.