March 28, 2024

BY RACHEL ROY

A war with words took place at a Battle of the Books competition on Oct. 7 in Waterloo.

The Waterloo Reads program, organized by the Waterloo Public Library, featured a literary throw down with local celebrities debating which book they presented, was better.

The best part was the audience got to choose who had the better argument.

Battle of the Books was held at the Hauser Haus, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, where the nine local celebrities gave convincing arguments on why their book should be voted the best book in K-W.

“We have local celebrities who come and they champion the books that are a part of the Ontario Library Association Evergreen Awards,” said Kelly Kipfer, manager of Community Engagement and Children Services at the Waterloo Library.

The nine celebrities were: Author Terry Fallis who defended the Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan.

Isabel Cisterna from Neruda Arts who defended The Cat by Edeet Ravel.
Susan Cook-Sheerer of Rogers TV, who defended An Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone St. James.

Children’s entertainer Erick Traplin, who defended The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King.

Angie Hill, one of the morning hosts of Kool FM, who defended The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison.

Mike Farwell from Country 106.7 radio, who defended The Stop by Nick Saul and Andrea Curtis.

Sourov De from the Stryve Group, who defended Flee, Fly, Flown by Janet Hepburn.
Dave Jutzi from 91.5 The Beat radio, who defended The Massey Murder by Charlotte Gray.
And Taylor Jones from Dear Photograph, who defended Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World by Janet E. Cameron.

This year is the library’s second annual Battle of the Books. The organizers plan on making it an annual event.

After the debate that lasted roughly two hours and after voting by the public, The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King, defended by Traplin, won.

He received a Battle of the Books trophy which he can keep for one year, until next year’s battle.

Traplin was excited to have won the competition because the book presented several difficult challenges for him. Many times he had to put the book down just to calm his emotions.

The book is about what it is like to be “Indian” in North America, weaving together relationships between non-natives and natives.

“I’m overwhelmed actually, I really didn’t think I was going to win,” Traplin said, holding his trophy. “I was passionate about it. It really affected me so I’m glad it won; I’m glad the people are going to read it because that means that other people will possibly take some action and help resolve some of these issues.”

Flee, Fly, Flown by Janet Hepburn, which was defended by De from The Stryve Group, came in second and The Cat by Edeet Ravel, defended by Cisterna, came in third.

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