In a remote region of Mexico, while exploring one of the deepest caves in the world, a group of scientists becomes hopelessly lost.  Among the trapped group is Kat Delaney, an expert caver and microbiologist. When Kat’s husband Mark discovers that she is missing, he immediately flies from Canada to save his wife.  On his arrival in Mexico, however, his rescue attempt hits a roadblock when he discovers that nobody wants to take him to the dangerous (and, according to some, cursed) cave. After some prodding, Mark hires a mysterious... | Continue reading article

The National Capital Region is overflowing with amazing literary talent.  To celebrate the great wordsmiths in our midst, Apartment613 has organised a book sale of local authors who write in English, French and/or Spanish.  The event takes place this coming Saturday, November 23, from 11 am to 4 pm, at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library (120 Metcalfe) . Bookworms will be able to purchase books from, and have their copies signed by, 20 local writers and one comic book publisher.  This event is part of Support Local month, and is co-sponsored by the Ottawa Public... | Continue reading article

What do you do when you take the OC Transpo bus?  Do you read memos from work?  Come up with ideas for your hobby?  Compose music, write poems, draw pictures? Well, according to Lauren Oliver, the popular author of young adult novels, she wrote her first book Before I Fall on her Blackberry while travelling on the subway. “When I was writing Before I Fall, I had a full-time job, a part-time job, and I was also a full-time graduate student of creative writing,” she revealed in an interview published online.  ”The only... | Continue reading article

Sixteen-year-old Alex Winters can create fire with his thoughts.  Using his pyrokinetic powers he gained control of the rough Russian district, and in the process became “boss” to gangsters and thugs, many of whom were older than him. When a cruel and deadly group of vampires invades his turf, however, Alex must face an enemy whose power is stronger than his supernatural abilities.  In the midst of this struggle, he has to look out for a group of young people that he saved and who now live with him. This fantastical setting... | Continue reading article

Although I am sure most people are using things like iTunes and Netflix these days to access their entertainment media digitally, the Ottawa Public Library has quite the collection of music CDs and DVDs in a number of languages available to borrow. It’s a great way to brush up your knowledge of  say French New Wave Cinema when you can borrow Les Quatre Cents Coups (the 400 Blows), Jules et Jim or Hiroshima, mon amour. Missed a few flicks at the Bytowne or Mayfair theatres? Many appear in the collection,... | Continue reading article

Over the past three decades, the word “Conservative” has undergone a radical transformation in Canada.  Nothing better demonstrates this than Joe Clark, who was elected Prime Minister in 1979. Clark is often derided for his brief stint as Canada’s federal leader.  (His Progressive Conservative government lasted a mere nine months).  But while his grip on power was short-lived, he became the longest-serving Tory foreign minister in Canadian history under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Under normal circumstances, Clark’s extensive international experience would make him a Conservative elder statesman.  In actuality, he... | Continue reading article

Charlie Sparrow is a bird who does not know that he can fly.  In fact, all the birds in Tree City are ignorant about flying, given that they are unaware about the true power of their feathery wings. Young Charlie, however, suspects that his wings have a special purpose, which he is eager to find out. Unfortunately, when his parents learn about their son’s ambitions, they send him to the misguided Dr. Nightingale, who diagnoses the precocious boy with Leaping Syndrome, and orders that the feathers in the young child’s... | Continue reading article

Ottawa-native Christa Mayaliwa has written a powerful memoir about her battle with systemic arthritis as a young child, the disease’s relapse during her teenage years, and how her father abandoned their family while they were experiencing emotional and financial hardships. A Christian-themed book, He Never Left Me: My Testimony chronicles Mayaliwa’s efforts to overcome her disease and heartbreak, while reconciling her faith in God as she lived through her painful set of circumstances.  Apartment613 caught up with the local writer via email to discuss her book and future projects. Apartment613: Your memoir recounts... | Continue reading article

While the Senate scandal rivets the country, political junkies from across Canada are asking some fairly important questions.  Is this the beginning of the end for Prime Minister Harper?  Will the Conservatives weather this brutal storm and win a fourth consecutive term? Are Canadian horrified, or simply indifferent, about what is happening on Parliament Hill? With exquisite timing, the Ottawa International Writers Festival has organized an event on Tuesday, October 29, with three of Canada’s best political journalists to discuss national politics.  While all three were booked some time ago, before the... | Continue reading article

Poets and accountants are like oil and water.  While the former are known for their intense passion, the latter are often seen as synonyms for mind-numbing dullness.  But what if the two groups shared a secret, namely, that they both manipulate “facts” to create multiple meanings? “Give me any set of figures and I can come up with the answer that you want,” an accountant once told me.  While said in half-jest, his point was serious:  How you arrange numbers on a balance sheet is more important than the figures... | Continue reading article