Hintonburg is a community that has gentrified in recent years and is now alive and thriving with art, culture, as well as fantastic food and drink. For the first time ever, this Ottawa community will host its very own festival, opening Saturday June 21 and ending Sunday, June 29. I interviewed Anne Wanda Tessier, a local artist and Hintonburg resident who has been instrumental in putting Hintonburg Happening together along with Summer Baird of the Hintonburg Public House to find out more. Why is there a “Hintonburg Happening?” The festival... | Continue reading article

Gatineau-based writer Benoit Chartier is a quirky cat. If you look on the back cover of his debut book The Calumnist Malefesto: And Other Improbable Yarns, you will find a short bio in which he claims to be, “training a wild monkey army to carry out his tasks.” At first I assumed this was a joke.  After reading his innovate stories, however, I am no longer sure.  After all, this is someone who describes himself as a Canadian madman who writes off-the-wall prose. But as any lover of literature knows,... | Continue reading article

Jessica Green is a book addict and library card holder since the age of 3. She’s a librarian at the Ottawa Public Library and currently the Apartment613 Librarian-in-Residence, sharing a compendium of literary thoughts and tips. “The last bastion of free, equitable, open, public space is the library” – Libraries as Space Last week, I attended a panel discussion hosted by the Library Association of the National Capital Region association (LANCR) that was looking at the theme of “library as space”. The featured five speakers ranged from a planning librarian... | Continue reading article

For more than 20 years, Ottawa-based chef and health pioneer Natasha Kyssa has been promoting the benefits of a raw vegan diet. As the owner of the popular SimplyRaw Express in Hintonburg, the former fashion model-turned-entrepreneur has demonstrated that healthy eating can be both delicious and easy. With years of experience in the kitchen, the talented chef has now published The SimplyRaw Kitchen, a cookbook filled with mostly raw, whole-food recipes that also contains important tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle. “Nowadays it’s so easy to be vegan,... | Continue reading article

There is nothing I love more than sitting down and reading a good book. Always have. Always will. I love the intimacy of getting pulled into the make believe world of an author’s imagination. I’m not particular about genres or authors, but I certainly have a sweet spot for anything that touches on mystery and intrigue, the unexplained and the unexplored. Which is why I was thrilled to learn about On The Brink – an event aimed at introducing readers to new Ottawa authors of speculative fiction—science fiction, fantasy, horror,... | Continue reading article

 Local author Mike Martin is the creative force behind the Sgt. Windflower detective series that is set in Newfoundland.  Last year we reviewed the first two books, while the third, Beneath the Surface, is set to be released on May 29 at Chapters Rideau. Apartment613 readers, however, can get a head start on the latest book as we are helping Martin release Beneath the Surface virtually.  You can purchase advance copies of the book online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BookLocker, iTunes and Kobo. As part of this virtual release, we are... | Continue reading article

Post by Régine Paquette and Katie Frappier. The Wornettes are heading to Ottawa to celebrate the release of The Worn Archive. The anthology is comprised of the first fourteen issues of WORN with each chapter dedicated to celebrating a different aspect of fashion. In anticipation of the event, we sat down with Serah-Marie McMahon, founder and editor of WORN to discuss their role in Canada’s fashion industry and what values they bring to their writing. How do you think Worn has influenced the Canadian Fashion Industry? How have you seen... | Continue reading article

Jessica Green is a book addict and library card holder since the age of 3. She’s a librarian at the Ottawa Public Library and currently the Apartment613 Librarian-in-Residence, sharing a compendium of literary thoughts and tips. In April, while on vacation in Paris, I happened upon a 3D printer exhibition at the BHV Marais, the large department store in the area. They had about 12-14 3D printers set up in their observation suite as well as a few spread out all over the store. This was a partnership between the... | Continue reading article

Since 2007, the Ottawa-based A B Series has been presenting innovative programming filled with experimental poetry, music and spoken word. Founded by Max Middle, the Series’ artistic director, the cutting-edge programming has brought first-rate performers from across Canada and around the world to our region.  But while the current programme includes musical performances, literary readings and innovative arts, its origins lie in poetry. “The original motivation behind the series was partly to give poets/writers travelling through Ottawa the opportunity to read here and partly to give voice to local poets/writers,” Middle tells... | Continue reading article

RCMP Corp. Dave Browne was perfect as an undercover cop. Blessed with cloaking abilities, he could easily infiltrate any criminal operation by fading out of sight, and then observing his targets from the shadows. When his disappearing power fails him during a sting operation in Toronto, however, he becomes a wanted man, as the criminal group that he was investigating seek to kill him.  To help him escape, he is transferred to Kirk’s Landing, a small Manitoba town that feels like a world away from Canada’s largest city. But what was... | Continue reading article