That title got your attention, didn’t it?! Ha!
Each year it is the pipe dream of every Canadian writer to win the Scotiabank Giller prize, the most lucrative prize in the country. Writers themselves can be a supportive group. When food, drink and conversation abound, then the atmosphere is conducive to comradery.
The Giller Light Bash provides that opportunity in select cities across the country: Halifax, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Regina, Vancouver, and our home town, Calgary hosted a micro version of the big event with the Toronto live broadcast flickering into darkened pubs, enlightening a receptive audience.
In writerly circles, even to be long-listed for the Giller earns a whole lot of respect in an under-appreciated profession. Among us in Calgary, we had a long-listed author, Debbie Willis. Gathering for the Giller Light Bash is kinda like a literary version of the Stanley Cup, without the penalty box; like-minded passionate supporters, broadcast on big TVs, food, drink, conversation, cheering, celebration, debate about who should have won, discussion with book defenders and good-natured teasing among friends.
In Calgary, we had five local literary figures defend each of the Giller finalists: Kris Demeanor, Cheryl Foggo, Clem Martini (my drama teacher in University, btw!), Chris Turner and Aritha van Herk.
Hip Image was proud to support #gillerlightyyc held at Wurst Calgary November 20, 2017. The dedicated staff and volunteers of the Writers Guild of Alberta helped Calgary host a successful event. We brought our #hashtagprinter up on stage, front and center! Everyone could participate in the capturing of photos.
If you can type a hashtag and upload to social media, you are capable of being an interactive paparazzi, and able to walk away with a print in your hand. Writers are a quiet bunch, we discovered. They were happy to watch but a little shy to engage in the photo taking.
Thankfully, I was there with my “big camera”, which has wi-fi capabilities. I captured the festivities, printed the photos out on the super speedy Hashtag printer, and brought pictures to the people, delivering hard copy prints by hand to surprised and welcoming hands.
Engage your clients, spread the fun, give the people their paparazzi power! Try our Hashtag Printer at your next event to amp up your hashtag traffic on Instagram or Twitter. Unleashing the fun with all that we do!
