Local

Local

Poetry Slam

YOUNGSTOWN— Pig Iron Literary & Art Works will host its 10th annual Pig Iron Poetry Slam Friday at The Victorian Players Theater, 702 Mahoning Ave.

The event is an open poetry competition where contestants present or read a self-authored poem (four minutes max) for a chance to win prizes, including a “piggy bank.” The winner will be decided by a panel of judges selected from the audience. Anyone may participate.

Sign-up will be at the door from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., with readings to start at 7:45. Performances will be chosen randomly. There is no advance registration fee; however, a dollar donation will be collected from each person attending. Proceeds will benefit the 29 public programs supported by the PILAW.

Jim Villani, editor of Pig Iron Press and an English professor at Walsh University, will serve as master of ceremonies. For more about the event, PILAW or PIP, call (330) 747-6932.

Used book sale

AUSTINTOWN— Immaculate Heart of Mary Church will hold its third annual used book sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the parish center, 4500 Norquest Blvd. Anyone wishing to donate books may drop them off under the center’s canopy from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (330) 799-1796 for more information.

Regional

Authors’ party

CANTON — The Greater Canton Writers’ Guild is hosting an authors’ party from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the North Branch Library, 189 25th Street N.W. The evening will feature books, music, food, door prizes and appearances by several Stark County authors. Any reader or writer is welcome. Books will be available for purchase. There is no charge to attend. Call (330) 493-0492 for more information.

Ohioana Book Festival

COLUMBUS — The Ohioana Library Association is accepting applications from area authors interested in participating in its 2009 Ohioana Book Festival.

All authors must have an Ohio-connection, either by birth or residency (at least five years) or through subject matter. Books must have been published after January 2008 must be made available for sale at the festival. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 15. Visit www.ohioanabookfestival.org for complete instructions and an application form.

The third annual Ohioana Book Festival is set for May 9 on the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse located at Broad and High streets in downtown Columbus. The event is to increase awareness of the importance of Ohio writers and their contributions to the literary arts.

National

New Oprah book pick

NEW YORK — Oprah Winfrey will announce her next book club pick Friday, her first choice since last winter’s selection of Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth.” An e-newsletter sent to book club members says of the new release: “Once you start it, you won’t want to put it down! Until then, it’s a great time to reflect on the lessons you’ve learned from ‘A New Earth’ — and how you’ll continue to apply them to your everyday life.”

AWARDS

National Book Awards

LOS ANGELES — This year’s National Book Awards, taking place in New York on Nov. 19, will include a Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters to Maxine Hong Kingston. The Oakland, Calif.-based Kingston, whose books include the memoir “The Woman Warrior,” was awarded the Robert Kirsch Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in April.

The awards also will recognize Barney Rosset, former publisher of the Evergreen Review and Grove Press, with the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community.

The finalists will be announced Oct. 15 in Chicago.

Man Booker Prize

LONDON — Two first-time novelists were among six finalists for the prestigious Man Booker prize for fiction. Indian novelist Aravind Adiga was nominated for his debut, “The White Tiger,” the story of a man’s dreams of escaping poor village life for success in the big city. Australia’s Steve Toltz writes about a father-son relationship in a “A Fraction of the Whole.”

Also in the running Ireland’s Sebastian Barry for “The Secret Scripture,” Indian writer Amitav Ghosh for “Sea of Poppies;” English author Linda Grant for “The Clothes on Their Backs” and England’s Philip Hensher for “The Northern Clemency.”

The winner, who receives $88,700 and a likely boost in sales, will be announced Oct. 14. Eligible novels must be written in English by writers from Britain, Ireland or the Commonwealth of former British colonies. The award, founded in 1969, formerly was known as the Booker Prize.

Combined dispatches