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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251113T183000
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DTSTAMP:20251008T180633Z
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SUMMARY:Writer’s Block: An Evening of Climate Writing
DESCRIPTION:Struggling to commit to your journal? Hitting a rough patch in your thesis? Feel like your op-ed is swirling the drain? As a great storyteller once said; “My world’s on fire – how about yours?” \nJoin local environmental group the sword fern collective for an evening of focused writing and community connection. \nIn these infamously unprecedented times\, climate journalists\, storytellers and artists are all battling burnout. Part-industry gathering and part-coworking session\, this event is for all of the writers out there — whether working in climate-related fields or otherwise — who need a little relief from the noise and from their typical routines. \nSword fern collective is cultivating a cozy living-room vibe at Upstart and Crow\, complete with charcuterie\, beverages\, chill music and an optional ‘phone jail’ for those craving some no-screen time. Attendees will have a short window to connect with each other\, and then we’ll settle into 45 minutes of focused\, intentional writing time. There’s no pressure to produce\, only to participate\, and you won’t be asked to share what they’ve written (unless you really want to). \nThere is limited seating\, so please RSVP here. \nI’m not a journalist or a grad student. Can I come? \nYes! We define a climate writer as anyone who writes things that interface with the climate. This includes poetry\, journal entries\, short stories\, articles\, essays\, or letters to your representative. We welcome all mediums and experience levels. \nWhat food are you serving? \nWe’ll be serving a vegetarian charcuterie board. There will be gluten\, dairy\, and nut-free options available\, but please note we cannot protect against cross contamination. There will also be non-alcoholic beverages available. \nAbout Upstart & Crow: Upstart & Crow is a not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator that champions writers\, readers and stories\, and the role they play in shaping our lives. We develop original programs\, support artists and revel in creative projects focused on Literature In Translation / Climate Solutions / Poetry / Civic Dialogue / Community & Skills Building … all with the aim of elevating the role of literature and storytelling in our lives. Find us on Granville Island\, Gibsons and online at upstartandcrow.com. \nAccessibility: The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees. \nQuestions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.
URL:https://upstartandcrow.com/event/writers-block-an-evening-of-climate-writing/
LOCATION:Upstart & Crow Studio\, 1387 Railspur Alley\, Granville Island\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6H 3R7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Climate Solutions
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251026T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251026T110000
DTSTAMP:20251004T230536Z
CREATED:20251004T230536Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251004T230536Z
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SUMMARY:‘Red Pockets’: A Morning with Alice Mah
DESCRIPTION:What do we owe to past and future generations? What do we owe to the places that we inhabit? \nJoin us online on Sunday\, October 26 at 9:30am to celebrate Alice Mah’s new book\, Red Pockets\, shortlisted for the 2025 Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing. \nRed Pockets is a moving meditation on ancestry\, belonging\, and the intertwined fates of people and planet. In this haunting blend of memoir\, cultural history\, and environmental reflection\, Mah traces her journey from South China to post-industrial England and the Chinatowns of British Columbia\, searching for a way to honour the “hungry ghosts” of her ancestors. What begins as a personal pilgrimage unfolds into a profound exploration of what we owe to those who came before us — and to those who will inherit what we leave behind. \nThis event is free\, but please RSVP here. \nMore about the author: Alice Mah is a Chinese Canadian-British writer and Professor of Urban and Environmental Studies at the University of Glasgow. Originally from a small town in northern British Columbia\, she has a long-standing interest in ecology and place. Her award-winning research focuses on toxic pollution and environmental justice\, the subjects of her most recent books: Petrochemical Planet and Plastic Unlimited. This is her first trade book. \nAbout Upstart & Crow: Upstart & Crow is a not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator that champions writers\, readers and stories\, and the role they play in shaping our lives. We develop original programs\, support artists and revel in creative projects focused on Literature In Translation / Climate Solutions / Poetry / Civic Dialogue / Community & Skills Building … all with the aim of elevating the role of literature and storytelling in our lives. Find us on Granville Island\, Gibsons and online at upstartandcrow.com. \nAccessibility: The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees. \nQuestions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.
URL:https://upstartandcrow.com/event/red-pockets-a-morning-with-alice-mah/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Climate Solutions
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250911T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250911T200000
DTSTAMP:20250708T212339Z
CREATED:20250708T212339Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250708T212339Z
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SUMMARY:Free Gifts: Capitalism and the Politics of Nature
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Thursday\, September 11 at 6:30pm for an author talk with writer and political scientist Alyssa Battistoni in celebration of her new book\, Free Gifts: Capitalism and the Politics of Nature. \nCapitalism is typically treated as a force for relentless commodification. Yet it fails to place value on vital aspects of the nonhuman world\, whether carbon emissions or entire ecosystems. In Free Gifts\, Alyssa Battistoni tackles this paradox head-on. \nTo understand contemporary ecological problems from biodiversity collapse to climate change\, she contends that we must first understand how some things come to have value under capitalism\, and how others do not. To help us do so\, Battistoni recovers and reinterprets the idea of ‘the free gift of nature’ used by classical economic thinkers to describe what we gratuitously obtain from the natural world. She builds on Karl Marx’s critique of political economy to show how capitalism fundamentally treats nature as free for the taking. \nAlong the way\, she offers fresh insights into influential thinkers like Simone de Beauvoir\, Friedrich Hayek\, Garrett Hardin\, Silvia Federici\, and Ronald Coase. Battistoni shows how understanding capitalism’s blind spots helps explain our current ecological crises\, and how we might build a world that truly values nature’s gifts. \nBattistoni will be in conversation with Geoff Mann\, Professor at Simon Fraser University and Senior Fellow at the Institute for New Economic Thinking. \nThis event is free\, but please RSVP here as spots are limited.  \nMore about Upstart & Crow: \nUpstart & Crow is a not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator that champions writers\, readers and stories\, and the role they play in shaping our lives. We develop original programs\, support artists and revel in creative projects focused on Literature In Translation / Climate Solutions / Poetry / Civic Dialogue / Community & Skills Building … all with the aim of elevating the role of literature and storytelling in our lives. Find us on Granville Island\, Gibsons and online at upstartandcrow.com. \nAccessibility: \nThe main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees. \nQuestions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.
URL:https://upstartandcrow.com/event/free-gifts-capitalism-and-the-politics-of-nature/
LOCATION:Upstart & Crow Studio\, 1387 Railspur Alley\, Granville Island\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6H 3R7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Climate Solutions
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250715T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250715T203000
DTSTAMP:20250617T233910Z
CREATED:20250617T214914Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250617T233910Z
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SUMMARY:The Way Around: A Q&A with Nicholas Triolo
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Tuesday\, July 15 at 7pm for an intimate Q&A with writer\, editor\, and athlete Nicholas Triolo\, whose new book The Way Around has been hailed as a “beautiful\, intricate rebuke to our obsession with linearity and outcome” (Robert MacFarlane). \nRaised in a family of elite athletes—and in a culture obsessed with goals\, grit\, and linear achievement—Nicholas Triolo set out on a solo circumnavigation of the globe\, seeking something beyond the finish line. In Kathmandu\, he encountered kora\, a form of moving prayer in which pilgrims walk in circles around sacred sites or objects. Captivated\, Triolo undertook three transformative walks of his own: around Tibet’s sacred Mount Kailash\, through the poet-haunted trails of Mount Tamalpais\, and\, finally\, encircling Montana’s Berkeley Pit Complex\, the largest Superfund site in the United States. The Way Around is a record of these journeys\, a transcendent meditation on movement\, meaning\, and the entanglement between inner and outer landscapes. \nThis is a chance to hear from a truly singular voice—brilliant\, grounded\, rising fast—and to ask your own questions about writing\, wandering\, and what it means to ‘go nowhere’ in a world obsessed with achievement. \nDon’t miss this opportunity to spend an evening with a writer whose path is anything but ordinary! \nTickets are free but please RSVP here as spots are limited. We’ll have books on hand for purchase and signing. \nMore about Upstart & Crow: \nUpstart & Crow is a not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator that champions writers\, readers and stories\, and the role they play in shaping our lives. We develop original programs\, support artists and revel in creative projects focused on Literature In Translation / Climate Solutions / Poetry / Civic Dialogue / Community & Skills Building … all with the aim of elevating the role of literature and storytelling in our lives. Find us on Granville Island\, Gibsons and online at upstartandcrow.com. \nAccessibility: \nThe main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees. \nQuestions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.
URL:https://upstartandcrow.com/event/the-way-around-a-qa-with-nicholas-triolo/
LOCATION:Upstart & Crow Studio\, 1387 Railspur Alley\, Granville Island\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6H 3R7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Climate Solutions
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250709T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250709T200000
DTSTAMP:20250614T223408Z
CREATED:20250614T212135Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250614T223408Z
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SUMMARY:Listen to the Land Speak: Manchán Magan Live
DESCRIPTION:What if the land speaks\, but we’ve simply forgotten how to listen?  \nJoin us for an unforgettable evening with one of Ireland’s most visionary voices. On Wednesday\, July 9 at 6:30 p.m.\, Irish writer and documentarian Manchán Magan invites us to tune in again to the forgotten frequencies of the natural world in a special live event. His return to Vancouver follows multiple sold-out shows that combine a deep reverence for language\, land — and gloriously original thinking.  \nDrawing on ancient Irish myth\, the musicality of the old Irish language\, and the goddess-rooted wisdom embedded in stones\, rivers\, and wells\, Manchán leads us on a journey of reconnection with the lost knowledge of the more-than-human world. At a time when both ecological and cultural systems feel increasingly fragile\, Manchán beckons us to rewild not only the Earth\, but the landscapes of our own imaginations. \nThis event has limited seating\, which will fill up fast! Please RSVP here to secure your spot. \nAbout Upstart & Crow: \nLocated on Granville Island\, Upstart & Crow is a not-for-profit literary arts studio for curious readers and creative storytellers alike. We are international in our outlook\, and local in our sensibilities. We create opportunities to surface new talent and champion bold ideas through events\, workshops\, literary launches\, unique partnerships — and yes\, we also sell books! \nAccessibility: \nThe main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees. \nQuestions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.
URL:https://upstartandcrow.com/event/listen-to-the-land-speak-manchan-magan-live/
LOCATION:Upstart & Crow Studio\, 1387 Railspur Alley\, Granville Island\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6H 3R7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Climate Solutions
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250521
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250526
DTSTAMP:20250419T174320Z
CREATED:20241205T204023Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250419T174320Z
UID:1952-1747785600-1748217599@upstartandcrow.com
SUMMARY:The Climate Readers’ Retreat
DESCRIPTION:Our world needs scalable\, systemic change\, and now. But most of us don’t have the time and space in our daily lives to deeply reflect on what our contribution to solving the climate crisis might be. \nThe Climate Readers’ Retreat is an opportunity for people with a passion for climate and democracy to work through ideas and solutions for their communities together. \nWe’re thrilled to partner with Hollyhock\, a Retreat Center nestled on the shores of Cortes Island\, British Columbia. Hollyhock is a hub for holistic learning and leadership\, offering transformative programs that foster personal growth and connection with nature. Together\, we aim to inspire meaningful change through the shared exploration of stories\, self-discovery\, and collective renewal. \nAlongside the wild beauty of Cortes Island\, participants will enjoy multiple small-group talks with Pulitzer Prize finalist John Vaillant\, author of The Golden Spruce and Fire Weather\, as well as participate in structured and collaborative discussions with award-winning climate communications strategist Zoe Grams and celebrated environmental journalist and conservationist Ian Gill.  \nLet’s move beyond platitudes into a space of rigorous contemplation and commitment. This is an opportunity to explore how to move from despair or mourning into organizing; to discuss tough questions about action and complicity; to discover and share techniques for renewing your energy for change; to find out how we can talk about the current political reality in order to galvanize people to action; and to create a plan to transform how you contribute to our shared futures.  \nIf you’re seeking inspiration to stoke your work in the months ahead\, to find tools for deepening your work in climate action\, this is a unique opportunity. In a time when new narratives are essential\, the Climate Readers Retreat supports those searching for—and creating—new stories of renewal\, regeneration and resistance. \nJohn Vaillant is an author and freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New Yorker\, The Atlantic\, National Geographic\, and the Guardian\, among others. His first book\, The Golden Spruce (Knopf\, 2005)\, was a bestseller and won several awards\, including the Governor General’s and Rogers Trust awards for non-fiction. His second non-fiction book\, The Tiger (Knopf\, 2010)\, won the B.C. Achievement Award for Non-Fiction\, was a bestseller selected for Canada Reads\, and has been published in 17 languages. In 2014 Vaillant won the Windham-Campbell Prize\, a global award for non-fiction. In 2015\, he published his first work of fiction\, The Jaguar’s Children \, which was long-listed for the Dublin IMPAC and Kirkus Fiction Prizes\, and was a finalist for the Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Vaillant’s latest book\, Fire Weather\, is a #1 national bestseller that won Britain’s Baillie Gifford Prize\, a global prize for English language non-fiction\, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize\, the U.S. National Book Award\, the PEN John Kenneth Galbraith Non-Fiction Award\, the Writers‘ Trust Nonfiction Prize\, and Britain’s Wainwright Prize. It was named one of the ten best books of 2023 by The New York Times\, among many other prominent publications. In Canada\, Fire Weather won the Shaughnessy-Cohen Prize for Political Writing\, the Dafoe Book Prize\, and the Hubert Evans Prize for Non-Fiction.  Of particular interest to Canadians may be that it was heartily recommended on twitter by both Catherine McKenna and Andrew MacDougall (Stephen Harper’s former head of comms).  \nZoe Grams is an award-winning strategist and organization leader who works at the intersection of storytelling and environmental and social justice. She is founder of Zg Stories—a B-Corporation communications agency; co-founder of Upstart & Crow\, a creative non-profit; and former Chair/Co-Chair of multiple boards including WISH Drop-In Centre Society and KidSafe (amongst others). She has provided advocacy strategy and large-scale communications outreach to non-profits\, municipal governments\, Indigenous Nations\, and purpose-driven companies across Canada and the US for more than a decade. Born and raised in Scotland\, she holds an MA in Philosophy from The University of Glasgow and an MSc with Distinction in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics. \nIan Gill is an Australian-born author\, journalist\, critic\, conservationist and co-founder of the bioregional initiative Salmon Nation and storytelling initiative the Magic Canoe. Ian worked for almost 20 years as CEO of Ecotrust in Canada\, the US and Australia\, and has extensive experience in community and economic development in coastal communities along North America’s west coast. He is co-founder of Upstart & Crow\, a literary non-profit\, and is a contributing editor at The Tyee. His book on Haida Gwaii\, All That We Say is Ours\, was re-released in paperback in 2022.
URL:https://upstartandcrow.com/event/the-climate-readers-retreat/
LOCATION:Hollyhock Retreat Center\, 445 Highfield Road\, Cortes Island\, BC.\, BC\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Climate Solutions
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250123T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250123T210000
DTSTAMP:20250121T204245Z
CREATED:20241216T233034Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250121T204245Z
UID:1982-1737658800-1737666000@upstartandcrow.com
SUMMARY:Power Metal: Vince Beiser in Conversation with Christopher Pollon
DESCRIPTION:Both the world’s critical transition to renewable energy\, along with ever-evolving technology\, require massive amounts of metal. And the race to mine it is already spawning environmental havoc\, political upheaval\, and rising violence. \nJoin us on Thursday\, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. for an evening with journalist Vince Beiser\, author of the new book Power Metal: The Race for Resources that Will Shape the Future\, to discuss what’s at stake\, and what everyone should know about the hugely damaging effects that increased demand for metals is having around the world. \nIn this free event\, Beiser will be in conversation with Christopher Pollon\, author of Pitfall: The Race to Mine the World’s Most Vulnerable Places. Together\, these two experts will discuss the genesis of their books\, the various costs of metal mining — and how we might do better. \nThis is a free event\, but please RSVP on our Eventbrite page as seating is limited. We will have books on hand for sale and signing. \nVince Beiser is an award-winning journalist and author. His first book\, The World in a Grain\, was a finalist for the PEN / E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award and a California Book Award. His work has appeared in Wired\, Harper’s Magazine\, The Atlantic\, and The New York Times\, among other publications. He lives with his family in Vancouver. Follow his newsletter at powermetal.substack.com. \nChristopher Pollon is an independent journalist who reports on the politics of natural resources\, focusing on mining\, oceans\, and energy. His work has appeared in dozens of publications\, including National Geographic\, the Guardian\, the Walrus and the Globe and Mail. He is also the author of The Peace in Peril: The Real Cost of the Site C Dam. His book\, Pitfall\, won The US Science in Society Journalism Book Award and the Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society Award\, and was a finalist for both the Banff Centre Mountain Book Competition and the Writer’s Trust Balsillie Prize for Public Policy. He lives in Vancouver. \nMore about Upstart & Crow: \nLocated on Granville Island\, Upstart & Crow is a not-for-profit literary arts studio for curious readers and creative storytellers alike. We are international in our outlook\, and local in our sensibilities. We create opportunities to surface new talent and champion bold ideas through events\, workshops\, literary launches\, unique partnerships — and yes\, we also sell books! \nAccessibility: \nThe main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees. \nQuestions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.
URL:https://upstartandcrow.com/event/power-metal-vince-beiser-in-conversation-with-christopher-pollon/
LOCATION:Upstart & Crow Studio\, 1387 Railspur Alley\, Granville Island\, Vancouver\, BC\, V6H 3R7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Climate Solutions
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