in Chatsworth, Grey Highlands, Southgate, West Grey
December 31, 2024
BY SOUTHGREY.CA STAFF — The number 1 story of the year is a recurring event that keeps on climbing up our Top 10 charts. Placing third in 2022, second in 2023, it has finally reached top story status!
It's Grey County Reads — our very own literary contest featuring local authors and community champions from each of the Grey County municipalities.
In its seventh year, the competition expanded the reading of books over the entire summer and took place on a dedicated website, separate but connected, to South Grey News. Surprisingly this year, the list of books were all non-fiction and their champions were:
A New Season by Terry Falls, read by John Butler
Four Bullets, Four Witnesses, Four Liars by Brian Barrie, read by Tim Nicolls Harrison
Orphan 32 by Thanh Campbell, read by Monica Singh Soares
Ducks by Kate Beaton, read by Yvonne Pelletier
Quintland Sisters by Shelley Wood, read by Lauren Butchard
The contest came to a head in a Grey County Reads Book Slam event held in Markdale on September 29. Two finalist authors, Brian Barrie and Thanh Campbell promoted their books to the audience with the help of their champions Tim Nicolls Harrison and Monica Singh Soares in what was a memorable highlight of the season.
In the end, Orphan 32 by Thanh Campbell came away with the 2024 Grey County Reads title. As a result, the Southgate Ruth Hargrave Memorial Library in Dundalk was presented with a certificate for $200 from Speaking Volumes Books & Audio in Markdale. Three other winners were chosen randomly from among the list of voters. Linda Gagliardi of Brampton, Liz Muriel of New Lowell and Lara Widdifield of Owen Sound also won gift certificates from Speaking Volumes.
The next edition of Grey County Reads will start in the new year. Stay tuned for more details.
You can read all about last year's books here:
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