Blue Metropolis launches 2016 program

The Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival is in its 18th year, and this year's editionpromises more than 200 events for adults and kids.

• 25 great books from 25 years of Writers & Company
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The 2016festival brings 235 writers to Montreal from 10 countries and takes place from April 11 to 17.

"Blue Met is one of the biggest book festivals in North America," said programming director Greg McCormick.

The festival holds literaryevents in five different languages, something McCormick says makes it unique in Montreal.

"Anglophones listen to French events and francophones listen to English eventsand the Spanish events and the Italian events," he said.

5 events to mark on your calendar:

1. Anne Carson, 2016 Blue Met grand prize literary winner

Anne Carson is considered one of the top English-language poets in the world.

She is scheduled to talk about her work and life in a conversation withEleanor Wachtel,host of CBC'sWriters & Company.

Saturday April 16 at 4:00 p.m., Grande Bibliothque

2.Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist: Sunil Yapa and the protest novel

Sri Lankan-American writer Sunil Yapa delivers a fictionalized account of the WTO riots in Seattle in the early 2000s.

Saturday April 16 at 5:30 p.m., Espace Godin (Htel 10)

3.A renaissance of fiction

Irish writing is going through a renaissance, and writersAnakana Schofield(Martin John), Christine Dwyer Hickey(The Lives of Women) and Paul Lynch (The Black Snow) will be interviewed by CBC Montreal'sarts reporterJeanette Kelly.

Saturday April 16, 12:30 p.m., Salle Saint Laurent, Htel 10

4. Empire of Self: Jay Parini on the life of Gore Vidal

Jay Parini, author of The Last Station, a novel about the final year of Tolstoy's life, will be speaking with CBCThe Sunday Edition's Michael Enright about his latest book, a biography of Gore Vidal.

Saturday April 16, 8:00 p.m., Salle St-Laurent (Htel 10)

5.Premio Azul: Valeria Luiselli and The Story of My Teeth

Valeria Luiselli is a young Mexican writer and her novel, The Story of My Teeth, tells the taleof a man obsessed with the teeth of famous people. Luiselli will receive the 2016 Blue Met Premio Azul and be interviewed by Scott Esposito, one of the literary world's most respected young critics.

Friday April 15, 6:00 p.m., Salle Jardin (Htel 10)