Event Recap: Amber Tamblyn at Chapters Rideau

It is not often that Ottawa gets book signings. The usual spots for any Canadian events are Toronto with Vancouver getting the occasional event as well. I was therefore pretty excited that one of my local bookstores would be hosting Amber Tamblyn during her Any Man tour.

The store had this amazing set up when you first entered. It had been up for a couple weeks. Due to the aforementioned lack of book events happening in the city, there wasn't really a lot of promotion that happened but the turn out was still pretty decent.

Amber decided to have local female writers join her as part of the event. Ottawa's aspiring writer was Jasmin Bollman who read some of her writing for the group before Amber did a reading from her book. Jasmin's writing was about being a writer and the idea of what that meant to her. Amber's reading from Any Man focused on how the media reports on incidents of sexual violence and they want that it is put out for consumption. You could have heard a pin drop as Amber read because everyone was so riveted.

My favourite part was the Q and A afterwards. Amber gave intelligent and thoughtful answers to some really interesting questions. Getting to hear what initially inspired her to write the book and how she ultimately wanted to widen the conversation that was happening around sexual violence and rape. The perspective of male victims of rape is the main focus of Any Man and seems to ignite a need to discuss it based on the comments form people at the event who had already finished it. I think it would make an excellent book club pick. 

In closing, if Amber Tamblyn's Any Man tour is coming to your city I recommend going to check it out. The book sounds incredible, and she's such a kind and intelligent woman. Thank you to Harper Collins Canada, Chapters Rideau, and Amber for the fantastic evening.

Here is the full schedule so you can see which stops are coming up next!