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The Booked! Fernie Writers' Series is a firm favourite on the Fernie cultural calendar featuring some of Canada's best and brightest literary talents.
These events are popular and seats fill up fast; everyone is welcome to attend. These are free events, however a suggested donation of $10 assists in bringing in new and exciting authors for each event.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED: BOOK ONLINE
The evening begins at 7pm with refreshments and cash bar, author reading with Q&A hosted by Fernie's Mark Gallup at 8pm.
Eric Blehm is the award-winning author of the New York Times bestsellers Fearless and The Only Thing Worth Dying For. His book The Last Season won the National Outdoor Book Award and was named by Outside magazine as one of the “greatest adventure biographies ever written.”
Blehm got his start in journalism writing for Powder and then TransWorld SNOWboarding in the early 1990s where he became editor in chief before moving on to freelance. In 1999, Blehm was the first journalist to accompany and keep pace with an elite Army Ranger platoon on a training mission for the feature article “Painted Demons” (POV magazine). His access into the Special Operations community and reportage set an important milestone for American war journalism two years before reporters gained widespread embedded status with the U.S. military during the global war against terrorism. Blehm’s immersion with the Rangers also led him to write the account of an elite team of eleven Green Berets who changed the course of a nation’s history while operating in the hinterland of Taliban-held southern Afghanistan just weeks after 9/11 (The Only Thing Worth Dying For/HarperCollins). His next book, Fearless (Waterbrook/Multnomah; Random House), told the heartrending and inspiring story of Naval Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Adam Brown, who battled addiction and overcame devastating injuries during his redemptive rise to join the hallowed ranks of SEAL Team SIX. Blehm followed Fearless with a deep dive into the 1960s with Legend (Crown Books, Penguin RandomHouse)—the unforgettable account of the U.S. Army’s 240th Assault Helicopter Company and Green Beret Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sergeant Roy Benavidez, who risked everything to rescue a Special Forces team trapped behind enemy lines in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Both Fearless and Legend are currently being adapted for film by major Hollywood producers and studios.
In his current book, The Darkest White, A Mountain Legend and the Avalanche that Took Him (HarperCollins), Blehm returned to his mountain roots to tell the story of snowboarding’s original superstar Craig Kelly. Known as the sport’s first true professional, Kelly walked away from the fame and fortune associated with competition to return to the powdery backcountry that originally drew him to his calling, and ultimately took his life. “The Darkest White is a gripping and heartfelt story of a bold, short life well-lived,” says New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides. “Not just a terrific story of an amazing life,” adds number one New York Times bestselling author of The Terminal List series, Jack Carr, “not just the origin story of an entire sport, but a riveting disaster narrative that builds tension masterfully.” It is “… a must read,” says Tony Hawk, “not just for fans of snowboarding, but for anyone looking for inspiration from an unlikely hero.”
Blehm continues to research, write, and bring to life sometimes obscure, but always amazing true stories from his basecamp in north San Diego County where he lives with his editor wife and brood of three talented and creative “kids” all of whom make him look good on paper (and to infinity) and beyond.
ABOUT THE BOOKED! FERNIE WRITERS SERIES:
The Fernie Heritage Library has welcomed some of the biggest names in Canadian writing for the Booked! series, a highly anticipated reception that includes an author reading and Q&A followed by live music and lively discussion. The events draw crowds of up to 100 to fill the beautiful Fernie Heritage Library for an engaging evening celebrating the undeniable talents of each guest author.
