Aqua Books, AKA Winnipeg’s Cultural City Hall has started up an indiegogo campaign to help bust through some unexpected red tape and get their doors open again to do what they do best: host fantastic, quirky events across the entire spectrum of the arts. Want author readings, stand up comedy, live radio plays, concerts, puppet shows? You’ll find them at Aqua, hosted in the inimitable style of Kelly Hughes, Mayor of Cultural City Hall.

I’ve been a part of two events at Aqua Books, and hope to participate in many more. Aqua’s previous location was host to the very first public reading of my work (trivia buffs take note) when I was an Emerging Writer-in-Residence; it hosted two of my good friends on its live talkshow, Kelly Hughes Live. Countless peers have done readings there. Aqua Books is one of the sponsors of the Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction as well as supporting local poets with the Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry/prix Lansdowne de poésie.

Check out their video and please spread the word, there’s really no place quite like Aqua Books.