Esi Edugyan will be reading from her novel Half Blood Blues here at Waterloo.

Win Siemerling, distinguished Professor of English at Waterloo will be the MC for the event.

From the Giller jury's citation:

"Imagine Mozart were a black German trumpet player and Salieri a bassist, and 18th century Vienna were WWII Paris; that's Esi Edugyan's joyful lament, Half-Blood Blues.  It's conventional to liken the prose in novels about jazz to the music itself, as though there could be no higher praise.

In this case, say rather that any jazz musician would be happy to play the way Edugyan writes.  Her style is deceptively conversational and easy, but with the simultaneous exuberance and discipline of a true prodigy.  Put this book next to Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues"
– these two works of art belong together."

Half Blood Blues is also the current (and inaugural) selection for the Globe and Mail's online book club.