A celebration with music, food and guest speakers, will mark the launch of a revised edition of a book born from author Jim Cooperman鈥檚 passion for the Shuswap.

On Friday, May 12, Cooperman will be hosting an all-ages gala for the release of the second edition his book Everything Shuswap. Being held at Song Sparrow Hall, the event is also a fundraiser for the Shuswap Trail Alliance and the Shuswap Food Action Society.

First published in 2017, the book details several aspects of the region, with chapters on the watershed, the region鈥檚 geography and ecology, the Secw茅pemc people and the history of settlement. Upon its release, Cooperman said the book was received with positive reviews locally and provincewide.

鈥淎fter David Suzuki read it, he wrote, 鈥楨very community should have a book like Everything Shuswap,鈥欌�� said Cooperman. 鈥淭he book was so popular that the first printing sold out within the first two years, subsequently a second printing was done and it too sold out in two years.鈥�

Cooperman said more than 4,000 copies of Everything Shuswap have sold since its initial release, and explained the upcoming second edition includes some major changes/updates.

While the May 12 event was prompted by the book鈥檚 re-release, Cooperman said the celebration will focus more on Everything Shuswap Volume 2 鈥� currently a work in progress.

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鈥淰olume 2 is about the Shuswap, the way it is now,鈥� said Cooperman. 鈥淭here鈥檚 four chapters: one is communities, one is arts and culture, then there鈥檚 sports and recreation and economy. These are all important topics that make the Shuswap a great place to live and visit, so I鈥檓 bringing in speakers to speak about these topics.鈥�

Guest speakers at the May 12 event will be doing five-minute presentations in a format Cooperman described as 鈥渕ini-TEDTalks.鈥� Guest speakers include Columbia Shuswap Regional District Area G Director Natalya Melnychuk, visual artist Lisa Figueroa, Neskonlith storyteller and teacher Kenthen Thomas, Shuswap Trail Alliance co-founder Phil McIntyre-Paul, Shuswap Recreation Society director Darby Boyd, Shuswap Economic Development Society director John Reed and Shuswap Community Futures Director Rob Marshall.

Tying the event together will be live music featuring some of the Shuswap鈥檚 talented musicians.

鈥淭he evening will begin with some extraordinary jazz by the Liam Nadurak Jazz Quartet, with Liam on trumpet, Jake McIntyre-Paul on bass, Jordan Dick on guitar and Will Friesen on drums,鈥� said Cooperman. 鈥淣ext up will be some unique folk music featuring the old-time country blues and ragtime duo, Chicken-Like Birds with Ari Lantala and Jasmin Frederickson. At the end of the evening there will be an opportunity to dance to some groovy rock n鈥� roll from the Canoe Rockers, featuring Dan West on keyboards, Richard Sevigny on guitar and Mike Chubey on drums.鈥�

Doors for the gala open at 6 p.m., with presentations and music beginning at 7. The book will be available for purchase in the lobby when the doors open and during the breaks. Tickets are by donation and should be purchased in advance at celebrateshuswap.ca.

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