MIKE CLARKE
Margaret Atwood is getting the word out about her new novel with a coast-to-coast video launch connecting various book festivals across the country.
Atwood is set to attend the Word on the Street festival in Toronto on Sept. 27, but will simultaneously appear at sister events in Vancouver and Halifax via interactive video conferencing.
She's promoting her new novel, The Year of the Flood (McClelland & Stewart), about two women who have survived a natural disaster that has obliterated most human life. The novel is a follow-up to her dystopian bestseller, Oryx and Crake.
Festival organizers say Atwood will use the video-conference technology to speak with fans and answer questions. She will also use her LongPen device to sign books long distance.
As well, she will read from her new book in Kitchener, Ont., on Sept. 26.
The Year of the Flood comes out Sept. 8.