Electric Mermaid Live Reads Featuring: Mary Murphy @Char's

Date:

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Venue:

Char's Landing

4815 Argyle Street, Port Alberni

Contact:

[email protected]

Electric Mermaid Live Reads Featuring: Mary Murphy @Char's

Wednesday July 29th 2026 doors 5:30pm open mic 6-8pm

Mary Murphy is an Irish-born author whose work traverses time, place, and the breadth of human experience — from psychological suspense to ancestral memory, lyrical reflection, and childhood delight. An immersive, multi-genre writer, she gravitates toward stories that illuminate, unsettle certainties, and expand the reader’s sense of possibility.

She has received the Page Turner Award for Best in Genre and Prolific Author. Her latest children’s book is currently on the short list for the 2026 Whistler Book Awards. Her newest novel, The Confindence Thief, is now entered for award considerations, and is already recieving reviews such as this including this.

“5 stars! “A superbly plotted, character-led drama which will keep you rivitted till the very last page. Perfect for fans of crime novels.” The Wishing Shelf

Mary Murphy’s creative fire is billowed by both a literary and musical wind. This woman has eight CD’s under her belt, plays whislte, Irish drum and performs for live musical events.

Exploring her multi-layered creative world may inspire you to chase your own dreams—or perhaps to take a nap!

Please do visit her web site. www.marymurphy.ca

What to Expect: Whether you join the Electric Mermaid in person at Char’s Landing or via Zoom, expect to enjoy an eclectic array of open mic readers sharing brief (5 minute max) samples from their literary, and sometimes musical, works, along with a longer reading from one or more featured reader(s) sharing published, or soon to be published, work. Come engage with a dynamic and inspiring literary event that welcomes and encourages writers at all levels of development.

The Electric Mermaid is a hybrid literary event that began over 20 years ago under the banner of Words on Fire. First organized by North Island College creative writing students Fran Thiessen, Vicki Drybrough, and Libbie Morin, monthly meetings took place in Smitty’s Restaurant on 3rd Avenue in Port Alberni with reader’s voices competing with the clatter of dishes emanating from the kitchen. After a brief stint in another café, Words on Fire graduated to Char’s Landing where it persisted for a few years before its resurrection into its current iteration as Electric Mermaid, named in honour of Luma, a mermaid sculpture that illuminates the hall at Char’s. Covid pushed the event onto Zoom, and it continues to thrive as a hybrid event enjoyed by audiences live at Char’s and across Canada and beyond on Zoom.

Electric Mermaid: Live Reads from Char's Landing, Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada and via ZOOM !

Spoken Word Open Mic, last Wednesday of each month, Char's physical doors open 5:30pm Pacific Time, Live Reads 6-8pm

Emcee: Derek Hanebury Moderator: Karl Korven ZOOM Producer: Charlene Patterson

We also welcome you to join us via ZOOM and click this automatic ZOOM link below:

https://zoom.us/j/93236999892?pwd=N2FLZkxGMUhyTk5ySGVOenhuZFcxdz09

PRE-REGISTER and sign up for a 5-minute spot at the open mic by emailing [email protected]

OR CLICK => https://events.humanitix.com/electricmermaid-livereads-charslanding-portalberni-jul29

PayWhatYouCan cover in lieu of rental to help Char's Landing support the live arts gratefully accepted with our thanks.

OR eTransfer to [email protected] please include the event date and your email address

JULY 29th READERS' LIST

tba

READER 00 Derek Hanebury MC