Kelowna author Corinna Chong, whose highly praised debut novel Belinda’s Rings has been called “a vital vibrant gem” by Canadian fiction writer Mark Anthony Jarman, will give a reading at Nelson’s Oxygen Art Centre on Friday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m.

“The story of a mother running out on her family is nothing new in CanLit,” wrote the Globe and Mail about Chong’s novel, “nor are portraits of a zany and off-kilter families. But Corinna Chong’s treatment of these archetypes has produced something as vibrant as it is original.”

Chong’s writing has also appeared in such magazines as Grain, Echolocation and the Malahat Review. An English instructor at Okanagan College, she is also a graphic designer and co-edits the college’s literary magazine, Ryga.

“Chong’s talent is undeniable,” wrote the book trade journal Quill & Quire about Belinda’s Rings, published by NeWest Press this spring. “Her future in CanLit is assured.”

The reading, part of Oxygen’s Presentation Series, is free ($5 donation appreciated) and open to the public. The Oxygen Art Centre is located at 320 Vernon Street (alley entrance).