Some really great historically/politically motivated works are being launched this week, including William Dalrymple's book The Last Mughal: The Eclipse of a Dynasty, 1857, and Daoud Hari's memoir The Translator. And for the not-so-serious (young adult) reader, this weekend marks the annual Ad Astra conference, featuring sci-fi writers like husband-wife duo Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta.

Tuesday, March 25th:

Java Knights presents a public forum with five guest appearances from Toronto's gay and lesbian community. Jeffrey Round, Todd Klinck, Donald D'Haene, Pat Capponi and Debra Anderson will all be reading from their books, which will be followed by a moderated panel discussion and audience questions. Author's books will be available for purchase and signing afterwards. This will be the first gay Book Slam in the world!
Gladstone Hotel Art Bar. 7-9pm. Free.

Jeff Latosik, Pier Giorgio Di Cicco (Toronto's Poet Laureate) and Ariel Platt are reading at tonight's Art Bar Poetry Series.
Clinton's. 8pm. Free (voluntary donations appreciated).

The West End reading series/cabaret FREE SPEECH proudly showcases the prose, poetry, spoken word, comedy, storytelling and songwriting of Parkdale-High Park based writers and performers. The March installment features novelist Ray Robertson, poet Karen Solie and actor/writer Maev Beaty. Songwriter of the month is guitar wiz Andy Sheppard. As usual, FREE SPEECH is hosted by Johan Hultqvist.
Tinto. 7pm. Free.

Check out the Coffeehouse Cabaret Open Stage featuring music, spoken word, and comedy, with host Shawn Sage.
Renaissance Cafe. 8:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, March 26th:

The ROM Friends of South Asia welcome William Dalrymple as he speaks about his critically-acclaimed book, The Last Mughal: The Eclipse of a Dynasty, 1857, the tragic story of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. This event launches FSA's Save the Painting fund raising campaign to restore and display a 15th century Tibetan painting.
Royal Ontario Museum, Signy & ClĂŠophĂŠe Eaton Theatre, Loblaws School Entrance (South Side). 6:30pm. $35 ($30 for ROM members, $25 for ROM/FSA members- get tickets here).

This month Comics Industry Night is proud to celebrate the launch of two great books featuring talented Canadian comic artists. Negative Burn #17 features the graphic novella "Growing Up With Comics" by Ron Kasman and R.G. Taylor. It tells the story of the comic book culture in Toronto in the 1950s, 60s and 70s then on into the present day. The Comic Eye is a new book-length anthology of comics... about comics! Published and edited by Hamilton's Mark Innes, with contributions by Fred Hembeck, Matt Feazel, Bernie Mierault and Nick Craine.
Victory Cafe. 7pm. Free.

Meet Kimberly Keiko Cameron (aka "Skim"), a not-slim, would-be Wiccan goth, and the protagonist of the graphic novel Skim by writer Mariko Tamaki and illustrator Jillian Tamaki. The cousins will show slides from Skim and discuss the book with novelist Jessica Westhead (Pulpy and Midge). A TINARS event.
Gladstone Hotel Ballroom. 7:30pm. Free.

Come out for an evening of readings by Joseph Kertes, author of Gratitude, Daphne Marlatt (The Given), and Manil Suri (The Age of Shiva). Antanas Sileika hosts. Part of Harbourfront Centre's International Reading Series.
Harbourfront Centre Brigantine Room. 7:30pm. $8.

Thursday, March 27th:

Celebrate the launch for Kristyn Dunnion's new book, Big Big Sky. Kristyn will also have her latest video playing on computers throughout the store. Self-described saucy tart, Dunnion (AKA Miss Kitty Galore) is also the author of novels Missing Matthew and Mosh Pit.
Ben McNally Books. 6pm. Free.

Gil Adamson reads from her first novel, Outlander, set in the Canadian West in the early 1900s, where the outlaw is a grief stricken nineteen-year-old woman. Also reading will be the author of well known books A Recipe for Bees and A Cure for Death by Lightning Gail Anderson-Dargatz, presenting her new novel, Turtle Valley, which transports us to a forest fire in British Columbia, where a woman uncovers long buried secrets when she returns to her childhood home. Question and answer period to follow both readings.
Toronto Reference Library, Beeton Auditorium. 7pm. Free.

Heather O'Neill (author of Lullabies for Little Criminals) will be reading at this week's Canadian Writers in Person Lecture Series. For more information, contact Professor Stephen Cain at sjcain@yorku.ca or at 416-736-2100 ext. 44017.
York University, Accolade West Building, Room 206. 7pm. Free.

Friday, March 28th:

Daoud Hari, one of only three Darfuri refugees resettled in the United States since the genocide began, is holding his book launch for his amazing memoir The Translator. It is incredibly rare to get an opportunity to speak with someone who was directly involved in one of the biggest news stories of our time, and Daoud is one of those voices.
Ben McNally Books. 6pm. Free.

Lillian Necakov (author of Polaroids) launches her new book, The Bone Broker, with Stuart Ross as the night's MC.
Serbica Books. 8pm. Free.

Saturday, March 29th:

Linda Granfield and Jennifer Herbert, author and illustrator of What Am I?, will be reading as part of the Saturday Stories for Families program.
Toront Public Library, Locke Branch. 10:30am. Free.

Sunday, March 30th:

Come out for the launch of A Case of You, Toronto author Rick Blechta's newest crime novel.
The Black Swan Pub (2nd Floor). 2pm. Free.

Monday, March 31st:

Tonight is the launch of Montreal native Nila Gupta's newest collection, The Sherpa & Other Fictions. The launch will feature readings, dance performance by Sanskriti Arts (original dance piece based on The Sherpa), Indian snacks and specially priced books for sale.
Victory Cafe. 7:30pm. Free.