Roy J. Challis will have a launch of his book, The Mute Eunuch and Other Tales from Mars, on April 1. (Submitted photo/Daryl Wing)

By Angela Brown

COVID-19 precautions

Local author having book launch event Thursday for new release

Mar 31, 2021 | 2:13 PM

An accomplished Battlefords author is celebrating the release of his new book, The Mute Eunuch and Other Tales from Mars, with a special launch event Thursday.

Roy James Challis will read from the piece, comprised of poems and short stories he wrote over more than 30 years.

“I decided I should collect it into one body of work, so I selected certain pieces from my repertoire to include in this book,” he said.

The event that’s free to attend will take place at the Battlefords Community Players Clubhouse Theatre on 26 Street in Battleford starting at 7:30 pm.

People are asked to call ahead to reserve a seat if possible, as a maximum of 26 people are permitted to attend to meet the province’s COVID-19 capacity restrictions. Attendees must wear masks and social distance.

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Challis, a retired North Battleford Comprehensive High School English teacher, is also a successful playwright, director and actor. He is married to Donna Challis, executive producer of the Battlefords Community Players, keeping their love of the arts in the family.

His book was originally released in October 2020. However, Challis wasn’t able to promote it more at that time due to the province’s increased restrictions during the pandemic. So he is looking forward to the opportunity to read excerpts during the launch event now.

Challis has had his writings published previously in various publications, but this is his first book to be released. He is excited to have the project completed, reflecting mainly on the last three decades of his writings, but also some dating back to the 1960s.

“It feels great. It’s something that I sort of thought I should do when I retired,” he said. “Things happen, and finally I said I am going to do it. So I sat down and did it. It feels good to have that accomplished.”

The event will also include some live music performances from musicians Jeff Arndt and Jim Walls. Refreshments will be served at the theatre while maintaining COVID-19 regulations in place. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

The title of Challis’ book was inspired in part by the book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus by author John Gray. Challis’ writings cover a range of topics including relationships and the human experience. Some of the stories also cover mature themes in this collection.

“They are all about what it means to be human,” Challis said.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW