CHESTERMERE – The Chestermere Public Library hosted an exceptional event Thanksgiving weekend at the Chestermere Recreation Centre. The event was none other than the Black Library. Never heard of it you say? Neither had I, so I looked it up and then I attended the affair. The Black Library (BL) reminded me of the Lord of the Rings trilogy movies. Primarily a big hit in the UK, the Black Library, founded in 1997, began as a board game, and as one player related to it, a blend of Chess and Risk. The BL started devoting resources to publishing novels and audiobooks (and has previously produced art books, background books, and graphic novels) set in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes. Tournament players collect, build and paint the figurines used in the game; it’s a mixture of fiction, fantasy and strategy. Every move depends on a dice roll and precise measurements of the game pieces to conquer your opponent. The Expo entertained over 300 fans which hosted a tournament, seven famous Black Library authors, several books, games and novelties and a Q & A with the authors. The authors have written short stories, comic strips and features from the Warhammer worlds and created stories and characters based on playable armies. Gemma Noon, the Library Director, was the driving force behind the event. Mayor Matthews got involved by designing a “Sister of Battles” costume for the gathering. The Black Library Expo was the biggest Black Library event ever held outside of the UK, and the first of its kind in Canada. Black Library’s catalogue now runs to well over two hundred titles.
