Ronald Wright is an internationally acclaimed and best selling author who has written both fiction and non-fiction.
His 1992 book Stolen Continents: The New World Through Indian Eyes was chosen as a Book of the Year by the Independent and Sunday Times. Wright was nominated as author of the year by the Canadian Booksellers Association.
Wright’s latest book, What is America, examines how the United States has emerged as a lone world superpower, whose culture is copied and exported throughout the world, and whose actions have the power to make or break our global future.
This book builds upon Wright’s famous work entitled A Short History of Progress, for which he was selected to give the 2004 CBC Massey Lecture. This book examines our modern human predicament in light of the 10,000 year experiment with civilization.
Wright concludes that in order for human civilization to survive we will need to become environmentally sustainable.
Wright is taking part in the Mir Centre lecture series on October 10 in Nelson.
He will offer a reflection on how progress and technology have put us in jeopardy but may also have the key to our salvation. Wright’s work has recently been made into a documentary — Surviving Progress — by director Martin Scorsese.
Wright lives on the Gulf Islands and has studied archaeology. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary.
The lecture will be held October 10 at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre. Corazón youth ensemble will open the evening with an inspiring musical tribute to peace.
Tickets are available at the Capitol Theatre box office, Otter Books, and Selkirk College bookstores. For more information, phone 250-365-1234.