When his band went on indefinite hiatus half a decade ago, Smugglers vocalist Grant Lawrence hung up his gumboots and focused on his CBC broadcasting career. But with the release last month of Adventures in Solitude—a novel focusing on his “Beachcombers–meets–The Shining” childhood on Desolation Sound—Lawrence is ready to hit the road for some readings. Home movies, slide shows, and a rotating cast of musicians will also be part of his cross-Canada tour.

Lawrence hopes his appearances will be just as entertaining as the Smugglers’ club-circuit days, if not quite as raucous. “We’d swoop in, play a show, sell our merchandise, drink our beer, do our drugs, and then we were out of there,” he told the Straight. “With this, it’s like, ”˜Yes, I’ll have some pâté before the reading. Thank you.’ ”

Lawrence will be at the Vancouver Public Library’s main branch on Monday (November 1).