9 January 2014 / #weekly OttawaStart's Weekly Event Round-Up: January 9-15, 2014Here are our contributors' picks for the best events in Ottawa this week.**** ** Friday, January 10: In/Words Magazine Shivers **A Showcase featuring indie-folk jams, memoir, spoken word & poetry by Ali Alikhani, Kaleb Hikele, Marilyn Irwin, Jane Silcott, Kaleigh Watts and Gary Franks; Pressed, 750 Gladstone; $10, 7pm. Kick off the new year with this lively event. Have a delicious sandwich._Amanda Earl _**Friday, January 10: Urban Legends Poetry Slam featuring The Visit ** If you enjoy spoken word and poetry, you should definitely check out the Urban Legends Poetry Slam this Friday at Carleton University. The first slam of 2014 will feature 4 open mic poets and 12 slammers along with a special guest performance by The Visit, a unique musical duo comprised of vocals and cello._Eliane Laberge _**** ** Friday, January 10: Brendan Canning @ Zaphod Beeblebrox ** The Toronto indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene is on hiatus, but one of its founding members is keeping more than busy enough. Brendan Canning is a founding member of BSS and a veteran performer who has been a member of various notable bands including By Divine Right, Blurtonia, Len and hHead. 8pm._Eugene Haslam _**** ** Friday January 10: SPAO student Dante Penman solo exhibition **Troubled by vivid nightmares since childhood, SPAO student Dante Penman found safe harbor in the work of H.P. Lovecraft (1890 -1937), an American now seen as one of the 20th Century’s most significant horror fiction authors. Inspired by Lovecraft’s gothic and weird narratives, Penman has painstakingly assembled _ Liebe Handwerk! _ (“love craft” in German), a multi-disciplinary exhibition that combines experimental photogram images, linocut relief prints styled after German expressionism, sculpture, and pictorial poems and other texts collected in a 40-page bound book. Also included are notes, sketches, and other physical evidence of the artist’s hands-on methods._Jean Labelle _**** ** Saturday, January 11: Fryquency **Featuring Omhouse, King’s Quest and The Walls Are Blond. Debaser, Weird Canada, and CKCU FM present Fryquency, a new pay-what-you-can event series featuring live underground independent talent. Saturday’s show, happening at Mugshots, will feature sets by Omhouse of Toronto, King’s Quest of Ottawa, and The Walls Are Blond of Montreal._Eliane Laberge _**** ** Saturday, Januay 11: The Strumbellas @ Zaphod Beeblebrox ** The Strumbellas are equal parts small town dream and big city hustle. The Strumbellas rebel yell is a natural extension of the sound honed by Toronto stalwarts Royal City, The Sadies, Cuff the Duke, The Wilderness of Manitoba, etc. Having received rave reviews for their Canadian Music Week debut, CBC called them “a band to watch”. 8pm. ** ** _Eugene Haslam _**** **Saturday, Jan 11 : Naturopathy detox tips & recipes **Why not start off the new year with some great detox tips and recipes in this workshop?_Laura Gauthier _**** ** Saturday, January 11: Gillian Kirkland CD Re-Launch at the Mercury Lounge ** Vocalist and accordionist Gillian Kirkland had one of those stomach-dropping experiences last November: she showed up with her band for the release show for her new CD – and the cafe which had agreed to host it was dark and closed. But she’s regrouped, and will release “Rubicon” at the Mercury Lounge on Saturday, backed by three fine Ottawa jazz musicians. Kirkland has a beautiful soprano and performs what might be described as neo-cabaret: singer-songwriter but with more intricate instrumental backing with influences from both jazz and folk._Brett Delmage _**** ** Sunday, January 12: Book launch of Ishmael Beah’s _ Radiance of Tomorrow _ **** ** Ishmael Beah wrote the mesmerizing and best-selling _ A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier _ (2007) about his experiences as a youth during Sierra Leone’s civil war. He’ll be in Ottawa talking with CBC Ottawa’s Adrian Harewood about his first, just-published novel, _ Radiance of Tomorrow _ , the story of two friends trying to pick up the pieces of their lives and deal with new challenges in post-war Sierra Leone. Presented by Octopus Books and Centretown United Church, 4-6 p.m._Denise Deby _**** ** Thursday-Wednesday, January 9-15: Canadian Tire National Skating Championships ** This event at Canadian Tire Centre is the final qualifying competition for figure skaters hoping to compete for Canada in the Winter Olympics next month. If you’re a fan of figure skating, here’s a chance to see Canada’s best athletes live, before they head to Sochi. Skate Canada is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the national championships this year, with special activities happening at various spots around the city during the week._Glen Gower _**Have a great week! **** See also: ** Ottawa Events GuideIf you liked this post, you should ** subscribe to etcetera , ** our free email newsletter. Featuring cool Ottawa events, interesting local news and contests and giveaways. Thanks!