1. William Gibson at the Toronto Reference Library, Thursday, January 12. Scarcely believable fact this author just discovered: William Gibson begins each of his novels with nothing planned beyond a single opening sentence. He’ll discuss speculative fiction and non-fiction alike with the writer Robert J. Sawyer tonight.
2. Bringo, Thursday, January 12. Not unlike bingo, except that you win other people’s junk. Possibly featuring comedy c/o hosts Sara Hennessey and Steph Kaliner.
3. Fish Tank screening, Friday, January 13. Discovered by director Andrea Arnold in a train station when she wasn’t yet old enough to join the Innis student union presenting this film, Katie Jarvis plays Mia, a 15-year-old resident of an East London council estate who’s obsessed with practicing her dance moves and intrigued by her mother’s boyfriend (Michael Fassbender in dangerously seductive mode).
4. Buraka Som Sistema, Friday, January 13. BABAbababababababababababababababaBABA
5. Cat-Adopt-a-Thon, Saturday, January 14. Running until Sunday afternoon, this event lets you take in any rescued, fancy-capturing felines for a reduced fee of only $100.
6. Electric Dream, Saturday, January 14. A dance party (with DJ Alex Pulec) that is also a fundraiser for the local cut-and-pasted publication Static Zine.
7. NOW Talks: Robert Fowler, Sunday, January 15. The former high-ranking Canadian diplomat discusses his 130-day captivity as an Al Qaeda hostage and his critique of the Conservative government’s current foreign policy.
8. Freak and Geek Love, Monday, January 16. The series of nerd-friendly screenings turns its nearsighted eye to Judd Apatow’s short-lived yet influential Freaks and Geeks, a TV show about, well, see title.
9. Final Budget Showdown, Tuesday, January 17. Rob Ford and allies will introduce their 2012 municipal budget for a final vote, and wide swathes of protesting Torontonians plan on bringing their own conclave to City Hall.
10. Descant launch, Tuesday, January 17. The literary quarterly celebrates issue #155 with readings by Angel Beyde, Ricardo Sternberg and Rosemary Sullivan, plus that irresistible phrase “complimentary hors d’oeuvres.”
Chris Randle is Toronto Standard’s culture editor. Follow him on Twitter at @randlechris.
