A group of local literature lovers hopes to hook those who wouldn't normally attend a book reading by holding a Literary Death Match.

Sean Cranbury, a longtime book booster who helped get 44 established and emerging writers together in just two weeks for the W2 Real Vancouver Writers' Series during the Olympics, plans to repeat the Real Writers event four times a year with Literary Death Match running twice a year, in between.

The first local Literary Death Match takes place Oct. 8, as brave writers battle each other in pairs in front of a panel of judges. Steve Burgess, Sara Bynoe, Charles Demers and Nikki Reimer will perform their most compelling writing in seven minutes or less then face an onslaught of criticism from panelists Paul Anthony (host of Talent Time at the Biltmore), Bob Kronbauer (founder of the Vancouver is Awesome website) and comedian Diana Frances (CBC Radio One's The Debaters and Definitely Not the Opera).

Two writers will be eliminated after commentary on literary merit, performance and intangibles, and the two finalists will go head-to-head in a smack down that at other events has included money grabs, tricycle races and laser tag.

Bynoe has a novel in progress and Cranbury notes the host and producer of Teen Angst poetry nights, Say Wha?! readings of deliciously rotten writing and Dance Dance Party Party Vancouver knows how to work a crowd.

Cranbury corralled Demers because he's a huge fan of the comedian and author.

"Vancouver Special is one of the best [books] ever written on the city," Cranbury said.

Reimer, a freelance writer, editor, researcher, blogger, curator, arts event planner and artist was selected because she's also a poet and Cranbury wanted to support the poetry scene.

Burgess, a freelance writer and broadcaster, rounds out the writers because of his background writing for The Tyee and other magazines.

"I wanted to have as many different points of view and different styles of writing as possible so that we weren't just beating the fiction horse," Cranbury said.

Bynoe attended a Literary Death Match in London, U.K., and recalls a pub packed with smart, funny people cheering the literary arts. As a co-producer of the Vancouver Death Match, she hopes the event will shift people's ideas that readings are "hoity toity, the equivalent of what people think of going to the symphony."

Literary Death Match started in New York four-and-a-half years ago, co-created by the founding editor of Opium Magazine, Todd Zuniga. Now it's touring as LDM100 to 12 cities to celebrate the 100th performance. Vancouver is the first Canadian city to host a match, before Toronto.

"I plan on talking some trash about Toronto. I plan on a couple of well-placed Youtube videos and a couple of well-placed blog posts to let them know that we think that they suck," Cranbury joked.

Cranbury became interested in hosting a Literary Death Match when he learned the proceedings mix prominent writers including Zadie Smith (White Teeth, On Beauty), with lesser-known scribes, like the W2 Real Vancouver Writers' Series did.

"Vancouver has some of the most talented writers in the world, so this gives us a chance to put ourselves on the map internationally, without being the Vancouver International Writers Festival. [It's] a kind of grassroots, international community," Cranbury said. "What I really want to do with these events is... grow the community and give people a chance to be cool and not be lame and literary, because that shit is just so old and nobody cares."

Literary Death Match takes place Oct. 8, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at W2 Storyeum, 151 West Cordova St. Tickets are $10 in advance and at the door. For more information, go to www.literarydeathmatch.com.

crossi@vancourier.com