The Boxer & The Blatnoy (And Assorted Other Shtarkers & Banditen) with Douglas Century

Join us for a monthly lunch and learn as we socialize, share a meal and learn from some of Calgary’s great thinkers and writers. Lunch begins at 12:00 noon and the presentation will begin at 12:45pm.

In January, we’ll be welcoming bestselling nonfiction author Douglas Century, who will speak on the fascinating real-life stories of two ‘Yiddishe’ tough guys: World Champion prizefighter Barney Ross and Soviet-born mobster, Boris “Biba” Nayfeld, a Belarussian-Jew who was a leader of the infamous “Brighton Beach Mob” in the 1980s, 1990s & 2000s.

Doug Century is the author and coauthor of numerous bestselling books including Hunting El Chapo, Under and Alone, Brotherhood of Warriors, Barney Ross: The Life of a Jewish Fighter, and Takedown: The Fall of the Last Mafia Empire, a finalist for the 2003 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime.

His 2020 book, No Surrender, coauthored with Chris Edmonds, was the recipient of a 2020 Christopher Award. A veteran investigative journalist, Century’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Tablet, The Globe and Mail and the Guardian.

Doug’s latest book is called The Last Boss of Brighton: Boris “Biba” Nayfeld and the Rise of the Russian Mob in America.

Doug was born and raised in Calgary, went to the I.L Peretz School here, graduated from Henry Wise Wood and then studied English at Princeton University.

Registration for this program is now closed.