Eight Vancouver Island authors are sharing stories during an event at Nanaimo’s Well Read Books.
“It’s like a mini adult book fest,” said Michele Hillier, executive director of Literacy Central Vancouver Island. “It’s really stimulating to look at the creativity people have and the language they use to tell stories,” said Hillier.
The readings are Thursday (March 23) from 5-7 p.m. at Well Read Books, located at 19 Commercial St. Admission is $5 and includes appetizers and juice.
Hillier, who has been involved in the Vancouver Island Children’s Book Festival for years, said she wanted to promote local authors and give them an avenue to share their work with an adult audience.
There will be readings at 5 p.m. by authors Barrie Farrell, Carol Matthews, Naomi Beth Wakan and Guy Dauncey. At 6 p.m. authors Lynda Archer, Peter McMullan, Brian Harvey and Debbie Marshall will read.
Each author will have a reading spot in the bookstore and will all read at the same time in their locations.
Hillier said she would love people to attend the event and “celebrate what we have here,” adding there are many talented authors in the region.
Many of the authors featured have won or been nominated for numerous awards.
Archer will read from her book Tears in the Grass, which has been nominated for the Lambda Literacy Awards for the Lesbian Fiction category. She said this kind of event offers people a wide variety of experiences.
“Fiction, poetry, memoir, fantasy – all have the ability to teach people about places, cultures, experiences that are both the same and different from one’s own,” she said in an e-mail. “Ultimately the universality of the human condition shines through. Some books entertain and make you laugh. Laughter is always good. Reading fiction can help both children and adults develop compassion and empathy for those who are culturally different from oneself.”
Archer said her work as a clinical psychologist “drew her to the trauma caused by the residential schools.”
“My main character, Elinor, is Cree and a residential school survivor. She wouldn’t let me go until I had told her story,” said Archer.
When the publisher of Dauncey’s previous seven books said they didn’t distribute fiction, he struck out on his own and self-published Journey to the Future.
During the event Dauncey will read excerpts from several of his memoir books and share short stories and a sneak peek of a new book that is coming out next year.
He said people attend events such as the one at Well Read Books because they love literature and that love is enhanced when they listen and talk to writers.
“Most people have through of writing a story or a book, very often, a work of memoir,” said Dauncey, in an e-mail. “I think talking to other writers helps to give them confidence in what they might write themselves.”
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
