The Reach Gallery Museum hosts local writer and editor Philip Sherwood for two events this month.
The first event, a free Life Writing session, takes place Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.
Aspiring memoirists, life-writers, and family historians will discover what is involved in taking their projects from concept to completion.
In his two-hour session, Sherwood will provide an overview of the planning, writing, editing, designing, and printing process and a list of do-it-yourself resources.
His company lifewriters.ca specializes in helping individuals, families, organizations, and communities tell and preserve their stories in print.
In 2013, Sherwood partnered with the MSA Museum to publish Matsqui Sumas Abbotsford Pioneer Stories 1890–1950.
“So many people, especially among our senior population, want to record their stories for posterity but don’t know where to start,” says Anna Williams, curator of learning and community engagement at The Reach.
“This session will inspire and equip them to take the first steps, and we welcome lots of questions.”
This session will be followed by several in-depth life-writing seminars in February and March at The Reach.
The second free event is on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 10:30 a.m. Sherwood, the son of Frederick Sherwood and co-author of Fred’s wartime memoirs, It’s Not The Ships, will talk at The Reach’s Culture, Coffee, and Cookies (C3) program.
Sherwood will share the wartime exploits of his father, Canada’s most highly decorated submariner.
He’ll trace his father’s naval career from the time he joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve as an 18-year-old in 1936 until his demobilization in 1945.
In 1940, Fred was loaned to the Royal Navy and experienced action on submarines in the North Sea, Bay of Biscay, and the Mediterranean before being given command of his own submarine. Several combat patrols followed in the Far East.
“Only a few Canadians have ever commanded a submarine during wartime, and my dad was the first to command an RN submarine,” Sherwood says.
“As such, he was a trailblazer in Canada’s submarine fraternity, and his story is an important part of Canadian naval history.”‘
Registration is required for both events online at thereach.ca, by phone at 604-864-8087 (ext. 0) or in person at The Reach, 32388 Veterans Way.
