Guest Speaker: Tricia Dower
Fiction—Finding inspiration in the work of others.
Date: Wednesday June 2, 2010
Time: 7:00-9:00pm
Place: Senior’s Room, Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser Street
Author Tricia Dower spoke about character development in writing fiction, and read from Silent Girl, her book of linked short stories based on Shakespearean characters and plots.
Tricia Dower writes: Think of me as a new writer in old skin. I started writing fiction in 2002 after taking early retirement from corporate life. Three years later, my husband, Colin, and I sold our house in Toronto and took off for parts unknown with only whatever the car would hold. We landed in Victoria, B.C., for a three-month stay and haven’t left yet.
A graduate of Gettysburg College with a degree in English literature, Tricia taught school and worked in marketing, advertising, human resources, and corporate communications. Over the years she’s amused herself by tap-dancing, painting rocks, playing piano, and pretending to play golf. Mike and Katie call her Mom; Ashley and CC call her Grandma.
Dower’s fiction has appeared in Room of One’s Own, The New Quarterly, Hemispheres, Cicada, NEO, Insolent Rudder, Big Muddy and Malahat Review. She won the fiction category of the Malahat Review 2010 Open Season Awards for her story “Hallowe’en 1955”. Silent Girl, her first book was published in 2008 by Inanna and long-listed for the 2009 George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature. She is at work on her second book, a novel. Tricia lives and writes in Victoria, B.C.
For more information see: www.triciadower.ca
Topic:
Island Writer magazine launch
On Wednesday, May 5, 2010 the Victoria Writers’ Society celebrated
the launch of Island Writer magazine, summer issue 2010, at Norway House Hall.
The launch was a huge success with contributors to Island Writer magazine reading from their works of fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry. The evening began with opening remarks by Edeana Malcolm, VWS executive member, who outlined some upcoming Writers’ Society events.
Stacey Curtis, editor of Island Writer, then introduced contributors to the magazine.
Nineteen writers entertained a large and appreciative audience. those present included Leanne Dyck, Richard Osler, Julie Pisani, Garth Von Buchholz, Judith Mackay, Edeana Malcolm, Caroline Mufford, Leanne Boschman, Adele Hansen, Wanda Hurren, Lynne Benwell, Megan Gartrell, Jay Elliott Morritt, Lesley Palmer, Sheila Martindale, Shannon Moeser, Jennifer Savidge, Bob Wilson and Foster.
A farewell thank you to Stacey Curtis and Dave Henry, current magazine editors, and a welcome to the new Island Writer editorial team rounded out the evening.
And finally, our fearless Acting President, Debra Henry, a.k.a Lynne Benwell (does it stop here or are there more aliases?), with her humorous rendition of the sometimes sensitive art of critiquing. Is this the beginning? The question is: Is Debra Henry, a.k.a. Lynne Benwell in Spain cycling or is she off in a faraway country critiquing for the F.B.I. One really doesn’t know now, does one?
The celebration wrapped up with refreshments, mingling and sales of Island Writer.
Guest Speaker: Kim Bannerman
Topic: Speculative Fiction
Date: April 07, 2010
Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Place: Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser Street
Author Kim Bannerman shared her experiences and insights into writing speculative fiction. Her novels follow a family of werewolves living on the B.C. Coast, and include The Tattooed Wolf, nominated for a Hugo in 2006, and The Wolf of Gilsbury Cross. In addition to her novels, Bannerman is now working on her third novel.
In 2008, she received a Canada Council Grant for Professional Writers in the category of Creative Writing.
Kim Bannerman has also published poetry and dozens of shorter speculative fantasy pieces. She wrote her first novella in Grade 6, later discovered a passion for folk tales while studying anthropology and decided to try writing a few of her own myths. Her writing and illustrations have appeared across Europe and North America including Neo-Opsis Magazine, Saucy Vox Magazine, Parabola, Lichen Literary Journal, Premonitions, Roots Literary Magazine, Regina Weese Magazine, Perspective Magazine, White Chimney Journal, Thereby Hangs a Tale Journal and Grimm Magazine. Kim’s stories and poems are included in collected works such as: She’s Shameless Anthology, Paraspheres Anthology and Teen Angst Poetry Anthology and have been featured on a number of online literary publications.
She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband, daughter, and a large soft-hearted dog named Loki, in a tiny hodge-podge house. When she is not writing, reading or researching, the four of them explore the woods and beaches, looking for treasure.
She also produces and sells watercolour and ink artwork, through her Fox and Bee Studio. See more at http://www.kbannerman.com.
Topic and Guest Speaker: Nicola Furlong
Date: Wednesday March 3, 2010
Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Place: Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser Street
E-Publishing: Electronic book publisher and mystery author Nicola Furlong spoke to us about the e-publishing industry.
She is the author of two stand-alone mysteries, six inspirational cozies from the Church Choir Mystery series and one non-fiction mystery writing primer. Nicola has also written a gardening guide for the West Coast and has adapted two of her novels to screenplays; both were optioned for television. Three of her books are available as e-books.
She also produces book trailers, and is the co-creator of a new multimedia storytelling platform called a Quillr. A Quillr amalgamates text, audio, video and still images, and her first Quillr, a controversial suspense thriller, may be experienced at www.UnnaturalStates.com.
An innovative guerilla marketer, Sidney resident Nicola said she is a shameless self-promoter. She has worked in fisheries and environmental consulting, and survives the travails of publishing by cycling, playing ice hockey, growing poppies and eating chocolate.
Find out more about her and what she does on her “epubbing” blog, http://nicolafurlong.com/blog/ or visit nicolafurlong.com for more information.
Topic and Guest Speaker: Ursula Vaira
Date: Wednesday February 3, 2010
Time: 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Place: Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser Street
Topic: Poet, editor and publisher Ursula Vaira of Leaf Press discussed the history of chapbooks, chapbook culture, and demonstrated how to make a chapbook.
Ursula Vaira is the founder and owner of Leafpress, publishing poetry online and in chapbook and tradebook formats. She has designed and published thirty-nine chap books, all hand sewn. The catalogue is at:
http://www.leafpress.ca/chapbooks.htm
Ursula’s poems have been published on the web and in anthologies and journals, including the Hawthorne Anthology, the Federation of BC Writers Anthology, and Quills Canadian Poetry Magazine. Most recently, her poem “Mr. Bailey” won the 2009 Federation of BC Writers “Literary Writes” award.Her long poem A Thousand Miles: the Journey Poems was published as a chapbook and Frog River, another long journey poem, has been accepted for the Portage Anthology, edited by Kevin McPherson and Heidi Garnett.
Ursula has a passion for paddling. In 2005, she kayaked from Port Hardy to Zeballos, including the dreaded Capes Cook and Scott. In 1997, she paddled by canoe from Hazelton to Victoria as part of Roy Henry Vickers’ Vision Quest to raise funds to build an All-Nations Recovery Centre on Vancouver Island. Through these and other experiences she has learned the power of the arduous journey as a metaphor for self-growth. It is true–all journeys do lead to the interior.
For more information on leafpress see: www.leafpress.ca
Members Night and AGM
Date: Wednesday January 6, 2010
Time: 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Place: Pioneer A Room, Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser Street.
The Victoria Writers’ Society’s Member’s Night was a success. Members Chris Banner, Susan Braley, Stacey Curtis, Wendy Donawa, Leanne Dyck, Jerry Hayes, Katrin Horowitz, Joy Huebert, Des Lindo, and Robin Stevenson read from their works of fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry. As well, members sold copies of their published work. Society members who offer services for writers, such as editing and publishing, provided information about themselves and their work.
January, also marked the Annual General Meeting for the Victoria Writers’ Society. The proposed budget for the coming year was approved and election of executive for 2010 took place. The Committee elected is: Acting President: Debra Henry, Vice-President: Caroline Mufford, Secretary: Susan Sanford Blades, Treasurer: Laura Seabury Smith, Member-at-large: LisaBri, Member-at-Large: Edeana Malcolm, and Member-at-Large: Eileen Young. The position of President is still available as Debra would like to step down. If you, or anyone you know is interested in taking on a rewarding position as President, with a full executive backing, please contact victoriawriterssociety@gmail.com. A full executive is important to the operation of the society. Please consider stepping forward.
Launch of Island Writer volume 7, issue 2
The Victoria Writers’ Society’s launch of Island Writer magazine, volume 7 issue 2, was a colossal success with writers from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands featuring stories, poems and articles.
Date: Saturday December 5, 2009
Time: 7:00-10:30 p.m.
Place: The Orange Hall, 1620 Fernwood Road, Victoria
The doors opened at 7:00 PM and readings from this newest issue of Island Writer by contributing authors began at 7:30PM. The evening was rounded out by the VWS’s Christmas Party where members, family, friends, and the general public came together to socialize and celebrate the season.
Complimentary copies of Island Writer magazine, volume 7 (2), were distributed to contributors and Victoria Writers’ Society members at the launch. Additional copies are now available at retail outlets listed on the website for $8.
Topic & Guest Speaker
Date: Wednesday November 4, 2009
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Our meeting was held at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre, 527 Fraser Street: Pioneer A Room
Guest speaker Frances Backhouse drew on her experience 
in writing for major magazines to discuss the work of a freelance journalist.
Using examples from her extensive list of published articles, Frances talked about the process involved in researching, writing and marketing her work.
Frances Backhouse’s byline has appeared in numerous Canadian and American magazines, from Audubon to Up Here. She made her first foray into the world of freelance journalism in the mid-1980s, while living on Hornby Island where she began producing stories for the likes of Canadian Geographic, Harrowsmith and The Beaver.
After a couple of years of writing in winter and working as a park naturalist in summer, she headed off on a new adventure: teaching geography and biology in Malawi, Africa. Upon return to Canada in 1990, Frances dusted off her undergraduate degree in zoology and landed a job as a member of a research team studying grizzly bears in the remote and spectacular Khutzeymateen Valley. The next two summers saw her out in the field again, this time doing seabird research on the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Meanwhile, Frances reconnected with some of her old magazine markets, cultivated a variety of new ones and wrote a proposal for a book idea that resulted in the publication of her first book, Women of the Klondike, in 1995. Since then, she has continued to juggle magazine journalism and book authorship on a full-time basis.
Frances’s articles appear regularly in a wide variety of magazines including British Columbia Magazine, Boulevard, The Tyee, Torch and University Affairs. Her range of topics include the environment and nature, travel and adventure, history and heritage, homes and gardens. As well, through published interviews, Frances has brought readers in touch with the work of a variety of interesting and distinguished individuals.
Currently, Frances has four books to her credit: Woodpeckers of North America and Owls of North America both by Firefly Books, Hiking With Ghosts: The Chilkoot Trail Then and Now, Raincoast Books, and Women of the Klondike, Whitecap Books. October-December 2008 saw Frances as writer in residence at Berton House in Dawson Yukon. Her book Children of the Klondike, will be published by Whitecap Books in March 2010.