Art & Words at the Gibsons Public Library

Missed Art & Words 2024? Check out the Gibsons & District Public Library staring Wednesday, September 4th for the month long exhibit of a selection of the artwork and collaboration of literary works. Also, there will be a reunion reading on Saturday, Sept. 21st, 2-3:30 pm, including authors Doris Good, Joyce Gwilliam, Pammila Ruth, Cat Mac, Andrea Coates, Anne Miles,  Robin Lamarche, and Monica Davis.

RSVP.
https://gibsonslibrary.ca/calendar/list/page/4/
Saturday September 21 @ 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Art & Words Reunion Reading
Library Mainil Room

Write On: Quiet Writing Time

You’re invited to come Write On for some quiet writing time at the Gibsons Public Library on the third Wednesday of the month. No instruction or critique, just quiet time and space to write. Work on any writing you wish, in the company of your fellow writers.

Prompts given on a slip of paper that you can take or leave.

For those of you who are interested and don’t have projects already in progress, and looming deadlines, perhaps there’s interest in creating a Sunshine Coast Community Voices Anthology (title to be decided as a group) during the time we spend at the library. We can talk about production options if there are enough of us interested in the project. (For those of you in the memoir group, this will be a different as we won’t be focused on memoir, as it can include fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and other genres.) Open to all.

The dates for the rest of 2024 are:

• Wed, Oct 16th, 1-3 pm

• Wed Nov 20th* this one is TBD as there may be something booked on this day. This will count as a NaNoWriMo day. To learn more about or sign up for NaNoWriMo go to https://nanowrimo.org

• Wed Dec 18th, 1-3 pm

Fingers-crossed we will be able to continue at the library in 2025

Facilitator: Cathalynn (Cindy) Labonte-Smith

Drop in, no registration required.

Not An Island Summer 2024

Available at all the usual places including: Talewind Books, the Gibsons Public Art Gallery, and Amazon.ca.

Words Anthology Available

The 3rd Annual Art & Words Anthology is available!!! Contributors and customers can pick it up today around the Gibsons Public Market 10 to Noon from Cindy, or at the Night Market from 4-10 pm at the Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society table inside :-) $9.00 or free for contributors. 

Raffle Tickets

Order your raffle tickets for a unique quilt, photographs, art, and books by Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society members. Email sunshinecoastwritersandeditors@gmail.com with the name, cel or tel number, email address, and number of tickets of recipient. Tickets are $2 each or $18 for 10.

New Judges for the SCWES Book Awards

Some Photos from the Art & Words Exhibit at the Gibsons Public Library

Coast Reporter Article: Expanded Art & Words festival lauds top authors, stirs creativity

https://www.coastreporter.net/local-arts/expanded-art-words-festival-lauds-top-authors-stirs-creativity-7421802

BC Booklook Article on the SCWES Book Awards

https://bcbooklook.com/scwes-book-award-winners/

Almost An Island Podcast

Our first Almost An Island Podcast was a huge success on Friday, May 19th. Michael Gurney is editing the recorded conversations, so stayed tuned. Here's some photos from the day with Marissa Fisher, Lise Kreps, Cat Mac, Stephen Smith and Mike Starr. Our next podcast workshop will be Friday, June 9th, from 1-5pm. Send in a brief summary of what you want to chat about for 20 to 30 minutes with Michael and Cindy to sunshinecoastwritersandeditors@gmail.com by May 30th, thank you.

BENEFITS OF AN SCWES MEMBERSHIP

SCWES has many benefits for your $20/year. We are a supportive and inclusive group, here to help all of our members develop at all levels. We have a diverse group from beginners to a Governor-General award winner.

We have a new writers' circle starting in Gibsons every other Thursday and one in Sechelt starting May 4,, every other Thursday.

We have a monthly group meeting, the last Sunday of the month at Mission Point House starting with a quick business meeting, then a program, such as book launch, or speaker. Sunday, April 30th, 2 pm we have a panel on ChatGPT, with two AI experts and myself, a networking break with refreshments, then a hands-on workshop on Chat, so bring a laptop or tablet. In May, we have a book launch by local author, Caitlin Hicks. In June, we're going to talk about a Heritage project with a Literary Landmark map, both a flat map, web-based and an app. Our grant for the project from Heritage BC, of which we are members, is in process. We break for the summer.

August 10-13, 2023 we host the 2nd Annual Sunshine Coast Art & Words Festival at the Gibsons Public Market with 30 events, all free except 14 workshops for writers, artists and photographers at a nominal cost.

We will have the representative from the Federation of BC Writers, of which we are members, join us for two days to give us information about the organization and its benefits and to answer questions. We will probably have other representatives from other writing organizations as well and writing programs. Go to our eventbrite site to reserve your seats:

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/2nd-annual-sunshine-coast-art-words-festival-1970599

We have four authors being sponsored to read by The Writers Union of Canada and the Canada Council of the Arts. I assist authors in their applications to TWUC and apply for the grants as an organization.

We have an online Membership Directory for authors who want to promote themselves at: https://www.scwes.ca/membership-directory

We have a quarterly magazine, "Not An Island" both online and paper-based that gives members an opportunity to be published. We are publishing an annual in time for our Festival this year. https://www.scwes.ca/not-an-island

With both our website and FB page we keep members up-to-date with news, contests, and their achievements.

https://www.facebook.com/sunshinecoastwes/

You receive a monthly calendar of events.

But of all that we have to offer, building a sense of community is the best thing we have to offer. We collaborate and take part in several community events throughout the year, including the Art Crawl. 

Remembering Arthur Lightbourn

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of our dear member Arthur Lightbourn, at 1:03 am, Tuesday, December 27th, 2022 at the Sechelt Hospital. On behalf of SCWES, I extend our condolences to his daughter, Laurel Lightbourn and her family at this difficult time. My heart breaks for her as Arthur doted on her, as he did all of his family. He shared with me in the short time we knew each other, late into the night, how much he adored her and all his family. It was a privilege to have known such a kind and lovely soul.

Arthur had a story published in our first issue of "Not An Island"  a year ago (https://www.scwes.ca/not-an.../not-an-island-winter-2021-22). He wrote a book, which was the biography of the fascinating Vita Simpson, a Sechelt resident, who turned one hundred years-old on March 21, 2021.  ("Our Vita" is available for loan at the Sechelt Public Library.)  A "Coast Reporter" article about Arthur's book can be found at: https://www.coastreporter.net/.../100-years-of-vita-3575592

Arthur Francis Lightbourn earned a BA in English with Honours from St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia (1956). He worked as a reporter for the Halifax Chronicle Herald and the Toronto Star.

As a freelancer in California, he wrote features and personality profiles for newspapers. His awards include several first place San Diego Press Club awards, National First Place IFPA Award (2002) for Original Writing about the first American military officer to enter a Nazi concentration camp to liberate its prisoners.

His daughter, Laurel was instrumental to Arthur becoming a member of SCWES, as he was living in a care home when he joined and not able to attend our meetings. Without Laurel's assistance, Arthur wouldn't have been able to join our community, and I would never have known him.

On his application form, Arthur wrote that his goal within the society was, "To encourage other writers to be the voice for those who need a voice, and to challenge the status quo." He also said that he was working on a save the cougars project.

I met Arthur in-person at Lions Gate Hospital this summer when we were patients in the same hospital room across from each other. For my entire stay, Arthur told me fascinating stories that he wanted to write when he got out of the hospital. He was an inspiration.

He never complained while in the hospital. He was appreciative of everything that the nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, janitors and everyone did for him at Lions Gate and I believe he was the same while at Sechelt Hospital, because that's the kind of person he was.

After I left Lions Gate, I eventually got word from Laurel that he was transferred to Sechelt Hospital. I was at Sechelt Hospital visiting a friend, a founding member of SCWES, and Arthur was in the next room. Stephen and I popped in and saw Arthur. He was much recovered compared to Lions Gate Hospital days and was waiting for a placement in a care home.

Eventually, he found a spot, but unfortunately he ended up back at Sechelt Hospital again. Laurel let me know just before Christmas, that he would be leaving us. I wouldn't have a chance to see his dear face again.

He was in hospital in total for about four months, when Laurel let me know.

Goodbye, dear Arthur, as you write stories in whatever press room you are in now.

-30-

https://vimeo.com/784788399

Presentation on Kindle Direct Publishing

 Need more information? Send an email to sunshinecoastwritersandeditors@gmail.com