Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society
READ SUNSHINE COAST BC

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


Coast Reporter Article: Expanded Art & Words festival lauds top authors, stirs creativity
BC Booklook Article on the SCWES Book Awards

Workshops Still Available at Art & Words 2023

Fifteen Finalists at Arts & Words
Did you know that we have 15 finalists from our first Book Awards for BC Authors attending and giving readings at the Art & Words Festival at the Gibsons Public Market, August 10-13?
Heather Conn - No Letter in Your Pocket
Vince Ditrich - The Liquor Vicar & The Vicar’s Knickers
Michael Kluckner - The Rooming House
Vicky Earle - Exploring Vancouver Naturehoods
Catherine McNeil - emily & elspeth
Barbara Black - Music from a Strange Planet
Michelle Poirier Brown - You Might Be Sorry You Read This
Lyn Baldwin - Drawing Botany Home
Sharon Easton - Beach Moose & Amber
Cynthia Sharp - Ordinary Light
Mary-Anne Neal - Under the Midnight Sun
David Phillips/Maggie Guzzi - Poems
Lyn Baldwin - Vancouver’s Naturehoods
Esmeralda Cabral - How to Clean A Fish
Dr. Chris Honey - The Tenth Nerve
And counting. . .
Dr. Chris Honey at Arts & Words
We are so honoured that Dr. Chris Honey, neurosurgeon from UBC and author of The Tenth Nerve, a finalist in our Book Awards for BC Authors contest, will be giving a reading from his book on Saturday, August 12th at Art & Words.
Reserve your free seat here:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/690170036157?aff=oddtdtcreator
Sunshine Trio at Art & Words
Don't miss out on the Sunshine Trio on Sunday, August 13th, Noon to 1 pm at the Art & Words Festival, with Flute - Jane Ogborne, Keyboard - Alan Ogborne, Bass guitar - Ward Tinney. Reserve your free seat at:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sunshine-trio-tickets-690124600257?aff=oddtdtcreator
Thank you to Westland Insurance
What a pleasure it was to meet with Reginald Bennet at Westland Insurance, our new sponsor for Seaside Fair today. Thanks again Westland Insurance for your generous donation! Thanks to our member, Monica Davis, retired employee of Westland Insurance, for making this happen.
Thank you Westland Insurance
We are so grateful and pleased to announce that Westland Insurance of Sechelt is sponsoring SCWES's Seaside Art, Photography & Book Fair that showcases local artists and authors at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt, August 18-19. Thank you, Westland Insurance.
Jan and Mark Take Centre Stage
Jan DeGrass would be delighted to see you at her reading on Saturday, August 12 at 3:30 during the second annual Art & Words event at Gibsons Public Market. She's sharing the stage with Mark Cameron who we know will be entertaining. But she will read a few entertaining pieces too—excerpts from her war brides novel and a humorous story about aging rockers (the musical kind).
Who: Jan DeGrass and Mark Cameron. Who are appearing courtesy of The Writers’ Union of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts.
When: Saturday, August 12 starting at 3:30 p.m. until 4:15.
Where: In the atrium of Gibsons Public Market, 473 Gower Point Road, Gibsons.
Price: It’s free but it's suggested you save a seat at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/.../jan-degrass-mark-cameron... .
You are welcome at any of the events during the entire four days from August 10-13 and that includes readings, book sales and the ceremony for prize winners of our SCWES Book Awards for BC Authors. Many events are free thanks to generous sponsors and grant agencies, though the workshops might charge a fee.
See more and sign up on the Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society website: (https://www.scwes.ca/art-words/art-words-schedules)
Just a reminder to skip the lines at Emmelle's Market Bistro at the Art & Words Festival and preorder your box lunches. Contact them directly at: +1 604-245-2657 marketbistro@emelles.com.
There's a coffee and muffin place in the basement and Shaggy Jack's has fresh fruit and vegetables. You won't starve.
Finalists in Person - Michael Kluckner & Cynthia Shar
We are excited to have finalists from our SCWES Book Awards for BC Authors competition in person to present on Saturday, August 13th, 1 pm at the Gibsons Public Market. Please join us when Michael Gurney, Arts & Culture Editor of the Coast Reporter will be In Conversation with two finalists from the SCWES Book Awards for BC Authors competition. Michael Kluckner, from Vancouver, is the author of the graphic novel, The Rooming House. Cynthia Sharp, is author of the book of poetry, Ordinary Light. You can reserve your free ticket at:
Finalists in Person - Michelle Poirier Brown & Sharon Easton
We are excited to have finalists from our SCWES Book Awards for BC Authors competition in person to present on Sunday, August 13th, 1 pm at the Gibsons Public Market. Please join us when Michael Gurney, Arts & Culture Editor of the Coast Reporter will be In Conversation with two finalists from the SCWES Book Awards for BC Authors competition. Michelle Poirier Brown, from Vernon, is the author of the poetry book, You May Be Sorry You Read This. Michelle is nêhiýaw-iskwêw and a citizen of the Métis Nation. Also, Sharon Easton, from Vancouver, is the author of Beach, Moose & Amber: Finding my Jewish History. You can reserve your free ticket at:
Heritage BC Grant
It's with great pleasure that we announce we were successful in receiving the Heritage BC grant for $10,000 for our Literary Landmark Map project. Special thanks to team of Michael Gurney, Jan DeGrass, Jana Curll, Stephen Smith, Heather Conn, Betty Keller, Matthew Lovegrove of the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives, Mayor John Henderson of Sechelt, Marisa Alps of the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts, Sunshine Coast Tourism and everyone else who assisted us with the research and proposal to create an interactive map documenting the 100-years of authors and the written arts on the Sunshine Coast.
https://heritagebc.ca/funding/heritage-legacy-fund/past-grant-recipients/2023-projects/
Thank You Howe Sound Pulp & Paper
We are so grateful to Howe Sound Pulp & Paper for a grant to the SCWES Book Awards for BC Authors. Thank you so much for your contribution. This means a lot to promote literature in BC.

The King of Solitude: An Interview with Grant Lawrence
Read Cathalynn Labonté-Smith's review in the Mirimichi Reader here.
Coast Reporter Article on the Book Awards
Little Bookshop coming to Art & Words
We're excited and pleased to announce that Little Bookshop of Squamish will be bringing their mobile bookshop to Art & Words on Saturday, August 12th to the Gibsons Public Market and will be fully stocked with books by the Finalists of the SCWES Book Awards for BC Authors contest. Some of the authors will be there to do signings. https://littlebookshop.ca/
Art & Words All Access Passes
We have just released 50 all access passes to the Writers' Workshops at the 2nd Annual Art & Words Festival for $99. Snap one up before they're gone. Register here on EventBrite.
Vince R. Ditrich at Art & Words
Vince R. Ditrich will come from Vancouver Island to do a reading & signing from his books at the 2nd Annual Sunshine Coast Art & Words Festival, Gibsons Public Market, Saturday, August 12, 1 pm. He will be the emcee of our first annual SCWES Book Awards for BC Authors, as well as read from his Liquor Vicar books, and do signings and book sales. Reserve your free seat without delay. Seats are limited, book here at EventBrite.
Accommodation for Art & Words
The Gibsons Landing Inn located across the street from the Gibsons Public Market is the official accommodation for the Art & Words Festival. There's a special conference rate.
To book your room (min. three night stay), please call Maureen and say you're an Art & Words Festival attendee to get the special discount.
https://www.facebook.com/GibsonsLandingInn/
Pre-order Lunch for Art & Words
Pre-order your delicious box lunches from Emelle's at Art & Words from this fabulous menu. Contact Emelle's Market Bistro to order at the Gibsons Public Market, 473 Gower Point Rd, 604.886.8814
Please sign up for the Elevator Pitch workshop at our June 25 Meeting on Eventbrite.
SCWES Book Awards for BC Authors Judging in Progress
Thanks to those who entered our first SCWES Book contest. Our judges are busily scoring the submissions. We had double the number of entrants that we expected and are already planning for next year’s contest to be just as successful. We have invited all of the authors who have entered to Art & Words and hopefully at least some of them will be able to attend when we read out the names of the winners.
Karen Abrahamson
Karen Abrahamson will be at the Seaside Art, Photography & Book Fair as both a Photographer and author with her own book table.
KARENLABRAHAMSON.COM - Mystery, fantasy and romance at the dangerous ends of the earth – The various Incarnations of Author Karen L. Abrahamson.

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.
Thank You Rotary Club of Gibsons
SCWES would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the members of the Rotary Club of Gibsons for their generous donation for the 2nd Annual Art & Words Festival at the Gibsons Public Market, August 10-13. Your contribution will go a long way in ensuring the success of our festival, and we are deeply grateful for your support.
Thanks to your kindness, we will be able to provide a stage for local artists, writers, and musicians to showcase their talents and promote the arts in our community.
We believe that art and literature play a vital role in promoting cultural exchange, community engagement, and social cohesion, and we are thrilled to have your support in our mission. Your donation is an investment in the future of our community, and we are honoured to be the recipients of your generosity.
Once again, thank you for your support, and we hope that you will continue to be a part of our community's cultural and artistic initiatives. https://portal.clubrunner.ca/252/
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.
Rae Armour at Art & Words
We are putting on our boogie shoes in preparation for Rae Armour, the Hootin' Nanny's performance at the 2nd Annual Sunshine Coast Art & Words Festival at the Gibsons Public Market, Saturday, August 12th, 12 pm to 1 pm. Reserve your free seat and don't be disappointed.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rae-armour-tickets-613538118027


Arts & Words Workshop Registration
You can browse and register for events at Eventbrite.
Or you can print out the form below, fill it out, take a photo and send it to: sunshinecoastwritersandeditors@gmail.com.


Oblate Paul Durieu
Did you know that Oblate Paul Durieu is one of the earliest published authors on the Sunshine Coast in 1899 with his "Chinook Bible History"? He was regarded as the foremost speaker of Chinook among missionaries. Find out about more about historical and current authors on the Sunshine Coast at the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives on Saturday, February 25th, 2 pm. Just a few seats left. Pre-register at sunshinecoastwritersandeditors@gmail.com.
SCWES Book Award Judge
We are pleased to introduce one of our judges for the SCWES Book Awards 2023, Christina Meyers, a writer, editor and former journalist. Her novel "The List of Last Chances" (2021) was longlisted for the 2022 Leacock Medal and shortlisted for the Fred Kerner Book Award. She was the editor of the award-winning anthology BIG (2020) and her work has appeared in almost a dozen prior or forthcoming anthologies, as well as in magazines, journals and online.
She is currently at work on an essay collection and her next novel, and teaches both fiction and creative non-fiction. Christina juggles her creative work and stay-at-home-parenthood from her home in Surrey, BC.



What a turn out today at our magic hat match for the 2nd Annual Sunshine Coast Art & Words Festival! An article will be out on Feb. 10 in the Coast Reporter on our event Thanks, Steve for the photos this morning.
Arts and Words 2023
It's time for writers and artists to put their names in for the 2nd Annual Art & Words Festival to be matched up by the "magic hat". This year we will be at the Gibsons Public Market. If you're new to the festival, or just want to put a smile on your face, check out the vibes from last year:
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-

New Logo
Thanks to Roger Handling for the Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society logo.
Awards Given Out at the September Meeting
Presentation on Kindle Direct Publishing

Purpose
There’s an influx of new authors to serve on the Coast as well as our solid base. There’s a new generation of young authors and publishers to pass on the blue pencil to and retirees, who are ready to lay their astonishing memoirs at our feet if they can just get going on it.
We are a magnet for creative souls on the Coast. We may not know exactly why, but it’s almost mandatory that you’re a potter, painter or writer to live here. We have our ensemble of diverse voices, and within it there are cozy groups organically and beautifully forming.
Need more information? Send an email to sunshinecoastwritersandeditors@gmail.com
Ready to sign up? Fill out the attached membership form.
