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The Write Stuff
THE PAST IS PROLOGUE
» Thursday 2 April 2009 | 5 pm
» The Bohemian Café, 524 Bernard Avenue
An informal afternoon hour showcasing the creative economy. Join us as writers John Lent of Vernon, Erika Lambert of Kelowna and Yasmin Joh-Thorpe of Penticton share their experience with writing groups in the Okanagan.
» $2 at the door. Refreshments are available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
The Writing Circle of Influence Ever Widens
Most people learn how to write, but learning how to become a writer and trusting in oneself, is a far greater challenge. It's been said it takes a community to raise a child, but the same can often be said of writers.
Writer communities have existed ever since the word took form, and the same is true for the Okanagan where writing groups have sprung up as safe places to share fledgling efforts and learn how to graciously give and receive useful criticism.
On Thursday, April 2nd at 5 pm the ongoing weekly Okanagan Institute Express series at the Bohemian Café presents The Write Stuff: The Past is Prologue, featuring John Lent, the founder of the Kalamalka Press based in Vernon, along with Yasmin John-Thorpe, co-founder of the Penticton Writers and Publishers group. Both of these organizations have run long-standing competitions which have not only given writers a venue for their work, but more importantly an incentive to screw up their courage and final do what needs to be done - write with a purpose in mind.
Joining these two is Erika Lambert, a writer herself who helped launch the O's Own Writers Group based in Osoyoos. Her poetry has been included an Anthology of Canadian Verse by the Poetry Institute of Canada, and in the book Songs on the Wind. Years later, Lambert moved to Kelowna where she found herself an unwitting participant in a poetry slam event. She loved it.
The event marks one of the final chapters in the Express Series The Past is Prologue which has been closely examining the development of the creative and cultural arts in the Okanagan. Over the last few months, the series has peered through the decades of work done by arts and cultural societies and organizations, and then taken a closer look at the development of dance, film, and later in the month music.
 John Lent is a founding member of Kalamalka Press, the Kalamalka Institute For Working Writers, and the annual Mackie Lecture and Reading Series at Okanagan College in Vernon. He is currently working as regional dean of Okanagan College in Vernon where he has taught creative writing and literary courses for more than 25 years. Author of eight books of eight books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction, his last novel So It Won't Go Away was shortlisted for The Ethel Wilson Prize for fiction. He's just completed a volume of poems called Cantilevered Songs. The Kalamalka New Writers Society established Kalamalka Press in 1987 in order to launch and run a bi-annual national competition for a first book of poetry. The Collective achieved success with manuscripts that contributed to the national poetry scene. Kalamalka Press assisted in launching the careers of Nancy Holmes, Karen Connelly, Su Croll, Sue Wheeler and Dona Sturmanis.
 Erika Lambert is an educator, artist and writer, and a certified teaching professional with 33 years experience teaching all ages in both public schools and other instructional systems. with all ages, accomplished in public schools and other instructional systems.
 Yasmin John-Thorpe was born on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad. She arrived in Penticton in 1990 and co-founded Penticton Writers and Publishers in 1994. Yasmin is a published children's author with two of her short children's stories featured in Treasure House 1, published by Macmillan, England. She was one of only four authors whose work was published in Comforting Words by GlaxoSmithKline, Caribbean Limited. Yasmin mentors young writers, visiting area schools to host creative writing workshops. For the past three years, she has organized the Young Okanagan Writers Contest and edited and published the Gems of the Okanagan Anthology. In July, 2009 Yasmin will coordinate the first British Columbia Youth Write Camp for 10 18 year old students.
The Write Stuff: The Past is Prologue takes place at the Bohemian Café. This marks the 84th event the Okanagan Institute has held since the Express series got underway in July 2007. Express has played host to many Okanagan luminaries, including former deputy secretary general of Amnesty International Derek Evans, artists Lee Claremont and Gary Pearson, BC Book Award nominee Don Gayton, CBC Literary prize winner poet Harold Rhenisch, distinguished editor and author Jim Taylor, poet and professor John Lent, animator and filmmaker Jim Cliffe, community activist Don Elzer, dancer David LaHay, architect Jim Meiklejohn, culinary artist and writer Heidi Noble, broadcaster Marion Barschel and others from a wide range of creative fields.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE CLICK HERE
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