GORE BAY—Double your pleasure; double your fun. Experience the launch of collected works by two Manitoulin authors on the same day. The dual launch is part of the Christmas tea and shopping event to be held on the second floor of the Gore Bay Harbour Centre Saturday, December 9 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Artist studios will be open for the occasion and visitors can enjoy original readings by local writers as well as yuletide refreshments.
Evelyn Cardiff will be on hand to sign copies of her new release ‘From the Banks of Bickel’s Creek.’ The book features memoirs, short fiction and family history all related with the author’s characteristic humour. The collection is dedicated to the strong women who nurtured her and educated her through the years. “Family stories should be shared with the next generation, whether they like it or not,” she notes in her introduction.
Ms. Cardiff grew up on Manitoulin and worked in nursing for nearly four decades in Sault Ste. Marie. After she returned to Gore Bay to enjoy a well-deserved rest, she found that gazing upon Bickel’s Creek refreshed her spirit and inspired her to put pen to paper. The result is a thoughtful reflection on the timelessness of the human experience as well as a tongue-in-cheek look at the foibles of small town life.
Manitoulin artist Christie Pearson Anderson contributed the cover art which depicts a creek scene very familiar to Gore Bay residents.
Vera Constantineau, formerly of Little Current, will also be presenting her debut anthology at this pre-Christmas launch. As past president of the Sudbury Writers’ Guild and a charter member of the Manitoulin Writers’ Circle, she has refined her style in both fiction and poetry; her dedication has led to publication in many anthologies both at home and internationally. The tales in ‘Daisy Chained’ focus on odd situations, difficult choices and even contradictory events. Readers will respond to her ability to express the contradictions in life and to offer a quirky sense of fun.
Ms. Constantineau is also well known in the Espanola area where she wrote a humour column for Around and About for several years. Here on the island she has contributed to many Writers’ Circle endeavours including ‘Canadian Crossroads,’ ‘Manitoulin Morsels’ and ‘Manitoulin Cross-Pollination.’
In releasing her collection, she tells readers, “The answers within may not always be expected, but then, life is full of contradictions. I hope you find a story that moves you.” ‘Daisy Chained’ is published by Control Freak Publishing of Copper Cliff.
This literary arts event is hosted by the Gore Bay Museum and the Manitoulin Writers’ Circle. More information at 705-282-1714.
