It can be tough to be a writer – it can be solitary, demanding, the kind of life where it’s easy to feel unrecognized and unappreciated.
Which is why it’s such a pleasure to find people who are working to change that.
In New Westminster, you don’t have to look far to find a whole group of those people – in the form of the Royal City Literary Arts Society.
“We just want to make New Westminster a big hub of literary activity,” says Candice James, the city’s poet laureate.
I talked to Candice recently about the launch of her latest book, Shorelines (check out a story about the book launch here)
She had much to say about the city’s burgeoning literary community, and I couldn’t help but feel compelled to share a little more than would fit in the story.
She’s so full of enthusiasm it’s rather contagious. And why shouldn’t it be? What with regular poetry readings, short story open mikes, workshops at the library and songwriter nights, it seems there’s something on the go in the Royal City for every writer and word-lover in town.
Candice is quick to note that’s not happening by accident.
It’s thanks to the hard work of a lot of people.
She names Franci Louann, who spearheads the Poetic Justice gatherings; Margo Prentice, who leads the short story open mike sessions; Enrico Renz and Lawren Nemeth, who run the songwriter open mike nights; Ken Ader, videographer; and Janet Kvammen, whom Candice describes as her own “right hand.”
Moreover, she says, the group has found support from the community at large.
There’s Paul Minhas at Heritage Grill, who has offered up his premises for the open mike sessions, songwriter evenings and Poetic Justice gatherings – and made a donation to the society to boot.
“He’s just been superb,” Candice says.
There’s the New Westminster Public Library, where Debra Nelson has worked with the group to partner on workshops and gatherings.
There’s the City of New Westminster, which has given the group the Queen’s Park bandshell for Poetry in the Park nights.
And there’s the Arts Council of New Westminster, which has opened up its premises at Centennial Lodge for poetry nights when the weather didn’t cooperate for outdoors – and which has invited the Literary Arts Society to be part of LitFest each year.
So yes, the city is becoming a literary hub – and that’s because of all of those people, and more.
“If we didn’t have the support, it wouldn’t happen,” Candice says. “We need that support in the city, and we’re getting it.”
Of course, there’s also Candice herself.
So kudos to all of you. It’s nice to be able to report on positive things – and the literary scene in New West certainly qualifies!
