Wish Come True
Writers' Challenge
The
Vancity Culture Lab
1895
Venables Street Vancouver BC
7:30pm Monday February 27, 2012 TONIGHT!
7:30pm Monday February 27, 2012 TONIGHT!
The Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast
(AWCWC) is taking that well-quoted writers’ lament— "I wish I had more
time to write"— to a competitive level. The writers are challenging
themselves to write a complete, undefined body of literary work in 8 hours, on
a topic given by guest artist Paul
Seesequasis on the morning of the day, and to present it publically the
same night.
Join
us for a reading of excerpts from the freshly created writings and a reading
from Tobacco Wars by Paul
Seesequasis.
AWCWC
writer-participants:
Joanne Arnott (Metis/mixed-blood)
is author of six books, and editor of a few more. Originally from Manitoba, she
has made her home in Salish territories for most of her life, and become mother
to six young people through the process.
Jo’s books include Mother Time: Poems New &
Selected, Steepy Mountain love poetry, and a new chapbook, the family of crow. A founding member of AWCWC, she was text
editor for Salish Seas: an anthology of text + image (2011). Jo is a
blogger: Joanne
Arnott, Vera Manuel Tribute, Kegedonce Blog.
Francine Burning belongs to the Kenieke'haka
(Mohawk: People of the Flint) Nation of the Rotinoshonni Confederacy - Turtle
Clan. She returns to her home community, the Six Nations of the Grand River
Indian Reservation in Southern Ontario every summer to renew her connection to
her people’s lands and ceremonies. Francine is a single mother, the 3 girls
ages 16, 14, & 12, and has lived in Vancouver for the past 17 years. In her second year of a Master of Arts at
UBC, Francine’s writing is informed by her studies, her Indigenous mentors,
life’s experiences and colonial history.
Nicola Campbell is Interior Salish and Métis and
grew up in BC’s Nicola Valley. Nicola is currently completing a MFA in Creative
Writing at the University of British Columbia. Her first free-verse children’s
book titled, Shi-shi-etko, was
published in September 2005 and received the 2006 Aboriginal Children’s Book of
the Year. Her second book, a sequel to Shi-shi-etko
titled, Shin-chi’s Canoe was released
in fall 2008 and received the 2009 TD Canadian Children’s literature award. Her
third book, Grandpa’s Girls was just
released in Fall 2011. All of her books have been published by Groundwood
Books.
Wil To Write - Wil George is a poet and contemporary story-teller from the
Tsleil Waututh Nation (also known as Burrard Indian Band). Wil's poetry
chapbook called Survival In Its Many
Shapes was published by UNIT/PITT Projects. His poetry has been published
in various anthologies and literary magazines including Salish Seas published by Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast
and In Our Own Voices edited by Proma
Tagore and published by Larkuma.
Wanda John-Kehewin is from the Kehewin Cree Nation in Alberta. She
lives and works in North Vancouver. She has studied criminology at the NEC and
Douglas College; Sociology and Aboriginal studies at Langara, and attended
SFU’s TWS Creative Writing Program. She grew up on the Reservation and a huge
part of her writing is created from the injustices she saw and experienced. Her
work is published in UBC’s Aboriginal
Anthology, Salish Seas, and elsewhere; she has shared her “truth” through many
readings. Wanda lives with her three children; two cats and one dog who
definitely inspire her write and heal through the creative writing process.
Kat Norris, Coast Salish Nez Perce, was
born on Valdez Island, B.C. She attended Kuper Island Residential school.
Kat states that growing up in California was such a blessing as it opened up
her mind, world and soul to, not only, choices and possibilities but her
voice. Her family moved back to Canada when Kat was 19, meaning
re-experiencing racism which only served to help her find her purpose in life,
as an activist and founder of the Indigenous Action Movement. She is invited to
speak at women's conferences, grassroot activist gatherings and universities,
speaking on the experiences of Indigenous people. Her loves: Writing,
dancing, pow wow, family, and her grandchildren.
Janet Marie Rogers
is a
Mohawk/Tuscarora writer from the Six Nations territory. Janet is a page poet
and presents spoken word performance and works in video poetry and recorded
poetry. She has three books published to date; Splitting the Heart (2007), Red
Erotic (2010) and Unearthed (Leaf Press 2011). Her spoken word CD
Firewater was nominated for a Native American Music Award and a Canadian
Aboriginal Music Award. Her newest CD Got Your Back is a collaboration with
Mohawk poet Alex Jacobs. Janet
hosts Native Waves Radio on CFUV 101.9fm in Victoria BC and Tribal Clefs on CBC
radio one's All Points West. Her radio documentary "Bring Your Drum"
50 Years of Indigenous Protest Music won Best Radio at the imagiNATIVE film and
media festival 2011. Janet has recently been named Victoria's third poet
laureate.
annie ross Daughter of a traditional Maya
Mother and auntie and WWII veteran father (Sydney Mines, NS). Began education at home with plants, animals,
art, indigenous hand work, storytelling, and history in Compton, California. A working artist and writer, committed to the
story of Sacred Home/Lands and all her Beings in order to work within the
global indigenous quest for those elusive civil rights, social and
environmental justice.
Kelly Roulette is Ojibway from the Long Plain
First Nation in Manitoba. She grew up in Winnipeg until she moved to Vancouver,
which she now calls her home base. Kelly is the proud mom of daughter
Teyah, who has also shown an early interest in art. Kelly has had a
diverse work background ranging from working on UTV, the former Global
CanWest Television station, and is a lawyer. She participated in the Salish Seas project as both writer and
visual artist.
Performing with:
Paul Seesequasis is a writer and a journalist. He
was the founding editor of the award-winning Aboriginal
Voices magazine, and the recipient of a MacLean-Hunter journalist
award. His short stories and feature writings have been published in Canada and
abroad. Tobacco Wars is
his first novella.