DAWSON CREEK, BC - Northern Lights College is pleased to announce that Jeanette Lynes of Antigonish, Nova Scotia will be Writer in Residence at the Dawson Creek campus from July 22 - August 4.
Lynes, one of Canada's most outstanding and humorous writers, is the author of three collections of poetry: Left Fields (Wolsak and Wynn, 2003), The Aging Cheerleader's Alphabet (Mansfield Press, 2003), and A Woman Alone on the Atikokan Highway (Wolsak and Wynn, 1999).
Left Fields was short-listed for the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, given to the best book of poetry published in Canada by a woman.
"It is with great pleasure that we welcome Jeanette to our campus," said Howard Mayer, principal of the Dawson Creek campus, "I am confident that this will be a positive and rewarding experience for everyone taking advantage of Jeanette's expertise and encouragement."
This is the first time a Writer in Residence Program has been offered at the College. Response to the free program has been strong, with 14 people already registered and only a few spots left.
The Writer in Residence Program is co-sponsored by Northern Lights College and the Peace Liard Regional Arts Council. Readings are sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Lynes was recently named Writer in Residence for the 2005/2006 term at the Saskatoon Public Library, a prestigious position formerly held by such notable writers as Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi.
Lynes studied at York University and specialized in Canadian literature. She also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine. She is a professor of literature at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish.
While in Dawson Creek, Lynes will work with participants as well as devote time to her own writing. She is currently completing a fourth collection of poetry and drafting a second novel (her first novel, Muriel's Hypothesis, is with the Cooke Agency in Toronto).
Donna Kane, organizer of the program, sees this event as an important addition to the Northern Lights College creative writing community. "This is a wonderful opportunity for both new and experienced writers in our community," says Kane. "We have a wide range of participants, from 12 year old novelists to poets to seasoned writers with a long publishing history." Participants in the program will have the opportunity to receive advice and encouragement, to gain new ideas and fresh perspectives, and to learn more about the many writing activities in Canada. Anyone interested in participating is invited to contact Donna Kane at (250) 784-7613 (toll free: 1-866-463-6652) or email her at dkane@nlc.bc.ca.
The College will host a reception for Lynes on Friday July 22 at 7 pm in the Student Lounge area of the Dawson Creek campus. This event will give participants, college staff, and interested community members a chance to welcome Lynes to the community.
The program will wind up with a gala reading on Thursday, August 4 at the Dawson Creek Art Gallery. The event will feature a reading by Lynes as well as short readings by participants.
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