Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 | Author:

2011

What a great way to wrap up the old year and ring in the new. These emerging writers are celebrating the completion of my Langara Continuing Studies workshop The Novel: Mapping it Out — with food and drink and a pledge to stick together to continue working on their manuscripts. Here’s looking at you, gang! From L to R: Brett Williams, Cynthia Brooke, Wade Janzen (standing), instructor yours truly, Eva Hage, Naomi Moses, Marcie Gray and Laurel Beauprie. (Double-click to get the full image.)

Another session of the workshop begins in January 2012 (see details above).

“Every Road Has a Destination” — Malaysia’s Quill Magazine, October – December, 2011 issue, features my article about the road to publication, reprinted here by Eric Forbes in his book addict’s guide to good books.

November 2, 2011 Sharpen your pencils! I’ll be leading a fall session of the workshop The Novel: Mapping it Out, 7 Wednesdays at Langara College, 100 W. 49, Vancouver, 6:30 to 10 pm. Registration required.

October 20, 2011 SPiN writing group pals Jen Sookfong Lee, Mary Novik and June Hutton get a nice mention in Lachlan Murray’s blog for the Vancouver International Writers Festival. It’ll be our ten-year anniversary next year. Stay tuned for the party.

(L to R) Ode Iweh, June Hutton, Jen Sookfong Lee, and Dennis E. Bolen at wine and cheese gathering for novelist Ngozi Achebe (see below).

October 15, 2011 The Nigerian Canada Friendship League presents A Dialogue on African Literature. Guest speaker and author is Dr. Ngozi Achebe, Onaedo: The Blacksmith’s Daughter. Readings by Julie Okot Bitek, The Dry Season and June Hutton, Underground, followed by panel discussion “The State of African Literature Today” with Prof. Gloria Onyeoziri-Miller, UBC, Dr. Charles Quist-Adade, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and authors Julie Okot Bitek and June Hutton. Buchanan Building A 101, UBC, 6-9 pm.

Kind mention of Julie Okot Bitek and June Hutton at the above event in the Sierra Leone news portal The Patriotic Vanguard.

Celebrating the end of a summer workshop with a few members of my Langara class Fiction Writing: The Ongoing Story, (L to R), yours truly, plus Jan Petersen, Carol Friedmann and Sally Ogis, at Chaise on Main Street. This group, along with members of my other writing workshop The Novel: Mapping it Out, took part in lively readings and discussions of their works, despite competition for their attention most nights from the Stanley Cup finals. Vancouver’s own Canucks hockey team was playing, and  yes, some of the class members were ardent hockey fans, but the writer in each prevailed . . . most nights.

Dierdre Dore has won the 2011 Western Magazine Award for fiction for her story “Sappers Bridge”. Congratulations to Dore and to all the finalists. Fiction judges: June Hutton, Eileen Kernaghan, Lee Kvern.

June 12, 2011 SPiN members (L to R) June Hutton, Jen Sookfong Lee and Mary Novik at the Vancouver launch of Jen’s novel The Better Mother (Knopf Canada). About the friendship between a gay photographer and a dancer, The Better Mother looks at not only the lively burlesque era, but also at the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic in 1980s Vancouver. Jen’s first novel was The End of East (Knopf Canada 2007) and she is the first member of the SPiN writing group to have a second novel published. For more information about Jen and her work, please see her website. For more about the group, please see the SPiN website.

“The Art of Distraction: How not to finish that book” Journalists-turned-authors Linden MacIntyre, June Hutton, Terry Gould, Hilary Davidson and Roy MacGregor reveal favorite avoidances in an interview in the print version of the Ryerson Review of Journalism, p. 9, Summer 2011.

June 1-July 27, 2011 A summer workshop for budding novelists: I’ll be leading The Novel: Mapping it Out, 8 Wednesdays at Langara College, 100 W. 49, Vancouver, 7-10 pm. Registration required.

May 30-July 18, 2011 For the short story writer in you: I’ll be offering the workshop Fiction Writing: The Ongoing Story, 8 Mondays at Langara College, 100 W. 49, Vancouver, 7-9:30 pm. Registration required.

June Hutton goes to great lengths to help a fireman hang blossoms at Joy Kogawa House. (See below) Photo by Lydia Nagai

March 6, 2011 Yarn-bombing at Joy Kogawa House. Join Yarn Bombing authors Mandy Moore and Leanne Praine, along with writers (in photo L to R) Zsuzsi Gartner (Better Living Through Plastic Explosives), Mary Novik (Conceit), Nancy Lee (Dead Girls) and June Hutton (Underground) who will read from their works while volunteers knit blossoms in a public art event at this literary landmark, 1450 W. 64th Ave., Vancouver, 2-3:30 pm.  Photo by Janis Brass.

February 23-April 13, 2011 For budding novelists: I’ll be leading a writing workshop The Novel: Mapping it Out, 8 Wednesdays, Langara College,100 W. 49, Vancouver, 7-10 pm. Registration required.

February 15, 2011 June Hutton 的 “地下” Underground is the topic of discussion at the Suzhou Bookworm’s Book Club, Suzhou, China.

February 15, 2011 Release date of SPiN pal Jen Sookfong Lee’s young adult novel, Shelter.

January 2011 I’m kicking off the new year with a couple of events in the People’s Republic of China (see below). Also, Underground is listed under Open magazine’s “Book Recommend” column in the print version of the publication in Suzhou, near Shanghai.

January 7, 2011 A dinner discussion with June Hutton hosted by the Suzhou Bookworm Writers’ Group, Suzhou, China, 7:30 pm.

I had a wonderful time! Pictured here is The Suzhou Bookworm Writers’ Group at the Worm. Seated from L to R, yes with our coats and scarves on in chilly China, Guilio Perroni, Sybil Pretious, (guest, Tony Wanless), Steve Howrie, Jacqueline, Jesse Michael, (me), and Erin Garnham. Many thanks to chef/photog Ben Potter.

January 8, 2011  I gave a talk as well as a reading from Underground at the Suzhou Bookworm, Suzhou, China, 2 pm.

This unique bookstore is also a bar, restaurant, jazz club, and literary venue. Its sister shop is housed in a former Buddhist temple (shown) perched on a Myng dynasty canal bridge in the historic Old Town.

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