On June 10, the MWG held our second Book Chat. Anita Daher was our Featured Author, who read a chapter from her newest teen novel You Don’t Have to Die in the End. After her reading, she answered some questions which inspired lively conversations on such a variety of topics including how Anita arrived at the title for her book, how chapter transitions transport the reader, story-boarding to maintain flow and setting, how to notice plot holes, the editing process, redemption (a theme in Anita’s book), getting writing grants, etc.
During the Open Mic segment, four of the seven participants read passages they wanted to share. David Cramer read from a review of Only to Sleep. Bev Greenberg shared a memory of her childhood, preparing for her uncle’s wedding. MaryLou Driedger read from her work in progress, an historical novel based on events from her father’s immigration to Canada. Barbara Lange shared a piece from her book Memories of the Moonlight Special, based on vignettes from people’s recollections of the beach train era. All readings were highly entertaining and the evening was also quite informative. It was wonderful for Anita to have the opportunity to read from her book because her launch was hampered by the pandemic.
We encourage more people to join us on July 8th at 7:00 p.m. Joan Thomas will be our Featured Reader for the third MWG Book Chat, available to members only. If you are not yet a member and wish to join, please go to our Membership page. If you are a member and wish to participate in the next Book Chat, please email the Guild office () to register and receive the Zoom information.
In case you haven’t heard of Joan Thomas, please keep reading and learn about this talented Manitoba writer:
Joan Thomas is the author of four novels: Five Wives, The Opening Sky, Curiosity, and Reading by Lightning. In 2014, Joan was the recipient of the Writers’ Trust Engel/Findley Prize for a writer in mid-career, and in 2019, she was awarded the Governor General’s Award for Fiction for Five Wives. She is a former teacher and book reviewer, and she lives in Winnipeg.
*Note: Joan’s books are available at McNally Robinson Booksellers. Please support our local bookstore, which supports the Manitoba Book Awards.