“Just Start Writing and Community Will Happen” – A Truth and Reconciliation Spotlight on Shayla Elizabeth
By Angela Almeida
Every year on September 30, Canadians observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – a day dedicated to remembering the harmful intergenerational effects of residential schools and committing to meaningful change. For the writing community, this is also a call to action.
The Manitoba Writers’ Guild (MWG) has long been a home to emerging and established writers across the province, but Indigenous representation remains limited. One member helping to change that is Shayla Elizabeth, an Indigenous writer and dedicated volunteer based in Winnipeg, Treaty 1 territory.
Shayla joined the MWG over a decade ago and quickly noticed the lack of diversity. Since then, she and many others have noticed a meaningful shift towards inclusivity, with one of the MWG’s initiatives being the Rabindranath Tagore Poetry Competition – a province-wide contest that actively encourages submissions from BIPOC and under-represented writers. The competition will be reopening for submissions in 2026.
Beyond new initiatives, Shayla knows the power of community in action. “Once you start, there are lots of people out there that are willing to support you,” she said. “At the MWG, we really do have some awesome volunteers that are really trying to get the youth involved… they want to support you and they’re full of compassion.”
Shayla has been interested in storytelling ever since she was young. Poetry, in particular, became a way to discover her voice. “What I have found about poetry is that it’s a really good way to develop your own style, your own voice, and it can express so much within it,” she said. For Shayla, the joy of writing lies in “taking something nebulous, like an experience or a thought or a dream and then bringing it to the page, honouring it.”
Shayla encourages Indigenous youth and writers to explore the programs offered by the MWG, and reminds those who are wondering where to begin to “just start writing and community will happen.”
To get involved, check out the MWG’s website and stay tuned to Facebook and Instagram for updates, new events, and more.