Calling all B.C. Indigenous writers
February 28th, 2020
Wawmeesh Hamilton and Randy Fred are set to launch a special writers’ collective for B.C. Indigenous writers. (Wawmeesh Hamilton pictured at right.)
Fred is a journalist and the founder of Theytus Press. He is a member of the Tseshaht First Nation in Port Alberni.
Hamilton writes about Indigenous people and issues. He is a member of the Hupacasatch Nation in Port Alberni. Both are directors of the Federation of BC Writers (FBCW), which supports this initiative.
Randy Fred
The inaugural meeting of the BC Indigenous Writers’ Collective is on Friday, April 24 in Gibsons, B.C. from 2:00-4:00 PM (Location TBA). People unable to attend physically will be able to participate through teleconferencing.
Anyone who identifies as an Indigenous writer is encouraged to join. The new collective covers genres including fiction, non fiction, poetry, academic, editorial, spoken word, music as well as others. The goal is to create an opportunity to find out what kinds of events and workshops Indigenous writers want, and to plan for future meetings.
“The timing is perfect for the formation of an Indigenous Writers’ Collective,” says Fred. “There are many opportunities for us to collectively support each other.”
Fred adds that he hopes the collective’s participants will contribute their ideas about how Indigneous writers can support one another and build their community.
Keith Liggett
FBCW president Keith Liggett notes that supporting the Indigenous writers collective is part of the FBCW mandate to encourage the craft of writing. “For too long, Indigenous communities have been under-represented in Canadian writing,” says Liggett. “Hopefully, this collective will help bring their writing to the fore.”
Indigenous writers interested in joining can inquire at: membership@bcwriters.ca or call Randy Fred at: 250-668-2500.
Hamilton can be contacted at wawmeesh@gmail.com or 778-873-4713.
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The new collective’s meeting dovetails with FBCW’s 4th Annual Spring Writes conference and AGM, which is taking place in Gibsons April 24 to 26. Indigenous Writers’ Collective participants who attend the inaugural meeting are encouraged to participate in the Spring Writes’ workshops and craft intensives.
The conference opens Friday, April 24 at 7PM with readings at the Gibsons Art Gallery and continues through Saturday and Sunday Apr 26 with more workshops and readings.
The complete Spring Writes schedule of events, as well as registration are, on the FBCW website at: http://bcwriters.ca
For more information contact membership@bcwriters.ca or visit: www.bcwriters.ca
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