Billed as Wild By Nature, itB次元官网网址檚 no surprise that Sooke conjures up scenic images of snow-capped mountains, flowing streams, glistening oceans, and boot-travelled hiking trails.
But thereB次元官网网址檚 another side to this picturesque town on the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca that might comes as a surprise.
With a half-dozen well-known authors among its residents and a social scene revolving around local coffee shops and the , Sooke could be Greater VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 best kept literary secret.
B次元官网网址淭he area attracts a lot of artists and creative people from all genres,B次元官网网址� said Doni Eve of the Sooke WritersB次元官网网址� Collective.
B次元官网网址淲e just have such beautiful and inspiring geography, whether its mountains or oceans. ItB次元官网网址檚 just a great place to be a really good source of creativity.B次元官网网址�
Local writer Sheila Thomas agrees.
B次元官网网址淪ooke is just full of creative people,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he Sooke Fine Arts Show is a fine example of the bursting talents that live here.B次元官网网址�
Among the well-known writers who call Sooke home:
Darrel J. McLeod is a Cree from treaty eight territory in northern Alberta. Before deciding to pursue writing in his retirement, he was a chief negotiator of land claims for the federal government and executive director of education and international affairs with the . McLeod won the for Non-Fiction last year for his first book Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age. HeB次元官网网址檚 working on a second memoir following the events in Mamaskatch.
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Wendy Morton has lived in Otter Point for more than 45 years. Morton is a nationally-recognized poet who has made an outstanding impact on Indigenous communities. She also started the movement which encourages poets across Canada to read poems to strangers and give them books. In 2017, she was appointed to the , and has also received the for her projects which have brought honour to Canada.
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Angela Dorsey has lived in a number of small towns throughout B.C. SheB次元官网网址檚 written professionally for more than 20 years. Dorsey has written , many of them printed in numerous languages by different publishers around the world. In addition to authoring novels, she also writes screenplays, short stories and poetry. SheB次元官网网址檚 working on a collection of new and previously published works, Upon Our Shores.
Jim Bottomley was a runner-up for the nationally-prized for mystery writing this year for his unpublished manuscript Hypnotizing Lions. BottomleyB次元官网网址檚 life is as varied as his writing. He runs his own consulting business as a futurist, but he also considers himself a lyricist and enjoys collaborating with other musicians to co-write songs. Hypnotizing Lions is expected to be published within the next year.
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Jok茅 Mayers was born and raised in Nigeria, and while her career has spanned many fields, her love of writing has remained constant. Mayers has authored and produced many literary and artistic creations including poetry, biographies, cookbooks and paintings. She is working on a collection of short stories and other books. Mayer is the editor and publisher of the , a writing, editing, and book publishing service.
Sheila Thomas describes herself as an emerging short-story writer, and was recently a finalist in the Federation of B.C. Writers Short Fiction Contest. Thomas is also an accomplished poet and playwright. She studied acting in Los Angeles and attended in Sherbrooke, Que. to learn play writing. SheB次元官网网址檚 working on a play about artist Emily Carr, and plans to travel next year in a refurbished school bus living the life of Carr.
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editor@sookenewsmirror.com
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