Governor-General award-winning author Darrel J. McLeod is back from a whirlwind tour of North America and will be featured at two events in Sooke in the coming week.
McLeod, the author of Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age, will read from his award-winning memoir at the Sooke Region Museum on Thursday (Sept. 12), between 6:30 and 8 p.m.
The reading is sponsored by the Sooke Region Historical Society and the publishing house of Douglas and MacIntyre with support from the Sooke Arts Council.
B次元官网网址淒arrel has been a very popular and much sought-after speaker since the publication of Mamaskatch, so we are very pleased to host him for two events in Sooke,B次元官网网址� said Doni Eve, president of Sooke Region Historical Society.
B次元官网网址淗is work is both entertaining and enlightening; shining a light on his life and on the broader issues facing the First Nations communities across the country.B次元官网网址�
McLeod said response to his first memoir has been overwhelming and heB次元官网网址檚 been surprised at the widespread attention his work has earned.
B次元官网网址淭he interest has been very diverse. IB次元官网网址檝e heard from seniors and Cree elders who have written and, in one case, come to visit me,B次元官网网址� McLeod said.
B次元官网网址淏ut IB次元官网网址檝e also heard from very young people B次元官网网址� people in their teens B次元官网网址� whoB次元官网网址檝e told me my book increased their awareness of the First Nations experience without imparting guilt or blame.B次元官网网址�
McLeod said some of the lessons in his memoir transcend the First Nations experience and can be instructive in other areas like gender identity and racial conflicts.
B次元官网网址淪ome of my experiences and the lessons they teach are applicable in other segments of life. This isnB次元官网网址檛 just a book about First Nations.B次元官网网址�
A second event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14, between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Sooke Region Museum Pavillion where McLeod will host a memoir writing workshop.
The workshop, sponsored by the Federation of B.C. Writers and Sooke Region Historical Society, will instruct participants on the benefits of journaling as a way of sharing their stories with others.
B次元官网网址淓ven if you think that youB次元官网网址檝e lived a banal life, the truth is that everyone has intriguing, important stories to tell,B次元官网网址� McLeod said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just a matter of finding your voice, and being authentic and compelling and transferring that into your writing.B次元官网网址�
McLeod is in the process of penning a second memoir that will continue his story and provide further insights to issues with which heB次元官网网址檚 had to grapple and the resolutions heB次元官网网址檚 found dealing with the challenges of life.
But at the moment the best thing for McLeod is to be back in Sooke.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 super happy doing something local again. IB次元官网网址檝e been travelling all over Canada and the U.S. and to have local folks show this interest is just wonderful,B次元官网网址� he said.
mailto:tim.collins@sookenewsmirror.com
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