Anita's Other Space

In a few days I head to Yellowknife for a soul booster...otherwise known as the 2009 NorthWords Writers Festival. I was honoured to have been invited last year, and over the moon when they organizing committee invited me back for a second year. As I've had two new (northern) books released since last year's festival, I have plenty to celebrate and present. Also, I cannot WAIT to meet up with the organizing committee again, dear people, all...and soak up that special something that feeds me the moment I set foot on the tarmac.

There will be lunch time and evening events, mentoring sessions, workshops, and plenty of time for writers to mix and mingle with each other. This year's writers are (from the web site): "Winner of the 2008 Giller, Novelist Joseph Boyden; host of the Discovery Channel's Daily Planet and popular science writer Jay Ingram; Teen fiction author whose heart is always in the North Anita Daher; First Nations poet, publisher and arts activist Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm; Fort Smith, NWT, poet, humourist and storyteller Jim Green; Yellowknife Short Story Writer Cathy Jewison; Dogrib Author Richard Van Camp; Young People's Author and Photographer Fran Hurcomb; Northern columnist Annelies Pool; Yellowknife Poet Doris McCann; Northern Children's Book Author Mindy Willett; Broadcaster Carol Morin; Yellowknife History Writer Randy Freeman; Northern Novelist and Science Writer Jamie Bastedo; Science Fiction Author Hayden Trenholm; Yellowknife Singer/Songwriter John Tees."

Added bonus: my friend Cathy Jewison will have her just released collection of short stories, The Ugly Truck and Dog Contest and Other Tales of Northern Life. Yay, Cathy!!