Alumni News
There is so much good alumni news that I hardly know where to start. We will begin with competitions just won, then with new book publications already on the shelves, and then move on to upcoming book publications.
Competition Winners
Congratulations to Bridget Canning whose short story Colleen’s Birthday was a winner in the short fiction category of the 2015 Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Awards. This comes on the heels of some impressive recent short story publications (see previous posts).
Congratulations also to Jiin Kim who won in Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Awards non-fiction prose category with The Cheater. Jiin is a many times winner in the Arts and Letters Awards.
Recent Publications
Congratulations to Eric Colbourne. His new book Dancing on Air: A Tale of Vengeance, Mercy, and the End of the Death penalty in Newfoundland (Friesen Press), is now available in print and e-book. Eric’s case-specific research and broader understanding of the politics of the death penalty is presented in an extremely compelling narrative.
Keith Collier has released Cold Seasons a mini-collection of short stories as a Kindle e-book on Amazon. This is an exciting project from a fine new writer whose fiction has been published in such journals as The Newfoundland Quarterly.
Congratulations to Valerie Francis. Crossing the Rubicon, book one of her Nature Knights her fantasy adventure series, has been released and is ready for download! Valerie is an exciting new voice in children’s literature. The Nature Knights series is for kids aged 9 to 12.
Congratulations to Kate Robbins whose historical romance novel, Enemy of the Highlander, third in the popular Highland Chief Series, has been released and is doing a roaring trade.
Coming Soon!
Fierce Ink Press will publish Amanda Labonté’s Call of the Sea in November 2015. Alex, a Newfoundland boy, has been haunted by siren song as long as he can remember. When his twin brother is mysteriously lost at sea, disappearing from a boat without so much as a ripple, it is up to Alex to find him. Call of the Sea is a terrific debut full of the restless poetry of adolescence.
Congratulations to Gerard Doran whose exciting novel, A Stroke in Time, about the legendary 1901 Outer Cove Regatta winning team, will be published by Flanker Press in time for the 2015 regatta. Gerard has woven a stirring tale about the determination of the human spirit and the power of community.
Congratulations to Tara Nanayakkara whose poignant and richly-layered follow up to the moving Priya’s World – Dawn of a New Garden – will be published by Inanna Publications in 2016. Priya, in the midst of mourning, finds herself wrenched between her Canadian upbringing and her Sri Lankan ancestry.
Congratulations once more also to our winner of the 2015 Instant Hook Literary Contest. For those who missed it first time Marianne Jones won for her entry The Book of Common Prayer.The runners up: Jenna La Sie for Hope and Loss and Deborah Hedd for Truck-Driving Girl. Watch these names as you will hear from these fine writers in the future!
A limited number of new participants will be accepted into the 8-Week Novel Writing Workshop Series before the end of May. Email paul.butler@nl.rogers.com or call 709 640 9440 for more details.
paul butler novelist 