Jane Doucet will be joining five other Nova Scotia authors at White Point Beach Resort this week for ReadTreat. (Niki Davison)

Some of Nova Scotia’s best-selling authors will be in Queens County this weekend for the second ReadTreat event at White Point Beach Resort.

The event starts on Thurs., April 4. It’s four days and three nights of reading books, talking about books and meeting the people who make those books happen.

Acclaimed authors Lesley Crewe, Carol Bruneau, Jane Doucet, Len Wagg, Lorri Neilsen Glenn and Ray Cronin will talk about their recent or new releases. They will be holding various workshops throughout the weekend to help people with their own writing. 

Best-selling author Len Wagg will also be giving a workshop on using photography to tell your own story. 

And there will be chances to talk to authors one-on-one at dinner or in a fireside chat. Each day also starts out with a yoga session for those who want a little extra relaxation.

RELATED: Complete schedule for ReadTreat: Chapter Two

Jane Doucet is the author of three books, two of which are set on the South Shore. Her latest is Lost and Found in Lunenburg.

She will be giving a Sunday workshop on humour writing called Seriously Funny Writing with Jane Doucet.

“It’s an extravaganza for readers who love Atlantic Canadian authors. It should be a lot of fun.

“I’m a humour writer. I have three novels. So I will be sharing some humour writing tips, talking about how I use different types of humour in my novels and some ways to incorporate it. I’ll have a short writing exercise for them as well.”

Organized by Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press, this is the first ReadTreat since before the pandemic. The first event happened in March 2020.

Terrilee Bulger is the general manager of Nimbus. She said the first one was such a success that people wanted to do it again. And they hope to make it an annual event.

“Everybody loved it. Everybody thought it was such a unique, inspiring event, they wanted to go back.

“What’s better than spending time at White Point for the weekend reading books and hanging out with authors? I think that just sounds like an amazing weekend away myself. If you like books, if you like reading, if you like writing, there’s nothing like this. It’s really quite amazing. I think it’s a perfect way to spend the weekend.”

Doucet says events like this are as much fun for the authors as they are for readers.

“We all write alone, in isolation in our homes for the most poart. So just to be in community with other authors who you admire yourself and you read yourself , we’re all fans of each other, is just a great time. So I’m really looking forward to it.

“Come with your love of reading. Come to relax and read and chat with authors, because we love to speak to readers and hear what they’re writing as well. … I love encouraging aspiring writers, … so that will be a lot of fun for me.”

There are still tickets available. People can take in the whole weekend, or choose a day pass. Contact White Point Beach Resort for more information.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to Tuesday’s news update below

The poster for Readtreat

Authors Francesca Ekwuyasi, Ronan O’Driscoll and Morgan Murray take questions at Lunenburg Lit. Photo contributed by South Shore Public Libraries

An annual celebration of authors is returning to the South Shore.

The Lunenburg Literary Festival, or Lunenburg Lit as it has come to be known, is preparing to welcome some of the country’s top authors in their genres to Lunenburg for the seventh year in a row.

South Shore Public Libraries CEO Ashley Nunn-Smith says bringing these authors into smaller venues allows attendees to get up close and personal.

“I think the beauty of Lunenburg Lit Fest it’s quite an intimate setting. You are going to get a chance to walk up and say hello to the author, ask them to sign your book. They’re going to have a chance to have some pretty informal chit-chat. They’ll also be able to ask some questions from the audience,” said Nunn-Smith.

Lunenburg Lit was fortunate to be one of the events that continued throughout the pandemic by following protocols and cutting the number of attendees in half.

The library’s Communication and Engagement Coordinator Christina Pottie says the events held over those two years were special for the audience but especially so for the authors.

“Many of the authors, this was their only public speaking event in two years,” said Pottie. “They were just so thrilled to have that live audience and have that audience participation and just the feel that you get when you read in front of people instead of reading from a screen.”

Lunenburg Lit is back to full capacity for all events this year and is offering a full schedule over the weekend of September 22 – 24.

Author Lyndsey Ruck gives copies of her books to Bluenose Academy students Charlie Francis and Vivian Halverson at 2021 Lunenburg Lit. Photo Courtesy South Shore Public Libraries

The festival kicks off Thursday the 22 with two free events: poet and novelist Gloria Ann Wesley leads a youth event at the Heritage Bandstand to discuss her novels, Chasing Freedom and If This Is Freedom.

That’s followed by a panel at St. John’s parish hall on Thursday evening, where writers and publishers answer audience questions about first steps in literary publishing.

Friday, the Lunenburg School of the Arts will host readings from novelist and short-story writer David Bergen, poet and journalist El Jones, and multiple-genre writer Heather O’Neill.

The festival offers a full slate of events Saturday with a Literary Walking Tour of Lunenburg at midday, journalist and University of Kings instructor Trina Roache will interview writer and politician Charlie Angus in the afternoon and the festival wraps up that evening with novelist and screenplay writer Shyam Selvadurai, Newfoundland author Megan Gail Coles, and Halifax novelist Jane Doucet.

Tickets are available at all South Shore Public Libraries in person or by phone and information is available on their website.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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