| At the risk of sounding like my grandfather, kids these days have it good compared to when I was their age.
When I was 12, writing was something that a person did in secret (if they did it at all). Authors who wrote books lived in far-off, fabled places like Toronto and New York and London. The only writer I knew was the crabby old lady who wrote a weekly screed in the local newspaper. And if I dared show my own amateurish scribblings to my friends, they were just as likely to toss them in a mud puddle as to read them. (Surprisingly, none of them have gone on to become book critics!)
Things have changed a lot in the last 20 years. Now, thanks to organizations like the Writers Guild of Alberta, WordFest and the Young Alberta Book Society, young people have more opportunities to meet writers and develop their own writing than ever before.
The Writers Guild of Alberta’s YouthWrite program is a summer writing camp that is the only program of its kind for young people in Canada. What makes YouthWrite unique is that it features total immersion in a multi-faceted writing environment.
Held at Kamp Kiwanis in Bragg Creek, the camp welcomes children between the ages of 12 and 14 during the second week of July and youth 15 to 18 in the third week. During their week at camp, participants take classes with writers, actors, musicians and artists. There is also a Blue Pencil Café featuring one-on-one critiquing sessions, readings, evening entertainment and more.
Now in its eighth year, YouthWrite grows in popularity each year as young people often become "repeat customers." YouthWrite has grown in other ways, too. It now offers one-day workshops each February as well as scholarships and contests (this year’s local winners were Jocelyn Edwards and Riley Tickles).
Author and teacher Gail Sidonie Sobat has nurtured YouthWrite over the past eight years, allowing it to reach its current success. "YouthWrite is the camp that we (the instructors and staff) wish we could’ve attended when we were young adults," she says. "It’s an atmosphere of trust and openness that promotes free expression and wordplay. It’s not just about writing – we’re creating literate and thoughtful citizens for tomorrow’s democracy." For more details on this program or to register, call 1-800-665-5354 and ask for Gail or Mark, or visit www.writersguild.ab.ca/youthwrite.htm.
Another youth-oriented program is Book Rapport, the education/youth market component of WordFest. Book Rapport has been designed to bring together authors and students through interactive presentations and is highly regarded by educators as an effective and entertaining way to introduce young people to some of literature’s leading new talents and renowned authors.
Sessions are targeted to specific grade levels, and teachers’ resource guides, with curriculum connections, are available for free with every booking. Some of the authors already booked for this year include playwrights Tomson Highway and Carole Fréchette, Dennis Lee (author of Alligator Pie), New York Times best-selling author Garth Nix, and award-winning Canadian writers Sheree Fitch and Andrea Spalding.
"This program is important because it turns kids on to reading at a young age, before they encounter the stigma of ‘reading is not cool,’" says Book Rapport co-ordinator Rory Mayer. "We’ve seen students come out of these events as though they’d just been to a rock concert – they’re swarming the author, asking for autographs. This program really makes a connection for them and gets them excited about reading."
The deadline for schools and parents to receive Book Rapport’s early-bird rate is June 30, so if you’re interested and would like more information on the program, call Rory at the WordFest office (294-7462) or visit www.wordfest.com.
Last but definitely not least in the world of organizations that connect young adults and writers is the Young Alberta Book Society. For 20 years, YABS has presented the Chrysalis Festival, which brings authors, illustrators and storytellers to schools over a one-month period each fall.
"Every October, YABS reaches 50,000 students across Alberta to interest them in the literary arts through a hands-on approach that has a definite lasting impact," says Stephanie Gregorwich, the society’s assistant director. YABS has two programs that help fund visits for schools, but the deadline to apply is June 13, so if you’re interested, visit their Web site today! For more information on becoming involved, either as a participating school or as an author, call the YABS office at 780-422-8232 or visit www.yabs.ab.ca. |
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