"Authors are just people -- we're just people that you'll meet on the street, and it's important for [everyone] to see and to hear us local authors sharing our stories," shared local author Betty McGillivray.
It's Book Week in Saskatchewan, celebrating authors telling diverse stories from all walks of life. SaskBooks, the provincial creative industry association for book publishers in the province, is holding events to showcase local talent. Last night, Westview School heard from authors Betty McGillivray and William Schroeder, who talked about the importance of hearing from local voices.
"I love reading, so it's been a dream of mine for a long time to be an author. There are stories of all kinds out there for people, whatever interests you, you can find those stories. I wrote my book because I just wanted to share funny, light-hearted experiences that people might enjoy -- and I'm hoping they do," McGillivray said.
'Fun Is Where You Make It' is a collection of stories based on funny things that McGillivray has encountered in her adult life. While she was a teacher by trade, she added that a lot of her book talks about situations that could happen to anyone. She gave examples such as buying her first car, going on family vacations, and driving to hockey camps with her sons, to name a few.
"I have strange things happen to me, so I tell these crazy stories. In between the chapters are funny things that either students, or my own children, or children I've heard in the community -- funny things they say, and I've got those in between the chapters."
McGillivray shared that her favourite book is 'Anne of Green Gables' by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. A timeless classic, the book is about an orphan named Anne Shirley, her adventures and experiences. McGillivray noted that she sees a lot of parallels between her and Anne, as both became teachers.
"From my perspective, reading books is a way of of enlightening your mind. It's a a way of you to become totally immersed in the subject and not just like looking at it on the screen. Your mind becomes involved in the story and that's why I think, you know, reading is so important then, because it's something that's going to be with you your whole life," Schroeder said.
Hailing from central Saskatchewan, William Schroeder wrote the book 'Trees Against the Wind'. It's the non-fiction story of how tree planting started in the province. The book goes back to pre-settlement to cement the importance of trees in the development of agriculture in the prairies.
He also championed local authors telling their stories, advocating for more to be told.
"From my perspective, it's very important because it's real. I write nonfiction, so it's historical non-fiction. I think its history is what's important. If you can get it from a local perspective, people appreciate that. And, I find people that read my book...they can relate to it because it's about where they were, you know, where they were growing up, where they where they live."
As a non-fiction fan, Schroeder shared that his favourite book is Sigurd F. Olson's The Lonely Land. First published in 1961, the book talks about the author and five of his friends who paddled through Churchill River in Northern Saskatchewan.