Whether poetry or prose, whether writing for family or business or publication, whether the audience is children or adults: every word matters. Participants write, discuss and try out surprising strategies that will sharpen their own word mastery. Focused guided exercises lead to effective writing and pages with energy, authenticity and sparkle. No experience necessary. Bring sense of humour. Wear comfortable clothes. (*This is a workshop for those 18 and over.)
About the author/instructor:
Sheree Fitch has been a groundbreaking force in the literary arts and literary community in the Maritimes and throughout Canada. Creating from "the land of the imagination in the country that is childhood," Sheree's singularity and unique voice, visions and award-winning books and storytelling have left their mark on two generations of children and families and influenced a whole generation of writers from Ecum Secum to the Himalayas in Bhutan and many places in between.
Highlights include performing and representing Canada at the Canada Day Celebrations at the Canadian Embassy; performing at the Washington National Cathedral; and performing at the Library of Congress. She was part of a Cultural Arts exchange in Mexico, as well as an invited author representing Nova Scotia in international schools in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, China, Belize, Thailand, and Vietnam. Sheree has brought this rich international experience back to the Canadian literary community.
As a Nova Scotia writer Sheree has twice been a writer-in-residence in the country of Bhutan, helping to foster an indigenous literature for Bhutanese children, and was four times writer in residence in a healing and writing camp in Nunavut. For the Vancouver International Writers Festival she was the first writer-in-residence in their school outreach program in Nelson B.C. Closer to home she was the 2013/2014 Pictou-Antigonish Writer-in-Residence program. In thanking her, the town of New Glasgow and the municipality of the County of Pictou officially recognized her for "inspiring contribution and leadership and for sharing her creativity, messages and talents" as they celebrated National Poetry Month.
Among other awards, she hold three honorary doctorates from Canadian universities for her contribution to Canadian literature, education and for her work as a literacy advocate and activist for social justice, especially issues affecting women and children.
In Spring 2015, Sheree was UPEI writer-in-residence and Summer 2015 Winterset Writer in Residence at Terra Nova Park in Newfoundland. In the fall 2015 appeared at the Telling Tales Festival in Rockton. Now at work in community and on a novel to be published by Doubleday Canada in 2017, Majorly Weird and Freakwently Wonderful, she is also co-editing an anthology of poetry for children by poets of Atlantic Canada.
She lives with her husband, Gilles Plante and some critters on Happy Doodle Do Hobby farm in River John.
For more information, please visit Sheree's website,
www.shereefitch.com.