Members

Our (Shuswap) Lake of Talents! Last updated March 28th,, 2012

Our pool of talents from across the Shuswap includes writers, authors and poets - published and unpublished, famous and infamous, esteemed and not so steemed....

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    EXECUTIVE   2009- 2011

President - Shirley DeKelver

Vice-President - Judith Benson

Secretary - Joyce Adrian Sotski

Treasurer and Website - Carol Mikkelsen

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    MEMBERSHIP   - we are in the process of writing up our bio's and having our mug   shots done and these are being posted as our procastinating members ever so slowly get them into our webmaster.  If you really want to see what has been posted thus far   scroll way down and see our bevy of beauties

Members
Donna, Benn
Judith Benson
Leslie Blaikie
Lana Caputi
Ellen Davies
Shirley DeKelver
JoAnn Dionne
David Docherty
Ken, Forscutt
Jeanne Hill
Kay Johnston
David MacAulay
Carol Mikkelsen
Stephanie Morin-Davis
Mary Nyland
Jim Osborne
Richard Quaife
Dorothy Rolin
Chris Schon
Cathy Sosnowsky
Joyce Adrian-Sotski
Maureen Stebeck
Marion Williams
Ed Ziola

Shuswap Writers' Group 2011 - 2012

Back row - left to right. Dorothy Rolin, Lani Caputi, Judith Benson, Dick Quaife, Shirley DeKelver, Carol Mikkelsen
Front row - Ellen Davies, Donna Benn, David Docherty
Members not pictured - Joyce Adrain-Sotski, Barbara Alexander, Leslie Blaikie, JoAnn Dionne, Ken Forscutt, Jeanne Hill, Kay Johnston, Stephanie Morin-Davis, Mary Nyland, Chris Schon, Maureen Sebeck, Marion Williams, Ed Zolia
Photo by David Norman Docherty- fine art & commercial photographer www.davidnormanphotgraphy.ca

Shirley DeKelver

Shirley was born in Calgary where she spent over 42 years working as a paralegal in corporate law firms. In 2004 she received a diploma from the Institute of Children's Literature in Writing for children and teenagers and in Marketing Children's books. In 2007 she and her husband retired and moved to White Lake BC. She joined the Shuswap Writers Group. Shirley is an avid reader and photographer and has a deep appreciation for animals and nature.
Shirley had her first book published The Trouble with Mandy. The book is geared for ages 0f 10 to 15 years old. Check out Shirley's web site www.shirleydekelver.com

Carol Mikkelsen

Carol's Salmon Arm roots go back two generations. Special times in her life are her family, her garden, dragon boating, cycling, hiking, golfing and Zumba! All these things have inspired her to write creative non-fiction and poetry. Carol has been a member of the Shuswap Writers Group for 9 years.
Carol is the maker and keeper of the groups website. So if there is any horrible bloopers like, horror of horror's spelling mistakes it will be she who is now named at fault.

Dorothy Rolin

Dorothy writes both fiction and non-fiction short stories. Her passion to preserve the documentation of her family history has led her to a deeper appreciation of all pioneers who came before us. Dorothy's garden on Foothill Road continues to inspire her writing and creative artwork. She has been a member of the Shuswap Writers Group since day one.
Dorothy was instrumental in compiling and publishing her family's history book.

Marion Williams

Marion is a world traveller, editor, and published writer. She has written many short stories and a novel entitled "Master Of The Sinai". She volunteers her time as a pianist at various senior lodges and tutors students in English as a second language (ESL). Marion was helpful in editing many stories in our Anthology IV. She has written a collection of her wonderful short stories which was just published, "a collection of short stories for all ages". Marion now has a blog going and it will be posted on this site for anyone who wishes to read some of her delightful stories.

JoAnn Dionne

JoAnn has lived in Japan, Mexico, China and, more recently, Hong Kong- her home of five years where she worked for a time as an editor at Oxford University Press. JoAnn has written about her time in China in her book Little Emperors a year with the future of china. Currently, she lives in Victoria, British Columbia, but grew up in Salmon Arm.
JoAnn will be in India for a year and we hope to see another book soon keep updated on her blog she is developing, check out her website

Little Emperors a year with the future of China

When JoAnn arrived in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, she came prepared to live and teach elementary school in a communist country. She found many things in the world's oldest country as it was throwing itself headlong into the future along with her students who would live in that future. JoAnn provides a funny, often poignant glimpse of a nation undergoing rapid transformation. Find out more about Joann www.joanndionne.com

Kay Johnston

Kay was born and raised in the Lake District of England. In 1969 she came to Canada on a one year teacher exchange. Kay has a BA in English Literature and a Masters in counselling psychology. Her careers have included being a teacher, counsellor, senior manager with a crown corporation, working as a consultant with the Attorney General and Ministry of Education...But the best was being a rancher.
Kay is working on another book that is close to her heart and love of the First Nations People.
Her love of the First Nations People, their culture and Music is reflected in her first book

SPIRIT OF THE POWWOW that combines her writing and photography. Her other passion is wildlife.

Spirit Of The Powwow

by Kay Johnston & Gloria Nahanee published by Hancock House 2003. Available in Hard and Soft cover.
The 144 pages of photography and text detail every component of powwow. Meet the Nahanee family & learn about the dances, history, regalia, judging and etiquette. Smell the powwow ground. Walk tall in the Grand Entry. Mix with dancers, drummers and singers and listen to them speak to you.
A book designed to build a bridge between cultures.
Contact Kay Johnston @ www.spiritofpowwow.ca

Richard Quaife

Richard T. Quaife; Born, Cranbrook, B.C., 1931. He sat in eleven schools to get his credited education. He has worn many hats but only one ring. Dick's wife Audrey whom he has been married to since 1953 has influenced his writing's. Hidden in his lyric's and lines are his children, their children and his children's grandchildren. His life can be heard in his wonderful songs and poems.
Exciting news, Dick has made a CD with a selection of his very own songs.

Chris Schon

Having grown up in four languages, he can't spell in any of them, writing with prolific epistolary bent from age eight or nine. Professionally, literature has been very much part of his life. Serious writing as both a therapeutic end and in order to simply keep track of his many interests dates from the past two decades. This love affair with words keeps him young.

Donna Benn

Donna has always enjoyed writing but delayed doing so while raising a family, working and helping operate her and her husband's business. Finally, twenty years ago, she began to write, selling screenplay and articles on people, disability and camping. She wrote several short stories. After a few years break, she is now working on a novel and back in a painting and art group. Her passions have always been people, why they do what they do and how they connect with others. That whole topic is related to writing and is the reason why she writes. Donna has 9 of her short stories The Eye And All Of Us at www.amazon.com/kindle

Maureen Stebeck

Maureen worked with the Canadian Cancer Society and wrote articles for the Queen Charlotte Islands Observer, stories about people living with cancer. She also wrote a weekly column for the Observer entitled "It's Your Health". Queen Charlotte Islands Economic Development Committee produced a brochure including many photo's for publication. Maureen has produced greeting cards and post cards for sale depicting the Queen Charlotte Islands now called Haida Gwaii.

David Docherty

David has been writing letters, thoughts,poems and pieces of stories for as long as he can remember. He loves "wordsmithing", as he calls it, and has been known to write some decent lines in poetry. Recently he has been developing his story writing skills and is well along in the research for an upcoming historical fiction.

Ken Forscutt

Ken at his book launch and signing. Salmon Arm BC

Ken was born in Winnipeg Manitoba. He completed his flying training in Brandon Manitoba, graduated, then received his wings and license in 1967. His flying career has taken him to many locations in Canada'a North. Ken has documented his adventures, in both prose and poetry. He receives great support from his friends and pilots who have been part of this journey. After 12 years of research, and documentation Ken has completed his first novel.

Lana Caputi

Lana, originally from Ontario, has spent the last 30 years on both sides of the footlights: behind the scenes as director, choreographer, writer of plays and musical revues and on stage dancing, acting, singing and the art of clowning. Founder of the Vancouver Tap Dance Society and world performer, she now resides in the Shuswap enjoying her newly-found love of writing short stories.

Judith Benson

Judith taught elementary school for twenty-five years and now enjoys life as a transplanted retiree in Salmon Arm. She keeps busy writing for children and participating in the writing, reading, choral, environmental and proliteracy in the community.

Jeanne Hill

Jeanne has a background in Nursing and Health Care Administration. Working with people has enriched her appreciation of people and the human condition. Writing experience has included a Master's thesis, essays on health care, professional policy manuals, and biographies related to genealogical research. The mother of four daughters, she has retired to Salmon Arm with her husband Dennis.

Ellen Davies

Ellen grow up with two dogs, two cats and a brother. She ran away from Ontario and became a children's librarian. It dawned on her that writing stories was much fun as performing puppet plays, answering reference questions or entertaining children. She now lives in Salmon Arm, with five cats,assorted ants and grandma's piano.

Joyce Adrian Sotski

Joyce freelances as a multimedia developer. She builds web sites and other interactive projects for both internet and CD ROM delivery; Her background includes an extensive 25 year career as a graphic artist in the printing industry. In her personal life she calls herself mother, wife, sister, cousin, aunt and a friend to many. She has a passion for the arts and enjoys working as a fine artist in various mediums, digitally, as well asa in oils, watercolours, graphite -- and words. Joyce's favourite hobbies are reading and hiking. Friday afternoons in the summer you will find her climbing a little mountain or following a babbling brook with friends. See her web site http://www.adria.ca/ or visit Joyce's other site http:http://intheshuswap.ca

Cathy Sosnowsky

Cathy grew up and studied in Vancouver, BC, and went on to teach at UBC and Langara College. Her specialty was English literature, but she was also instrumental in establishing courses in Film Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies.
After losing her teenage son in a freak accident, Cathy turned to the writing of poetry and to the support of the international bereavement group, The Compassionate Friends. She has presented poems from her collection Holding On:Poems For Alex at international conferences and on CBC radio. Her short stories and essays have been published in the Globe and Mail and Room Magazine. She offers writing and healing workshops locally and internationally, and since the publication of her memoir, Snapshots of Love, Loss and Life, she also gives workshops on memoir writing.
Cathy now lives in Salmon Arm, is the international liaison of The Compassionate Friends.
See her website www.cathysosnowsky.com