A week ago, the Provincial PC Government of Nova Scotia cut financial support for the Publisher Assistance Program as well as for other community arts and culture programs across this province. As an independently published author, this decision doesn’t affect me personally. But it does affect many of my friends!
Unable to attend a protest rally yesterday, I gathered together the picture books, middle grade novels and young adult novels by Nova Scotian authors that I’ve been collecting over many years. Thanks to the dedication of local traditional publishers Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press, Formac Publishing Company, and other great Canadian publishing houses from coast to coast to coast, these children’s books are being shared with readers across our country and the world.
For those who wish to publish independently, OC Publishing offers two models toward publication–the hybrid and the self-publishing, depending on a client’s experience and needs. Canadian owned Friesen Press, and U.S. owned IngramSpark/Lightning Source are both considered among the best in the way of offering guidance and assistance.
Several of the books on these shelves have been nominated for, or have received provincial, national and international awards. Like all those who rallied across the province yesterday, I had hoped full funding would be restored to help finance those who work in the arts and culture sectors of our economy. As each day passes, he digs his heels in on this decision, and seems to have no intention of budging on the budget. Years ago, with other Reference Department staff from the Patrick Power Library (SMU) I toured the legislative library on the second floor of Province House. I was proud to find books written, or edited and completed by my great-grandfather. One of them was the History of the County of Annapolis, including old Port Royal and Acadia….by the late W.A. Calnek; edited and completed by A.W. Savary. As someone who spent much of his life researching and writing about Nova Scotia, as well as representing ? I don’t think so!
A Dog’s Life in Haiku
Our family dog Bud–now departed–would often spend hours lying beside the pond where he would observe our resident frog, turtle, and goldfish. His eyes told me all I needed to know–that he was feeling the deep joy and love for all living things that we often feel, when we allow ourselves to leave our cars,…
Achieving the Impossible
While browsing my digital photo albums, I came across these pictures and others like it within my annual folders. These images, showing off the skill and patience of my eldest son Ken, speak to me about life and how we might choose to approach it. Several years ago, a member of the writers’ group I…
Identity and Place, A Reflection
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”― C.S. Lewis “Third culture kid” (TCK) is a sociological term coined by Ruth Useem in the 1950s, a phrase that didn’t come into wider use until 1999 with the publication of The Third Culture Kid…
Peggy Pilkey 