Over 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, culture and heritage organizations 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 any of the protest rallies for health reasons, I gathered together the picture books, middle grade novels, and young adult novels by Nova Scotian authors that I’ve acquired over many years of attending book launches. Thanks to the dedication of local publishers Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press, Formac Publishing Company and other respected publishers from coast to coast to coast, these children’s books are still being shared with readers across Canada and around the world. Several of the ones shown above have been nominated for, or have received, provincial, national and international awards.

I want to mention the names of two particular supporters of writers locally and province-wide. Anne O’Connell conducts a weekly interview with authors (simultaneously streamed on Facebook and YouTube) of both traditionally published authors and those published by her company OC Publishing, which offers a hybrid model of bringing a manuscript to print. Sue Slade of the Dartmouth Book Exchange is equally active in the local community, encouraging, promoting and reviewing the works of all Nova Scotian authors. Thank you, Sue!

Years ago, the Head of the Reference Department in the Patrick Power Library (SMU) provided staff with a tour of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and the Legislative Library–both located on the second floor of Province House. I enjoyed the tour very much, especially since our librarian pointed out to me the books related to my great-grandfather A.W. Savary’s years of historical research. The History of the County of Annapolis, including old Port Royal and Acadia….by the late W.A. Calnek is one that my great-grandfather had edited and completed. After the author’s death, a family member asked my great-grandfather if he would read through Calnek’s papers and memoirs and compile them into a publishable supplement. The Supplement to the History of the County of Annapolis sits next to the first, “correcting and and supplying omissions in the previous volume.” As someone who spent much of his life researching and writing about Nova Scotia as well as representing Digby County in the first parliament of Canada (1867-1874), would he have approved of the Premier’s budget cuts to Arts, Culture and Heritage sectors of our economy? I don’t think so!