If it hadn鈥檛 been for writing, Joseph Boyden might not have made it out of his teens alive.
That鈥檚 one of the stories the celebrated Canadian author hopes to relay to around 300 Sea to Sky students on Monday (Oct. 20) as part of the Whistler Readers and Writers Festival, which will feature readings and workshops for the public from Oct. 17 鈥 19.聽
鈥淚 attempted suicide at age 16 and managed to live, but then I started writing to express what was hurting inside, which led to writing more,鈥 said Boyden. 鈥淚 do plenty of school (events) when I get a chance up in Ontario and around Canada. A lot of kids appreciate the idea of writing.鈥
Officially dubbed the Authors in Schools program, the event will include Grade 11 and 12 students from 撸奶社区to hear Boyden, who has a host of awards to his name (including a Giller Prize) and poet Katherina Vermette (who earned a 2013 Governor General鈥檚 Literary Award) speak. They will also have a chance to ask the writers questions.聽
Thanks to a grant from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, as well as some funding from the B.C. Arts Council, the students are studying various books by the writers and preparing in class for the session.聽
Last year, the program ran as a pilot project and included around 80 Grade 12 students studying author Richard Wagamese.
鈥淚t was a huge success last year,鈥 said Stella Harvey, director of the festival. 鈥淭he kids were enthralled. They asked lots of questions. It was magical. That鈥檚 the only way I could describe it. To have the kids so engaged and paying attention and to have such a good presenter, it came together so well.鈥
New this year, the festival will invite local authors Sue Oakey-Baker and Sarah Leach to speak to students from Grades 4 鈥 10 in November.聽
鈥淚 try to feature local authors as well as authors from other places,鈥 Harvey said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an important thing to do because we have our own homegrown talent, which we鈥檙e proud of. It seemed like a logical extension that we do something that also features local authors.鈥
Joanna Hindle, who teaches at Xet鈥檕lacw Community School in Mt. Currie, said students there are reading different books by Boyden 鈥 including Born With a Tooth, Three Day Road and The Orenda 鈥 as well as Vermette鈥檚 poetry to prepare. At the First Nation鈥檚 school, Boyden鈥檚 stories about Aboriginal history and issues have resonated with them, she added.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 the validation that their culture is relevant and important and worthwhile that everybody (is) reading it,鈥 she said.聽
But on top of that, having a famous author talk about the writing process is invaluable.聽
鈥淭eaching the writing process has always been extremely difficult. It鈥檚 why I鈥檓 still teaching after all these years. It鈥檚 a constant challenge. How do you motivate people to want to write and write well? How do you teach writing in a [community] that honours an oral culture? To have these [writers] for them it moves it from being role models to being mentors,鈥 she said.聽
The other major benefit of the program is offering students new books to study.聽
鈥淲e鈥檙e severely underfunded per kid by the dollar,鈥 Hindle said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way I鈥檇 be able to buy an entire class The Orenda. We鈥檙e so grateful for the opportunity to read the book.鈥澛
For more information visit whistlerwritersfest.ca.