Dr. Lewis MacLeod, a professor of English Literature at Trent and the organizer behind the Writers’ Reading Series, says one of the most significant benefits of the popular public series is the bringing together of writer and reader.

“I think both writing and reading can tend to be pretty solitary experiences.  When we read, we have powerful intellectual and emotional experiences, but they're not ordinarily shared with others in any direct way,” he said, adding that the Writers’ Reading Series at Trent provides an ideal venue for uniting readers with authors.

The 2013/14 Writers’ Reading Series got underway in September when David McGimpsey, author of four acclaimed collections of poetry, including Lardcake and Sitcom, read in both Peterborough and Oshawa.  The series continued with Kathleen Winter, author of Giller Prize-finalist Annabel on October 3, and Jessica Grant, author of Come, Thou Tortoise and the story collection Making Light of Tragedy on October 9. Upcoming readings include:

• October 15 - Poet Alexandra Oliver, whose poetry has regularly appeared in journals worldwide, her first collection, Where the English Housewife Shines, was released in 2007
• October 29 - Professor Emeritus and poet Gordon Johnston, author of Inscription Rock and Small Wonder
• November 6 - Richard Greene, author of three books of poetry including Boxing the Compass, winner of the Governor General's Award for Literature in 2010
• November 14 - Michael Lista, author of Bloom, poetry editor of the Walrus and poetry columnist for the National Post

All Writers’ Reading events are held in the Scott House Junior Common Room at Traill College and are free and open to the public. More information can be found on the website. http://www.trentu.ca/english/events.php

About Writers’ Reading

The goal behind the series is to bring acclaimed writers to Peterborough and act as a catalyst for developing lasting connections between the community and some of the country’s most revered voices. The series was founded by faculty members of Trent’s English department over 25 years ago, with retired professor Dr. Orm Mitchell at the head of the project. The main priority of the series is to offer students and the encompassing community insight into the depth of Canada’s literary scene. In recent years, the series has evolved to become more community-oriented by moving its location into the downtown core at Traill College and altering the informal portion of the evening from a by-invitation-only dinner beforehand to an open reception following the presentation.

The evening of a Writers’ Reading series event has developed into an organic process, with writers trusted to take the lead as opposed to being restricted to a regimented formula. Over the years a strong community and reputation has developed around the series, with many writers and guests boasting of the positive experiences. Author guests often refer their colleagues to participate in future events and further suggestions are regularly provided by members of the audience, students, faculty and media representatives. On occasion, the series has been directly approached by authors as well.  From these recommendations a shortlist is developed. Past guests have included writers from Newfoundland across the country to Vancouver, alongside Trent graduates and faculty members. 

An Interview with Author Kathleen Winter

First-year Journalism student Hannah Ellsworth has been attending the Writers’ Reading Series events and had the opportunity interview Annabel author Kathleen Winter. To read the full interview, from the student perspective, visit trentvoice.jux.com

Follow Hannah on Twitter @TrentVoice

Posted on Thursday, October 10, 2013.