April 2026 Newsletter

“Write what should not be forgotten” Isabel Allende.

I began looking into some of Isabel Allende’s quotes after my friend,Louis Guzy shared her short video about how to find the perfect idea for a writing project. Finding thewhy for writing, as Ms. Allende states is the first step. I focus on the same question when I start a new project, i.e., why this, why now. Other writers ask themselves the what-if question. My advice: follow whatever gets you to the page. Thank you, Louis for this very useful video.

Happy April everyone. Spring is in the air. Fingers crossed.

Writing:

It’s been a busy month. I am now juggling both my projects and I’m not sure how well I juggle. I received several further edits with respect to my novel,Disruption and have been making changes. So far, I’ve re-read my current draft several times after an additional three rounds of edits. I’m sure there will be more to come. Yikes!

I also continued to work on Book 2 of Bouboulina, the graphic novel, tackling and again revising Chapter 3. That’s as far as I got this month.

Awesome Achievements:

My former SFU Writers Studio student, Mike Irving (2020/21) had his story “Record Heat” about a wildfire shortlisted for the Edinburgh Flash Fiction Awards. It will appear in their compilation of finalists due to be released on November 14th. It’s an incredible honour to be among the top twenty in an international contest that saw over 1,600 entries. Bravo, Mike!

My former teaching assistant, Carmen Farrell (2024/25) from the SFU Writers Studio has had a story published in the Globe and Mail, and another one will soon be published in the Malahat Review. The Globe and Mail piece can be found on Carmen’s website HERE. The second story, entitled, “Say Thank you/Thah-n-uh to Your Camel” will be published in early April in the Malahat Review. Congratulations Carmen!

My friend and author, Gillie Easdon has set up a new Substack where Ma Wam Mess explores tales of warmth and utility as she builds her audience while completing the second draft of her debut Canadian voice-driven experimental upmarket novel. Check out Gillie’s Substack HERE.

Upcoming Events:

1. Leap into spring and revive your creative spirit with an online writing workshop! The Whistler Writers Festival is delighted to host Leanne Toshiko Simpson online in The Shape of You: A Hermit Crab Writing Workshop, on Wednesday April 8, 2026. 6:00-7:30pm PDT. You may remember Leanne from the festival a few years back, and her debut bookNever Been Better . You can find further information about this workshop as well as register HERE.

2. The Whistler Writing Society is pleased to invite all members of the public to its Annual General Meeting and Open Mic night. Join us via Zoom link (AGM only), or in-person (AGM & Open Mic) at the Whistler Public Library, Tuesday April 28, 2026. AGM In-person & Zoom:6:00 – 6:30 p.m. PDT | FREE RSVP Refreshment Break: 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. Open Mic (in-person only): 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

3. Since 2016, the Whistler Independent Book Awards (WIBA) has proudly recognized excellence in Canadian self-publishing. After ten fulfilling years, the WIBA continues to grow and evolve in the book writing world. Along with their continued long-standing partnership with the Whistler Writers Festival and the Whistler Writing Society, WIBA is broadening its scope this year, allowing more self-published authors to submit their works for consideration. Initially, back in 2016, WIBA was more of a British Columbia-based book competition. Over the years, the awards grew into a highly respected and national book competition, ultimately receiving self-published entries from all ten Canadian provinces and three territories.

To mark the beginning of their second decade, the Whistler Independent Book Awards warmly invites non-Canadian self-published authors to enter as well! In addition to their freshly updated website, their newly established presence on Substack will allow them to become more deeply involved in the self-publishing community. Not only will their notes and newsletters provide updates about the awards and its winners but will also offer insights and guidance on self-publishing in general.

The 2026 WIBAs have now officially begun, with submissions open between March 1 and April 30. Full competition details on eligibility criteria, submission requirements, and how to submit, can be found on the website.

Book Recommendations:

Here are the books I read in March.

An epic of a read,Body and Soul chronicles the life of Claude Rawlings, a boy who in his loneliness discovers an old piano and teaches himself how to play. He eventually meets a man in a music shop who begins to mentor Claude and introduces him to his other musical friends. This is a story of a child prodigy , his life’s ups and downs and how he maintains his resolve through his love of music and the kindness of strangers. It was an awesome read with lots of historical elements, although some of the details of music structure left me a bit perplexed. Here is a Kirkus review.

This is the story of a man wrongfully accused of his father’s murder and the people who conspire against him and those who support him, all for their own motives. The themes of love, neglect, wanting and betrayal are captured in this novel as Mr. Richards has done in many of his previous novels. I very much liked the narrator’s storytelling voice that comes back time and time again giving us a bit more insight into each of the complicated characters in this novel. Here is a review from the Literary Review of Canada.

I have always enjoyed Ian McEwan’s work. And this novel is no exception. Told in two major sections, the first section is set in 2119. Thomas Metcalf, a researcher, is trying to find a lost poem written by the long-gone famous poet, Francis Blundy. The second section of the novel is set in 2014, and its narrator is the poet’s wife, Vivien. I liked how the story initially starts in the future in a world hammered by severe climate change and how we eventually find out what happened to the poem through Vivien’s discovered diary. As with all of McEwan’s work, this novel is beautifully rendered and hard to put down. Here is a review from the Washington Independent Review of Books.

This was a different read for me and I’m not sure how I picked it up, i.e., if it was recommended to me or if I read a review that appealed to me. The novel follows a college love gone wrong. Years later, Yash, the lover returns and the main character, Jordan must come to terms with their past. I very much liked the use of the second person references in part 2 of the novel. This approach makes the reader feel Jordan’s attempts to distance herself from Yash. There are some wonderful scenes throughout, and lots of great dialogue. Here is a review from The Guardian.

Thank you for reading my newsletter.

If you liked my newsletter, please share it with your friends. If you’d rather not receive the newsletter, no problem. Just email me and I’ll take you off the list.

Talk to you soon. Take care. Stella