August 2026 Newsletter

“First say to yourself what you would be and then do what you have to do.” Epictetus

f you read nothing else in my newsletter this month, please read my letter to the Whistler Writers Festival in support of its fund-raising goals (more about the fundraiser later in my newsletter) and specifically to support the Authors in the Schools Program. Please give what you can and thank you for all you do for this and all our other programming.

In keeping with the theme of this month’s quote, I also give you a link to an incredible speech given by New York mayor, Zohran Mamdani on Nelson Mandala Day celebrated on the 16th of July. Mr. Mamdani captures all that needs to be said about the state of the world at the moment and what we must each do to make the world a better place.

Wishing you a Happy August.

Writing:

I received further edits for my novel, Disruption and have incorporated many of those edits. I also continued working on Book 2 of Bouboulina, my graphic novel. I’m not great at juggling two writing projects at the same time, so Bouboulina has taken a back seat in July. It will have its day and time soon.

Upcoming Events:

As I mentioned last month and above, to celebrate the Whistler Writers Festival’s 25th birthday, The Whistler Writing Society has launched a special “25 for 25 Fundraising Campaign.” The goal is to raise $25,000, equalling $1,000 for each year of the festival. This will ensure that the festival and all our year-round programming continues to make a positive impact in the community. There is still time to donate here. A gift of any amount makes a difference and is greatly appreciated. Thank you to all of you who have supported the “little festival that could” over the last 25 years. We couldn’t have done it without you. On another note, I had a wonderful meeting last month with the Artistic Director of the San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival, which takes place February 10–14, 2027, in the enchanting UNESCO World Heritage city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

For more than two decades, the Conference has been one of North America’s premier literary events, bringing together internationally acclaimed authors, poets, editors, literary agents, publishers, and passionate readers for five unforgettable days of inspiration, learning, and connection.

Whether you’re just beginning your writing journey, looking to take your work to the next level, or simply love great books and conversations, this Conference offers an inspiring, welcoming community where stories truly bring people together.

And they run a writing contest too, welcoming Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction/Memoir submissions from emerging writers. Check out the details HERE.

Important Dates

• Contest Submission Deadline: September 15, 2026
• Winners Announced: November 15, 2026

Meet This Year’s Judges

• Poetry: Pamela Uschuk
• Fiction: Ivy Pochoda
• Creative Nonfiction/Memoir: Ben Widdicombe

Winners will receive “The Works” Conference Package for the 2027 Conference and the opportunity to be recognized during the Festival.

Awesome Achievements:

The Forensic Healer, the podcast dedicated to questioning the status quo, breaking down systemic barriers, and rewriting the rules for women in medicine is hosted by my former SFU Writers Studio student, Dr. Barinder Singh. This show takes a microscopic look at the unique challenges, untold stories, and institutional hurdles women face across healthcare fields. New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Step into the clinic with us—hit the + Follow button so you never miss a breakthrough, and join our community on Instagram at @theforensichealer.

Book Recommendations:

Here are the books I read in July.

This novel was recommended to me by my former student, Dr. William (Bill) Campbell, whose own novel, Soldier for the Union was released this month and is set during the American civil war. In contrast, The Vanishing Half, is set in the late 1960s through to the 1980s and focuses on the lives of identical twins who initially are inseparable until one decides she wants to make a better life for herself and leaves her sister behind without a word about where she has gone. We then follow both their lives, one a life of affluence built on lies that must always be protected, the other a life of struggle and poverty. The daughters of each sister later accidentally meet and determine their relationship to each other. Beautifully written with a complicated cast of characters and storyline, this novel deals with both the historical context of the 60s and 70s (and likely continues today) for Blacks in the United States and what some are willing to give up to simply belong and eke out a better life for themselves. Here is a review from The Guardian.

Recommended by Isabella Mori another former student of mine and author, this book, written as a comic book, outlines the key elements of storytelling through comics and graphic novels. While the book does not take a step-by-step approach, it does provide historical context as well as the scope of this art form, and how it can be used to tell a story. Well written and drawn. Here is a review from Knowledge Lost.

The protagonist in this novel is Casey Peabody. Her mother went on a holiday and passed away, leaving Casey adrift and grieving. She works in a restaurant, is heavy in debt and dreams of completing her first novel, yet can’t focus on writing. This novel is about loss and grief and finding a way to follow your dreams despite the obstacles and losses we all face in life. Here is a review from [The Guardian](The protagonist in this novel is Casey Peabody. Her mother went on a holiday and passed away, leaving Casey adrift and grieving. She works in a restaurant, is heavy in debt and dreams of completing her first novel, yet can’t focus on writing. This novel is about loss and grief and finding a way to follow your dreams despite the obstacles and losses we all face in life. Here is a review from The Guardian.).

By no means an easy read, The Adversary , set in the early 1800s, is the story of a brother and sister (both despicable and manipulative in their own way) who own rival mercantile operations in an isolated community in Newfoundland. I very much liked the use of Old English expressions in some of the scenes, which placed the reader and showed us who the characters were, but the corruption, brutality, and violence, while no doubt endemic to this period of time, was unending and certainly difficult to fathom. Still, I always enjoy Michael Crummey’s poetic voice and storytelling. Here is a review from [Quill and Quire[(https://quillandquire.com/review/the-adversary/).

A series of snippets in the lives of various artists, this collection’s stories introduce us to characters who struggle to find the time and their way to their art. Artists are at the heart of these stories, which is reflected in both the art in this book and the unique fantastical storytelling. My favourite story in this collection, was Twelve Forecasts , which very much relates to the challenges a writer faces. I particularly liked the last lines of this story, “Consider your own sensations of numbness. What is trueness, exactitude. Sometime soon, these details will move you.” Here is a review from The BC Review.

As with his other books, journalist Joe Sacco makes the stories and headlines we read about today accessible to readers through his graphic books. This book documents his time in Gaza in the early 2000s, his goal to understand what happened during the 1956 massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. Through interviews with locals as well as Israeli authorities, the reader begins to understand the conflict that given the current situation in Palestine, never seems to end and in fact, appears to have been repeated throughout history. An excellent but difficult read given the violence that continues to occur unabated. Here is a review from University of Toronto.

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Talk to you soon. Take care. Stella