Learn from activists and writers, and be inspired to find your voice and shout your story, whether it’s through poetry, song, memoir, or whatever grabs you. Building on what you learn at the conference, you will have the opportunity to submit your work later in the summer for inclusion in an anthology that will be published in fall 2022.

This conference is organized by a collaboration between Edmonton Public Library and Calgary Public Library.

Questions? Email [email protected].

Workshops

Anne Frank’s Writing Process: The Arc of Self-Discovery by Maureen McNeil

Our essential question is: How did Anne write a literary work of art during her 26 months as a teenage refugee hiding from the Nazis during World War II? To answer this, we follow Anne’s footsteps through the benefits of daily writing, how to access the innate human skills necessary to become a writer, and the importance of nurturing our inner-self to create a personal vision and set goals. Please bring your questions and a small piece of writing if you wish to share aloud.

With Heart and Research: Writing Inclusive, Diverse Stories by Winnie Yeung

Sharing our stories has the power to move us from tolerance to acceptance. Winnie Yeung explores how thoughtful and well-researched storytelling builds empathy and she offers ideas on how to expand your writing to include diverse characters in authentic, respectful ways. We will also examine the delicate balance between a writer’s craft and imagination that is required when writing outside of your own lived experiences.

Other workshop descriptions will be posted shortly.

Workshop Leaders

Winnie Yeung has been an English teacher for over ten years. Homes is her first book and received extensive critical acclaim. It was shortlisted for both the Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction and the Writers’ Trust Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Homes was also a finalist on CBC’s Canada Reads 2019. Homes was awarded the Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction and named the Alberta Book Publisher 2019 Non-Fiction Book of the Year. Winnie was also awarded the University of Alberta Alumni Award of Excellence for her contribution to the literary community in 2019. When she is not teaching, writing, or reading, Winnie likes to spend her days cooking, baking, and hiking with her black pug, Zoe. Edmonton, Canada is her permanent home, but her writing retreat/tiny home (named, The Mini Winnie, of course) is on Vancouver Island.

Amber Paquette is a Cree and Métis multi-disciplinary artist, filmmaker, poet and the former 6th Historian Laureate for the City of Edmonton. She was born and raised in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta.) Her life’s passion and work have long been inspired by the rich history and culture of her ancestors. Amber has worked as researcher, story-teller and Indigenous People’s Interpreter for several years. Her work with the public has centered on the historic representation of First Nations and Métis communities in Treaty 6 Territory. Her family connections and kinships are rooted in both the Michel and Papaschase First Nations, as well as the Métis Nation of Alberta.

Maureen McNeil is a writer, artist, educator and activist. She has lectured, created writing programs, and taught writing workshops in partnership with schools and arts and culture organizations such as PEN America, Yad Vashem, United Nations, Prison Public Memory Project, Skidmore College, The Morgan Library, New York Alzheimer’s Association, Woodstock Day School and the Hudson Area Library. She consults for Tour for Tolerance in partnership with the Shoah Foundation and the Jewish Heritage Museum, among other social justice organizations.

Keynote Speaker

Gillian Walnes Perry founded the Anne Frank Trust UK in 1990, along with family and friends of Otto Frank, Anne’s father. The Trust has used Anne’s life and inspirational message to educate people about the damage caused by all forms of prejudice and discrimination, and works with young people in schools. Gillian is a regular lecturer on the life and times of Anne Frank, and is the author of The Legacy of Anne Frank.

Special Guest

During lunch, students will also be treated to a special virtual tour of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam!

Gratitude

Edmonton Public Library & Calgary Public Library gratefully acknowledge our donors that make this conference possible, including John Stobbe and the Dutch Canadian Centre, with additional support from the Anne Frank House, Isadore and Florence Burstyn Memorial Fund, KSW Calgary Holocaust Education & Commemoration Endowment Fund, and Viewpoint Foundation.