Writing and reading go hand and hand.
And the writers at the Coffee Break Cafe on Oct. 20 agree since all of them talked about their love of libraries before reading their own work.
Hazel Kellner talked about a one-room school house and community book box deliveries that was her only connection to any form of library services.
She聽 would wait anxiously for the new boxes to arrive with, to her,聽 a brand new collection of things to read.
Being a librarian kept her touch with books for many years, says Kellner but she was reader and a writer long before then.
鈥淚 was a reader first so I just read everything.鈥� Says Kellner.
Janice Dick鈥檚 first book came out in 2002. She read a short story that is available in ebook form on her website. She had a memorable trip to the library in Grade 4. When the whole class had to write an essay on the trip, Dick says she won first place and still has the book that was her prize.
鈥淟ibraries, I just come in and the look of all the books makes me feel good.鈥�
Libraries are still just as welcoming, says Dick, they鈥檝e just expanded on what they have to offer.
Loretta Polischuk took every opportunity she had to read. Growing up, she did not have a library in her school in Regina. She would take her little book bag and walk 13 blocks to get to the book trailer where she would borrow books. After she had children and started teaching, again, she took every opportunity she had to read to her students.
鈥淣ow, I鈥檓 just happy that I get to come to libraries and read.鈥�
Dee Robertson has worked as a teacher, journalist and writer for many decades, writing adventure, boating and travel stories. She read a true story that was published in 1982 about the fate of a boat she once owned.
For her, writing non-fiction is easy.
鈥淭he material is there. It鈥檚 a matter of recalling it where (fiction writers) have to think about, make it up, find it out there in the air.鈥�
Her own writing career, as with many authors, she says, came from a deep love of books.
鈥淎ll of us were so dependant. We didn鈥檛 have our own books, certainly in my young years. So libraries were the integral part of our lives.鈥�
Life seemed to get in the way for some of the authors, says Kellner.聽 Her own writing took a back seat to a full time job and a familty. It wasn鈥檛 until she retired that she picked it up and started writing again.
Polischuk has written聽 all of her life but just recently started to work at getting her work published.
This seems to be a common theme for older authors, says Kellner but now she is seeing a trend of young women writing on top of everything else in their lives.
鈥淣owadays I see young women being able to juggle all these things...they write book after book and have four children at home.鈥� Says Kellner.
