Greetings to you on this soft spring morning!
I know. I know. I’ve been delinquent. Now, however, I understand that there will be a link to this blog as a result of my having finally registered for the Write!Canada 2010 conference in Guelph. NOT the thing to have people check out a moribund blog.
I’ve been so book-bound (pun intended) for the past year, there has been no time to “blog”.
Apologies, but not for the book; I’m very happy about its contents. My focus is on getting it out there — once one has sifted through its jewels, it sells itself.
“What book?” did you say? Thought you’d never ask. Grandmothers’ Necklace, the anthology for which I sent out the Call for Submissions over a year ago, has had a 2000-book printing and the printing of the second 2000, with some alterations, is about to be completed! The poetry and prose contributions are many and varied and captivating…a veritable treasure chest.
It’s about grandmothers, being grandmothers, aging and intergenerational relationships. Laugh-out-loud or chuckle humour, empathy, lyricism, nostalgia, close calls, even a recipe — It’s all there!
There have been newspaper and periodical articles and radio interviews, launches in Ottawa valley communities and Belleville, with many more launches and reading events to come, in Ontario (see below), and at least one Nova Scotia site.
The talents and energy of the contributors are amazing. This is a Petawawa Grannies project but other Grannies groups are adding their support when the sales and special events occur. The Granny groups all exist for the same purpose. Our Irish contributor, also a song writer, is right now promoting the books while she is in the Southern U.S. right now. (You read that correctly.) I’m waiting for event reports back from our United States contributors.
As you’ll know, if you’ve Googled “Grandmothers’ Necklace “or “Grandmothers’ Necklace + launches”, these gems have been gathered so that ALL of the profits go to the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, a part of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, to fight AIDS and HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa .
The particular focus of this campaign is on the Grandmothers (no surprise there!) and the AIDS-orphaned grandchildren they are working so valiantly to raise under conditions that most of us would not even want to think about, let alone endure day in and day out in our final years (and I think I’m tired after an Easter weekend of very energetic grandchildren!).
“Where can I hear these gems being read and buy a signed book?”
Local contributors read their own in their area. Some travel to other areas. Some favourites by distant contributors are also read by local readers so guests can enjoy them. So far, the launches have been very successful events, lasting two to two and one half hours if people feel like staying to chat after the munchies, buying and signings.
From my What’s Up.doc, firmly on the calendar for the near future:
Saturday, April 24th 7:30 pm – 9:00/9:30 ToGoGo Grannies SLF fundraiser concert. Our book table for sales at intermission and after concert.
Toronto, ON.
Linda Dawn Pettigrew, writer and now a ToGoGo Granny, in charge of the table. linda.pettigrew3@sympatico.ca
Sunday, April 25th - Post a.m. service, READINGS, SALES, SIGNINGS at St Timothy's Presbyterian Church, 97 Burcher Road Ajax,ON L1S 2R3 - (905) 683-6122
June Stevenson junestevenson@sympatico.ca
Saturday, May 1, 2-5 KITCHENER LAUNCH Authors’ readings & book sales, St. Philip’s Lutheran Church, 236 Woodhaven Road, Kitchener, ON on Sat.,May 1st, 2-5 pm.
Carolyn Wilker ari.edit@rogers.com
Friday, May 7th 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., TORONTO LAUNCH - Authors’ Readings & Book Sales, Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church,140 Guildwood Parkway in Scarborough, ON
Cori Mordaunt,cori_mordaunt@rogers.com
Sunday, May 9 MOTHER’S DAY Hint! Hint! Hint!
If you are going to buy the book later at a launch, and wish to have a little gift card attachment with the book's picture that you can print off to give to your mother, grandmother, aunt, etc. to tell them that the gift is coming, contact me at granniesnecklace@hotmail.com
Saturday, May 29 1:30 to 3:30 OTTAWA LAUNCHreadings, refreshments, signings and sales, OTTAWA, ON, Main Library 120 Metcalfe, Ottawa ON K1P 5M2
LIBRARY NUMBER 613-580-2945
Patricia at granniesnecklace@hotmail.com
Sunday, May 30th "Artists & Authors in the Park", 12:00 Noon - 5:00 p.m., STITTSVILLE, ON Displays, barbecue, concert
Petawawa Grannies and the Kilimanjaro Grannies are sharing a book table
Patricia at granniesnecklace@hotmail.com
Thursday,June 17th,BOOK TABLE!at WRITE!CANADA GUELPH Writers' Conference Participants only
Friday, June 18th BOOK TABLE!at WRITE!CANADA 2010 Writers' Conference Participants only
Saturday, June 19th BOOK TABLE! WRITE!CANADA 2010 Writers' Conference Participants only
Thursday, June 24th AFRIGAN,TORONTO - BOOK TABLE, African and Canadian Grannies only.
Friday, June 25th, AFRIGAN, TORONTO - BOOK TABLE, African and Canadian Grannies only.
“Where else can I buy copies of the book?” Dear reader, you ask all the right questions. The number of outlets increases daily, but I’ll pass those we have so far on to you tomorrow:
“Can I get them on line?” Yes. Check out www.presbyterian.ca/bookroom/ (The book is one of those featured in their April e-letter - Hooray!) OR http://essencebookstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1381
Another place to keep up on what is happening concerning the book itself is at http://www.valleyartisans.com/grandmothersnecklace.htm , a page being managed for us as a kindness by Leslie White, Valley Artisans, on their Gallery site: http://www.valleyartisans.com/.
So, tomorrow, you'll be let in on the outlets. Thank you for caring.
