A Visit with Ian Williams

Our March/April program opened with a very stimulating presentation by Ian Williams, currently Canadian writer-in-residence in the Distinguished Writers Program at the University of Calgary. A gifted student, an accomplished author and an inspirational speaker, he fully captured our attention.

In keeping with our theme, “Nobel literary recipients”, Williams selected six laureates whom he lists as his favorites, They are:

Alice Munro, Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Samuel Beckett, T.S. Eliott and William Butler Yeates

Williams’ choice of favorites stems from his analysis of what makes the Nobel Prize winner’s work deserving of honor. He stated that he wants the writer to sound like no other writer; they are not apologetic about sounding like themselves. Writing that strikes a vision appeals to him. He appreciates the tenderness explored and evidenced in the works of laureates placed on his register of favorites.

To illustrate his rationale for including the above listed authors on his preferred list, Williams read excerpts from selected works of each writer. We were impressed with his sensitive , enthusiastic rendering of each extract. His brief comments on each writer’s unique style and/or intent, often humorously expressed, added to the overall experience. . Williams, quite obviously, merits our attention. The CBC named him as “one of ten Canadian writers to watch”. And watch him we will, through his writing:

Personals (poetry)

Not Anyone’s Anything (fiction)

You Know Who You Are (poetry)

Calgary Writers in Residence: Rosemary Nixon and Ian Williams

We “bookended” 2014 with our delightful Guest Speaker, Rosemary Nixon, the Calgary Public Library’s Writer in Residence Fall 2014. With her residency finished, she is now setting her sail from the Memorial Park Library to… well, I won’t spoil the surprise. If you are an armchair traveller or a writer honing your skills,  check out her blog!

So it is fitting that we launch our spring session on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 with Guest Speaker, Ian Williams, Writer in Residence at the University of Calgary.  We look forward to meeting all of our members again and hope you have reserved your Tuesday afternoons in March and April as our members present their papers on Nobel prize winning authors. If you are not a member but would be interested in attending Ian Williams’ or a future meeting, please click on Join Us for further information.