by Rosemary Keevil

Connecting with other writers through mentoring: When the teacher is ready the student will appear. I have been a journalist for decades and it took what seems like forever to write my memoir: The Art of Losing It: A Memoir of Grief and Addiction. It will be published this October by She Writes Press, named 2019 Indie Publisher of the Year.

Some six months before the publication date I was approached by two women, both in their thirties (half my age) asking if I would help them write their memoirs.  One is a former colleague from the University of British Columbia School of Journalism which I attended about nine years ago. The other aspiring author was a woman I met in a recovery support group. I was flabbergasted that they thought I had something to offer.

As I started working with these talented writers, however, I realized I have garnered some wisdom over the years. It also feels like I’m giving back. I look forward to sharing part of my story at the WWF Writers of Non-Fiction Reading Event on October 17th at 10:30 a.m. Fellow authors on the panel will be David A. Robertson (Black Water: Family, Legacy and Blood Memory) and Janie Brown (Radical Acts of Love: How we find hope at the end of life).