Anne Marshall

This week we welcome Anne Marshall. Writing fiction is a passion for Anne, who has spent a lifetime in hospitality – networking and delivering adventure-packed experiences for others. Anne has travelled extensively as a business person, tourist and intrepid adventurer – alone and with her partner Peter Elmhirst. Her travels include walking the Camino, motorcycling across Europe and the Americas, camping and enjoying life in a homebuilt camper van; always curious about the story behind the story, the people and the customs of the land. Recently Anne was inducted into the Tourism Industry Association of Canada Hall of Fame, recognizing her career and volunteer work in the industry. The Reckless series incorporates her love of travel and characters she has encountered along the way, embracing mature relationships and romance. You are never too old to be reckless in love. Home is on the north shore of Rice Lake in the Kawarthas.

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Michael Croucher

Join us to hear Michael Croucher tell us about his recent writing. Michael was part of the Toronto Police Department for 18 years, and served on The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit investigating organized crime. Following his police career, he was either self-employed, or contracted in sales or sales management. A multiple award –winning writer, he has published two novels, and is working on his third. He has steadily built a collection of short stories, many of which have been published in various anthologies. He is planning to release his collection in 2023.

When he’s not writing, Mike reads a great deal, mostly fiction. He has travelled extensively in Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, North and South America, and the Pacific. Occasionally, when he travelled he took rides on well-known trains. Among others, he has travelled on The Red Prussian in East Germany, the Flying Scotsman from London to York, and New Zealand’s Silver Fern.

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Patricia Calder

Join us to hear about Patricia Calder’s new book I FLEW INTO TROUBLE. Born into a prolific family of eight writers, Patricia Calder dreamed of becoming a writer herself. However, the travel bug hit and she lived in Europe for a year, visiting 22 countries. Then began a 30-year teaching career which included Writer’s Craft and Journalism. Meanwhile she kept the dream alive studying fiction writing under Canadian authors such as Matt Cohen.

She published a novel, Roadblock and is working on a story about her Uncle Jack called I Flew into Trouble. Her grandmother’s World War II scrapbook has recently been accepted into the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. She has also published splendid photographic records of her visits to the see the Spirit Bears in BC and the wild horses of Sable Island in Nova Scotia.

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Marie-Lynn Hammond

Join us for our latest conversation with Marie-Lynn Hammond. Marie-Lynn is a bilingual singer-songwriter, playwright, editor, writer, and occasional poet who happily moved to Cobourg eight years ago. She has published four plays and more than 50 articles and radio essays. Her play Beautiful Deeds/De Beaux Gestes was co-produced by Théâtre du P’tit Bonheur (Toronto) and the Manitoba Theatre Centre (Winnipeg). A 1987 production was seen at the Persephone Theatre (Saskatoon), at the National Arts Centre, and elsewhere. It was also successfully revived at the Spirit of the Hills Festival of the Arts in 2017. A founding member of Stringband, one of Canada’s seminal folk groups, she’s known for her original songs, which often tell uniquely Canadian stories. A passionate animal advocate, she can frequently be found rescuing cats.

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Heather M. O’Connor

This week we talk to Heather M. O’Connor, who is an award-winning writer of books for kids and teens. She is also an editor and workshop presenter. Her debut novel, The Betting Game was published by Orca Books in 2015. Her first picture book Fast Friends, illustrated by Claudia Dávila, is published by Scholastic Canada and was released in both English and French on July 21st, 2020. She also writes short stories, fantasy and historical fiction. Her latest book is Runs with the Stars which she wrote in collaboration with Darcy Whitecrow and is published in both English and Cree editions by Second Story Press. Heather lives in Peterborough, Ontario.

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Karin Wells

Today’s programme is a repeat of our interviews with Karin Wells about her book, The Abortion Caravan: When Women Shut Down Government in the Battle for the Right to Choose. Join us to hear Karin talk about this important step in the fight for women’s right to choose, in Canada. She also shares with us why, as one of Canada’s best known documentary makers and the winner of many awards, decided to write a book about this event.

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Ted Staunton

This week we welcome Ted Staunton, the author of well over 40 books; he writes everything from YA and mid-grade novels to Hi-Los, non-fiction, early chapter books, and of course picture books. His YA novel Who I’m Not won the 2014 CCBC John Spray Mystery Award. Ted’s work has also been nominated for Silver Birch, Red Maple, Hackmatack, Arthur Ellis, and BC Stellar awards. Trained as a teacher, Ted is a speaker, performer, and workshop leader in schools, libraries and venues across Canada. As well, he teaches the Writing Children’s Fiction courses at George Brown College. He has also travelled to Ethiopia several times to work with English language writers and editors there. When he’s not writing, Ted plays in the MAPLE LEAF CHAMPIONS JUG BAND. (He always brings his guitar and banjo to school presentations too.) He enjoys running, reading and writing and listening to music. Born young, he is now older. Ted and his family live in Port Hope, Ontario.

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Tom Gannon Hamilton

This week we talk to Tom Gannon Hamilton, poet, musician and academic. Tom Gannon Hamilton (Urban Folk Art Salon — Founder/Curator/Host) has been published extensively in literary periodicals and anthologies: Dalhousie Review, Vallum (Canada) Lummox (USA), Verse&Voice (Hong Kong), Voices of Israel and numerous others. His poem Non-Consultant won First Prize in The Ontario Poetry Society (2021) “As Love Lies Bleeding” competition, judged by George Elliot Clarke. El Marillo was awarded First Prize in the 2018 Big Pond Rumours Chapbook Contest. Tom’s full length collections are the critically acclaimed Panoptic (2018) and The Mezzo Soprano Dines Alone (2021), both from Aeolus House. Dr. Hamilton’s scholarly works include an MA Thesis (Inside the Words: The Rise of Dub Poetry 1984) and PhD dissertation (A Poetics of Possibility, 2001). Career Musician since age 14, multi-instrumentalist, virtuoso violinist, Dr. Tom appeared in the TV series Murdoch Mysteries, Netflix production American Gods and feature film Shape of Water which swept the Oscars in 2018.

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Katie Hoogendam

Today we talk to Meredith K. Hoogendam (Katie/Merkat) is a poet, writer, mother & interdisciplinary artist—including work as a voice over artist and sometime radio host on this station. A former high school teacher and home school educator, she remains interested in educational theory and practice. Folklore, feminism, and a deep love for the natural world inform her art. Her work appears in publications across the U.S. and Canada, including Geez, Mutha & catapult, among others. Her play, Plan X, debuted at the 2019 Spirit of the Hills Northumberland Arts Festival, and her poem “Courage,” was short-listed for Room Magazine’s 2019 Poetry contest. Her most recent collection of poems, Spring Thaw (Glentula Press) launched at Let’s Talk Books in April 2022 as part of their spring reading series. Her next poetry project, Grief Forest, is in the works for 2023. You can find her on Instagram @merkatart.

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Reva Nelson

Join us for a repeat of our conversation with Reva Nelson. Reva is from Hamilton, has a degree in Psychology and Education from Western University, and lived in London, Guelph, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and then Toronto before moving to Cobourg almost 6 years ago. Reva has had several careers, (due to restlessness, not being fired!) as an actor, conference planner, ESL teacher, seminar leader and professional keynote speaker. She was one of the first females in the speaking business, as President of Words Worth Keynotes & and spoke across Canada on Positive Risk-taking and Resilience. Reva is the author of 4 books, Risk It!, Bounce Back!, a memoir—Hippie Chick Abroad, and recently, a book of poetry, Twisted Branches. She volunteers for the Art Gallery, the Civic Awards Committee and several Boards. Reva also writes for newspapers and magazines and enjoys the easy access to the lake and nature that Cobourg offers.

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