C4
 THE FREE PRESS
OUTLOOK
APRIL 13, 2000
Vivian Lougheed
                                                B.C/s best writers gather in the city
   You couldn’t write a better script for the Prince George literary community. The year a record number of local writers join up with the B.C. Federation of Writers, the Fed decides to break with tradition and hold its annual general meeting outside of the southern sprawl. They are coming to Prince George for the big soiree of scribes.
   “It’s the first time in history that it has ever been held outside of the Lower Mainland / Victoria," says Vivien Lougheed, the local representative to the Fed, and consequently one of the chief organizers for this year’s event. She is passionate about why it is important for northern writers to begin asserting themselves and the northern body of work.
   “I don’t think that most communities know Prince George exists, in the sense of literature. We have one person (Elizabeth Wood) in the entire north that goes to the Surrey Writer’s Conference.
                                                                                                             You wouldn’t serve beer in a bar for nothing, would you write for nothing.
   It’s a valuable
                                                                                                               art and you should be paid.
                            And when I asked the writer’s union how they chose readers for the Vancouver Writers Festival I caused an awful lot of caf-.         , ,           fuffle and shuffling, and got
  why WOUld you             no answer. There is a lot
                            going on up here, but they don’t seem to even want to know about it.”
                              They won’t have much choice as of April 28, when the Fed meets in Prince George. Writers from all over the province will be ••••••••••••              mixing with a large local
                            contingent. Registrations have already been going quickly Many workshops and seminars will be held over the weekend. Local workshop leaders include writers Bev Christiansen, Glenn Nicholson, Patty Stewart, Lynne Van Luven, Dee Horne and Brian Thair. The keynote speaker is nationally renowned poet and columnist Susan Musgrave who will take the opportunity to launch her latest book.
   The Fed event is open to any and all. Tickets can be purchased for the dinner, dance and book launch with Susan Musgrave or for the workshops. They are designed to be inexpensive. Many issues will be covered from media criticism to copyright laws to creative writing techniques to the importance of payment for written work.
   “You wouldn’t serve beer in a bar for nothing, why would you write for nothing. It’s a valuable art and you should be paid,” says Vivien. “This event is all about improving your writing, but leadership as well. Writers, especially northern writers, need leadership."
   Applications for the B.C. Federation of Writers annual general meeting are available at the public library, Mosquito Books, Books & Company, CNC library and UNBC library.
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