Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) is celebrating local authors with the unveiling of the 2021 Emerging Local Authors Collection.
The collection, now in its sixth year, features self-published, independent, and small press books written by local authors and published between 2010 and 2019. Print books from the current collection are showcased at the library’s Central Branch and can be placed on hold for pickup at any branch. Ebooks are made available through BiblioBoard, a digital platform for self-published content.
“The Emerging Local Authors Collection is an initiative we developed to celebrate Greater Victoria’s rich writing culture. We are thrilled to have created a platform that supports the creativity and talents of our community’s writers and artists. To date, 871 unique titles and 679 authors have been part of the collection. We have featured authors who have ranged in age from six to 90-plus. This year’s collection includes 121 authors and 142 unique titles,” said Maureen Sawa, CEO of the Greater Victoria Public Library.
Each fall, GVPL invites aspiring authors to apply to take part in its Emerging Local Authors Collection. To be eligible to participate, authors or illustrators must live on southern Vancouver Island or have resided there during the time of the publication of their book. Traditionally, the new series of books included in the collection is unveiled during an afternoon reception held in celebration of the authors at the Central Branch Courtyard. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s authors are being honored with a video at www.gvpl.ca.
“Congratulations to this year’s authors. The launch of the Emerging Local Authors Collection is always such a special time for our authors and their friends and family, and our staff. We are celebrating a little differently this year but that does not detract from the very notable accomplishments of these authors, or the enormous pride we all feel. The talent of our local writers and artists continues to inspire me and is a testimony to how the literary arts enrich our lives and the community,” added Sawa.
This year’s collection features a variety of genres and subject matters that reflect and celebrate the diversity of the community. It features two authors who have had books published as part of all six Emerging Local Authors Collections and a number of memoirs, biographies, mysteries and thrillers.
The collection includes a book from Vic Parsons entitled Bad Blood: The Unspeakable Truth, which examines the causes of what many have called the most significant public health issue in our country’s history, the tainted blood tragedy. It also includes When Life Starts in the Middle by Trudy Chiswell, a motivational memoir about one woman’s journey from struggling with a poor self-image to being an enthusiastic adventurer.
GVPL will be accepting applications for the seventh annual Emerging Local Authors Collection next fall. For more information about the 2021 Emerging Local Authors Collection, click here.