Spirit of ‘litera-sea’ focus of Yarmouth event

Participating authors and organizers pleased with new event

Among the participants in a Yarmouth event that brought together writers from all over Nova Scotia was Yarmouth County resident Sandra Phinney, who said she welcomed the chance to take part.

Not only was this an opportunity for authors like Phinney to promote their books – as well as chat with members of the public, maybe sign a copy of their latest work – it also enabled them to meet and spend time with some fellow practitioners of the craft, something they don’t often get to do, Phinney said.

Twenty authors had been signed up for the event, although one had to cancel due to illness, said Brandy Berry, customer experience man- Writers had a chance to meet the public and talk about (and sign) their books during an event organized by Coles. It was held July 14 at the Yarmouth Mall. ager with Coles at the Yarmouth Mall, which organized the event. The 20 authors who had signed up were Fraser Mooney, Quentin Casey, Vernon Oickle, Sandra Phinney, Christopher M. Meuse, Alex MacLeod, Genevieve Graham, Leo J. Deveau, Linda Brooks, Rick Conrad, Sue Comeau, Pauline Dakin, Wade Albert White, Joan Dawson, Katie Ingram, Amanda Muis Brown, Brian Douglas Tennyson, Gloria Wesley, Stuart Cresswell and Whitney Moran.

People stopping by had a chance to buy books by the participating authors, which were sold through Coles.

The three-hour, Saturday-afternoon event was held during Seafest. Given the Seafest theme of Spirits by the Sea, organizers of the authors’ gathering promoted their event as the Spirit of Litera-Sea.

“It was originally an idea we had at our store,” Berry said. “We wanted to plan a large-scale author event promoting local authors. In collaborating with the Yarmouth Mall and with the timing of the event, it seemed kismet to partner with Seafest as well.”

The feedback from the writers who took part was great, she said, adding they liked being able to meet customers and network with fellow authors. Many expressed interest in doing the event again, she said. The hope is to have another one next year.

Organizers too were pleased with how things went, Berry said.

“My team and I had an amazing time as the host of this group of talented authors,” she said. “The Yarmouth Mall was amazing in assisting with venue and setup. Partnering with Seafest and widening the scope and locations of events, all while having the opportunity to promote Yarmouth, local authors and reading was a pleasure for us.”