Napanee Local Author Showcase

Today I popped by the Local Author Showcase at the Napanee Library. They showcased 24 local authors. I had no idea that there were that many writers in my area (most self published). I was on a time crunch so only spoke to two of the authors in depth and swung by the used book sale as well.

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First, I spoke to Mary Mathieson who is a 95 year old woman who just self published a memoir titled, Stories of my Century. It's a culmination of the stories of her life. She was a wonderful woman to speak with.

Mary Mathieson has had an eventful life spanning almost a century. She has lived in small town Ontario, in Northern Ontario including the James Bay area where she was an itinerant nurse, and in cosmopolitan cities. She has spent time in some of the most interesting cities in Europe and the United States and she has been witness to the most momentous events of the 20th Century. Told in bite-size vignettes and longer tales, this is her recollection of a lifetime. -source

The second author I spoke with was author/illustrator Peggy Collins. She was a delight to speak with and even encouraged me to start writing myself. Her illustrations are amazing and I even was able to look through a stack of watercolour originals that are for the books she illustrated before switching to digital. I really wish I had brought my camera or that my phone was not dead so that I could have taken pictures of them. She gave me her card and some fun swag. She has written some children's books herself and will be promoting them at Word on the Street in Toronto this September. And she also teaches some classes at a local college! Amazing! You can find her on twitter @peggysbooks

And lastly, they had a used book sale - 5 for $1!

I only picked up four books though (one for hubby) and these lovelies.

How was your weekend?