As the 2022 Creative Writing Showcase draws to a close, it is fantastic to be able to feature a fourth memoir contribution from Patsy Hirst.

You can read Patsy's story Berlin Spirit here.

For our next contribution in the Fiction Showcase, it is a pleasure to feature a wonderful piece of writing from Sue Bavey.

You can read Sue's story The Chance Encounter here.

Sue Bavey is an English Mum of two, living in Massachusetts since 2003 with her husband, two teenage kids, a cat named Midnight, a bunny named Nutmeg and a leopard gecko named Ziggy Stardust. She wrote her grandfather's biography: 'Lucky Jack' during COVID lockdown and recently published her late father's memoirs and poetry in a volume titled 'Daydreams & Narcoleptic Nightmares'.
 
www.amazon.co.uk/S-Bavey/e/B09MDBC5SR/
Email: [email protected] (Emails welcome).
Twitter: @SueBavey

On the penultimate day of the 2022 Creative Writing Showcase, I am really pleased to be able to feature a fictional contribution  from Lynn C. Bilton.

Lynn's story is called Carnations Can’t Keep Secrets and you can read it by clicking here.

Lynn C. Bilton

Lynn has always lived in Ontario, Canada, moving numerous times throughout the province. Each change of address has created an opportunity to meet a wonderful cast of new friends.

Her occupations have included every aspect of the florist industry, as well as farming and social worker, and she has served as a church organist and a librarian. In the past few years, Lynn added writer to that list. She enjoys song-writing, singing and playing piano.
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Lynn has short stories published in four anthologies, plus numerous articles (featuring her own photography) have appeared in Our Canada magazine. Lynn’s story “Grand Skating” was voted winner in the fiction category of the “Winning Words” literary competition. The contest was offered by Spirit of the Hills Arts Association, located in Northumberland County where she resides. 

As this year's showcase nears its end, it is an honour to feature another memoir piece from Captain Denis Dextraze.

​You can read his contribution Life in Marina Hemingway, Cuba, before year 2000  here.

Today we welcome back Susan Mellsopp with her fourth entry this year in the memoir section of the 2022 Creative Writing Showcase.

You can read Susan's contribution Il Pomodoro here. 

Susan Mellsopp is happily retired and lives in Hamilton New Zealand with her cream and gold Labrador guide dog Maya. She also has her retired guide dog, a golden retriever named Jay. Much of her life has been spent as a dairy farmer, and also working as a librarian, archivist and accessible transport researcher. She runs a writers group and is constantly being challenged to write in genres other than travel and memoir. Susan has published two school histories, written for an alumni magazine, and writes for a national magazine which is published monthly. She is a voracious reader; usually having two talking books and a kindle book on the go at once, loves to travel, listen to classical music, cook, spend time with friends and use modern technology. 
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Our next Memoir Showcase contribution is a superb travel piece written in diary format from a regular supporter of ours, Syd Blackwell.

It details his fascinating trip with his wife Gundy to Bolivia in 2016.

You can read Illegal Entry here.

Syd Blackwell

I was born and raised in a small mountain town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada.  This inspiring, protective, and nurturing environment was important to my growth and paths in life.  I spent twenty-five years in education at schools and colleges.  I followed with a decade building and operating a ten-room bed-and-breakfast inn; and then, a few years as an assisted living operator.  My wife and I retired to the Atlantic coast of Uruguay in 2007.   It was here that I finally made time in my life for writing and art and now only think of myself as a writer or an artist.   I like this change a lot.

My writings have appeared in many places, including all previous editions of Robert Fear´s anthologies. 
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It has been a real pleasure this year to feature monthly episodes of Ronald Mackay's stories from his time in Argentina with his wife Viviana.

You can read the final episode (for now) Confessions of an Accidental Wino - Episode 6
​by clicking here.

Thank you so much for your unstinting support Ronald.

Ronald Mackay

With Episode 6 of Confessions of an Accidental Wino, Ronald draws to a premature end this brief series recounting some of the trials, tribulations, and joys of running a vineyard and a wine business in San Rafael in the Province of Mendoza, Argentina, from 2003 until 2012. These six tales merely scratch the surface of the decade that Viviana and he enjoyed there. Ronald has many more tales to tell and many close friends – to say nothing of close encounters -- to remember and celebrate. More may be revealed at some future date once he and Viviana settle down in their new home in Voorburg, the Netherlands where they only recently arrived on the 18th of August 2022.

I am honoured to be able to feature this latest story from Valerie Poore in the Fiction Showcase. It is the first part of the sequel to her wonderful book Skipper’s Child.

You can read Val's contribution The Skipper’s Art here. 

Valerie Poore

Val is an English language teacher by day and a writer during her free time. Born and educated in the UK, she spent twenty years in South Africa and another twenty living on a historic barge in the Netherlands, a lifestyle she adores despite the hard work it involves. Nowadays, she shares her time between the barge and a cottage in Zeeland.
 
These diverse worlds have given her some wonderful experiences, and she enjoys sharing her stories in her books and on her blog, which she started in 2006.
 
To date, Val has published nine memoirs and three novels, as well as a collection of anecdotes. She has also contributed to a number of anthologies and writes barge-related articles for the women’s sailing magazine, Sistership. 
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With under two weeks left in this year's Creative Writing Showcase, it is a pleasure to feature a memoir contribution from Kelly Reising.

You can read Kelly's story The World Is Ending, and I Just Want a Sandwich here.

The latest contributions to the Memoir Showcase are two 'strange' recollections from Carolyn Muir Helfenstein.

You can read them by clicking the links below:

1/.     A Strange Day Indeed, A Treasure Forever

2/.      Strange School of 67 years ago 

Carolyn Muir Helfenstein 

1955 At the age of 17 Carolyn Muir began her teaching career in a one-room rural school, near Toronto.   Attending Toronto Teachers’ College to complete her certification followed. She received the highest academic standing award that year.

After a period of teaching and marriage to British-born Harold Helfenstein, they fulfilled a dream to farm. And they had three children. Many of Carolyn’s short stories come from that era.

1986 The opportunity to buy the local newspaper arrived in the mail; her answer — Why not? CBC-TV learned of the farmers who bought a newspaper. Well-known entertainer Wayne Rothstad and CBC-TV crew spent three days filming the scenes and the interviews and the Teeswater News went prime-time in “Out Your Way.” 

Carolyn was elected to the Board of the Ontario Community Newspaper Association; and eventually sat as president.

1991 The News produced an Extra that helped in savings a seniors’ home from being relocated. The community revolted. Another 1st prize provincial win.

1993 After reading of the government’s decision to close institutions for adults unable to live independently, Carolyn wrote Belonging. Her readers began to understand all they wanted was to belong and local communities made that happen. Belonging won 1stprize, provincial competition. 

2008 Carolyn’s memoir Why Not? was published, filled with stories about running the Teeswater News. Her readers say they can follow the experiences, the laughter and the tears, as they read.  
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2010 Carolyn knew she wanted to regain her connections with Newfoundland where she was born. She learned that Waterloo University’s three-year Independent Studies Program would help her research. But she was 73… She graduated with a Bachelor of Independent Studies in 2013. Both Rock Solid and Why Not? are now in the Newfoundland Folklore Archives of Memorial University, NFLD. And Carolyn has regained her Newfoundland identity.
 
For more info— Google: Carolyn Muir Helfenstein -Spirit of the Hills