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Liza Oliver will be reading as part of the annual Pride Coffee House at Beanz on Wednesday, July 4th at 7:00 pm. It’s always a treat to hear Liza read—her material is usually hilarious or poignant or both! Details below:

Margie Carmichael, writer and singer-songwriter, has a busy June lined up with performances in several venues on PEI. Wondering where to hear her sing and play? Try one of these spots (click the links for more information):

There’s some strong strange bond between Tasmania and Prince Edward Island, isn’t there? More about that mystery on June 14th. Both Laurie and Dianne will be participating in this event at UPEI called “Poles Apart”. Have you too visited Tasmania and/or Australia too? Here’s your chance to join the “open mike” section with your story or piece of writing. Details:

Poles Apart: Writing the Antipodes

An evening of readings that celebrate the Prince Edward Island’s antipodean connections – particularly with Tasmania – will be held Thursday, June 14, at UPEI’s Main Building Faculty Lounge. “Poles Apart: Writing the Antipodes” will feature several guest readers from Tasmania and mainland Australia, as well as Islanders who have travelled down under.

Guests from down under include Pete Hay, Tasmanian poet and retired geography professor – who is no stranger to Prince Edward Island, serving as Visiting Lecturer at UPEI and popular commentator on electoral reform; Lynda Hawryluk, a writer, writing-workshop facilitator, and Lecturer at Central Queensland University in Australia; and Britta Hartmann, a writer and PhD student at the University of Tasmania, whose research focuses on the literature of islands. Writers from Prince Edward Island include two of the participants in the Tasmania-PEI Writers’ Exchange: Deirdre Kessler, author of the poetry book, Afternoon Horses, as well as several award-winning children’s books; and Dianne Hicks Morrow, author of two books of poetry, including What Really Happened Is This, and a book of interviews on kindred spirits. The evening will be hosted by writer and editor Laurie Brinklow, who is currently doing her PhD exploring island identity at the University of Tasmania. She will also invite members of the audience who have travelled to Australia and/or Tasmania to join others onstage to share a story or a piece of writing.

“Poles Apart” will be held at the UPEI Faculty Lounge from 7 to 9 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Institute of Island Studies, UPEI Department of English, and PEI Writers’ Guild, admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

It was a great pleasure to hear that Dianne’s recent book of poetry What Really Happened is This (Acorn Press) was the winner in the poetry category at the PEI Book Awards, which is held every 2 years. The emotional terrain of this book made it a difficult one for Dianne to write. It’s wonderful to hear of it earning well-deserved praise and recognition. For more details on the awards, click here for the story in The Guardian.

PEI Book Award Winners, Dianne Hicks Morrow on the right, photo from The Guardian