That tag line may have been used first by major junior hockey, but it happens to apply to an event coming up in Halifax on Saturday, May 7. In this case, the stars are writers who are just starting out — finding their voices and honing their craft.

Beginning at 1 pm on May 7, down at the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia space (1113 Marginal Road — close to both Pier 21 and the Farmers’ Market) the winners of the  2016 Atlantic Writing Competition and emerging writers who have taken part in the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program will all be giving short readings, excerpts from their recent work.

Come for the fun and inspiration.

I am especially pleased that Linda MacLean, who I came to know over the span of five months in the mentorship program, will be reading twice. That’s because she won creative non-fiction category in the writing competition as well as completed the first draft of a novel in the mentorship program.

Story-telling and books are at the heart of our civilization, yet the traditional bookstore has not had an easy go the last decade or two. There are far fewer than there used to be.

That said, some are still thriving. Authors for Indies celebrates them, in the hundreds across Canada. Check out the Authors for Indies web site (http://www.authorsforindies.com/) to find a store near you. The site will list which authors are where this coming Saturday.

Me? I will be in Halifax at the University of King’s College bookstore from 12 noon until about 2 pm.

If anyone is interested, I have posted a few photos — taken by a photographer with Atlantic Books Today — on my Facebook site (A J B Johnston, Writer). The shots are of the March 23 Books Start Here event in Halifax, which was an opportunity for publishers and authors to meet and greet MLAs from all three political parties.

It was a positive event all round, and should help improve the foundation for a strong literary culture in the province. Publishing (and all that goes into it, which involves many disciplines not just writing) is already a valuable industry, and more importantly one with lots of potential for growth.

To find out more about the Books Start Here project please check out its web site. And if you live in Nova Scotia, maybe you’ll consider contacting your local MLA. We have the possibility of giving NS-published books greater prominence in our schools and providing local publishers, authors, editors, illustrators and others with more support. The literary sector should be encouraged.

Here is the link to where the photos are posted.

https://www.facebook.com/A-J-B-Johnston-Writer-521601164625413/

I’m pleased to be part of this Halifax Public Libraries series. And yet again to be talking about 18th-century Louisbourg, and how its influence radiates out in myriad ways. This time two different branches — May 8 at Keshen Goodman and May 10 at Central Branch.

Please follow the link below to find out details.

http://halifaxpubliclibraries.ca/programs.html?ids=50785|50786|50787|50788|50789|50790&d=1

The members of Truro’s Colchester Historical Society put on a wonderful gala at the Colchester Historuem on Saturday evening, 6 February 2016. I was honoured to be one of those asked to say a few words, and decided to write something rather than speak off the top of my head. The text of my brief remarks is found below. Before that text I am posting a couple of photos of the evening sent to me by Dale Ells, who was taking photos for the Historeum’s newsletter. One catches me at the podium; the other I am with Rod Norrie, drummer of the legendary Lincolns, who were a force to be reckoned with when I was a teenager. We are in front of the banner that celebrates the Lincolns’ impact on Truro and much of Nova Scotia back in the 1960s. They played a powerful mix of Soul and R&B and Rod Norrie was the drummer.

I want to thank the organizers of this evening’s event for giving me a spot at the microphone for a couple of minutes. That’s because I have some heartfelt thanks to express.

On behalf of my co-conspirators at Camus Productions, JP and Sally Camus, I want to acknowledge the many individuals who contributed to what together we achieved in transforming this space from what it used to be — a somewhat uninspiring, windowless big room — into what it has become — a multi-faceted interpretive installation that celebrates both the building’s original architecture and the rich depth of the history and culture of Colchester County. We hope the approach is one that intrigues and entertains as it educates.

I will not try to thank you all by name, for fear of leaving someone out. But I’m pretty sure you know who you are. You were the ones who expressed a hope or a sentiment, an idea or a complication, an object or an image, a document or a story, or maybe someone who possessed a skill or a resource that could be brought to bear to make this project succeed. You were the ones who told us in words or with a smile or a nod that our ideas sometimes had merit, or you let us know when you felt or thought that they did not. You were also the ones who found ways to keep the momentum going when things stalled, because there were some long halts, times when the funding for next steps was not apparent. It took persistence, creativity and flexibility for you to find trails through the funding forest, as it always does. Our hats are off to you.

I think it is fair to say that along the way in this project we became something of a band of brothers and sisters, soldiering for our common cause. That cause was to tell the story of Colchester County in fresh ways that seek to engage the people of the 21st century, citizens of Colchester and visitors from elsewhere.

JP and Sally Camus cannot be here tonight, but I know I speak for them when I say thanks to all of you — thanks for letting us play our parts in this wonderful project, along with the talents, dedication and determination you showed. Like you, we see greatness — past, present and future — in this, the Heart of Nova Scotia.
Thanks to all of you.