Authors' Afternoon with Dave Meslin

Inviting you to meet Dave Meslin, activist, artist and writer. He is our guest author this month, and will talk about his book, Teardown, Rebuilding Democracy from the Ground Up.

Join us for an exciting afternoon discussing his vision for democracy, and his constructive approach to changing the system.

Sunrise at Long Beach, Mauritius

A few weeks ago, in Mauritius, I woke up at 5:30 am, waited in the dark, beside large, black volcanic rocks, to watch the sun peek on the horizon, and flaunt its spectacular colours across the cloud-speckled sky and rippling ocean ... 

Nature. The most amazing artist.

My photos. A way of paying homage to it.

Each day, a blessing

when we're alive, renew love

in nature's splendour

Authors' Afternoon with Brenda Clews

Inviting you to meet multi-talented Brenda Clews, our guest author this month. She will talk about her video poetry and discuss the creative process that inspire her as a writer and an artist.

Join us for an exciting afternoon watching her video poetry and discussing innovative ways of sharing our writing with the visual impact of videos.

Merci l'île Maurice pour Coeur de Corail

Merci l'île Maurice de m'accueillir avec tant d'ardeur et de générosité pour le lancement de Coeur de Corail, la traduction française de The Coral Heart. C'était émouvant de revoir la famille et les amis et sympa de me faire de nouveaux amis. Un grand merci à Robert Furlong de m'avoir encouragé à travailler sur cette traduction. J'espère que beaucoup de Mauriciens et de francophones liront ce roman historique. C'est disponible à Maurice chez Bookcourt, Le Cygne, L'Artelier et Petrusmok et peuvent être commandés de ces librairies si vous vivez à l'étranger.

Thank you Mauritius for your warm welcome and generosity during my visit for the launch of Coeur de Corail, the french translation of The Coral Heart. It was so heart-warming to reconnect with family and friends and so nice to make new friends. A special thanks to Robert Furlong for encouraging me to work on the translation. I hope many Mauritians and francophones will read this historical fiction. It's available in Mauritius at Bookcourt, Le Cygne, L'Artelier and Petrusmok, and can be ordered from these bookstores if you live abroad.

Info sur la couverture de Coeur de Corail 

En 1911, des immigrants chinois de culture hakka débarquent à l’île Maurice dans l'océan Indien. Parmi eux, un enfant. Il a faim. Il travaille pour son père qui est commerçant, et lui remet tout ce qu’il gagne, selon la tradition chinoise. Devenu jeune homme, il s'adapte au pays et développe son commerce. Il tombe amoureux d'une musulmane, et tous deux tenteront de faire tomber les barrières. Dès lors, sa confiance dans la culture et les traditions chinoises est mise à l'épreuve.

Pour écrire ce roman, l’auteur s’est inspirée des lettres retrouvées de son père. Une histoire qui se déroule avec pour fond historique, les périodes durant la déposition de l'empereur chinois, la montée du communisme, l'invasion japonaise de la Chine et les deux Guerres mondiales.

Peggy Lampotang est écrivaine et photographe. Elle est née à Maurice et vit à Toronto, au Canada. Elle a étudié le design à l'université Ryerson de Toronto, et le creative writing à l'Université de Toronto. Ses écrits ont été publiés dans The Globe and Mail, le journal national du Canada, et dans des manuels scolaires de Nelson Education, l’un des principaux éditeurs dans le domaine de l’éducation au Canada. Son livre Island Lovers, Poems and Images of Mauritius a été publié en 2016. 

L'Express: Coeur de Corail

So thrilled to share my book Coeur de Corail during radio, tv, and newspaper interviews in Mauritius. Thanks to l'Express newspaper for this blurb. If you're interested in reading the french version of The Coral Heart, I will have a book signing at Bookcourt Bagatelle this coming Saturday June 1st, from noon to 3 pm. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Ravie de partager mon livre Coeur de Corail pendant les interviews à la radio, la télé et avec les journaux à Maurice. Merci au journal l'Express pour cet article sur Coeur de Corail. J'espère que ceux qui préfèrent lire en français viendront à la séance de dédicaces à Bookcourt Bagatelle ce samedi 1 juin de 12h à 15h. Je serai si contente de vous voir.

Coeur de Corail

So happy to announce that Pamplemousses Éditions is publishing the French translation of The Coral Heart in Mauritius and the book launch will be on May 16, 2019 at Hennessy Park Hotel in Mauritius. Looking forward to seeing many of you there.

I would like to thank Robert Furlong, a writer, actor and a kind friend based in Mauritius. He wanted this historical fiction about Chinese immigration in Mauritius to reach the larger French audience there, and surprised me by sending me his first draft of the translation. It propelled me to immerse myself in French and edit the translation.

I've always felt the duality in my personality when I switch back and forth in both languages, as in this article I wrote a while ago for The Globe and Mail.  For a year, I went back and forth from English to French to bring the essence of the story in the translation. The manuscript was then sent to several publishers.

I'm thrilled that Alain Gordon-Gentil of Pamplemousses Éditions chose to publish my book. He is one of the best French writers in Mauritius. I have read all his books and I respect his writing immensely. And I love his final edit of the translation. Hope you will enjoy it too.

Authors' Afternoon with John Oughton

Inviting you to meet John Oughton, our guest author with a great sense of humour. He will talk about his mystery novel and read some of his poetry. Come by to chat with him about his work and journey as a writer, poet and editor.

On the nature trail in High Park

After a delicious brunch with some friends on Sunday, I was in High Park, on the trail that runs along Grenadier Pond, to do some research for my current short story. Visual feasts greeted me ... inspiration and elation at the beauty around me ...

We're blessed with so many large parks, and ravines within the bustling city that is Toronto. Let's make more time to connect with nature's wonders and reap the mental and physical health benefits. Reducing stress fosters positive attitudes towards others and conciliatory ways to resolve problems ...

stand tall in the wind

unwind your mind in nature

sip the wine of life

Ode to friendship

A close friend gave me those lilies, and it means so much to me. I love them not only for their elegance, but what they symbolize: innocence, purity, devotion, sympathy, and most of all friendship. 

Ode to friendship

Bursts of lilies, your offering

in graceful shades, ease suffering

O what a thrill to have you back

Sweet scents you bring with your presence

with much remorse break your silence

O what a thrill to hear you sing 

The clash of minds tore us apart

but in our hearts the bond remained

for love that's free cannot be lost

expands along in all weather

in forgiveness grow stronger

with you my friend

I share my soul

in truth and trust

ever closer

Art in nature

On a walk through a park, in the fresh spring air, I saw paintings everywhere. 

Sometimes I feel nature is the best artist ...

Abstract Tableau

ice sparkling

snow melting

beneath the cold

warmth of gold

sprouts dormant

hidden, latent

wait for spring

to have their fling

when hearts perceive

and eyes can sieve

with awareness
a mundane mess

the alchemy

shifts silently

the grunge below

to abstract tableau

The Magic of Creativity

We are all born creative. Some may have more aptitude or dedication, but that should not discourage us to follow our passions and learn new skills that bring magic into our lives. Creativity in all forms are elixirs for our well-being.

As much as I love creating stories, and getting into the heads and hearts of my characters, I also need to feast my eyes with delicious visuals and allow the intuitive shapes and shades to flow into my photography. Creating images balances the heaviness of thinking.

When winter is tough, this quote from Shakespeare's Richard III sometimes slips into my thoughts, Now is the winter of our discontent. It sounds depressing until I remember the next line, Made glorious this summer by this son of York. Yes, it makes me wonder if spring would be as joyful without the struggle of winter ... It's perhaps the contrast that makes us appreciate each season better ... the natural balance that brings harmony ...

Welcoming spring, my favourite time of the year with this photo montage: Winter melting into Spring

Authors' Afternoon with Sarah Stanners

Hello book lovers, writers and artists, It's a pleasure to invite you to meet Sarah Stanners, our guest author this month. She will talk about her book Jack Bush: In Studio (2016), which was launched at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, where she served as chief curator from 2015 to 2018, and will also tell you more about her other books. Hope you will join us for an exciting discussion about her work, and the importance of art in Canadian culture.

Connecting with nature and those we've lost

I love being by the lake. Even when it's frozen. Nature has a way of bringing balance and perspective when we connect with it. I feel immersed in a spiritual magnitude in which the mundane world is secondary.

It's made me think about some friends who are going through grieving from the death of their dear ones. The physical loss is painful and overwhelming, but there's comfort in knowing that the spirit of the one who passed lives on ... in an otherworldly dimension that is hard for us to define ... suffice to say  the  connection is intuitive.

When we connect deeply with someone, often distance and loss can't erase the emotional bond. The person is still with us because of the profound, positive ways we've touched each other.

summer memories

summer memories ... punctuation marks ... on a winter day

I took this photo while strolling along Humber Bay.

I do love snow, especially fresh snow fall.
It makes everything so soft, pretty, and romantic,
that is, until it turns to slush.

But life is like that ... ephemeral ... nothing lasts ...
let's make the most of beautiful moments we're blessed with ...