Muskoka Authors Association Welcomes Acclaimed Author, Gary Barwin

Muskoka Authors Association is thrilled to welcome acclaimed Canadian writer, musician and multimedia artist Gary Barwin on Thursday, October 8 for an entertaining and thought-provoking presentation on the surprising power of humour in writing. His lively talk will explore how writers can bring together humour and tragedy, and the highs and lows of human experience when tackling difficult subjects.

A poet and novelist known for his inventive, playful and often unexpected approach to language, Gary will look at how humour can do far more than simply make readers laugh. It can create empathy and understanding, establish rhythm, provide comic relief, deliver surprise and, perhaps most surprisingly, add depth to a story.

For writers, this promises to be an opportunity to look at their own work in a fresh way. How can a moment of humour illuminate something painful? When can laughter make a difficult subject more accessible? And how can writers balance the serious and the absurd without losing either?
Gary Barwin is the author of 35 books of poetry, fiction and essays. His novel Yiddish for Pirates was a national bestseller, shortlisted for both the Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, and won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for Fiction.

His novel Nothing the Same, Everything Haunted: The Ballad of Motl the Cowboy was selected for Hamilton Reads, won the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for Fiction and was shortlisted for the Vine Award for Canadian Jewish Literature for Fiction.

The winner of the League of Canadian Poets’ Life Membership Award, Gary has also been twice shortlisted for the League’s Spoken Word Award. He lives in Hamilton, Ontario.
Whether you write poetry, fiction, memoir, essays—or simply love a good story—Gary Barwin’s presentation promises to be an inspiring reminder that even the most difficult stories can contain moments of humour, humanity and unexpected beauty.

Come prepared to laugh, think and perhaps see your own writing a little differently.

Muskoka Authors Association welcomes writers and aspiring authors to join this special evening.

Date: Thursday, October 8. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Bracebridge United Church, 46 Dominion Street, SEMINAR ROOM: Enter the door on the southside driveway and proceed downstairs

MAA Members: Free; Non- Members: $20
Register by emailing fee to info@muskokaauthors.ca