In 2019 we celebrated the publication of the New Shoots Anthology with a standing-room-only launch at the False Creek Community Centre Tyee Room. It was a sunny evening with a beautiful view of the comings and goings of Granville Island. Eleven published teen writers read their writing to the jubilant crowd.
Also on the evening’s bill were local literary light Dina Del Bucchia (who teaches at UBC and was a New Shoots mentor herself) and Emily Pohl-Weary (author and UBC Creative Writing faculty member) as well as Master’s students Danny Ramadan and Corey Liu. New Shoots Coordinator Laura Anne Harris hosted the launch. A variety of genres were featured during the event: poetry, fiction, and playwriting.
“This was such an amazing opportunity for me and my writing,” said one teen writer who participated in the program. Another participant shared: “New Shoots! What an incredible and important program for young writers. Thank you for supporting the revolutionists of this generation.”
The launch was particularly exciting because many of the Vancouver School Board teachers were in attendance, such as Jennifer Braun, Leonard Wong, and of course the VSB New Shoots Coordinator, Ian MacLeod. In addition, many of the mentors from this year came to support the teen readers including Kate Black, Tommy Partl, Jason Karman, Amy Higgins, and Rose Paine. Cake was served and many proud parents and teachers took photos. Keep your eyes and ears open for new developments with the New Shoots program coming up next year!
newshoots.ca 