August 12, 2021 by Surrey Muse

Christina Myers – Surrey Muse

Christina Myers is an author, editor and journalist who has published two titles. Her non-fiction anthology BIG: Stories About Life in Plus-Sized Bodies (2020), won the 2021 IPPY silver medal book award, and her debut novel, The List of Last Chances (2021) made the BC Bestseller List in the first week of its publication. Christina’s writings have been published in various anthologies, newspapers and magazines. She is a member of The Writers Union of Canada, Canadian Authors Association and the Federation of BC Writers. A graduate of the Writer’s Studio at SFU Vancouver, Christina is now working on her next two books as she juggles her creative work and stay-at-home-parenthood from her place in Surrey.

More about Christina Myers
cmyerswrites.com
Contact Christina
christinamyerswrites@gmail.com

At the August 27, 2021 gathering of Surrey Muse, Christina will begin the Open Mic session. More about the event is here: friday-august-27

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December 12, 2020 by Surrey Muse

City of Surrey recognizes Surrey Muse Coordinator & Cofounder for excellence in Literary Arts

Fauzia Rafique, the coordinator and a cofounder of Surrey Muse Arts Society (SMAS), has received the City of Surrey’s Arts & Heritage Literary Arts Award in recognition of her work in the areas of creative writing and arts organizing. View the document containing the following information, and a complete list of award recipients. CivicDistinctionAwardRecipients.pdf

Fauzia’s statement

‘It is an honour for me to be selected for the City of Surrey’s Arts & Heritage Literary Arts Award.

‘Working for Surrey Muse Arts Society, a non-profit mandated to encourage inclusivity, representation, voice and equality in the arts community, forms a direct organic link to my writing practice as my novels and poems explore similar themes. It works well together, my creative writing process is more instinctive while organizing efforts use intellectual and cerebral energy.

‘I receive this award on behalf of over 300 authors and artists who have graced us since November 2011; Literary Advisers Joanne Arnott, Manolis Aligizakis, Nefertiti SheLa Morrison; Volunteers Helga Parekh, David Macilwain, and, of course, Surrey Muse co-Founders and Directors Mariam Zohra D, Sana Janjua, Randeep Purewall, and myself.

‘Our gratitude to Susan Crean and Jordan Strom for their ongoing support, and, to our peers at Surrey Libraries, Surrey Art Gallery and the City’s Cultural Grants section.’

Surrey Muse Arts Society (SMAS) congratulates all award recipients.

We are mentioned 41 minutes into it.

Visit Fauzia’s web page:
gandholi.wordpress.com

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Surrey Muse gatherings take place
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the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen,
Qayqayt, Tsawwassen, Musqueam,
Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

November 21, 2017 by Surrey Muse

Joy Haskell – Surrey Muse

Joy Haskell is a poet, screenwriter and director who teaches writing, participates in poetry slams and is a public speaker. She taught Creative Writing at prison, and she now teaches it at high schools and community groups. In her down time she volunteers with animal facilities. Joy began writing poetry and short stories as a young child; her first piece of writing was a poem about vegetables with attitudes, and her first published item was also a poem that appeared in 2008 in an anthology of Indigenous writers. At this time, Joy is working on a novel and a screenplay while living in Surrey.

Contact Joy
joymarcellais@gmail.com

At the January 26 gathering of Surrey Muse, Joy will be the Featured Author. More information about the event is here:
january-26-gathering-of-surrey-muse

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Surrey Muse gatherings take place
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Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

August 22, 2017 by Surrey Muse

Ken Westdorp – Surrey Muse

sm-ken-westdorp

Ken Westdorp is a Surrey poet who has published two collections of his poems, Gateway to Obscurity (Archway publishing, 2017) and Strength and Vulnerability (Friesen Press, 2020). If the first was ‘a cathartic journey through his life with a great deal of struggle’, his second collection was inspired by his volunteer work with NightShift Ministry and its care for the homeless and addicted community of Surrey Central (Whalley). While written primarily as a first-hand account of the many strengths and vulnerabilities people experience living on Surrey streets, Strength and Vulnerability also reflects the emotional upheaval brought on by COVID. Ken had begun writing as a child but most of his published work has been done within the last 10 years where his first published writings were poems that appeared in the ‘We Are Newton’ anthology in 2016. Ken is the President of White Rock and Surrey Writers’ Club, and he is now working on a biblical collection titled Seventy 2.

Contact Ken
kennethwaynewestdorp@gmail.com

At the August 27 gathering of Surrey Muse, Ken will be the Featured Poet. More about the event is here: august-27-gathering

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July 6, 2017 by Surrey Muse

‘Surrey Muse’ a poem by Val Parks

Erato
the muse of poetry
is here with us tonight,
as she has been since
the beginning of spoken word.
Poetry is in the soul of mankind;
it is Erato who draws it out,
who encourages us to speak truth,
forces us to stand exposed
and naked before the world.
She has inspired such greats as
Longfellow, Edna St Vincent Millay,
Shelley, Wordsworth and many others.
She watches over the child
composing rhymes for his amusement,
because she sees a future poet.
Erato is here with us tonight
in this community of like-minded people,
in this society of artistic expression.
She is here with us tonight
in Surrey.