Amanda Lewis

I’m speaking at the Federation of BC Writers’ annual Books Alive publishing fair on Saturday, February 23, between noon and 3 pm. Come to the Central branch of the Vancouver Public Library to learn about trends in publishing, best practices* for working with an editor, and more! *It’s traditional to bring your editor dark chocolate,…

It could be the opening paragraph you drafted at the start of your project, the conclusion you tacked on in a hurry, or the chapter that contains crucial information but never really fit (face it). Every manuscript contains what I think of as a mouldy couch. It’s something that shouldn’t be there and really is…

My dad taught me and my two sisters to drive. In addition to being a skilled driver who used to take the narrow roads of rural Ireland at a fast clip, he teaches marine firefighting to land-based fire fighters. When I say “safety!” you say “professional!” My sisters and I grew up playing in smokehouses…

It never fails: I remove a teabag from its paper sleeve, read the “inspirational” quotation on the dangling tag, and think “Oh, fuck off.” (Today’s gem: “A garden is a delight to the eye and a solace for the soul.” Saadi) Inspiration does not come solely from a teabag tag; you need to create the conditions…

You promised yourself you’d write a novel by age thirty, and your birthday is just five months away. You’re trying to make tenure and you need to churn out twelve papers by a set date. Your ex told you you’d never make it as a writer and you’re determined to prove her wrong. You feel…

We’re into the second week of 2019, which means many well-meaning individuals have already given up on their resolutions for the year. And who can blame them? So many resolutions, or at least the narrative around them, are rooted in shame and blame. Who wants to carry that negative energy into a new year? Not…

Some mornings you step in pet vomit, and other mornings you start off the day on a cleaner better foot. I was delighted to see Lands of Lost Borders by Kate Harris on the shortlist for the RBC Taylor Prize this week. Kate and the other finalists receive $5,000 each, a leather-bound edition of their book,…

Thanks to Editors BC for this wonderful review of our “Lives Off-Road” panel at the Vancouver Writers Fest in October. I’m always excited to chat about adventures in life and writing!

A new art book about the Canadian landscape painter Homer Watson is now available from Art Canada Institute. This publication is part of the ACI’s Canadian Online Art Book Project, a series of peer-reviewed and richly illustrated books. I edited this book, by teacher and curator Brian Foss, for ACI. Check out Homer Watson here.…

Woohoo! Great news today for Kate Harris. Her debut memoir, Lands of Lost Borders, won in the Adventure Travel category at the Banff Mountain Book Awards. Kate’s book is now eligible for the Grand Prize, to be announced November 1, 2018. “In thoughtful, melodic prose, Kate Harris embraces the spirit of adventure in this story…