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Library’s monthly storytelling series highlights local authors

July 15, 2019   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown

The Orangeville Public Library hosted its monthly Storytelling Series Monday and it’s continuing to highlight local authors. 

“In fostering a love of literacy we can really boost the local talent,” said library CEO Darla Fraser. “Sometimes it’s easy to just gather some people to hear about your book and as the public library what better place to share.” 

The Storytelling Series program was created in collaboration with Community Living Dufferin from the group’s sharing words program. It was constructed in the fall of 2018 and piloted in January. The program is meant to highlight authors while creating an inclusive space for all ages and abilities to hear the works of local writers. 

Kathy Hull, who works at Community Living Dufferin, said that the program at the library gives the people they support an opportunity to feel connect and be a part of their community. 

 The series is held monthly in the library, where a featured author or writer of varying degree and genre reads their content. 

“We do like that they are local and it is a volunteer position so we are looking for people who are keen on sharing their love of literacy with the community,” said Ms. Fraser.

As a new program, the Storytelling Series was successful from the beginning, seeing anywhere from 15 to 25 people each month, said Ms. Fraser. In 2018 the Orangeville Public Library recorded having an excess of 500 programs and over 10,000 in attendance. 

Local writer Velvet Haney, who published her graphic memoir The Mousehouse Years in 2014, was the featured author at Monday’s event. Her graphic memoir depicts her life growing up in the slums of Toronto, located at Alexandra Park in the early 1960s, with her six siblings and single mother. 

Joining Headwaters Writer’s Guild and then later watching another author’s series, Ms. Haney said she reached out to the public library about doing her own series in the Storytelling program. 

“Anything is good where you can talk about your work,” she said. “Any avenue you should.” 

Ms. Haney read an excerpt from her memoir, prose from the National Post and the first chapter of the sequel to The Mousehouse Years which she is currently working on and said she is about half way through. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Ms. Haney’s work you can go to www.velvethaney.com. The Storytelling Series will continue on Aug. 12 at the Orangeville Public Library with Anthony Carnovale and on Sept. 9 with Marilyn Kleiber. 

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