Five Wonderful Writing Conference Surprises

What a treat it was to see so many people at CANSCAIP’s 40th Packaging Your Imagination conference recently — people I hadn’t seen since before the pandemic. Other writers, illustrators, old friends, and new faces too. PYI is always a wonderful mix of all of the above. But five people present were an especially wonderful surprise for me.

A Publisher

I was flattered when Rick Wilks, co-founder of Annick Press, expressed interest in hearing me present this year’s Claire Mackay Memorial Lecture. Forty-two years ago Annick published Red Is Best and has published twelve more of my picture books since, not including re-releases. So I was tickled when I heard that Rick would be, not only attending, but introducing me. He did a fine job singing my praises (did you know I’m exceptional?) and telling the audience things about three of my Annick books that few people would have known.

A Relative

The night before PYI, my daughter Kelly Stinson treated me to dinner at Planta on Queen Street and I was delighted to hear she would like to come to the conference to hear my talk. She is as strong-minded now, in the best way, as she was when at the age of three she insisted on wearing her red tights (which for some inscrutable reason I called ‘stockings’ in the book that our argument inspired). As I began telling her what she could say if someone challenged her presence at the conference she would be crashing, she laughed. “I’ll tell them,” she said, “I’m the star of Red Is Best! Why wasn’t I invited to this talk, and who are you?” (She’s a hoot, this kid of mine. :-))

A Host

Earlier this fall, I attended a Red-Is-Best-themed birthday party for the daughter of Gennelle Smith. I learned at the party that Gennelle is working on writing picture books, so I told her about CANSCAIP. I was pleased to learn, as we crossed paths on our way in and out of the washroom, that she registered for the conference and joined the organization. (As had Pat Adams, a high school friend I’ve recently re-connected with, who is currently writing stories for her grandchild.)

A Former Student

After my lecture, I was approached by a woman I recognized instantly as someone who had taken part in a writing class I taught in Guelph more than ten years ago. Analene Go had a photo of the class with her in case I needed reminding, and was excited to tell me that Kids Can will soon be publishing her first picture book. (Silly me forgot to ask its title, but I’ll be watching for it, for sure.) As is usually the case when someone wants to thank me for a class or workshop, I suspect I didn’t actually teach Analene anything, so much as I helped her have confidence that she has the ability to write the stories she wanted to tell.

A Familiar Face, Decades Later

Perhaps the most surprising surprise of all came when a woman approached me and said, “You probably won’t remember me. I’m Marta Cutler.” I did remember Marta, daughter of Sheila Cutler, the Kindergarten teacher at the school where I taught Grades Two and Three back in the early 1970s. That’s when I wrote my very first picture book (instead of an essay, for a course I was taking at U of T). I wished I could include illustrations with my assignment, and Marta, at the age of twelve, very capably took on the job of illustrating Jelly Bean Jumble. Kids in my class loved the book, but I never submitted it to a publisher. If I recall correctly, it’s now housed with my archives as part of the Osborne Collection. Marta, currently a successful creative director for ad agencies, entered a picture book manuscript in this year’s CANSCAIP’s Writing For Children Contest. She is delighted that her story made the long list and I’m delighted that she is keen on applying her many skills to the creation of children’s books.

Making connections and re-connecting is just one aspect of Packaging Your Imagination that makes the conference such a success. Another part, of course, is the wonderfully practical and inspiring sessions offered by writers, illustrators, publishers, and agents. Follow CANSCAIP on Instagram and you’ll find out about next year’s conference as soon as it has been planned, and about monthly zoom-meeting speakers too.

Thanks to fellow CANSCAIPer Caroline Fernandez for taking the photo and giving me permission to crop and include it in this post.