The Black Bear Review will be celebrating its ninth annual print edition with a launch party on April 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery. Admission is by donation.
Established in 2016, the Black Bear Review is a student-led collaboration between Selkirk College’s Creative Writing and Digital Arts Programs, and it is the West Kootenay’s only literary magazine. The magazine celebrates emerging writers and exciting voices from the region and beyond.
The student editors provided feedback on the 50-plus submissions received throughout the year and created a shortlist of 15 submissions featured in the print edition.
“There’s a lot of exciting, eclectic work in this issue that represents the immense talent of our writers,” says Renée Harper, co-founder of the magazine and instructor in Selkirk College’s Creative Writing Program. “This issue features sassy grandmothers, critiques of colonial violence, and stories of radical personal transformation. The work spans multiple genres (including a visual essay and comic), and each literary work has accompanying art designed by Digital Arts students.”
This year’s managing editor, Ana Camila Cano Bates, is an international student from Mexico pursuing a career as a writer and filmmaker. She already co-runs a production company called Film Fest. In her introduction to this year’s magazine, she focuses on the importance of stories in our current world.
“Stories are what connect us as humans — they mend broken hearts, serve as the pillow where dreams take shape, and act as the ship that carries us forward. They give us purpose and identity. Stories are a unique and universal language, accessible to anyone with the heart to seek them and the openness to understand them.”
The launch party will feature author readings, music by Mika Elkuf-warthe, and the opportunity to connect with members of the local creative community. Copies of this year’s print issue can be purchased for $10 (cash only) at the launch. After the launch, copies will be available at Otter Books, Notably, and Selkirk College’s Castlegar bookstore.
For more information about the magazine, go to blackbearreview.ca or visit our Facebook and Instagram sites for the latest on our publications and events. The Black Bear Review would like to thank Selkirk College and the Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery for supporting the event and the magazine.
