Friday, September 11, 2020

the ottawa small press book fair : home edition #19 : June Coxon,


June Coxon began her working life as an artist at Crawley Films Ltd. Switching to writing, she is now an award-winning Ottawa freelance writer who has written for radio, television and print media across Canada as well as in other countries. Her articles have appeared in such publications as Fifty-Five Plus, Taste and Travel, AirLines and Legion, plus genealogy and photographic magazines. She also worked as a writer/editor for the Canadian federal government, has written and designed association and business newsletters and co-produced a variety of video productions. In 2001 three of her short stories appeared in an anthology, in 2007 her children’s book Just Call Me Ernie, was published, followed in 2009 by the French version Vous Pouvez m’appeler Ernie.

Q: Tell me about your writing. How long have you been publishing, and what got you started? 

I’ve been writing for decades – but mostly as a journalist. I became the Ottawa Journal’s first copy girl (they’d always had boys before I asked the editor why not a girl) and had a chance to write and edit items as well as to contribute some cartoons I’d drawn. I started my working career in the animation department of Crawley Films but decided I’d rather write than be an artist. I worked as a journalist for newspapers in Guelph, Ontario (Guelph Guardian) as well as Edmonton, Alberta (for a chain of weeklies from Edmonton to Fort McMurray)and while at j school I did a stint in the newsroom at what was then C-JOH T.V. Early on I also worked briefly as a copywriter at two radio stations before joining the federal government as a writer/editor. I stayed with the government, working for a number of different departments until retiring in 1999. 

Q: How many times have you exhibited at the ottawa small press fair? How do you find the experience? 

I’ve exhibited at Ottawa small press fair for a number of years but have no idea how many times. I always find it a great experience. Even if I don’t sell anything the contacts made are invaluable and enjoyable.

Q: Would you have made something specific for this spring’s fair? Are you still doing that? How does the lack of spring fair this year effect how or what you might be producing? 

Yes, I was planning on having another children’s book published by now. But once the pandemic shut things down I realized it would be much too difficult for me to do. I’ll see how things progress and perhaps start working on that again this Fall. One way or another I’ll get it published some day.

Q: How are you, as literary writer, approaching the myriad shut-downs? Is everything on hold, or are you pushing against the silences, whether in similar or alternate ways than you might have prior to the pandemic?

How are you getting your publications out into the world? I’m not getting anything of mine out to the public apart from a few articles I wrote for some weekly newspapers and some I’m working on for a couple of magazines. But I am spending most of my time working on an anthology about the pandemic. It’s a joint project with the Media Club of Ottawa and the Ottawa Ethnic Media Forum. We hope to have it published in October 2020. 

Q: Have you done anything in terms of online or virtual launches since the pandemic began? Have you attended or participated in others? How are you attempting to connect to the larger literary community? 

As president of the Media Club of Ottawa I spent from March to June communicating with those club members and people who aren’t members but who sometimes attend meetings. Our club normally meets from September to June to hear media specialist discuss various topics pertaining to their writing specialty. When COVID-19 shut down group meetings our would-have- been speakers sent written contributions that were shared via e-mail and that either will be posted on our website (www.mediaclubofottawa.ca) or are there already. Club members also sent items they’d written that were shared the same way.

Q: What is your most recent book? How might folk be able to order copies? 

It’s not published yet. But once published I can let you know how to get copies. It’s a young children’s book called Chadwick Goes to Cat Mug City.  

Q: What are you working on now? 

The getting the anthology mentioned above ready for publication. Once that’s done I’ll return to my book. I have written a number of kid’s stories over the years and may see what I can do with them as well.

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