delve – In close conversation with Amanda West Lewis and Tim Wynne-Jones – June 19, 2025

From Almonte Readers & Writers 

Almonte Readers & Writers is pleased to invite you to delve ~ In close conversation with writers, as part of the 2025 Lanark Lit Festival of Writing on June 19, 2025 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Equator Coffee Almonte.

The festival's June delve event presents a conversation between Amanda West Lewis & Tim Wynne-Jones, about anything and everything, from reading to writing to the kitchen sink. For 50 years, Amanda and Tim have navigated careers as artists while negotiating a life filled with children, books, music, theatre and art. It’s been 50 years filled with successes and failures and always, thankfully, a lot of love. In this open and intimate presentation, they will share stories and insights about their lives as writers and how they have continued to inspire, support and encourage each other — and make dinner, too.

Admission is pay-what-you-can at the door in advance via Tickets Please: www.almontereadersandwriters.org/events/delve-amanda-and-tim.

About delve events:

Hosted in café settings, delve events are intended to be less formal and more intimate than traditional guest author interviews. Premised as a conversation between two writers that have something in common, delve events offer a chance for writers to get-to-know each other and explore their similarities and differences, while giving audiences the opportunity to engage with writers whose work they may, or may not, already be familiar with.

About the writers:

Amanda West Lewis is a writer, theatre artist, and calligrapher. She is the author of ten books, most recently including the poetry collection A Planet is a Poem, and the semi-autobiographical novels Focus Click Wind, and These Are Not the Words. Her books have been recognized with a wide range of awards and nominations including EUREKA! 2024 Excellence in Children’s Non-Fiction Award; California Reading Association Honor Book; NCTE Notable Poetry Book; Cybils Award nominee 2024; 2024 School Library Journal Best Poetry Books; 2024 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young Adults; 2022 American League of Poets recommended novel in verse; Silver Birch Award; Red Cedar Award; and Violet Downey IODE Award.

Amanda has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has acted, directed, produced, and written for theatre, as well as founded the Ottawa Children’s Theatre. She teaches writing, drama, and calligraphy to young people and adults, often combining these disciplines together. Visit www.amandawestlewis.com for more information.

Tim Wynne-Jones has written three adult, three middle-grade and nine young adult novels, four short story collections and a whole lot of picture books. His collection of short stories Some of the Kinder Planets won the Governor General's Award as well as the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.

The Maestro won Tim his second Governor General's Award and was short-listed for the Guardian Prize in the UK. The Boy in the Burning House won the Edgar Award and the Arthur Ellis Award and was short-listed for the Guardian Prize, as well. Blink & Caution won another “Arthur” as well as Tim’s second Horn Book Award. The Emperor of Any Place, received seven starred book reviews and was short-listed for the Governor General’s Award. And The Starlight Claim won the John Spray Award of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

His work has been published in Japanese, Korean, Danish, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan and Hebrew. Tim was named as the Canadian representative for the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Award of the International Board on Books for Young People. On September 28th, of that same year, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

The Lanark Lit Festival of Writing takes place over 3 months, on weekends and occasional weeknights from April to mid-July, in venues in both Almonte and Perth. Presented by Almonte Readers & Writers.

Almonte Readers & Writers (ARW) is a non-profit organization presenting literary events and programs to audiences in beautiful Mississippi Mills and Perth, Ontario. Supporting the literary arts across Lanark County. Visit their website to join their Mailing List to receive regular ARW updates about upcoming programming and events.

Funding support provided by Lanark County, the Municipality of Mississippi Mills, the Perth & District Community Foundation, and the Elizabeth Kelly Library Foundation, with community partnership from the Mississippi Mills Public Library, the Perth & District Public Library, Mill Street Books, Almonte Writers Guild, and with the community support of Equator Coffee, OVC Almonte, Jazzy’s Brewhaus and other local partners. This delve – In close conversation with writers’ event is funded in part by The Writers’ Union of Canada.