David Robertson will be reading from his newest novel, The Evolution of Alice, at THIN AIR 2014.
A West End resident likes to write about what he knows and what he is passionate about.
David Robertson will be reading aloud on the main stage at The Forks for THIN AIR 2014, the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, on Wed., Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. THIN AIR 2014 runs from Sept. 19 to 27. Robertson will be reading from his latest novel, The Evolution of Alice, to be released in August.
A publishing operations manager for the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (1090 Waverley St.), Robertson is passionate about aboriginal culture and issues, and often incorporates those elements in his writing, including The Evolution of Alice.
“The main character lives on a reserve. You’ll see the struggles of living on a reserve and some of the beauty of a reserve, and what that lifestyle is like,” Robertson said.
"The main character lives on a reserve. You’ll see the struggles of living on a reserve and some of the beauty of a reserve, and what that lifestyle is like," Robertson said.
However, while the story is focusing on an aboriginal issue, Robertson said it is "a universal story of loss and grief and overcoming those painful emotions."
The novel follows a woman named Alice, a single mother who is raising three young daughters on a reserve.
"It’s an interesting book. It’s a collection of 29 linked stories, so there’s 14 longer short stories and 15 microstories. All paint together this picture of this family who are going through the loss of a young child," Robertson explained.
The writer was inspired to write this book because he had spent a lot of time on reserves. Four years ago, Robertson visited a community in which someone told him about a family, which had been living near a highway, whose daughter was hit by a car in the middle of the night.
"She had somehow gotten out in the night and was hit and run over in their driveway, and they never caught who had done it. It was just this profound loss for the family and community," Robertson said.
The story also meant a lot to Robertson because he is a father of four young children.
"For me, writing is processing, and it was important for me to work that out, because it impacted me as well," Robertson said.
Robertson said he will be bringing The Evolution of Alice to Portage and Main Press on Aug. 16. According to the publishing company’s website (portageandmainpress.com), the book will cost $19.95.
Tickets and passes for THIN AIR 2014 will be available in September.