Robin van Eck, from the Alexandra Writers' Centre Society
An interview
Continuing on the theme of thankfulness for the month, Unleash Creatives Editorial Director Ashley Holloway interviews Robin van Eck, the Executive Director of the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Literary organizations such as the AWCS provide an enormous amount of support for local writing communities through their workshops, services, and opportunities for connection. Get involved with your local writing association today!
Ashley Holloway (AH): Hi, Robin van Eck (RvE)! Thanks for taking some time with Unleash. We were thrilled to share your work with the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society (AWCS), in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As the Executive Director of AWCS, can you tell us a little about your organization?
RvE: Hi Ashley, Thanks for thinking of me and the AWCS. The AWCS is a non-profit (registered charity) organization in Calgary. We have been serving Calgary and area writers since 1981 by offering a wide variety of courses and workshops for every writer, at any stage of their literary journey. Whether an individual wants to explore writing for therapeutic means, try out a new hobby, write a memoir or legacy gift to leave for their family, play with poetry, or have big dreams of being published and read widely, we have something.
AH: AWCS has been very successful at creating a beautiful writer’s community. What’s your secret?
RvE: I don’t think it’s really a secret. As humans we crave connection, knowledge and imagination. There is nothing greater than finding something you love and are passionate about and being able to share that with others who also love and are passionate about the same thing. I think that’s what AWCS really is—a community of creatives who love the written word and want to enjoy it with others. We all have a story, we all want to be heard, we all want an outlet to convey our inner most desires without it getting too weird. I think AWCS is that and more.
We all have a story, we all want to be heard, we all want an outlet to convey our inner most desires without it getting too weird.
AH: AWCS hosted the When Words Collide writer’s festival this past summer. Tell us a bit about this event.
RvE: When Words Collide (WWC) is a 3-day literary festival that brings together readers and writers from across the country to share, connect and learn. The festival has been a significant part of the literary culture in our city since 2011 and this is the first year that AWCS took the helm. We saw around 800 attendees flock to Calgary this past summer and be energized and engage with one another. The air was truly electric. If you’re looking for a place to connect with writers from across the country and beyond, meet industry professionals and learn tips and tricks on craft and publishing, this is the place to be. Next year our event will be held August 15-17, 2025 at the Sheraton Cavalier Calgary and we are excited to announce three international featured authors – Stephen Graham Jones, Emily St. John Mandel and Terry Brooks.
AH: You are an author yourself. Can you tell us about your writing
RvE: I guess I should be leading by example. My first novel, Rough, was published in 2020 by Alberta-based publisher, Stonehouse Publishing. It’s the story of a homeless man living on the banks of the Bow River during the Calgary-flood in 2013 and his connection, or reconnection, to his lost family. It’s part mystery, part family drama and was a joy to write. Lately my imaginings lean more into the speculative fiction realm and I am almost done my second novel that is hopefully going to be a literary horror when it fully comes out of its shell. When I’m not working on longer works, I also play around with short stories and the occasional personal essay.
AH: How do you deal with writer’s block?
RvE: If the words are coming or I’m simply not in a creative headspace, I’ll read a book. I have more books on my TBR pile than I know what to do with, so there are no excuses.
AH: How would you define success as an author?
RvE: Success is different for everyone. For me, when I signed that first contract to publish that was enough. I didn’t even care if the book came out after that. Someone else read my book and found it worthy enough to spend money and time on. That’s huge. Of course, seeing my book on the shelf is pretty great – even if, most recently, it was the shelf of a used bookstore. (There are copies available at Fair’s Fair by Chinook, if anyone is interested.) But at the end of the day, no one can define your success but you.