A documentary film about once-famous Canadian author, Mazo de la Roche, will be shown at the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival in Toronto on April 29, 30 and May 6, 2012. Heather, who has published three academic papers and two books about Mazo de la Roche, was an interview subject for the film, which is titled The Mystery of Mazo de la Roche. The film is a joint creation of Toronto-based Red Queen Productions, the National Film Board, and Bravo! For more information about the film, and to see one or two one-minute clips, please click on the following link: http://blog.nfb.ca/2012/03/16/mazo-de-la-roche-film-premieres-at-fifa.
Heather will be signing copies of her new book, Be Not Afraid: The Polish (R)evolution, "Solidarity." at Barrie Chapters on Saturday April 14, 2012 from 1 to 4 p.m.
A very positive review of Heather’s latest book, Be Not Afraid: The Polish (R)evolution, “Solidarity,” appeared in the Winter 2011/12 edition of the online magazine, The Cosmopolitan Review. The reviewer was Irene Tomaszewski, author of Inside a Gestapo Prison 1942-44 and co-author of Codename Zegota, contributing editor to Cosmopolitan Review, director of Poland in the Rockies, winner of the Lech Walesa Media Award. To see the full review,
click here: http:cosmopolitanreview.com/articles/41-reviews/387-be-not.
On January 7, 2012, Heather was interviewed for about 20 minutes by Arleta Szilar of Polish Magazine on CJAM 99.1 FM Windsor/Detroit. Polish Magazine is a weekly one-hour program running from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
In December 2011, Heather’s latest book, Be Not Afraid: The Polish (R)evolution, “Solidarity,” was the subject of a “featured news item” in the online, mass-circulation American magazine, Polonia Today. To see the item click here: http://www.poloniatoday.com/article-6.html.
On Saturday December 3, 2011, Heather officially launched her new book,
Be Not Afraid, at Page & Turners Bookstore in downtown Barrie.
On Friday December 2, 2011, an article by Susan Doolan about Heather’s new book, Be Not Afraid, appeared in the Barrie Examiner.
On Thursday December 1, 2011, Heather’s new book, Be Not Afraid, was listed on the website of the Kosciuszko Foundation. The KF is an organization that tries to improve North American understanding of Polish culture and history. It is based in New York City.
See this link: http://www.thekf.org/gallery/Book.
On Tuesday November 29, Heather attended the Barrie Arts Awards ceremony in downtown Barrie. Heather was shortlisted for an Excellence in the Arts award.
On Saturday November 19, 2011, Heather sold her books at the Holy Spirit Parish bazaar in Barrie.
On November 17, 2011 Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Ladies’ Probus Club of Newmarket, Ontario.
In November 2011 Heather published her sixth book, Be Not Afraid: The Polish (R)evolution, “Solidarity.” This is a mostly nonfiction book about the amazingly successful non-violent resistance movement that helped end the Cold War without killing anyone. The publisher is Borealis Press of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Over several days in the summer and fall of 2010, Heather helped with a film about Mazo de la Roche. The film will be a feature-length documentary drama about de la Roche (1879-1961), an internationally famous Canadian author best known for her 16 Jalna novels about an aristocratic family surnamed Whiteoak that lived for a century on a large farm called Jalna somewhere in southern Ontario. The Mystery of Mazo de la Roche is being produced by Red Queen Productions of Toronto with Bravo! and the National Film Board of Canada. Heather is the author of two books about Mazo de la Roche.
Over two days, on Monday June 7 and Monday June 14, 2010, Heather participated in a “Local Authors” day at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, Ontario. Authors from Simcoe County and York Region sold their books to raise money for the RVH Auxiliary. Heather organized the event.
From September 1 to December 14, 2009, Heather offered a 12-week course called “Creative Writing Fundamentals” on Monday evenings at Georgian College in Barrie.
On Monday June 1, 2009, Heather and six other writers from Simcoe County sold their books all day long at the entrance to the cafeteria of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie. The writers were raising money for the RVH Auxiliary.
On Tuesday November 11, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Canadian author, Mazo de la Roche (1879-1961), best known for her series of 16 award-winning, world-famous novels about the fictional Whiteoak family. The Whiteoaks live for a century on an estate somewhere in southern Ontario called “Jalna.” Heather’s talk, which took place at the Aurora Public Library in Aurora, Ontario, was part of the National Public Readings Program sponsored by the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Canada Council. The maternal grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather of Mazo de la Roche lived on a large farm within the boundaries of today’s Aurora. This farm closely resembled Jalna.
On Tuesday November 4, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche. The talk, which took place at the Elman W. Campbell Museum in Newmarket, Ontario, was part of the National Public Readings Program sponsored by the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Canada Council. Mazo de la Roche was born in Newmarket.
On Tuesday October 7, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche. The talk took place at the Peter Gzowski branch of the Georgina Public Library in Sutton West, Ontario. Mazo de la Roche is buried in Georgina in the graveyard of St. George’s Anglican Church on the south shore of Lake Simcoe near Sibbald Point Provincial Park.
On Monday evenings from September 14 to December 8, 2008, Heather gave a twelve-week course on creative writing at the Barrie campus of Georgian College.This course was offered by the Part-Time Studies department of the college.
On Monday June 2, 2008, Heather and a number of other Simcoe County writers, sold books and poems from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the entrance to the cafeteria of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, Ontario. The writers were raising money for the RVH Auxiliary.
On Wednesday May 28, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Stroud Book Club at the Stroud branch of the Innisfil Public Library in Innisfil, Ontario. Mazo de la Roche and her cousin and life-long companion, Caroline Clement, had many relatives in Innisfil and frequently vacationed there during the summer from youth until mid-life. Like Grandfather Whiteoak in the Jalna books, Caroline’s Grandfather Clement owned 1,000 acres of land. Like the Whiteoaks, the Clements had a proud tradition of service in the British army.
On Wednesday May 21, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Orillia Historical Society in Orillia, Ontario. Mazo de la Roche spent at least four years of her childhood in Orillia.
On Saturday April 12, 2008, the Government of Canada officially declared Mazo de la Roche a person of “national historic significance.” At the same time the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada unveiled a plaque commemorating de la Roche at Benares Historical House in Mississauga, Ontario. Benares has long been considered an important inspiration for the fictional home of the Whiteoaks. For more information about the unveiling ceremony please see the website of the Mazo de la Roche Society at www.mazo.ca.
On Tuesday March 18, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Simcoe County Historical Association in Barrie, Ontario.
In November 2007, Heather’s second book about Mazo de la Roche was published by Tecumseh Press of Ottawa, Ontario. This book was titled, Who Were the Whiteoaks and Where Was Jalna?
Tecumseh is an imprint of Borealis Book Publishers, which specializes in Canadian literature.
On Saturday October 20, 2007, Heather gave a one-day seminar on writing for children at the Barrie campus of Georgian College. This seminar was offered by the Part-Time Studies department of the college.
On Tuesday October 16, 2007, Heather was the local author featured at the annual Authors’ Reading evening sponsored by the Gryphon Theatre Guild of Barrie, Ontario. Two well-known writers were the main attractions: Karolyn Smardz Frost, author of I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land, and William Stevenson, author of Spymistress. This event took place at the MacLaren Art Centre in Barrie. A few weeks later, I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land won the 2007 Governor General’s Award for nonfiction. (Congratulations to Karolyn Smardz Frost!)
In May 2007, Heather was a reader for the eleventh annual Writing for Children Competition sponsored by the Writers’ Union of Canada.
On Thursday April 26, 2007, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche at the Barrie Public Library at 60 Worsley Street in Barrie, Ontario.
On Monday April 23, 2007, Heather and several other local authors sold their books and poems at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, Ontario to raise money for the RVH Auxiliary.
On Thursday April 12, 2007, Heather attended the “80th Anniversary Dinner” in Mississauga, Ontario. This dinner, sponsored by the Mazo de la Roche Society, marked the 80th anniversary of Mazo de la Roche’s winning the Atlantic Little Brown competition with her novel, Jalna.
On Tuesday March 20, 2007, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche at the Orillia Public Library in Orillia, Ontario.
On Sunday March 18, 2007, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the King Township Historical Society. This event took place in the King Township Museum in King City, Ontario.
On Friday February 2, 2007, Heather signed copies of her book, Mazo de la Roche: Rich and Famous Writer, at the Ontario Library Association conference at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto.
On Saturday January 20, 2007, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Innisfil Historical Society. The event took place in the Churchill Community Hall in Churchill, Ontario. Just a few metres from the Hall is St. Peter’s Anglican Church. In the graveyard of St. Peter’s are buried the mutual grandparents of Mazo de la Roche and Caroline Clement: Hiram and Caroline Willson. The Willsons provided many characteristics of the fictional Vaughan family in the Jalna novels.
On Sunday December 17, 2006, Heather signed copies of her book, Mazo de la Roche: Rich and Famous Writer, at Benares Historical House in Mississauga, Ontario. Benares is a museum partly dedicated to Mazo de la Roche.
On Wednesday November 15, 2006, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Aurora Historical Society at Hillary House in Aurora, Ontario. Hillary House is a national historic site.
On Thursday October 5, 2006, Heather signed copies of her newly published book, Mazo de la Roche: Rich and Famous Writer at the Chapters store in Barrie, Ontario. Heather’s 200-page biography of de la Roche was part of the “Quest” series of biographies brought out by XYZ Publishing of Montreal which has since been bought out by the Dundurn Group of Toronto.
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