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Lesley Choyce

BIOGRAPHY

Lesley teaches part-time at Dalhousie University, runs Pottersfield Press and has published over 86 books for adults and kids. His Young Adult novels concern things like skateboarding, surfing, racism, environmental issues, organ transplants, and rock bands. Lesley surfs year round in the North Atlantic and is considered the father of transcendental wood-splitting. He’s worked as a rehab counsellor, a freight hauler, a corn farmer, a janitor, a journalist, a lead guitarist, a newspaper boy and a well-digger. He lives at Lawrencetown Beach overlooking the ocean. He also hosts a nationally syndicated TV talk show on Vision TV. His recent novel, Cold Clear Morning, is currently being developed as a feature length movie. In 2002, Goose Lane Editions published Choyce’s best-selling circumferential history book, The Coasts of Canada. That same year, his animal epic film, The Skunk Whisperer, was broadcast across Canada and heralded at the Maine International Film Festival. Along with the Surf Poets, he has released two poetry/music albums, Long Lost Planet and Sea Level.

To read excerpts from Lesley’s books and download free samples of his music, visit www.lesleychoyce.com.

AWARDS

Short-listed for Red Cedar Award, 2009.

Teaching Excellence Award: Dalhousie University Student Union, 2009.

Finalist: Book of the Year Award: ForeWord Magazine

Best Writer of Halifax (Coast Magazine): 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006.

Poet Laureate for the Peter Gzowski Invitational Golf Tournament, 2000.

Landmark East Literacy Award, 2000.

First Place: Canadian Surfing Championships, 1995.

Finalist for the Alberta Book Award, 2008.

Short-listed for the Foreword Magazine Book Award, 2008

America Library Association Quick Pick, 2008.

Short-listed for Stellar Book Awards, 2007.

Finalist for Canadian Library Association Young Adult Award, 2005.

Short-listed for White Pine Award, 2004, 2008.

Short-listed for the Hackmatack Award for children’s writing, 2000.

Authors Award, Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters, co-winner, 1995.

Manitoba’s Young Reader’s Choice Award, finalist, 1994, 2008.

Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children’s Literature, 1994, 2003; short-listed 1992, 1993.

Event magazine’s Creative Nonfiction Competition, winner 1990.

The Dartmouth Book Award, 1990, 1995; short-listed 1991, 1992, 1993.

Short-listed for The Stephen Leacock Medal, 1987.

The Order of St. John Award of Merit.

Pierian Spring Editor’s Award for poetry.

First place in short fiction and the novel: Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia Atlantic Writing Competition.

Finalist for the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Award, 1981.

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Experience Levels

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) uses the following terms to describe writers’ experience levels:

  • New writers: those with less than two years’ creative writing experience and/or no short-form publications (e.g., short stories, personal essays, or poems in literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks).
  • Emerging writers: those with more than two years’ creative writing experience and/or numerous short-form publications.
  • Early-career authors: those with 1 or 2 book-length publications or the equivalent in book-length and short-form publications.
  • Established authors: those with 3 or 4 book-length publications.
  • Professional authors: those with 5 or more book-length publications.

Please keep in mind that each form of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, writing for children and young adults, and others) provides you with a unique set of experiences and skills, so you might consider yourself an ‘established author’ in one form but a ‘new writer’ in another.

The “Recommended experience level” section of each workshop description refers to the above definitions. A workshop’s participants should usually have similar levels of creative writing and / or publication experience. This ensures that each participant gets value from the workshop⁠ and is presented with information, strategies, and skills that suit their career stage. 

For “intensive” and “masterclass” workshops, which provide more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback, the recommended experience level should be followed closely.

For all other workshops, the recommended experience level is just that—a recommendation—and we encourage potential participants to follow their own judgment when registering.

If you’re uncertain of your experience level with regard to any particular workshop, please feel free to contact us at communications@writers.ns.ca