From our President
Kali Mera from Greece to all you BCATW members and associates!
It’s been a good year for our Association with so many successful Meetups and an excellent symposium. The year is winding down now and I want to remind you all that the AGM will be held on November 19th, and we hope to see you there. It will be election time and if you can’t attend you’ll be sent ballots by email.
We’ll also be discussing ideas and plans for future events and next year’s symposium. If you want to help organize the symposium please be at the AGM! I encourage you to participate in these events. New ideas and new energy is always welcome and needed. We’ve welcomed a lot of new members and associates this last year and we would love to have you participating on the board or with the symposium.
I’m away until the end of October, but I look forward to seeing you in November. Enjoy the Autumn.
All the best,
-Ruth Kozak
New Member Spotlight
Brian K Smith is not exactly a new BCATW member, but his profile page on this site is new, which qualifies him for spotlight treatment.- ed
Brian has operated his own professional photography business since 1992, specializing in travel, humanitarian, portrait, event, and fine art photography. His work has been featured on the CBC, Rogers Television, Kodak Canada’s national magazine, and many other publications.
Brian is a member of the Professional Photographers of Canada and the Lower Mainland regional chair for the Professional Photographers of Canada-BC. He is a Master of Photographic Arts (MPA) with an accreditation in travel illustration, nature, and scenic photography. Brian’s awards include the 2008 Nikon Award Of Excellence (PPOC-BC) and Best Portrait of a Man 2010 (PPOC-BC). He is an Association Member and active volunteer with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Brian serves on the Creative Arts Advisory Board for Langara College.
Brian is also a writer, with numerous credits in print and digital magazines. Brian contributes various stories and images to What’s Brewing magazine, known as The Journal of BC’s Craft Beer Movement. He collaborates with editor and BCATW member Dave Smith to produce the cover photos for each issue.
Brian has been on assignment around the world, most frequently in Asia. Along with BCATW member Rick Green, Brian operates Adventurocity, an Asia-focussed travel business specializing in highly curated journeys.
Media Member News
Rick Neal has had an article published in Europeupclose.com about the wonderful Moroccan port city of Essaouira. Rick also made the shortlist for a Cedric Literary award recognizing writers over 50 who haven’t had a published manuscript. His entry was in the short fiction category and out of 52 entries it made the final four. The awards ceremony is in Victoria on October 15th but unfortunately, Rick will be in Argentina. Wish him luck!
Irene Butler’s article, Antarctica – the Great White Continent, was featured in the September issue of Inspired Senior Living Magazine. During the month of September, Irene and her husband Rick completed their three months of travel through of six European counties. The windup country was oil-rich Azerbaijan, with its strange geothermal activity of mud volcanoes, hillside fires of erupting gases, and an archeological site of 6,000 petroglyphs for glimpses of life as it was for cave dwellers 12,000 years ago.
Ruth Kozak is enjoying her time in Greece exploring some of the Greek Islands for her ebook Exploring the Greek Islands to be published by Hunter Publishing, US. Ruth will also be doing a reading of her second volume of SHADOW OF THE LION at the Canadian Institute of Athens. SHADOW of the LION: The Fields of Hades is due for release in November. 
Brian K. Smith just returned from a seven day solo press/media trip to the Southern Gulf Islands. His mode of transportation was on a Juiced electric bike and his mandate was to locate and taste as much craft beer, cider and local wine as possible! It was a great success. Look for stories in quality blogs and magazines in the very upcoming weeks and months!
Darlene Foster will be at Albany Books in Tsawwassen on November 19 from 1 to 3pm, launching her fifth book in the Amanda Travels series. Amanda on the Danube – The Sounds of Music finds twelve-year-old traveller Amanda on an exciting cruise down the Danube where she learns about European history, while trying to keep a precious violin safe for a poor musical prodigy. Darlene would love to see her BCATW friends while she’s in town.
Cherie Thiessen’s article on cycling in Quebec is in the fall issue of Explore Magazine and her destination Hollyhock on Cortes Island is in the fall issue of B.C. Magazine. An article on the Cowichan Valley (Deerholme and Fairburn Farm) is currently running in the the travelwriterstales.com syndicate’s weekly newspapers. (Kamloops This Week, Vernon Morning Star and Delta Optimist.)
Mari Kane’s story about Taste Vancouver’s Gastown Food tour appears in the Autumn issue of Edible Vancouver. Titled A Vancouver Food Tour with a Side of History, Mari pitched the idea one day after going on the food tour as part of a BCTW Meetup. BCATW industry member, Taste Vancouver, was kind enough to guide BCTW members on two tours that week and their efforts paid off with this story. Look for Free copies of Edible Vancouver at Choices Markets, Cook Culture, and at Big Rock Brewery, or view it online.
Peppa Martin has enrolled in an online course offered through Sotheby’s Institute London on “Writing for Art World.” She plans to feature more about art happenings in her travel writing.
Industry Member News
SOMMELIER LED FOOD & WINE TASTINGS– PATIO EDITION
Join Cedar Creek’s sommelier on a guided tour of our vineyards.
Then enjoy a seated educational tasting of some of our exclusive portfolio wines at our Vineyard Terrace Restaurant. Paired perfectly with cheese and charcuterie, this sommelier-guided wine tasting is fun and informative and will be the highlight of your evening, on that you have our word. Comfortable footwear and sun protection recommended.
Saturday October 8 – Sunday, October 9, 2016. 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. $30 + tax & gratuity. Email: wineshop@nullcedarcreek.bc.ca Telephone: 778.738.1027
Upcoming Meetups
Forbidden Vancouver’s Prohibition City Tour, Assignment, and Critique
Monday, October 3, 2016 to Cathedral Place across from Holy Rosary Cathedral Dunsmuir and Richards St.
Have you ever wanted to write about Vancouver’s scandalous Prohibition history? BC Travel Writers has a walking tour and writing assignment for you!
BCATW’s industry member, Forbidden Vancouver, will take you on its walking tour, PROHIBITION CITY: From Back Alley Blind Pigs to Chinatown Opium Dens, to give you all the experience and information you need to write a story about old-time Vancouver.
Then, in our November 2nd Meetup, one of our veteran travel writers will critique all stories to give writers, bloggers, photographers, and videographers valuable feedback on their work.
All BC Travel Writers members are welcome to join us, but producing a piece of media for critique is the sole requirement.
This is a tour wrapped in an assignment followed up with feedback.
Attendees are expected to publish their stories somewhere online – in a blog, a social media post, on YouTube, at the bcatw.org site, or on Ruth Kozak’s TravelThruHistory.com – so that we can all compare the various ways one travel story can be approached.
Note: You need not be in attendance at the November 2 Meetup, as the comments will be recorded for you.
This is a great opportunity for new travel writers to experience being “on assignment,” and to get writing feedback in a safe, productive environment.
Space is available. RSVP now!
“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.” – Babs Hoffman
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