History of the BWS

Founded in 1967 under the sponsorship of the Burnaby Arts Council, the Burnaby Writers Society is one of the oldest and best-known writers' groups in B.C. The initial group of 22 Burnaby writers has grown into a broad-based organization drawing its membership from across the Lower Mainland and other parts of the province. In 1972, the club became a registered non-profit society, and shortly thereafter was registered federally as a charitable organization.

A major BWS project was launched in 1971 with: "The BC Writers Handbook". This first hand-bound, mimeographed edition was published in a limited edition of 250 copies by a committee of BWS members, and sold out almost immediately through Duthie's Books. In 1975, now expanded to cover all four western Canadian provinces and the U.S. Northwest, the handbook was co-published by Douglas & McIntyre of Vancouver and Madrona Press of Seattle as: "The Upper Left Hand Corner: A Writers' Guide for the Northwest". A 1984 edition, still further expanded, was reissued by International Self-Counsel Press.

Other community contributions our members have made include the judging of the Shari Meakin Bursary in co-operation with the Burnaby Arts Council, and the awarding of the Burnaby Writers' Scholarship. The Shari Meakin Bursary was formerly awarded annually to a qualified struggling local writer but has since lost its funding, and will no longer be able to provide for worthy writers. The Burnaby Writers' Scholarship, which was administered through the University of British Columbia, was awarded on a yearly, then later, a two--year schedule, to a promising student in the UBC Creative Writing Department.