HBOIERC Book Launch  The Creative Writing Club of Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Center launched their latest anthology, Isle of Mirage, at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg, MB on April 24, 2009. The book launch marked the culmination of months of work from the group of young writers from Norway House.  The day began with the students participating in workshops at the Viscount Gort Hotel with two prolific pundits in the literary realm of Aboriginal writers, Maria Campbell and Duncan Mercredi. They both delivered talks on their genres and provided advice to the young, aspiring group of poets and writers.      In the morning Maria Campbell, author of Half-Breed came to honor the group with a presentation of her books, including Little Badger and the Fire Spirit. In the afternoon, Duncan Mercredi a bard and storyteller, from Grand Rapids who has published works such as Wolf and Shadows and Spirit of the Wolf, had the students actively participating in a variety of writing exercises. He also warned them against the pitfalls of writer’s block and losing your focus in a writer’s group by absorbing the writing styles of others. The highlight of the afternoon for the young writers was listening to the visiting authors perform readings of their work.  Isle of Mirage is a collection of different genres produced by five emerging Aboriginal authors: Rae-Dawn Balfour, Corrine Clyne, Terri Hart, Jonah Mowatt and Marci Redhead. The front cover design and illustrations in the book were created by Terri Hart and Jonah Mowatt.    Rae-Dawn, a sixteen year old, led off the evening by reading her poem, Lies through My Sister’s Eyes. Rae-Dawn proved to be a true poet in every sense of the word in the workshop earlier in the day. She is able to compose on the spot within the constraints of a time limit. Corrine Clyne’s preference in genres is personal memoirs, but she also writes short stories, essays, and poetry. From Isle of Mirage she read a memoir, The Beauty of Drew. Corrine has come through a loss with a grace and peaceful acceptance and acknowledges her sources of help through a dark period in life. This has given her work an ambiance of love.       Terri Hart, a member of Manitoba Writers Guild, read an excerpt from her novel in progress, Sunless. Terri enjoys reading novels about vampires and is writing one in that genre.      Jonah Mowatt read his poem, Meadows of Heaven. Jonah’s choice of genre is fantasy and he writes with the energy of the moment. He also writes poetry and was published in Urban NDN.    The staff and students of HBOIERC are very proud of our young authors and congratulate them on the publication of their anthology! Four of these authors were previously published in last year’s anthology, The Voice Behind the Mask. The group wishes to thank the host, McNally Robinson Booksellers, and all the people who attended the book launch.