ESTEVAN – Weyburn’s Jan Keating, author of A Normal Boy: Living in an Asylum, and A Prairie Girl: Living in Baghdad, captivated an audience at the Estevan Public Library on May 29, sharing insights into her writing process and the compelling true stories behind her books. The event drew an engaged crowd of about 20 people, eager to hear from the author.
Anna Lawrence, adult program co-ordinator, praised Keating's presentation.
"Jan is an amazing speaker. She's very passionate about what she's written and how she's gone about learning the information about her books, which was really cool to see," Lawrence said.
Keating read excerpts from both of her books and discussed the inspirations behind them. One book revolves around the story of a boy in a Weyburn asylum, a narrative that stayed with her for years before she penned it. The other book focuses on a woman, whose story Keating felt compelled to write after becoming fascinated with her life and forming a bond with her family.
The author also fielded questions from the audience, with one inquiry addressing her plans to adapt one of her books into a screenplay.
"Her goal is to turn the story about the woman into a screenplay," Lawrence recounted.
The event was part of the library's ongoing efforts to bring local authors to the community, which Lawrence noted happens more often during spring and fall.
While the library's summer programming will focus more on activities for children, Lawrence hinted at exciting new initiatives for adults. These include a date night at the library for friends or partners on June 19, and a "magical grandparent" session on June 24, which will continue into July, aimed at teaching grandparents tricks to impress their grandchildren.
For more information on upcoming events, residents can follow the Estevan Public Library on Facebook.
