University of Winnipeg Report to the Community 2012

Debbie Patterson: Seventh Carol Shields Writer-in-Residence

Debbie PattersonDebbie Patterson served as UWinnipeg’s seventh Carol Shields Writer-in-Residence from January to April 2012. Patterson is a dynamic member of Winnipeg’s arts and theatre community, an innovative writer, director, and actor. While writer-in-residence, Patterson worked on her one-woman play called Tuktoyaktuk and Me, about global warming and multiple sclerosis.

“My term as a writer-in-residence has been a really good opportunity to get to know other writers in Winnipeg and to be inspired by their work,” shared Patterson. “And because I am spending my time meeting with people who are passionate about words and ideas it reminds me of the culturally-rich city that we live in.”

Past writers in this program include Margaret Sweatman, Sandra Birdsell, John Weier, Maria Campbell, David Bergen, and Ivan Coyote.

Patterson’s residency is made possible by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Carol Shields family, and UWinnipeg. The program honours the memory of Carol Shields, Pulitzer-prize winning novelist and Chancellor of the University of Winnipeg from 1996 to 2000.