A prize-winning East Valley author and journalist who documented a Nazi concentration camp survivor’s defection to America will be the writer-in-residence at Scottsdale Public Library starting next week through November.
Katrina Shawver will hold regular hours at the library for 30-minute consultations with writers and also will be holding public workshops.
Shawver has won numerous awards for her book, “HENRY: A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America.”
Shawver spent 15 years researching and writing her biography of Henry Zguda, a competitive swimmer who was imprisoned in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps during Nazi Germany’s occupation of Poland.
He and a friend defected from Communist Poland in 1956 at the height of the Cold War with the help of friends he met in Buchenwald, and eventually moved in 1980 to Ahwatukee, living in the same home until his death in 2003.
Shawver met him a year before he died, then set off on researching the Nazis’ persecution of Poles, unearthing original documents in Germany and Poland that she used to tell both the story of Zguda’s life and the treatment of Poles during the war.
“Powerful and riveting Shawver’s Holocaust biography casts a haunting and uninterrupted spell over her readers as she takes them on a harrowing journey into the darkest moments of the last century,” Book Viral said of Shawver’s work, calling it “flawlessly written with a timely clarity which proves wholly enthralling throughout.”
Anyone can make an appointment to get feedback on their writing. This one-on-one writing guidance and personal mentorship requires registration, which will open Sept. 8.
The second part of the program is free writing workshops and registration for those is required and opens two weeks prior to each session.
The sessions are:
- Write Your Memoir One Story at a Time. 1-2:30 p.m. Oct. 2.
Calling a memoir a collection “of many smaller stories coalesced into a cohesive narrative,” Shawver noted, “It takes courage to write your own truth, and observation skills to add depth and details.
“We will focus on breaking your memoir into smaller sets of stories or essays and workshop one of them. Bring something to write with for hands-on exercises.”
- Make Every Word Count, 1-2:30 p.m. Oct. 10.
This workshop will focus writing lean, using active voice, avoiding clichés, and eliminating word clutter. Practice using show not tell to create vivid images in concise writing.
“We’ll also discuss helpful resources and technology to help maximize your writing time and work smarter. Bring something to write with for hands-on exercises.”
How to Research for Credibility. 1-2:30 p.m. Oct. 31.
This workshop will focus on why getting the facts straight gives a writer credibility and an authentic voice.
“But where do you start? And how do you focus your research, so you don’t drown in tangents and lose sight of the writing? Participants will take away a list of key resources, tips on distinguishing AI from primary sources, and strategies to organize research and background information.”
- Ready, Set, Publish. 1-2:30 p.m. Nov. 21.
Noting that “too many writers rush to publish a book on Amazon and then wonder what to do next,” Shawver will discuss having a launch plan in place before publishing.
“Authors need to think through the publishing mechanics of Amazon key words and categories, getting reviews and blurbs, and pre-and post-launch publicity. Participants will take away a viable action plan for their work-in-progress. “
All appointments and workshops will take place at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale.
For registration and further info visit scottsdalelibrary.org, go to the Events calendar, and search for Katrina Shawver.
This project is supported by the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Information: katrinashawver.com