Rita Moir - writer

I’m one of the prairie people who moved to the Slocan Valley in the mid-70s. We built the caretaker’s house next to the Vallican Whole Community Centre, and this valley has gradually and thoroughly become my home. It is the base of my writing, my values, my deep friendships and community involvement.

In my early 20s and 30s, I worked for the Nelson Daily News, the Globe and Mail, and CBC Radio. At the same time, like many valley residents, I tree planted, did carpentry, short-order cooking, waitressing, went away to work and took whatever odd jobs I could to fund my house and my writing.

I have written or co-written three plays: two were produced by CBC Radio.

My short story, Leave Taking, about our local Slocan Valley burial society, won an Event national creative non-fiction award, and appears in six anthologies, including the Norton Reader.

My first book, Survival Gear (Polestar, 1994) was short-listed for the City of Dartmouth, N.S. book award and the Edna Staebler national creative non-fiction award.

Buffalo Jump: A Woman’s Travels (Coteau, 1999) won the B.C. Book Prize and the VanCity Book Prize.

The Windshift Line, is slated for publication by Greystone (Douglas & McIntyre) in the spring of 2005.