From 1927 to ‘94, children across Canada wrote in to the pages of the Saskatoon-based agricultural newspaper, The Western Producer, to share their poems, stories and essays.
Carol MacKay, who was one of these children, has written Lily in the Loft, a fictional children’s picture book about a young farm girl who dreams of being a writer. The book is based on the experiences of the thousands of children who participated in the Young Co-operators Club over its 67-year life-span.
Members wrote and submitted their creative works under a chosen pen name. Not only did they send in their poetry and prose to the YC Pages, but they were also elected leaders of the club, critiquing the work of other children that appeared in the pages each week. A good number of these children became prominent writers, journalists, editors, bloggers and radio personalities.
There were many children from the Battlefords and surrounding communities who were frequent contributors to the YC pages of The Western Producer. Many children from the area were elected to leadership roles. Some of these leaders included Phyllis Ferguson from Cut Knife, who wrote under the pen name “Gypsy Meldoy” and was elected junior poet laureate in 1946.
Other active members included Ellen Marie Rask (“Opal”) from Alticane, junior leader, 1950; Elaine Shein (“Kountry Kid”) also from Alticane, junior leader eader, 1979; Maureen Walker, (“Gypsy Rose Lee”) from North Battleford, senior poet laureate in 1955; Leslie Seidle (“Napoleon”) from Medstead, senior leader, 1969; Joan Lessard (“Skini Mint) of Meota, junior poet laureate, 1970; Anne Krybuoblock (Goldianna), St. Walburg, junior leader, 1971; and Charles Taylor (“Pinto”), junior leader in 1972, who wrote in from Battleford.
“I wanted to write about the YC Club and its influence on Canadian literature for several years. I couldn’t settle on how to present it and whether is should be a non-fiction book for adults, or for a child audience,” says the children's book author.
“The YC pages gave young aspiring writers a creative outlet. It definitely helped shape the vibrant writing community that exists in the prairie provinces today.
“The more I thought about it, the clearer it became that a story about a youth writing page should be geared to a youth audience,” explains MacKay, whose poems and stories for children have appeared in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Ladybug, Our Canada and Cricket.
“I settled on a fictional story, one that represents the collective experience of many YC members.”
Lily in the Loft was illustrated by the award-winning Regina artist, Val Moker and is available in Chapters stores, in-store and online, at McNally Robinson, on Amazon.ca or directly from the author, carol@carolmackay.com.
