IR Book Club Welcomes Back William Valgardson
- Heather Goodman Lytwyn
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
By Heather Lytwyn
In October of 2022, the IR Book Club discussed the novel In Valhalla’s Shadows with William (Bill) Valgardson. This June, we will have the privilege of Bill joining us again to talk about the sequel to this work. It has not yet hit the printing press, and until then, it has the working title The End of the Road.
As readers will remember, the main character, Tom Parsons, is a retired RCMP member, who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is a challenging book to write, because it is a tight line to walk in keeping it authentic and believable, and at the same time, remain engaging and not too dark.
Bill grew up in Gimli and to my knowledge, since retirement, he returns there nearly every summer to reconnect with his home town. He earned a B.A. at United College, a B.Ed. at the University of Manitoba in 1966 and received a Master of fine arts degree in 1969 at the University of Iowa.
His first publication, Bloodflowers, was a collection of short stories, foreshadowed by success in a number of writing contests. While working on his second publication, he was teaching creative writing at the University of Victoria. God is Not a Fish Inspector was published in 1975. It was praised for his solid depiction of the hardships of rural life. He went on to publish a book of poetry and a third collection of short stories before completing his first novel, Gentle Sinners in 1980. Always challenging himself, between 1986 and 1992, he published a second collection of poetry, a third collection of short stories, and another novel. Between 1995 and 2000 he published stories for children and young adults.
These publications are just a sample of Bill’s prolific writing. If you subscribe to Lὃgberg- Heimskringla, or you follow him on Facebook, you will agree that, whether it be in support of other authors, his enthusiasm for history and all things Icelandic, and his contemplation while out walking or working in his yard in Victoria, his insights are always engaging.
Although we are not yet able to hold his latest novel in our hands, I know that hearing him read an excerpt, and having a conversation with this teacher who helped countless others develop their writing skills, will bring our Icelandic Book Club members together in a very engaging conversation. Not to mention, those of us who read In Valhalla’s Shadows might be able to get a glimpse of what happened to the ex- Mountie, after the closing line, “It’s a long drive…We’d best get started.”
Please join us via Zoom Thursday, June 5th at 7 pm Central Time. Members will be sent a link via Samkoma News on Wednesday, a day before the Book Club event.
Please be aware that this week's session will be our last book club until October 2, 2025. Enjoy your summer and keep on reading! See you in the Autumn!