Writer booster

>> Publisher David Widgington pairs new writers with old and gets Counterproductive

by VINCENT TINGUELY

When Cumulus Press publisher David Widgington decided to promote the work of young writers, he was inspired by what he’d seen overseas. “The mentorship/apprenticeship relationship, which I witnessed on an everyday basis when I was travelling in Asia, is something that’s lacking in contemporary Western civilization,” he explains.
He decided to pair the work of young writers with more established and known authors to call attention to his new anthology series. The first Tendril anthology, Running With Scissors, included a chapbook collection of early and recent poems by George Austin Clarke tucked inside the cover, and each subsequent anthology will similarly include work by a mature writer.
For next year, Widgington is seeking short fiction by young writers for the second Tendril anthology. He’s also working on Counterproductive, a collection of visual and written work inspired by last April’s massive protests against the FTAA. “Going to Quebec City was a very spontaneous act on my part. There was a tremendous feeling of solidarity,” Widgington says. He plans to mount an exhibit in conjunction with the book launch, featuring video, photos, posters and banners from the Summit. :