‘An Author & A Filmmaker’ features local author Gwen Lamont, The View From Coffin Ridge: A Childhood Exhumed, and Toronto filmmaker Penny Eizenga of Dog Eared Productions, for an evening celebrating women’s stories at the Marsh Street Centre on Friday, October 30 at 7 p.m.
Lamont’s memoir was released in spring 2024. More than 3,000 copies have been sold, and the book has been optioned by Toronto filmmaker Penny Eizenga for a full length feature film. Thirteen hundred people have attended author events all over Ontario and in four Vancouver Island locations.
The Clarksburg event will include two readings, the screening of film short Barefaced starring Sheila McCarthy, a conversation celebrating women’s stories between filmmaker Penny Eizenga and author Gwen Lamont, and a social time. The ticket price of $50 includes a signed second edition book, short film screening, bottle of Coffin Ridge wine from Coffin Ridge Winery near Owen Sound (that Gwen and her husband Neil own), charcuterie, and a drink.
Lamont’s book The View From Coffin Ridge: A Childhood Exhumed tells quite a story. For over thirty years, the memories of her childhood were buried. Once those years were over, she never spoke of them. No one knew of her chaotic, poor family. No one knew she had been a child bride, or of her close brush with death at the hands of a man who claimed to love her.
Lamont didn’t finish Grade 9 but today she holds four degrees. The research for her Master of Social Work thesis took her into prisons where she interviewed men who had killed their intimate partner. Her research is on her website gwenlamontauthor.ca.
At each author event key people from the community are invited as guests, helping Lamont achieve three of the goals for her book: empowering others to tell their stories, reminding people of the power of a caring adult to change the trajectory of a child’s life, and amplifying the conversation about intimate partner violence.
The community conversations sparked by Gwen Lamont’s memoir and the events are continuing in meaningful ways. To date 18 municipal council members, one federal MP, 35 women’s centre staff and board members, 30 representatives of youth organizations, 14 police officers, and 11 bookstore staff have attended as guests of the author. In each community Gwen donates to organizations providing support to women, children and youth; 51 community donations have been received.
Tickets available at https://www.coffinridge.ca/products/book-launch-the-view-from-coffin-ridge-a-childhood-exhumed or by contacting Mary Anne Alton, publicist for Gwen Lamont altonmaryanne@gmail.com, 519-373-2020.
