I have a confession to make.
When I retired from teaching, I didn’t imagine myself here. I thought retirement would be quieter — a chance to read more, write a little, maybe finally sort out the garage. What I didn’t picture was standing in a community hall in Alexandria on my 80th birthday, watching actors bring characters I invented to life in front of an audience holding cake.
And yet. Here we are.
On Friday, May 9th at 5:30 PM, we’re celebrating at Fraternité Hall in Alexandria — and you’re invited. The occasion is double-barrelled: my 80th birthday, and the launch of The Winkleys: A Test of Magic, the first book in what I fully intend to be a nine-book series.
One of the genuine surprises of this whole journey has been discovering the writing community that exists right here in Eastern Ontario. I spent decades in a drama classroom convinced that storytelling was my world — but the writers I’ve met since finishing this book have reminded me that there’s a whole ecosystem of people out here doing serious creative work, supporting each other, and building something real. Leah Vasquez, who leads the East Ontario Writers Festival and has been instrumental in helping organize this event, is a fine example of exactly that spirit. And closer to home — my son Dave, who adapted the scenes for the stage and has quietly coordinated most of what you’ll see on May 9th — has been the kind of support a first-time author at eighty has no right to expect and every reason to be grateful for. Finding that community, both near and far, has meant more than I expected.
The evening will have live theatre — scenes adapted directly from the book, performed by a cast who have taken these characters seriously in a way that still surprises me. There will be readings, a chance to meet and talk, birthday cake, games, and the kind of noise a room full of people genuinely enjoying themselves tends to make. Admission is free. Children are welcome. Curiosity is encouraged.
Thirty-five years in a drama classroom taught me that stories need an audience to become fully real. A manuscript sitting on a desk is just paper and patience. The moment it meets people — the moment someone laughs at the right line, or goes quiet at the right moment — that’s when it actually becomes what it was meant to be.
May 9th is that moment for me. I’d love for you to be part of it. Details on my facebook page
The Winkleys: A Test of Magic is available from May 1st online and in select stores. Full details, newsletter signup, and event information at petermansell.ca