News Stories
Groundbreaking poet M. NourbeSe Philip to deliver VIU Gustafson lecture
October 17, 2022
Philip’s lecture is on October 27 from 7 to 8:30 pm on the Nanaimo campus. Renowned poet, writer and anti-racism activist M. NourbeSe Philip is Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Ralph Gustafson Distinguished Poet for 2022-23. Philip’s lecture is October 27 from 7 to 8:30 pm on the Nanaimo campus in Building 355, Room 203. It is free to attend and will be followed by a catered reception, cash... Read more
5 Questions with Joy Gugeler
August 11, 2022
Joy Gugeler teaches Creative Writing, Journalism and Media Studies courses at Vancouver Island University (VIU). This summer, Gugeler was nominated for the Karen Virag Award from the Editors’ Association of Canada. She also arranged a First Book Canada pop-up book event at the VIU Nanaimo campus to distribute free books to public schools, libraries and other non-profits. Gugeler is the Publisher... Read more
Portal Hosts First In-Person Launch Since 2020
April 19, 2022
The launch is on April 29 at The Grand Hotel from 6-8:30 pm. Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) student-run annual literary magazine is going to be celebrated in-person for the first time in three years thanks to the lifting of Covid restrictions and a desire for face-to-face festivities to mark the accomplishments of nearly 90 contributors since 2020. Portal 2022, a full-colour magazine, is... Read more
5 Questions with Susan Juby
April 4, 2022
Susan Juby, a Nanaimo-based author and Vancouver Island University Creative Writing Professor, had two new novels hit the bookshelves this March. Mindful of Murder, released March 8, features Helen Thorpe, a smart, preternaturally calm and deeply insightful butler who uses her sleuthing skills to unravel the mystery of the death of her former employer Edna. Helen is the executor of Edna’s will.... Read more
Griffin Prize-Winning Poet A.F. Moritz to Give VIU Gustafson Lecture and Reading
February 17, 2022
The annual lecture will take place on March 3, 2022, on the Nanaimo campus. A.F. Moritz, one of Canada’s most esteemed and decorated poets, is Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Ralph Gustafson Distinguished Poet for 2021-22. The annual lecture will take place on March 3 in the Ralph Gustafson Lecture Theatre in Building 355 at VIU’s Nanaimo campus. His talk, entitled “Poetry: Future Present... Read more
5 Questions with Craig Taylor
December 16, 2021
Craig Taylor, the best-selling author of Londoners, a collection of short stories about residents that paints a portrait of today’s London, has yet another accomplishment under his belt – he recently received the 2021 Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize for Non-fiction. Taylor, a Vancouver Island University (VIU) Creative Writing and Journalism Professor, received the prize for his latest book... Read more
VIU's Portal Magazine Celebrates 30 Years of Literary Excellence
April 26, 2021
Portal is hosting a virtual launch of its 30th anniversary edition on Friday, April 30. For 30 years Portal, Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) nationally distributed literary magazine, has amplified the voices of emerging writers and showcased the works of up-and-coming illustrators, photographers and artists. Portal is hosting a Zoom virtual launch on Friday, April 30, 7-9 pm, to celebrate... Read more
Alum of the Month: Tyson Whitney
February 23, 2021
Graduating in the midst of a recession, Tyson Whitney (Bachelor of Arts, Major in Creative Writing and Journalism ’08) worked a variety of jobs that didn’t focus on writing at first, including as a law clerk and warehouse manager. In 2015, he went to work for the North Island Gazette in Port Hardy, where he became editor a year later and has never looked back. The paper has since been nominated... Read more
Alumni of the Month: Spenser Smith
December 8, 2020
Through his writing, Spenser Smith (Bachelor of Arts, Major in Creative Writing ’19) is attempting to change the public’s perception of drug users and add another perspective to the conversation about BC’s overdose crisis. In September 2019, he started his Master of Arts in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia (UBC), for which he is writing a book of poetry that explores his... Read more
A Career in the Clouds
September 17, 2019
For most people, the prospect of spending days immersed in virtual reality worlds is a pipe dream made possible only by winning the lottery or some other turn of good fortune. For the folks at Qualicum-based Cloudhead Games, five of whom are VIU alumni, this is their everyday. Up against heavy competition from AAA studios for games like Fallout 4 and Skyrim, the virtual reality game development... Read more