call for submissions — autobiographies

December 29, 2008

Feminisms in Canada and Quebec, 1960–2010 | Féminismes au Canada et au Québec, 1960–2010

Marguerite Andersen is a member of a working group that plans to publish the stories of the second wave feminist movement in Canada in a series of books over the coming years. The diversity of feminism – including the complexities of gender, race, class, geography, culture, dis/ability, language, sexual identity, and age – are central to the project.

About 30 women met for the first time in February, 2008, at the University of Ottawa.

At the meeting, they created a working committee on second wave history. The members included:

• Beth Atcheson (lawyer, Toronto)
• Constance Backhouse ( professor of law and university research chair, University of Ottawa)
• Francine Descarries (professor of sociology and l’Institut de recherché et d’études féministes, l’Université du Québec à Montréal)
• Sylvia D. Hamilton (Filmmaker, University of King’s College, Halifax) and
• Tracey Lindberg (Associate Professor of Law, University of Ottawa)

Marguerite Andersen has volunteered to help gather and edit autobiographical texts for a book in English, with plans to publish in 2010. She is looking for autobiographical text of 750–1,200 words. Do you have a story about how you came to feminism?

• What prompted you to begin living and working as a feminist?
• Was there a precise turning point in your life?
• Who inspired you?
• What joyous, painful, funny or other experiences did you have?
• What transformations took place?
• What new skills did you acquire?
• How were people around you reacting to your new self?

The following is Marguerit's tentative time line for the work on this volume of the series:

• 31/08/2008 — first call for submissions
• 30/09/ 2008 — creation of a committee of three to edit this book
• — second call for submissions
• 31/10/2008 — define the role of committee members
• — establish criteria for selection of texts to be chosen for publication
• 15/01/ 2009 — deadline for reception of submissions
• 28/02/2009 — choice of 40–50 texts to be published and confirmations re permissions
• 31/03/2009 — request bios and permission forms from contributors
• 31/10/2009 — texts and bios have been edited
• 30/11/2009 — preface to be written
• 30/11/2009 — order of texts has been established
• 15/01/2010 — the manuscript is ready

Submissions should be sent to: marguerite.andersen@sympatico.ca. You can also write for further information.

If you have an interest in organizing a similar volume in French, please let her know.

more about the project
Feminisms in Canada and Quebec, 1960–2010

creating the feminist history book society, section15.ca blog item | October 28, 2008