Congratulations Anne Bokma!
Douglas & McIntyre is (doubly pleased) to announce that Anne Bokma’s memoir about her search for spirituality outside of mainstream religion has won two Hamilton Literary Awards. My Year of Living Spiritually: From Woo-Woo to Wonderful—One Woman’s Secular Quest for a More Soulful Life took the prize in the non-fiction category, as well as the Kerry Schooley Book Award for the work “most evocative of the Hamilton region.”
Hamilton Literary Award judges praised Bokma’s work for its “good humour and personal candour … as we learn much about seeking meaning and balance in life and finding comfort and solace in our relationships with family, friends and community.”
The full listing of award winners is available on the Hamilton Arts Council website.
My Year of Living Spiritually is the engaging, relatable and inspiring result of the author's 12-month quest to become a more spiritual person. Even as our increasingly secular society untangles itself from the stronghold of institutional religion, millions are still eager to cultivate a rich spiritual life outside of a traditional house of worship–hence North America’s largest growing “faith” group, the 80 million people who identify as “Spiritual-But-Not-Religious” (SBNR for short). Anne Bokma makes an argument for why the spiritual life is worth cultivating, through whatever means resonates with an individual. As many are discovering, the challenges of COVID are providing a unique opportunity for spiritual growth. Bokma speaks to the importance of storytelling and how telling our stories–especially in this time of COVID isolation–increases our connection to each other.
For a charming sneak peek at some of her spiritual adventures, check out Anne Bokma - Mini-Documentary on her year of living spiritually as well as the book trailer.
Anne Bokma is a dynamic public speaker and the founder of The 6-Minute Memoir “speed storytelling for a cause” event, which raises money for various charities. In 2021, she is hosting a 6-minute-memoir workshop series via Zoom in February and March, as well as live events, also via Zoom, on February 12 and Friday, September 24.
Bokma has been recognized with awards from numerous journalism and publishing organizations, including the American and Canadian Church Press, the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors, the Canadian Association of Journalists, the Canadian Business Press Media Association, Rogers Media and the North American Travel Journalists Association.