​The History of the Comox Valley Writers Society

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The Comox Valley Writers Society began as a club (CVWC) in 1964. In the early years, membership was just 12 to 15 people, and they wrote largely for newspapers and magazines. The Comox District Free Press and Islander Magazine printed many of their stories of local history and events.

 

In 1985, CVWC registered as a non-profit society: the Comox Valley Writers Group (CVWG). Four years later, CVWG celebrated 25 years with the publication of Clam Diggers, an anthology of local writing. A second anthology, Sunrise was published in 1993. Membership grew to 45 members.

 

Toward the end of the decade, two major North Island conferences were hosted and well-attended. A shift was taking place from journalism to fiction writing.

 

At the turn of the new millennium, attendance and membership dropped but regular monthly meetings resumed in 2005. At that time, the group re-registered as a member-funded society called the Comox Valley Writers Society (CVWS).

 

In 2015 the society produced Writers & Books: Comox Valley 1865-2015, as a contribution to the City of Courtenay Centennial celebrations. CVWS offered writing workshops, poetry contests in schools, public readings at the library, and continued the annual North Island Writers Conference. Membership grew to over 100 by the end of 2020.

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