Caroline Adderson

We invited the Shoe Project mentors and coaches to respond to the following question: Why have you taken on this work?  This is Caroline Adderson’s answer.

When Katherine Govier invited me to be the Vancouver mentor, I jumped at the chance. I was an ESL teacher for 12 years, and I remembered how fulfilling it was to work with people from other parts of the world. The work turned out to be even more rewarding than I had expected. Working deeply with each woman to help craft her story filled me with awe. They have survived war, oppression and separation from loved ones. They’ve had to start again in a new language and culture. Every one of them is a hero to me, and their respect and caring for each other despite their differences is a model for a kinder world. 

Caroline Adderson is the author of four novels, two collections of short stories, as well as many books for young readers. Her work has received numerous award nominations including the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, two Commonwealth Writers’ Prizes, the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Rogers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Scotiabank Giller Prize long list. Winner of three BC Book Prizes and three CBC Literary Awards, Caroline was also the recipient of the 2006 Marian Engel Award for mid-career achievement.

Learn more about Caroline Adderson