Off the Map
A project proposed, developed and run by a peer community member, funded by the Consumer Initiative Fund
CIF Project Summary
Off the Map
Off the Map is a forthcoming anthology featuring Vancouver writers with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues. With support from CIF, the anthology will be coedited by Seema Shah (CIF project leader), Betsy Warland, and Kate Bird. It will be published by Bell Press in the spring of 2025.
The key goals of the project are to:
- Highlight the unique voices and diversity of writing among individuals with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues
- Help participants who have never been published before take an important next step in their writing lives
- Share participants’ writing with a wider audience
- Introduce new talent to the literary community
Through the publication credit and exposure, including the opportunity for public readings, the editorial team hopes the project will raise the profile of contributing writers, help them make connections in the literary world, and open doors for future success. They also hope the anthology will help broaden societal perceptions of writers with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues.
