Always growing

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This article was published 15/11/2024 (633 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Denmark-based writer Beka Shane Denter’s new book, Bloom Across Canada, is a love letter to her home country.

It’s the second tome in a trilogy that celebrates the accomplishments of women, non-binary and transgender people of different backgrounds and walks of life.

Laid out in an easy-to-digest Q&A format and accompanied by black-and-white portraits, the book — published by Heritage House — features four Manitobans: Jolene Bailie, choreographer and artistic director of Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers; fashion designer Andréanne Mulaire, founder and CEO of Anne Mulaire; Lourdes Still, founder of Masagana Flower Farm and the Tinta Experience; and photographer Signy Thorsteinson.

Shane Denter, 50, who moved from British Columbia to Copenhagen with her family in July 2023 , says the idea for the Bloom series came to her from a place of selfishness.

Seeking human connection after the loss of her mother, she felt moved to document the uplifting stories of everyday Canadians.

The result of her endeavours is a collection of 50 interviews and portraits that celebrate diversity, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.

“I was coming out of really deep grief after losing my mom suddenly in 2017 and for me it was kind of selfish almost. I really wanted to connect with people and hear good things in spite of what was going on around me at the time,” she says.

Her first book, Bloom Where You Are Planted, shone a spotlight on those who lived and worked in B.C. The relationships she forged while working on it led her to writing the second one.

Finding subjects was easy and connections grew organically. The tough part was whittling down the list of names to ensure a broad cross-section of voices and diverse experiences were featured.

“It wasn’t like ‘ha, ta-dah, I am successful, I am here, I have made it,’” she says.

“It was really important for me to look at people realistically, to look at the trajectory of their story. It’s about sharing the ebb and flow of being a woman, non-binary or transgender person in your particular sector.”

While she didn’t have a list of criteria to fulfil before she chose her subjects, she did want a common thread running through the stories.

“They had to be really active in their community in some shape or form. Some way of giving back, not necessarily financially, but in terms of being present, of being part of the bigger picture beyond the brand or the art or the music.

“This group are really incredible in that they just keep showing up. They show up for their community, for their friends, and for their family,” she says.

Another theme that gradually emerged during her interviews was their tenacity and resolve.

“Each of them have come to their careers later in life or have switched their careers or have come through immigration or have had to deal with transitioning. There are lots of big issues and I think perseverance is another thread that runs through the book,” she says.

Shane Denter’s fascination with telling the everyday stories of normal people quietly making their dreams come true has seen her embark on her third and final book in the series, Bloom Across the World, which she is wrapping up.

She says working on the books has given her the strength to continue with her own passions, reminding her that anyone can start something new at any age. She’s also learned how to “take up space.”

“Each successive book has taught me to take ownership of what I do and what I have accomplished. From each interview I have taken away strength from their stories and realized we are not alone in this journey. I still feel like part of me is coming out of a slump after I lost my mom. She was all about supporting women and that is what really motivated writing these books,” she says.

Shane Denter hopes readers will not just be inspired by the stories but will become more aware of pursuing their own path, whatever that may look like for them.

“It’s not about leaving your job and starting all over again; it’s not just that. It’s that you can start anything at any age. Your trajectory doesn’t have to begin when you’re a teenager, or when you leave college or university. It can start at any time.”

av.kitching@freepress.mb.ca