Open Pages features John Cousins, November 16
The Open Pages series at UPEI’s Robertson Library welcomes John Cousins to discuss his book New London: The Lost Dream. The event is Wednesday, November 16 at 7 pm, in the second floor common area of the Robertson Library.
New London: The Lost Dream tells the true story of brave Quakers from London, England who settled along PEI’s north shore in 1773. This book is an excellent recreation of how some of the Island’s first European settlers arrived, survived, and occasionally thrived in the “new world.”
The Quaker settlers were different from other early settlers, not only because of their religion, but because their goal was not to farm or fish, but to build a new commercial outpost on what they considered to be the doorstep to the new world. They were tradespeople and entrepreneurs, many of them city dwellers, who saw the dream of a new life in the abundant fish and timber stocks of PEI. They called their settlement New London after the city they had left. It was located at what is today the end of the Cape Road in French River and lasted from 1773 to 1795, before succumbing to harsh weather and lack of funds.
Island folklorist John Cousins is a marvellous storyteller. He brings these Quaker settlers alive in this new book. Thanks to three diaries, which survived from that time, he recreates their daily lives—what houses they built, what hardships they faced, and what dreams they saw dashed.
New London: The Lost Dream is published by Island Studies Press at UPEI. For more details, see “Recent Titles” at http://projects.upei.ca/isp/.
Open Pages features local authors speaking about their books: what inspired them, what they learned, and what they shared. The public is warmly invited to this evening, which takes place in the common area on the second floor of the UPEI Robertson Library. Light refreshments will be served, and books will be for sale and signing by the author.
For more information, contact Joan Sinclair at Island Studies Press at ispstaff@upei.ca, or Simon Lloyd in the Robertson Library, slloyd@upei.ca.
The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.
