L.M. Montgomery group hopes to capitalize on 150th birthday to attract new fans
CBC
L.M. Montgomery's 150th birthday is still five months away, but the days and weeks until then will be filled with organizations and businesses across Prince Edward Island using creative ways to celebrate the iconic author.
Linda Lowther has been working to raise awareness about Montgomery for decades, starting with a summer job as a guide at Green Gables, the historic house that provided the setting for the author's most popular novel, Anne of Green Gables.
Lowther helped create the Montgomery Park in Cavendish, and The Inspiring World of L.M. Montgomery – A Literary Tour. Now she's a member of the organizing committee for Montgomery 150.
"Not counting the two musicals, so far there's about 77 events, and there's more to come," Lowther said.
"We have everything from ice cream socials and birthday cakes, to people impersonating Montgomery as a teacher in Bedeque and at Macphail Homestead."
There will be journalling workshops, painting and photography sessions inspired by Montgomery's writing, musical events revolving around her poetry, and a hike exploring the author's favourite paths.
Lowther said Tourism Cavendish Beach and Central Coastal Tourism Partnership formed a committee for Montgomery 150 and created a fund to give organizations, associations and businesses the chance to create some events of their own.
"Everybody knows Anne, but not everybody knows that Montgomery was a famous photographer, or that she had all kinds of other talents," Lowther said.
"People have gone out of their way to show some of the things that Montgomery did, that people maybe don't know about."
Lowther said she and her group have been planning for the milestone birthday for a while.
"She's our hero. She's the one thing that's unique for Prince Edward Island that nobody else has," she said.
"She's still the world's best-selling children's author, better than any other author. So we know that she has potential. If she was here today, she'd be the Taylor Swift of today for writing. She was a pretty smart cookie."
Lowther said the special events will continue until the actual anniversary of Montgomery's birth on Nov. 30, 1874.
She said her group is also hoping to do something else for Montgomery, more permanent, to celebrate this milestone.
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