LOCAL AUTHOR TO BE FEATURED AT TORONTO WOMEN’S BOOKSTORE BOOK LAUNCH
Eva Salinas holds her first published book, "Latin Americans Thought of It: Amazing Innovations." Jelena Subotic/Gleaner News
By Jelena Subotic
With her first book published, and a launch scheduled for the end of April, Eva Salinas is excited about the opportunities coming her way.
The local resident and journalist Salinas is now an author of a children’s book, Latin Americans Thought of It: Amazing Innovations. The book is the fifth installment in Annick Press’ ‘We Thought of It’ series, which looks at the innovations and traditions of different cultures.
“I thought [this was] a great opportunity to learn more about Latin American culture and history, and in the end have a published book. It was a great idea,” says Salinas.
Before the prospect of the book came about Salinas was working at The Santiago Times, Chile’s English-language newspaper. She had moved to Chile from Toronto to get in touch with, and learn about, her cultural roots. It was Salinas’ first time living in South America and it introduced her to many different Latin American cultures.
“I wasn’t born and raised in that culture. In order to feel more connected to the culture I definitely wanted to go and live there. I have no doubt that it changed my path immensely,” she says.
As a journalist, Salinas has been able to travel and work in many different countries. Salinas worked with Journalists for Human Rights in Ghana, and that experience opened her eyes to the challenges of development and the importance of shared learning when travelling to a new culture.
“I’ve always had a loose definition of what a journalist is for me,” says Salinas, and because of that, she also spent time doing non-traditional journalism, whether with non-profit groups or media outreach.
Salinas wasn’t thinking about publishing a book until Annick Press approached her with the idea as an open concept. It gave Salinas the opportunity to write about the topics that interested her or that she wanted to learn about.
“I never imagined my first book would be a children’s book. I was ready to move on from the paper and try something new. I felt the timing was right,” Salinas says.
The project has opened new doors to her, and Salinas says the book is a great first step to other writing projects. She is embracing the moment, and is excited for her book launch on Apr. 28. The launch will celebrate “with the community, whether that’s the Latin American community, or the Annex community,” and all are welcome.
The launch begins at 2 p.m. at the Toronto Women’s Bookstore (TWB; 73 Harbord St.). For more information about TWB, visit http://womensbookstore.com/.