Gordon Mumford Publishing

Author News & Events

J. GORDON MUMFORD

Gordon Mumford enjoys giving book readings and talks to libraries, schools, writers' groups, and various other organizations, augmented by visual presentations. He is also available to conduct workshops on writing memoirs.

Gordon gives Power Point presentations and readings. These include his experiences as a young Radio Officer in World War II, or life in East Africa. Barbara and Gordon will talk about their experiences and answer questions.

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Current Readings and Appearances:

Feb. 6: Gordon and Barbara were displaying his books with the Burnaby Writers Society at the Arts Showcase, in the Shadbolt Centre.

Feb. 6: Gordon was one of the readers at the Black History Month Celebration, sponsored by World Poetry New Westminster and the Centre of Integration for African Immigrants.

Feb - International Boat Show cancelled because of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

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2009 Past Readings & Appearances

December 9: Gordon was one of the readers at the World Poetry meeting at the Vancouver Public Library.

November 19: Gordon reading from the manuscript of Destiny (work-in-progress) at Poetry Round the World at Chapters (Metrotown).

November: During Veterans Week Gordon visited three New Westminster schools to talk about World War II and the role of the Merchant Navy. His talks were supported by a Power Point presentation and readings from The Black Pit.

Sept. 27: Gordon was at the Canadian Authors Association table at Word on the Street

Aug. 12, 2 - 7:30 pm - Join Gordon and other authors reading at Centennial Lodge, Queens Park, New Westminster BC (Entrance Free). World Poetry and the Arts Council of New Westminster are presenting the Poetry Tmeline: The 150th Anniversary Extravaganza, with Artists, Poets, Writers, and Music.

May 3: Gordon spoke to Capt. Vancouver sea cadets at HMCS Discovery during the Battle of the Atlantic week.

Feb. 4-8: Gordon was exhibiting books at the Marine Author booth during the Vancouver Interntional Boat Show.

2008 Past Readings & Appearances

Monday, December 15, 7:30-9:30 pm: Gordon was one of the featured readers at the Main Branch of the Vancouver Public Library (with World Poetry).
VETERANS' WEEK: October/November 2008: Gordon is visiting high school classes and sea cadets in New Westminster.
Saturday, September 27, 1 - 4 pm: Gordon read at the Fraser Valley-area Writers Meet 'N Greet at the Semiahmoo Library.
September 28: Word on the Street - Vancouver - Gordon joined other members of the Canadian Authors Association at their table.
Saturday & Sunday, August 16 and 17: Afrika Dey, a two-day festival at the Serbian Cultural Centre in Burnaby. Gordon was a featured reader with the World Poetry Group on Sunday afternoon.
Monday, August 4: Gordon was at the Burnaby Village Museum, with the Burma Star Association. The BC Day celebration commemorated the 150th Anniversary of the founding of BC with a "Salute to Our Veterans."
Saturday, July 26: At the Summer Dream Reading Festival, in Stanley Park (all day). Gordon is on the the CAA featured readers in the Main Tent at 6:15pm
Thursday, April 24: Featured reader at the Backroom at the Heritage Grill in New Westminster - The Heritage Grill is opposite the Army & Navy Store on Columbia Street in New Westminster, BC.
Saturday, April 12: 10 am - 6 pm, Gordon & the Marine Authors will be selling their books at "Community Days" at the Vancouver West Marine Store, 1601 West 2nd Ave. in Vancouver. community Days is in support of the Disabled Sailing Association.
Saturday, March 29: appearing at Black Bond Bookstore, Lansdowne Mall, Richmond BC.
Tuesday, Mar 11:Gordon will be the guest author on the World Poetry Cafe broadcast, at 9pm PST on (Coop Radio 102.7 fm www.coopradio.org).
Friday, Feb. 29:Barbara Mumford was presented with the Unsung Hero Award for her work in helping other authors/publishers. The award was presented during the World Poetry Gala at the Vancouver Public Library.
February 6-10, 2008: Marine Authors booth at the Vancouver International Boat Show.

Barbara Mumford & Gordon at the World Poetry Gala award night in February 2008

2007 Readings & Appearances

November, 2007:VETERANS WEEK. Gordon gave a Power Point presentation and spoke to the Sea Cadets at the local armory and to two classes at Queensborough Middle School in New Westminster BC.
Sept. 30, 2007::WORD ON THE STREET, Sunday, September 30, in Library Square, outside the main branch of the Vancouver Public Library. Exhibits, readings, etc. Gordon will be at the Canadian Authors Association table
Sept. 12, 2007: CANADIAN AUTHORS ASSOCIATION, 7 pm, at the Alliance for the Arts & Cultural Events, Suite 100, 938 Howe Street in downtown Vancouver. Gordon will be one of the featured readers at this meeting, reading from In Fate's Footsteps
Sept. 1 - 2, 2007:Featured reader at the Afrika Dey Festival, held at the Croatian Centre.
July, 2007: Summer Dream Festival, Vancouver BC - Gordon and other members of the Canadian Authors Association were at the Branch's table in Stanley Park.
July 1, 2007:Canada Day Celebrations at the Port Moody Station Museum, with the Burma Star Association. Remembering our Veterans: A Celebration of Canadian Military History and our Veterans, presented by the Port Moody Heritage Society.
March 2007:,FEATURED READING, with World Poetry Group at Vancouver Main Public Library, Vancouver BC
February, 2007:.At Vancouver International Boat Show (with Marine Authors).

2006 Readings & Appearances

November 2006:During Remembrance Week, he was invited as a World War Two Veteran to schools in Vancouver where he talked (and read) to individual classes and a school assembly about his war experiences.
June 2006:In England & Wales to attended the OSPA lunch, and contact East African sources.
April 11, 2006:Book Readings from White Man's Drum and Drums of Rebellion, along with films from Kenya in the 1950s. Presented at the New Westminster Public Library.
April 27, 2006:Book Readings from White Man's Drum & Drums of Rebellion and films from Kenya in the 1950s. Presented at the Vancouver Public Library. April 27 ("Amazing Lives: Fact and Fiction Series")
February 8 - 12, 2006:At Vancouver International Boat Show (with Marine Authors).
February 2006:Featured Reader at "First Tuesday Assembly", Chapters (Robson St.).

Background Information

During World War II, when he was seventeen, Gordon joined the Merchant Navy. He shares his experiences, including being torpedoed in the Atlantic (Dec. 1942) and mined in the Scheldt Estuary, southern Holland (Dec. 1944). He also served in the Mediterranean and the South Pacific area.
Gordon was twenty-three when he went to East Africa as an assistant engineer in February, 1949. A field services specialist, Gordon was involved on a major 4-year project to survey and install a viable route for a modern VHF radio repeater multi-channel telecommunications system across East Africa (long distance telephone, etc.). He also installed the VHF Emergency Radio Systems linking remote farms. Living under canvas in isolated areas, he often worked alone, encountering inhospitable country, wild animals, extreme weather conditions, and later, a savage civil war. On more than one occasion, he was lucky to escape with his life.
After his first marriage ended in divorce, Gordon immigrated to Canada in 1958, where he studied to become a teacher. While at university, he met Barbara and in 1961 they went to Kenya. For the next twenty years, Gordon was a telecommunications instructor in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. He worked on a variety of technical aid projects (CIDA, UNESCO, etc.) in the 1960s and 1970s, while Barbara worked as a librarian and teacher.
Barbara and Gordon will talk about living in Africa, where their two young children went to school, and answer questions about their experiences. Gordon taught electronics, while Barbara taught primary school. They also organized national and international tennis events for both school children and adults.

Contact Information

For more information, or to arrange to have Gordon Mumford speak to your organization, book group, or classroom, please contact us.

To read extracts from his books and reviews, see the Bookstore pages on this web site.