Her writing style is a slice of Canadiana which offers a unique look into the culture of Northern British Columbia.

Margo Bates has captured the idioms, slang and expressions — the very nature of northern life — because she lived it.

She got an early start to her writing career. When Margo was ten-years-old, her pioneer grandmother began a correspondence with her that lasted for over thirty years. The results: P.S. Don’t Tell Your Mother and The Queen of a Gated Community.  Both stories are part fact, part fiction.

Readers soon become immersed in the comical, quirky, and irreverent stories which chronicle the life of Maggie Mulvaney and her grandmother Nana Noonan, somewhat of a local legend in the town of Telkwa, British Columbia, Pop. 852.

Margo maintains the distinctive voices of Maggie and Nana throughout, and the supporting cast of characters promises to entertain with a unique look at a prevailing problem throughout northern and rural Canada in the 1960's: prejudice. 

Through the use of humor, Margo's stories show one example of how one person - Nana Noonan - stands up to prejudice.  Nana supports her best friend in a way only she can - using her Irish temper and a gun.

In Margo's latest book The Funeral Follower, she tackles a serious topic that is on most Baby Boomer's minds: funerals. The story is set in present day, and Maggie Mulvaney, now 54 years old,  is the social columnist for the Terrace Herald Newspaper. Funerals are taking on a life of their own in Canada's Pacific Northwest. 

NEWS + EVENTS

Margo Bates - Guest Author at Surrey Muse Fri. Jan. 27

Surrey Muse is an inter disciplinary reading and presentation group. It meets on the fourth Friday of every month at the Surrey Public Library City Centre Branch. read more...

Canadian Authors Association Vancouver Branch Writers Workshop Sat. Jan. 28

Plotting Your Story Line with Author / Educator Caroline Adderson read more...

Canadian Authors Association Vancouver Branch Monthly Meeting Feb. 8, 2012

It's Open Mic Night. Members and non-members are invited to read their work. read more...

Excerpt from Margo's New Book: The Funeral Follower

Maggie Mulvaney is the social columnist for the Terrace Herald Newspaper. Funerals are taking on a life of their own in Canada's Pacific Northwest. read more...

P.S. Don't Tell Your Mother a story of love, tolerance and lessons learned between a 13-year-old girl and her Irish-Canadian Nana

Margo Bates' debut novel, P.S. Don't Tell Your Mother, brings to life the rough-and-tumble world of Canada's frontier northwest in the late 50s and early 60s. Part fact, part fiction, P.S. Don't Tell Your Mother is based on hundreds of letters Margo excha read more...

Book Clubs

Margo is available to speak to Book Clubs in the Metro Vancouver area, or via Skype. read more...

Workshops for Writing Groups

Margo Bates is available for private workshops for writing groups. Her topics include Character Development, Humour Writing and Personal Publicity for Authors read more...

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