The Plymouth Proprietary Library Writers Group will be sharing samples of its members’ writing with the The Minneapolis Writers Workshop and thus begin a collaborative relationship that fosters our respectives members’ literary endeavors across the ocean.

More about the The Plymouth Proprietary Library Writers Group here.

The Shan: Refugees without a Camp

Summary of The Shan: Refugees without a Camp

“I cannot go back to Burma, Teacher. They will kill me.”

A mix of memoir, travelogue, and history, The Shan: Refugees without a Camp recounts the trials and triumphs of Shan youth, who have escaped slow genocide in Burma by fleeing to Thailand. There they study English and tell stories about life in Burma, where Shan men serve as human minesweepers for Burmese soldiers searching for insurgents. They talk about the danger of death by starvation, beating, or bullets in a country where poor Shan women often become prostitutes and young Shan girls are raped by Burmese soldiers.

The refugees’ stories are interspersed with reminiscences about the author’s own life. Under the watchful eye of the military, she travels in Burma to see the persecution students experienced, but finds that “trouble” areas are off limits to tourists and that the peaceful façade of cities is maintained by polite, helpful, and poverty-stricken people. They are stories of tragedy, hope, and love.

Author’s Bio

Bernice Koehler Johnson has lived and taught English in Spain, Indonesia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Thailand. Presently she lives in Minnesota and Thailand. She speaks to church groups, school groups, and civic groups, talking about the plight of Shan refugees and raising money for projects her former students have initiated, such as teaching the English, Shan, and Thai languages to Shan refugee children. These children have fled to Thailand with their parents, who live with the constant fear of being deported and subjected to torture, imprisonment, and death.

Please visit BerniceJohnson.com and sign up to get details about the book.

Next Open Read is Wednesday, April 7th.

But remember: Visitors are always welcome!

Established in 1937, the Minneapolis Writers Workshop is an eclectic mix of writers, ranging from beginners to long time professionals, and reflect all ages, genders and backgrounds. We have members who publish literary fiction, creative non-fiction, children’s literature, romance, hard-boiled crime, memoir, travel, poetry, humor and assorted forms of the unclassifiable.

Because we are fearless and a little nuts, we open our minds to anyone and any thing. We’ll bend and stretch ourselves like soft licorice to dig your stuff. Most important, we’ll help you get it published.