Bev. Cooke - Author

Bev. Cooke is a Victoria-based author, and two of her books, Royal Monastic : The Life of Princess Ileana of Romania and Keeper of the Light : St. Macrina the Elder, Grandmother of the Saints published by Conciliar Press, will be available for purchase at the Archangel Marketplace at the Conciliar Media table hosted by Judith Ravai of Koinonia Books. Meet Bev and listen to her readings from these fascinating books, on Wednesday, July 28 at 2:00 pm, at the Archangel Marketplace. You'll find Bev's bio below..... a fascinating read in itself!        WEDNESDAY JULY 28 - 2:00 PM

Click the image to read the opening chapter of Royal Monastic:

     More information (pdf) from the publisher, Conciliar Press: 

BEV. COOKE - BIOGRAPHY

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Bev moved to Victoria in 1979. She’s written since she was a child, but didn’t make the connection between the books that were always in her hand, and the stories she wrote: it never occurred to her that anyone would actually publish her writing, much less pay her for it, until she was in her mid-twenties.  Having loved children’s literature since she was a kid, she started writing for children.  Some would say that’s because she never grew up.  Bev’s never been heard to deny the charge.

She published her first work in 1989, a humorous piece for new mothers about the difference between the myths of new motherhood, and the realities they forget to mention. For the next ten years she published in local periodicals but made her debut in children’s writing in 2000, with a short story called “David’s Gargoyles”.

In and around writing, submitting and being rejected, Bev married – a computer programmer who looks on her passion with bemusement, but seems proud of her achievements over the almost thirty years they’ve been married.  

They have two adult children, thus neatly fulfilling the stereotype of the North American nuclear family. But Bev and her husband delight in confounding stereotypes.  They both believe that blood family is only the beginning, and have lost count of the friends who have become family members over the years.  

The family converted to the Orthodox Christian faith in 2003, and Bev’s first young adult novel, Keeper of the Light, was accepted for publication by Conciliar Press the following year. Make of that what you will, but “Glory to God” is Bev’s reaction. Her second and third books, Feral, published by Orca Book Publishers and Royal Monastic, also by Conciliar Press, came out in 2008. She is currently working on a new novel and is the Theosis columnist for Return magazine, an on-line Orthodox zine.

Bev. likes walking and watching the wildlife, both human and nonhuman.  Reading, playing board and computer games with her family and friends, talking with her husband and having friends over for conversation, food, games and watching videos ranks high on her list of how to pass the time when not writing.  She loves to dance, and belonged to the continent’s only modern dance troupe for large women – Big Dance.  It was a joyous and exciting semi-professional career, but knee problems forced her retirement in 1999.

Writing, faith, family and hospitality are her passions – and if she can combine all four, she’s in heaven.