Quirky Art From Germany Featured in Library Exhibit

Driving Force Behind College Book Loves Her Grammar

Few things are more precious than communication.  That’s why the nuts and bolts of language not only make for compelling study; they have also become a more pressing issue in recent years.  As we know, the quality of students’ achievements hinges on the quality of the work they tend for grading.  Perhaps no one appreciated the gravity of this issue more than Senior Instructor of German Studies Rosemarie Finlay—so much so that she sought to do something about helping students gain a greater grasp of English grammar. Dr. Finlay was instrumental in the development of the recent College publication St. Paul's College: Facing the New Millennium.

For two years, she and alumnus of University College Johnny S. Geddes [’96, BA] set to work in constructing a grammar guide that could access students at St. Paul’s College, helping to hone their writing skills while presenting English grammar in a more user-friendly light.  It would not be long before the scope of the work was to expand to include students across the University.  As Mr. Geddes explains, the scale of the challenge involved more than just writing a guide book:

“Grammar guides tend to inhabit a realm of the universe toward which few but the most intent seek to tread.  We knew—long before we entered the design stage—just how high the climb would be.  Popularising grammar was a great part of the journey.  Everything that went into that book fell into one of two layers.  Indeed, the rules are all there; however, alone, they’d be limp and dry.  So, the entertainment aspect came into play—Revisiting English Grammar is laden with humorous situations, bringing those ‘austere’ regulations to life.  Lastly, we realized we couldn’t go without taking matters up a notch or three, and that’s where the last four chapters kick in.  Indeed, we included an in-depth style guide.”

Revisiting English Grammar is a comprehensive guide for university students and school leavers. Written for and tested extensively by students at the University of Manitoba, it offers an in-depth treatment of both the basics and the finer points of English grammar, while its later chapters show users how to compose more powerful sentences.

Revisiting English Grammar explores the full range of topics related to the study of English grammar. In the process, it uncovers a wealth of difficulties that frequently stump even the most confident speakers for whom English is the first (if not only) language. At 180 pages, this is a compact but exhaustive guide; better still, it is written in a style that is light and accessible.

Johnny Geddes calls Revisiting English Grammar “the University of Manitoba's very own grammar guide, much needed by students." He explains: "The students themselves played a significant part in its creation. Co-author Rosemarie Finlay’s and my brief: to produce an English grammar guide with the potential to improve students' skills and reduce frustration upon entering university. Two years’ testing our prototype upon volunteer students did the rest; they played a big part in optimising the design of our - and their - book.”

British writer John (Johnny) Geddes lived in Winnipeg from 1987 until 1997, gaining his B.A. from the University of Manitoba. His debut novel Souls of the Southern Stars appeared before he acquired his M.A. in Biography at Buckingham University. Geddes founded the composition-enhancement service 'The Text Vet' in 2004. While still in England, he saw two more books published before moving to Florida in 2011.

Rosemarie Finlay, a native German speaker, long domiciled in Canada, has devoted her professional life to introducing University students to German culture. In addition to her Studies of 20th and 19th Century writers, she has taken a special interest in German as a second language for English speakers. She is a Senior Instructor in the German and Slavic Studies Department at St. Paul’s College, University of Manitoba.

The book is available for purchase at the University of Manitoba Bookstore, McNally Robinson Booksellers, Amazon.ca,, Amazon.com and St. Paul's College.

College Book a Winner & Finalist in Beverly Hills

Great news!! St. Paul's College: Facing the New Millennium was chosen as Finalist in the category of Book Interior Design (Non Fiction) and Winner in the category of Religion (Non Fiction).




From Ellen Reid, Pres. & CEO of Beverly Hills Book Awards:

Congratulations!

"It is our great pleasure to inform you that you are a Finalist and Winner in the 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards.  Your book truly embodies the excellence that this award was created to celebrate, and we salute you and your fine work.

The lists of winners and finalists are also highlighted on our website.  Be sure to go to http://www.beverlyhillsbookawards.com and see your name and book cover among those of the other proud winners and finalists.

The entire team at the Beverly Hills Book Awards sincerely hope your participation in our contest will serve you well in creating the success your book deserves.  You have our warmest congratulations."

“Awards screen and honor the great books from the many ordinary books. The prestigious Beverly Hills Book Awards bring attention to the best."

—Dan Poynter, founder, Global Ebook Awards

Book Arrives in Beverly Hills

St. Paul's College: Facing the New Millennium has been officially entered in the 5th Annual Beverly Hills Book Awards competition. Our College book edited by Christine A. Butterill will be competing in three categories: Book Cover Design: Non-Fiction, Book Interior Design: Non-Fiction and Religion Non-Fiction.

Why the Beverly Hills Book Awards?

Beverly Hills is synonymous with excellence, the best of the best.  The competition celebrates the physical book in print that has always and will always be a part of our worldwide culture.

The International Beverly Hills Book Awards® contest is proudly sponsored by Smarketing LLC. a company established in 2007 by Ellen Reid, an entrepreneur who has guided countless authors in creating their own publishing companies and producing books of outstanding quality. With an eclectic background that spans business, advertising, sales, marketing and motion picture distribution.

Ellen brings a remarkably broad view and depth of experience to her clients and her contests. Ellen is the President of the National Indie Excellence Awards®, the Beverly Hills Book Awards® and the new BMS Book Awards® ; three prominent contests recognizing and celebrating excellence in book publishing. She is also the author of the national award-winning Putting Your Best Book Forward: a Book Shepherd's Secrets to Producing Award-Winning Books that Sell, and was named Beverly Hills Premier Book Publishing Consultant an unprecedented six years running.

Winners and Finalists will be announced in November 2016.

2016 International Book Awards Results Announced

From Jeffrey Keen, President & CEO, i310 Media Group, Los Angeles:

Congratulations to all of the Winners & Finalists of the 2016 International Book Awards. 

All Finalists are of equal merit.

Congratulations!! Your book has been honored as a "Finalist" in the "Religion: General" category.

Finalist
St. Paul's College: Facing the New Millennium edited by Christine A. Butterill
St. Paul's College
978-0-9736805-1-5

Thank you for your support of the 7th Annual International Book Awards. I love doing what I do and I hope the top-notch results our judging panel produces each year shows our support and commitment to all areas of the publishing industry: mainstream, indie and self-published.

The 2016 International Book Awards brought in over 1,500 entries, our biggest year since starting this program in 2009. By placing in this year’s awards, you have beat out 80% of your fellow entrants. 

A complete list of winners and finalists in each category can be found at:

http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2016awardannouncement.html

A major publicity campaign announcing the award results is already underway and will continue throughout the summer. A national press release will be blasted out next week to tens of thousands national and international media outlets and publishing industry contacts.

College Book Now Available at UM Bookstore

St. Paul's College: Facing the New Millennium is available for purchase at the University of Manitoba Bookstore. The book can be found in the Canada section and the UM author's section. The book is also available at McNally Robinson Booksellers and St. Paul's College or it may be ordered by contacting Matt by email: matthew.symchyshyn@umanitoba.ca

2016 International Book Awards Competition

St. Paul's College: Facing the New Millennium is officially entered in the 2016 International Book Awards competition sponsored by USA Book News in Phoenix and Los Angeles. The book is entered in non-fiction book cover design and also in the category of religion.