Jack W.

David Adams Richards

Jack W.
Anglophone North School District Regional Heritage Fair
Miramichi, NB

My project explored David Adams Richards’ journey to becoming a well known, published author. I wanted to know why he decided to take this career path and what inspired him to do so. Additionally, I wanted to find out how he came up with the ideas for his stories and the characters who brought them to life. 

I was interested in hearing it first hand from David himself so I was excited when he agreed to an interview. This was my chance to really get the answers to questions that I might not find online or in articles. David’s parting advice to me was “Don’t try to mimic to be included. Just be yourself as much as you can and you will be respected for that. And that will keep your integrity and that’s important.” I feel that this is the best advice for people my age and I will remember this forever.  

Participating in the Heritage Fair has given me so much more than I could have imagined. I hope that more young people will be able to experience this in the future and become inspired to do a project of their own. It is an amazing adventure! 

What sources and evidence did you consult for your project? What different perspectives did they provide on your topic?

I read a lot of online articles and information online about David Adams Richards; however, my in-person one on one interview was the most informing and engaging way to get all of my questions answered.

What is the historical significance of your topic?

This project allowed me to research a famous author from my hometown who has preserved local history in his published works. This opened up a world of new connections through the stories my grandmother told me about growing up as David’s neighbour and being able to learn more about David’s life from the author himself. I wanted to learn more about his journey and this helped take me on a journey of my own. The people and places of our region are our legacy and deserve to be represented and celebrated. I am proud to be able to honour this caring and inspiring author and to share his story with other students from across Canada! 

Why did you choose this topic? 

I chose this topic because David Adams Richards grew up in Miramichi New Brunswick, just like I am. His stories were centered around people and places around Miramichi and that was very intriguing to me. Furthermore, when my grandmother was a young girl, she grew up in the apartment below David Adams Richards and always spoke very highly of him.