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MEET
ERIC
Eric Bowen is an aspiring architect, and the illustrator of More Campfire Stories from Northern Ontario and the original Campfire Stories from Northwestern Ontario. Eric was just 11 years old when he drew the whimsical pictures that grace the original Campfire Stories. While in high school, Eric took art courses each year, helping him refine his artwork by the time More Campfire Stories was published.
But Eric’s role in the books goes much deeper than just his illustrations! His Mom, author Shannon, shares with us how important he was to the books ever coming into being:
“Eric was the main person for whom I originally made up all the stories around our campfires, and he was also the original star in many of those early tellings! The main character’s names were often changed, at his request, when I wrote the stories down, years later. Originally intended as a family keepsake, I began to dream of developing the tales into a book that could be enjoyed by others.
“Although that dream was in my mind, I knew that publishing a book was a big and scary undertaking. When I voiced my hopes and trepidations to my family, Eric, all of about nine-years-old at the time, immediately piped up:
‘Of course you can make a book, Mom! And I can illustrate it for you!’
“To me, this felt like the perfect complement to the stories, because Eric’s imagination would hold true to the settings and atmosphere in which he’d originally heard them. Plus, his child’s enthusiasm and certainty in my ability gave me the confidence to forge ahead. And so, the dream began to become a reality!”
Over the years, Eric has continued to support the books by reading and listening to drafts, participating in book signings and radio interviews, attending public readings and contributing to group story-telling events (he can tell a mean campfire story himself!), and by continuing to have faith in his Mom’s writing!
On top of all that, Eric has recently become the filmographer and editor of Shannon’s three online Campfire Story Readings. “His computer/technical skills saved me many hours of headaches and frustration—and possibly avoided damaged keyboards!” jokes Shannon.
Eric is a quiet guy, but has always loved being around people, and especially spending time with close friends. He likes a good video game (or just about any video game, let’s be honest), but also likes being outdoors: hiking, kayaking or mountain biking.
Eric is currently in his 4th year of studying Architecture at Ryerson University, where he is specializing in Building Science. When not studying in Toronto, Eric lives in Thunder Bay with his Mom (Shannon) and Dad.
