A recent graduate of the University of King’s College in English
Lit, Lye spent part of her studies in English studying in Paris at the
American University. While in Paris she worked for the bookstore
Shakespeare and Company, and worked on a cahier series, published
through The Centre for Writers and Translators. “Having the experience
of working in a literary artistic community that facilitates and
exhibits work is something that I really enjoyed,” says Lye. “I’ve
always enjoyed putting things together. I saw the role of the editor as
a kind of curator.” Hence, the free bi-monthly magazine Her Royal
Majesty, an outlet for artistic endeavour in Halifax, including
fiction, prose, poetry, drawings, comics, recipes, photographs, essays
and much more. Lye has independently raised the funds for the first
four issues and the fifth issue is an online only, up now at heroyalmajesty.ca. The theme of the
issue is “home.”
The Coast: Tell us a little bit about coming here from
Toronto to be a student. Have you stayed here in the summertime between
school years?
Harriet Lye: I’ve been here for a few weeks each summer and
I’m staying here this year for a few months this summer. I’m really
looking forward to that. I think there’s a peacefulness and an openness
that comes from it being a small city, everything seems a lot more
accessible than it does in the wintertime. And not being student
anymore makes me feel like I have an awful lot more liberty to create
my own days, to create my own structure.
TC: Is there anything about being here at this time of the
year that sticks in your memory?
HL: I was spending two weeks here in the summer and I was
spending time with friends from the prairies. We wanted to go to
Crystal Crescent Beach to have a bonfire, but it had been raining for weeks
before, so it was still foggy and gray that day. We went for a walk in
the forest to try to find dry wood but there was none. So, we just
enjoyed our wet forest walk. It was beautiful and mystical-looking.
Realizing we couldn’t have a bonfire, we sat on the beach for awhile
and then went home and made s’mores in the oven.
TC: Do you expect to make Halifax your home in the
foreseeable future?
HL: I’m moving to Paris again this fall, actually. I will
miss Halifax, though. And I will continue Her Royal Majesty from
abroad. One of my copy editors is going to assume a more co-editorship
role and we’ll publish it together.
TC: With your time you do have, is there anything specific
you’re looking forward to doing while you’re here?
HL: I am looking forward to the Fête de la Musique at
the Alliance Française. I’m looking forward to just being here.
I’ve been playing tennis in the Commons…riding my bike across the
bridge to Dartmouth. For some reason I really like doing that. I’m also
planning on organizing an outdoor theatre show with friends from
university for the end of June.
This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2009.