BEKA SHANE DENTER

What brought you to Humber and your program of study?

I was curious about challenging myself as a writer and applied to the Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing on the one-year anniversary of my mom's passing. I had an idea to write a book about the first year of grief, after my mom passed away in 2017. The circumstances of her passing, combined with the complicated layers of grief, were weighing heavily on me, and I wanted a way to express all the emotions in a format that felt authentic to me - writing.

After many years working as a freelance fashion and feature writer, taking on the task of writing a book about a personal experience challenged me in all the right ways. I wanted to see how this experience would expand my writing and how I would approach future writing.

I liked that the program at Humber was intensive, which is what I needed at that time.

What was your favourite Humber memory or experience?

I was very fortunate to be paired with a wonderful mentor (Canadian writer, Alyssa York) who gave me space to work through some very difficult memories, all the while encouraging me to go there-to dig deep and present an authentic recollection on the page. Her patience and ability to simultaneously gently push me past my comfort zones as a writer were exactly what I needed.

When the book was finished, I felt immense pride in this accomplishment. And I am grateful that Alyassa continued to show up and support me. She recently penned a lovely review of my second book, Bloom Across Canada. Both Alyssa and Humber Alumni have continued to support and celebrate my accomplishments - that is true mentorship and something very meaningful for me as I continue to expand my writing as an author.

What was Humber's greatest impact on your personal and professional life?

My time in the Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing and everything that has happened since completing the program have helped build my confidence as a writer. I am especially grateful to have stayed in touch with both my mentor and Humber. Having Humber and my mentor be interested in and supportive of my accomplishments as an author shows how much pride they take in developing students as whole people. My experience with Humber continues to remind me that we are capable of achieving so much. When you find your ikigai (your passion), what the world needs (your mission), what you are good at (your vocation), and what you can get paid for (your profession), as I did during my time in and after the program, it's a truly wonderful feeling of authenticity.

What are you up to now?

I'm currently promoting Bloom Across Canada, both in Denmark (where I currently live) and in Canada. I recently completed the third and final book in the series, Bloom Around the World, which I hope to publish in early 2026.
Since moving to Denmark in 2023 with my husband and two daughters (we will be here until June 2027), I've had the wonderful opportunity to write for the online platform, Scandinavia Standard and teach Bloom-inspired writing workshops with local and international communities here.

I'm mustering up the courage to start work on a memoir - the chapter titles and book title are sitting patiently in a Word doc on my desktop waiting for me to begin.

What else do you want to share (e.g. Memorable trip; If you had a superpower; Favourite food or coffee shop; Personal and professional interests; Awards and recognition; Other milestones)?

To have the Bloom book evolve into a series has been a phenomenal journey; I am forever learning and growing as a writer and author, and am grateful for everyone who has trusted me with their stories. Each of the 150+ interviews over the past four years has inspired and moved me in so many ways.

I am also grateful for the wonderful and unique travel opportunities my family and I have had in Scandinavia and Europe. A memorable trip to date was driving from Denmark to Sicily in summer 2024. Our time spent in the Faroe Islands, hiking amidst the beautiful scenery and running far away from a very angry ram alongside a cliff, will remain a family favourite.

Special mention and thank you to various dark chocolate brands for fueling me as I compiled the manuscript for all three Bloom books over the years.