Words and Music: Peter Hicks, Bruce Hughes, Brent Mason with Chuck Bowie

Name: Words and Music: Peter Hicks, Bruce Hughes, Brent Mason with Chuck Bowie
Start: 2026-03-01T13:00:00-04:00
Location: The Write Cup Bookstore Cafe

Schedule

Sun, 01 Mar, 2026 at 01:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

The Write Cup Bookstore Cafe | Saint John, NB

Join us on Sunday, March 1st, 1 p.m. at The Write Cup Bookstore Cafe for a special afternoon of stories and songs. New Brunswick musicians Bruce Hughes, Brent Mason, and Peter Hicks—each of whom has recently released a book—will come together for an intimate event of conversation and live music. Moderated by mystery author Chuck Bowie, the gathering highlights the deep connection between lyrics and literature, offering a warm, engaging showcase of homegrown creativity.
About the performers:
Peter Hicks is a writer and singer-songwriter whose creative life has spanned stages, studios, and the page. As the founder of New Brunswick’s Sleepy Driver, he’s built a celebrated catalog of roots-infused Americana across six albums. Writing has always been his constant—songs, poetry, and stories of every length. Under the pen name Andi Ellis, he now crafts contemporary romance with humor, heart, and a sharp eye for modern relationships. He has two novels, Roughing It and Unicorn Blues, out now. Hicks is currently working on a new novel and a new Sleepy Driver album, End Times Radio, both expected this year.
Saint John author Brent Mason released his debut novel is Midway (Galleon Books) in 2025. Loosely based on his own experiences working at traveling fairs, the book explores the dark underbelly of carnival life from Alberta to the Maritimes. As a musician, Brent recorded his debut indie album, Head for the High Ground, launching a long, influential career defined by powerful lyrics and inventive songwriting. A multiple ECMA and Music New Brunswick winner, Brent is the youngest recipient of the Stompin’ Tom Award for his contributions to Atlantic Canadian music. He has toured widely across Canada, the UK, and Beijing, and is a three-time artist on the juried Home Routes tour. A festival favourite and legendary Saint John open-mic host for over 25 years, Brent is known as the “Godfather of the Saint John Music Scene.” A published writer and filmmaker, he brings humour, insight, and compelling storytelling to every performance. Brent contributes a regular column, Mason’s Jar, in the Telegraph Journal.
Bruce Hughes, born in Saint John, is a retired educator and youth worker with a lifelong passion for music and writing. A guitarist, singer, and songwriter for more than 45 years, he has written, recorded, and earned airplay with several New Brunswick bands, including Blind Dog, The UnHeard, and his current project, Bruce Hughes & The Northside Nomads. He holds a BA in Political Science and Psychology from UNB. After a series of rare strokes in 2017 left him paralyzed from the neck down, Bruce made a remarkable recovery and now serves as the Patient Experience Advisor of Therapeutic Services at Horizon Health, supporting stroke patients and their families. His memoir, A Stroke of Luck: Music, Medicine and a Miraculous Recovery, has been widely praised, earning multiple Top 5 placements in NB by Atlantic Books Today in 2025, including two months at #1. Bruce lives in Fredericton with his wife, Monica, and their lifesaving dog, Willow, and has been touring the Maritimes with interviews and book-signing events, sharing his message of hope.
About our moderator:
Chuck Bowie, born in Miramichi, graduated from the UNB with a Bachelor of Science. His writing is shaped by his fascination with human behaviour, and his love of food, wine, music, and travel—all of which find their way into his work. His latest novel, Death Between the Cays, was written under pseudonym Alexa Bowie.