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Robert Munsch appointed 'patron of the guild' in Guelph

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An acclaimed children's author has received an honour from a group he helped start in the Royal City.

The Guelph Guild of Storytellers appointed Robert Munsch 'Patron of the Guild' at a ceremony Wednesday evening.

"It has been 52 years since I made up my first story," said Munsch as he address the crowd. "Thinking back, it was a kindergarten class and the story was Mortimer. It wasn't the first book, but it was the first story that I ever made up. I was supposed to be a patrol, so I'm supposed to look at you patronizingly."

Last October, the beloved author announced he had been diagnosed with dementia.

The 77-year-old Munsch is one of the original founders of the guild, which started as a children's literacy group, but left to pursue his writing career.

He attended a number of storytelling events hosted by the guild over the summer, who say the ceremony was a way to pay tribute to Munsch's lasting legacy.

"My husband and I travel all over the world and you'd be in China and all of a sudden you'd stop and say, 'whoa, that's Robert Munsch' and it's the Paper Bag Princess in Chinese and in Vietnamese," said member Sya Vangeest. "I couldn't believe how many countries you'd come across Robert Munsch. For him to agree to be our patron is a great honour for us for sure."

The guild hosts 'Tales From The Hill' every second Wednesday of the month at the Guelph Civic Museum throughout the winter.

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