A Born Storyteller
Imagine That !
Wheelwrite Imaginarium brings a bit of literary bohemia to Manchester
STORY BY BENJAMIN LERNER • PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY TIMOTHY RHYS
Standing next to a well-stocked shelf in the Wheelwrite Imaginarium , Tim Rhys holds a cherished book in his hands with a glint of grateful joy in his eyes . The walls are lined with vintage film , music , and sports posters , which are nicely complemented by a movie theater-style popcorn machine in the back of the shop . It ’ s been less than a year since Rhys opened the Imaginarium , and he has used it as a powerful catalyst for community engagement . By offering a series of film screenings , poetry readings , and live , open-mic events , Rhys aspires to set the metaphoric wheels of artistic and imaginative collaboration in motion in Manchester . His well-curated collection of literary treasures serves as a testament to his undying passion for written and cinematic storytelling , which has manifested over multiple decades as a producer , director , actor , screenwriter , journalist , and the founding publisher of MovieMaker Magazine . In between heartfelt conversations with visiting customers and friends , Rhys sat down with Manchester Life to tell the story behind his Wheelwrite Imaginarium Bookshop . He shared his plans for the future of the shop and its creative programming , his film projects in Vermont and beyond , and his thoughts on the power of artistic ingenuity and authenticity .
A Born Storyteller
Rhys traces his creative roots back to early childhood in Maine , where he was deeply influenced by his father ’ s love for storytelling . “ My dad , Eugene Rhys , was a frustrated writer ,” Rhys recalls . “ He was a Navy frogman who worked as an insurance salesman , and he would often read me poetry — from Service to Kipling to Longfellow — and share his love for old movies . I remember being nine or 10 years old and being fascinated by Edward G . Robinson in Little Caesar and Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai .” After graduating from the University of Maine with a degree in Journalism , Rhys pursued his own blossoming passion for film . He ventured to Los Angeles , where he began his initial forays into the world of independent cinema , then enrolled at the Vancouver Film School . “ I originally wanted to study something that would provide me with a steady career ,” says Rhys , “ But my heart was set on filmmaking .”
6 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine . com