NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION BRANCH (OTTAWA)

 JANUARY, 2018

 

Need more information on CAA-NCR, its programs or events?  Visit us at http://canadianauthors.org/nationalcapitalregion/

 Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanadianAuthorsNCR/

Keep in touch on Twitter at: @caa_ncr

 TO ALL READERS: Please send all submissions & event notices in the body of an email; (the text needs to permit copy and paste. Exceptions: Accompanying images such as photos and book cover) to Arlene Smith at NCRadmin@canadianauthors.org

 CAA-NCR MONTHLY MEETINGS FOR 2017-2018 UPCOMING

•  Meeting start time changed to 7:15 p.m . • No meeting in January so we can hibernate on a cold winter night and not worry about a snowy commute. • A meeting in June instead when snowstorms won’t be an issue.
• A writing challenge at the start of every regular monthly meeting to engage those in attendance and to develop our writing skills. • A short reading by a member at the start of every monthly meeting to promote our writers and to inspire others with great ideas.

OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS:  7:15 p.m. at McNabb Recreation Centre, 180 Percy St. Ottawa

 February 13, 2018

March 13, 2018

April 10, 2108

May 8, 2018 NCWC Awards Night

June 12, 2018

More information on the topics for upcoming meetings can be found on our website at CAA-NCR Meetings

 

CAA-NCR MONTHLY MEETINGS UPCOMING

The next meeting is in February, 2018.  Here’s a look at the topic being presented by our guest speaker:

 Tuesday, February 13, 2018

TOPIC: The Examined Life: Understanding Ourselves Through Memoir

SPEAKER: Lee Ann Eckhardt Smith

 Far beyond the celebrity “tell-all,” a well-written memoir offers much to both the writer and the readers. A memoir can transform the pain of the past into clarity, and also provide an insightful exploration into an aspect of life, a time of life, or a certain place in time. Lee Ann will present some options for themes and structures within this genre, as well as tips for how writers can use specific techniques to keep the reader reading.

Bio: Lee Ann Eckhardt Smith’s workshop series for writers of family history and memoir, “Write It So They’ll Read It” has been running in Ottawa, Perth, and other locations across Ontario since 2007. She is the author of two acclaimed non-fiction books, as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles. Her website is www.leeanneckhardtsmith.com.

 

CAA-NCR  31ST ANNUAL NATIONAL CAPITAL WRITING CONTEST (NCWC)

 Deadline is February 2, 2018  Sponsored by Canadian Authors Association–National Capital Region $300 First Place • $200 Second Place • $100 Third Place

 

Poetry: Maximum 60 lines including title and blank lines, unpublished, in English. No Haiku.
Short Story: Maximum 2,500 words, unpublished, in English. Entry Fees: Poetry: $5 per single poem; Short Story: $15 per single story.  Open to all Canadian writers.
Information: https://canadianauthors.org/nationalcapitalregion/contests/

CAA NATIONAL  SAVE THE DATE: CANADIAN WRITERS’ SUMMIT, JUNE 14 TO 17, 2018

 The Canadian Writers’ Summit is a super-conference jointly hosted by a cohort of Canadian writer organizations, including Canadian Authors Association, which will take place at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. Writers, mark your calendars and start planning for it now – it’s only 7 months away. . . Watch this space for more information in the weeks to come.

OTHER WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES AND COURSES

 

ONTARIO WRITERS’ CONFERENCE info@thewritersconference.com via mail250.atl221.rsgsv.net  A writing contest open to everyone. Free to enter!  Be inspired! Write. Submit. Win.Enter before midnight (Eastern Time) January 31, 2018. To enter, write a short piece (100 words maximum) inspired by the art featured at the link below. It can be any form of writing (poetry, prose, dialogue, haiku, etc.) as long as it is original. Submitting your entry is easy. Find out how and check the full entry rules and format http://thewritersconference.com/story-starter-january-2018-vivian-tserotas/

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BANFF CENTRE FOR ARTS AND CREATIVITY

 

Writing Studio April 30 – June 2, 2018

 

An ideal environment for artistic inspiration and growth, the Writing Studio program provides an extended period of uninterrupted writing time, and an opportunity to engage with a community of working writers. The program offers one-on-one editorial assistance from experienced faculty writers/editors. We are delighted to welcome two new faculty members: as Director, award winning B.C. novelist and editor Caroline Adderson, and as Associate Director – Narrative, acclaimed novelist Shyam Selvadurai. They join Associate Director – Poetry, Karen Solie.   Apply by January 24. Other programs see here: Browse Programs

 

SASKATCHEWAN WRITERS/ARTISTS WINTER RETREAT

The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild will be holding a Winter Retreat for established and practicing writers and artists who are able to work independently, February 2 – 23, 2018. Other dates available in July. This community retreat offered for writers and artists from Saskatchewan and other parts of Canada, and around the world, takes place in Muenster, SK at the picturesque St. Peter’s Abbey. These retreats are not teaching situations, but places where established and practicing writers and artists are expected to work self-sufficiently.  Contact: swgpr@skwriter.com, 306-791-7740

To apply online: http://www.skwriter.com/sk-writers-artists-retreats/retreat-application-form  To apply via mail Saskatchewan Writers/Artists Retreats, c/o Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild
Box 3986, Regina, SK   S4P 3R9

 

SUBMISSION CALLS AND OPPORTUNITIES

 

OTTAWA SUBMISSIONS

 

Links to contests and submission calls visit CAA-NCR website here: http://canadianauthors.org/nationalcapitalregion/contests/writing-contests-calls-for-Wsubmission/

 

BYWORDS.CA SUBMISSION CALL TO CURRENT AND FORMER OTTAWA POETS

                   

DEADLINE:  The 15th of every month for the following month’s issue.

Bywords.ca considers previously unpublished poetry from emerging and established poets for our online monthly magazine. We consider work by current and former residents, students and workers of Ottawa. We also publish poems by contributors to our predecessor, the Bywords Monthly Magazine.

We will pay $75 for previously unpublished reviews of 500 words or more of recent Canadian poetry books and chapbooks. Send your reviews as .doc, .docx, .rtf files to amanda@bywords.ca by the end of the month for consideration for the next issue of Bywords.ca. FOR SUBMISSION INFO: www.bywords.ca and click on Guidelines.  Amanda Earl, Managing Editor. Ottawans & former Ottawans, we want yr poems. guidelines @ Bywords.ca #wewantyrbywords #ottpoetry #613local #submissions PRT  Bywords.ca’s literary events calendar here: http://www.bywords.ca/calendar/index.php with up-to-date info on NCR readings, book signings, writers’ circles, literary festivals, spoken word showcases & slams. Event submissions can be sent to events@bywords.ca

 

TREE PRESS CHAPBOOK CONTEST 2018 CONTEST IS NOW OPEN

 

Tree Press Chapbook Contest FOR MORE INFO

This contest is for those who come to keep the seats warm at The Tree Reading Series, those who come to the Seed workshops, or are regulars at the Tree open mic readings. The prize is now $250 and ten copies of your chapbook! (The winner may order more copies if he/she wishes.) There is no fee to enter.
Send 1 hard copy, up to 30 pages of poems, to the co-ordinator, postmarked by January 15, 2018.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

 

THE WORD AWARDS

Established to encourage the pursuit of excellence in the art, craft, practice and ministry of writing and help to raise the profile of Canadian writers who are Christian. Writers may submit works published in the previous year including books, articles, poems, songs, and short stories.  Award Categories: General Market and Christian Market  Deadline: Monday, January 15, 2018, midnight EST

https://thewordguild.com/contests/the-word-awards/

 

 2017 ABR Calibre Essay Prize

Genre: Essay  Entry Fee: AU$15 for ABR subscribers, AU$25 for non-subscribers (latter includes a free four-month subscription to ABR Online)  Deadline: January 15, 2018

Prize: First: AU$5,000, Second: AU$2,500  Website: http://www.australianbookreview.com.au 

 

Pandora’s Collective Poetry Contest

 Genre: Poetry Entry fee: Adults – $5 /poem, Teens – $4 /poem, Children – $3 /poem

Deadline: January 15, 2018  Prize: Adults – First: $100 & publication, Second: $50 & publication, Third: publication  Teens – First: $75 & publication, Second: $35 & publication, Third: publication  Children – First: $40 & publication, Second: $20 & publication, Third: publication

Website: http://www.pandorascollective.com/what-we-do/contests

 

Indigenous Voices Awards

 Genre: All literary genres  Entry Fee: No fee

Deadline: January 31, 2018  Prize: Five awards for unpublished work totalling $10,000 and three awards for published work totalling $15,000  Website:

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/indigenous/indigenous-writers-prize-1.4362221

 

Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship

Genre: Screenwriting Entry Fee: $69 to January 31, 2018, $79 to March 1, 2018 Deadline: January 31 and March 1, 2018  Prize: The chosen recipients will receive on-going professional support and a trip to Los Angeles for introduction to industry leaders Website: http://www.screencraft.org

 

The Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction enre: Manuscript of 30,000 to 150,000 words: history, memoir, autobiography, biography, literary journalism, political or social commentary, travel writing or any nonfiction medium

Entry fee: $25 Deadline: March 30, 2018  Prize: First, contract for the publication along with a $1500 advance on 10% royalty for all sales, Second: publication and $1,000 advance on 10% royalties Details:  http://pottersfieldpress.com

 

OUT AND ABOUT IN TOWN

 

MEETINGS, BOOK LAUNCHES AND POETRY READINGS

 

TREE READING SERIES at Black Squirrel Books, 1073 Bank St. Ottawa

• More info: www.treereadingseries.ca

 

Tuesday, January 9 Jeff Kirby + Margo LaPierre

6:45p Workshop – the thing of it with Christine McNair  8:00p Readings – Open Mic and Featured Readers

Jeff Kirby Jeff Kirby’s one of Toronto’s treasures but we’ll ferret him to Ottawa for a night of queer, moving, poetry to launch 2018 right.  Jeff’s newest is She’s Having a Doris Day (Knife From Book, 2017). Earlier chapbooks include Simple Enough, Cock & Soul, Bob’s boy, and The world is fucked and sometimes beautiful. Their work appears in numerous anthologies beginning with the letter Q, and most recently online at Matrix Magazine and bandcamp/jeffkirby. Kirby is the owner/publisher of knife | fork | book.

 

Margo LaPierre  our Local Light of 2014 returns with her first collection, Washing off the Racoon Eyes

Margo is a Canadian poet and visual artist. Her poems have been published in The Feathertale Review, filling Station, The Riveter Review, Bywords Literary Quarterly, Petal Journal, the Antigonish Review, Echolocation, The Claremont Review, CAROUSEL and EAT IT: A Literary Cookbook of Food, Sex and Feminism. Her poem “Bear Skin Rug” received the silver award for Poetry in 2017 from the Alberta Magazine Publishers Awards. Washing Off the Raccoon Eyes is her first collection of poems. She currently lives in Toronto. For more information, visit her website at: www.margolapierre.com.

 Tuesday, January 23

Souvankham Thammavongsa + Extended Open Mic

 6:45p Workshop – A Workshop with Souvankham Thammavongsa with Souvankham Thammavongsa

8:00p Readings – Open Mic and Featured Reading

 Souvankham Thammavongsa The quiet powerful voice of Souvankham Thammavongsa brings us breathless to attention. Souvankham is the author of three poetry books, Small Arguments (2003), Found (2007), and Light (2013), winner of the Trillium Book Award for Poetry. She has read her poems at the Guggenheim Museum, in New York, and has been in residence at Yaddo.