NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION BRANCH (OTTAWA)
MAY, 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 . • 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
May 8, 2018 NCWC Awards Night
June 12, 2018
More information on the topics for upcoming meetings on our website at CAA-NCR Meetings
CAA MONTHLY MEETING TUESDAY MAY 8, 2018
The 2018 National Capital Writing Contest Awards
At the Main Branch, Ottawa Public Library, Auditorium
* * * * *
ANNOUNCING THE FINALISTS FOR THE 2018 CAA NATIONAL CAPITAL WRITING CONTEST
from Sherrill Wark NCWC Co-ordinator https://canadianauthors.org/nationalcapitalregion/
Congratulations to all. Placing as a Finalist in the NCWC is indeed a coup.
There are seven Short Story finalists for our 31st Annual National Capital Writing Contest. The judge had trouble deciding which Honourable Mentions to keep, so we agreed to have four Honourable Mentions this year. This attests to the high quality of entries.
Note that one poet has made the list of Finalists no fewer than three times! This is not because of a dearth of entries, it’s because this poet consistently places as a Finalist every year. This year, she snagged three placements.
Short Stories
Anne-Marie Beattie, Oshawa, Ontario, The Reservoir Man
Ingrid Betz, London, Ontario, Leaving Is Just a Suitcase Away
Adam Heenan, Ottawa, Ontario, The Tent Man
Anna Rumin, Ottawa, Ontario, Gently into the Night
Jeff Shiau, Ottawa, Ontario, Coffee or Tea
Adrienne Stevenson, Ottawa, Ontario, Rules of the Road
Sonia Tilson, Ottawa, Ontario, Wild Strawberry Jam
Poetry
Gill Foss, Carp, Ontario, A Change of Pace
Gill Foss, Carp, Ontario, Beyond HRV*
Gill Foss, Carp, Ontario, Ode to Invisible Sounds
Marianne Jones, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Child of the 50’s
Joan McKay, Kingston, Ontario, A Memory of Light
Ian Prattis, Ottawa, Ontario, The Seasons
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
TOPIC: Songs and Stories with Phil Jenkins
Come and enjoy an evening of music and tales with the multi-talented Phil Jenkins, maker and seller of fine English and lyric song. http://www.philjenkins.ca/
CAA NATIONAL
SAVE THE DATE: CANADIAN WRITERS’ SUMMIT, JUNE 14 TO 17, 2018
June 14 to 17: Canadian Writers’ Summit
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 take note – it’s only 2 months away. http://www.canadianwriterssummit.com/
THE WHISTLER INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARDS IS NOW OPEN
and entering its third year, and Canadian Authors – Metro Vancouver Branch will once more assist in the selection of finalists from the shortlist. Winners of fiction and non-fiction awards will be selected by well-known BC authors.
WIBA, the Whistler Independent Book Awards, are the only juried Canadian awards for self-published authors. As part of the prize package, winning manuscripts will be published and distributed nationally. These awards are produced jointly by the Whistler Writing Society and Vivalogue Publishing. Winners will be announced and celebrated at the Whistler Writers’ Festival , which takes place October 11 – 14, 2018.
The Banister 33rd Annual Poetry Contest
Genre: Poetry Entry fee: $15 for up to three poems; $4 for each additional poem
Deadline: May 31, 2018 Prize: $300; $200; $100
Description: The Niagara Branch of the Canadian Authors Association is holding its 33rd Annual Poetry Anthology contest for residents of Ontario. Entries must be in English, previously unpublished and not submitted for consideration elsewhere. Number of entries is unlimited, but no more than six poems from one poet will be included in the anthology.
Website: www.canauthorsniagara.org/poetry-contest/
OTHER WORKSHOPS
THE MAGIC OF MINIATURE: HAIBUN & SMALL BOOK MAKING WITH TERRY ANN CARTER
This workshop is part of the spring celebration series: Land Art AT
WINTERGREEN STUDIOS, YARKER, ON.
Saturday, June 9, 2018, 9:30 am — 4 pm
If you love playing with words and images and you’d like to do both in one workshop, join poet and artist Terry Ann Carter for a day of magical creativity. Learn about the Japanese poetry form called haibun in the morning, and make your own miniature books in the afternoon. Everyone is welcome—beginners and experienced poets and artists—come one, come all.
DETAILS AT: https://www.wintergreenstudios.com/haibun/
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
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
The 12th International Welsh Poetry Competition 2018 is now open and accepting entries!
Prizes: 1st Prize – £500 2nd Prize – £250 3rd Prize – £100 plus 17 runners up prizes of being published on our website and in a future anthology. Our judge for 2018 will be Sally Spedding. Entry forms online. Closing date: Sunday 27th May 2018. To keep up to date just sign up to our newsletter. http://www.welshpoetry.co.uk/
Call for Entries: The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2018. Submit your Poetry & Short Fiction and showcase your work to a new international audience and further your involvement in the literary world. Prizes include: £1,000 for the Short Fiction and Poetry winners, publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual for 60 finalists, Consultation with Redhammer Management, membership to the Poetry Society, one year subscription to Granta and a selection of books courtesy of Bloodaxe and Vintage. Entries are open until 31 August. Submit at: www.aestheticamagazine.com/cwa
spring pulse poetry festival presents: Ontario’s First Painting/Poetry Juried Competition & Exhibition, Temiskaming Art Gallery, August 7 to September 2, 2018
Deadline for Submissions: Submissions by email/postal mail must be received by Friday June 8, 2018
Awards: Winning prizes are: 1st: $1000 2nd: $500 3rd: $250 Please contact David Brydges for a brochure with full details at mybyrdges@yahoo.ca.
OUT AND ABOUT IN TOWN
MEETINGS, BOOK LAUNCHES AND POETRY READINGS
TREE READING SERIES at Happy Goat Coffee, 35 Laurel St. Ottawa (Hintonburg)
MAY 8, 2018 Catriona Wright + Spencer Gordon
8:00p Readings – Open Mic and Featured Readers
Catriona Wright
Catriona is the poetry editor for The Puritan and a co-founder of Desert Pets Press
Catriona Wright is a writer, editor, and teacher. She is the author of Table Manners (Véhicule Press, 2017). Her poems have appeared in Prism International, Prairie Fire, Rusty Toque, Lemon Hound, The Best Canadian Poetry 2015, and elsewhere. In 2014, she won Matrix Magazine’s LitPop Award. More >
Spencer Gordon
Ottawa’s own Puritan returns with his newest pop culture poetry collection. Spencer Gordon is the author of the critically acclaimed short story collection Cosmo (Coach House Books, 2012). Fall 2017 saw the launch of his debut collection of poetry, Cruise Missile Liberals (Nightwood Editions, and a blewointment Book). He is also co-founder of The Puritan, the decade-old literary journal. His writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star, EVENT, THIS Magazine, Poetry Is Dead, The Winnipeg Review, CNQ, Broken Pencil, Joyland and many other periodicals and anthologies.
Upcoming:
More info: treereadingseries.ca
OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL WRITERS FESTIVAL EVENTS MAY 1, 2018
https://writersfestival.org/events
THE OTTAWA SMALL PRESS BOOK FAIR SPRING 2018
Saturday, June 23, 2018 in room 203 of the Jack Purcell Community Centre (on Elgin, at 320 Jack Purcell Lane).
General info: noon to 5pm (opens at 11:00 for exhibitors) admission free to the public.
$25 for exhibitors, full tables $12.50 for half-tables (payable to rob mclennan, c/o 2423 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa ON K1H 7M9; paypal options also available)
Note: for the sake of increased demand, we are now offering half tables.
To be included in the exhibitor catalog: please include name of press, address, email, web address, contact person, type of publications, list of publications (with price), if submissions are being considered and any other pertinent info, including upcoming ottawa-area events (if any). Be sure to send by June 10th if you would like to appear in the exhibitor catalogue. And don’t forget the pre-fair reading usually held the night before, at The Carleton Tavern! Contact: rob mclennan at rob_mclennan@hotmail.com for questions, or to sign up for a table More info http://smallpressbookfair.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-ottawa-small-press-fair-spring-2018.html
Quillfyre 
Hi Carol. I was just looking at “What’s Up in Literary Events in Ottawa, May 2018” with interest. Would you be able yet to tell me what will be happening during July or, more specifically, the final weekend of July? I’ll be in Ottawa that weekend and am looking for somewhere to meet other poets, read my poems, perform my poems with or without music, see other poets perform, or just relax and watch.
Thank you for any information you may be able to pass along about events or contacts.
Peace & Love.
Bob MacKenzie
I don’t usually have information this far in advance, however here are some links to watch:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/guide+Ottawa+area+summer+festivals/6704086/story.html
https://www.writersunion.ca/canadian-festivals-and-reading-series
http://www.bywords.ca
Bywords puts up a monthly calendar of events, and includes many of the local poetry venues. I hope these help!