NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION BRANCH (OTTAWA)
FEBRUARY, 2018
Need more information on CAA-NCR, its programs or events? Visit us at http://canadianauthors.org/nationalcapitalregion/
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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
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 on our website at CAA-NCR Meetings
CAA-NCR MONTHLY MEETING FEBRUARY 13, 2018
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.
UPCOMING:
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
TOPIC: Playwriting
SPEAKER: Laurie Fyffe
What makes a play different from other forms of writing? How do you get the characters to tell your story? What exactly is ‘dramatic action’? And how does the playwright craft dialogue to serve both characters and plot? It’s all about wants and desires.
BIO: Laurie Fyffe is a playwright, dramaturge, actor, arts administrator and Artistic Director of Evolution Theatre, Ottawa. She is a member of CAEA, ACTRA, and the Playwrights Guild of Canada.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
TOPIC: Can you write a poem like ‘superstar’ Rupi Kaur (Milk and Honey, The Sun and Her Flowers)? Do you want to?
SPEAKER: JC Sulzenko
Join JC Sulzenko, whose first full collection, South Shore Suite…POEMS, came out in November (www.pointpetrepublishing.ca.) She’ll highlight aspects of her writing life from writing for children to self-publishing, from writing collaboratively to assuming a pseudonym, then lead an interactive romp through selections from Kaur’s work to enable participants to craft a poem there and then or at their ‘leisure.’ www.jcsulzenko.com
BIO: JC Sulzenko writes in a number of genres and creates poetry and stories for young and adult readers alike. The Ottawa International Writers Festival and the Ottawa Public Library/Ottawa Children’s Literature Round Table’s Kid Galas have showcased her poetry and her books for children. Her poems appear in a number of chapbooks and anthologies and have been broadcast on radio and television. To assist in fund-raising for charitable organizations, JC writes impromptu poetry at special events and offers some of her books for sale through not-for-profit groups.
UPCOMING CAA-NCR WORKSHOP
Dialogue: The Mechanics of
with Tim Wynne-Jones
Saturday, April 21, 2018 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Algonquin College, Woodroffe Campus, Room J208
Cost, payable by cash, cheque or e-transfer: $50 for members of the Canadian Authors Association $65 for non-members
Register by sending a message to NCRadmin@canadianauthors.org
There are, simply stated, two kinds of narrative at work in a novel: scene and summary. It is in scene-work that the reader is closest to the action. The camera can dolly in tight on the characters, close enough to pick up every word and grumble, every shudder and wink. That’s where we come to really know the characters by what they do and, in dialogue, by what they say. But when we use the term dialogue, we can’t really divorce it from the “connective tissue” of a scene. Because we need to see the scene not simply hear it. This is how we account for the time in which a scene takes place. And that is the most important difference between scene and summary: a scene takes place in real time – time the writer must account for.
In this workshop, we will look at what makes a scene tick. And at the heart of that is dialogue. Dialogue’s chief job is to reveal character.
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.
CANADIAN AUTHORS FRED KERNER BOOK AWARD 2018 NOW OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS
The CAA Fred Kerner Book Award is awarded annually to a Canadian Authors member who has the best overall book published in the previous year. The deadline is March 15 – get the guidelines and entry form at https://canadianauthors.org/national/awards/submit-for-an-award/
OTHER WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES AND COURSES
BANFF CENTRE FOR ARTS AND CREATIVITY 
Several upcoming workshops. Deadlines to apply in FEBRUARY 2018. FOR MORE INFO: https://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/current-programs/literary-arts
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 Writers’ Union of Canada Short Prose Competition
Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction Entry Fee: $29 Deadline: February 15, 2018
Prize: First: $2,500 and entries of winner and finalists will be submitted to three Canadian magazines for consideration
Contact: http://www.writersunion.ca/short-prose-competition Website: www.writerssunion.ca
The Toronto Star Short Story Competition (Ontario Residents)
Genre: Fiction Entry Fee: None Deadline: Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Prize: First: $5,000, plus the tuition fee for either The Humber School for Writers 2018 Creative Writing by Correspondence (Approximate retail value: $3,000), or Summer Workshop in Creative Writing on July 8-13, 2018 at Humber’s Lakeshore Campus (Approximate retail value: $1,000). Second: $2,000, Third: $1,000
Details: https://www.thestar.com/contests/2018/01/05/2018-toronto-star-short-story-contest-in-paper-ad.html
Red Hen Press Women’s Prose Prize
This award is for a previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through an annual competition which is open to all writers who identify as women. The deadline for entries is February 28, 2018. The award is $1000 and publication by Red Hen Press. Entry fee is $25.00. 45,000 word minimum, 80,000 word maximum. Entries will be accepted via Submittable only. This year’s final judge will be Lidia Yuknavitch. More info: https://redhen.org/awards-2/womens-prose-prize/
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
The Irene Adler Prize: A Scholarship for Women Writers
Genre: Nonfiction essay (see guidelines for essay topics) Entry Fee: None Deadline: Competition runs from January 30 to April 30, 2018 Prize: $1,000 USD scholarship
Details: http://www.lucasaykroyd.com/scholarships
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
OUT AND ABOUT IN TOWN
MEETINGS, BOOK LAUNCHES AND POETRY READINGS
TREE READING SERIES at Black Squirrel Books, 1073 Bank St. Ottawa
- More info: treereadingseries.ca
Tuesday, February 13 Marta Singh + Ayesha Chatterjee
6:45p Workshop – Topic to be announced with Lori Fox
8:00p Readings – Open Mic and Featured Readers
Tuesday, February 27 Jennifer Lovegrove + Segun Akinlolu
6:45p Workshop – SHADOWSPEAK: the politics and poetics of writing on and speaking to your shadow(s) with Asli Mahdi
8:00p Readings – Open Mic and Featured Readers
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! (readers tba)
Contact: rob mclennan at rob_mclennan (at) 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 