NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION BRANCH (OTTAWA)  

APRIL, 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

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 MONTHLY MEETING 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 MEETINGS

 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

 

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/

 

APRIL 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.

 

FROM CAA-NCR MEMBER, JC SULZENKO:

 April Call for poetry for the Glebe Report’s “Poetry Quarter” — information for CAA members. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS FRIDAY APRIL 20, 2018
http://www.glebereport.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Poetry-QuarterFeb18.png

 

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

Writescape Spring Thaw 2018

April 20-22, or April 20-24, 2018

Looking for writing time? Polishing a project? Looking for feedback from two professional editors? Or just want time to rejuvenate your creativity? Don’t miss Spring Thaw.

This all-inclusive writing retreat is held at the fabulous Elmhirst’s Resort on Rice Lake in Keene. Stay for the weekend or treat yourself to an extra two days of writing.

For more information: http://writescape.ca/site/2016/01/spring-thaw-retreat/

 

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

 

Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest, Deadline for Received Submissions: Friday April 20, 2018. Cash prizes total $1,600 https://www.springpulsepoetryfestival.com/rules.html

 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

 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 Black Squirrel Books, 1073 Bank St. Ottawa

• More info: treereadingseries.ca

 Tuesday, April 10 Ronna Bloom + Adele Graf  8:00p Readings – Open Mic and Featured Readers

Adele Graf Tree is delighted to present Adele Graf as our 2018 Chapbook Contest Winner.

Adele Graf grew up outside New York City and immigrated to Canada in 1968. She has worked as a writer and editor, and taught writing in the public and private sectors in Ottawa and Halifax. She lives in Ottawa with her spouse.  Her first poetry book, math for couples, was published by Guernica Editions in 2017. Her chapbook, a Baltic Friday early in grey, was published later that year by above/ground press. . More >

Ronna Bloom is the author of six books of poetry, most recently The More (Pedlar Press, 2017). She is Poet in Community at the University of Toronto and Poet in Residence at Mount Sinai Hospital and in the Sinai Health System. In these roles she offers students, health care professionals, patients, and visitors opportunities to articulate their experiences through reflective writing and poetry. More>

 

Tuesday, April 24  Jen Currin 8:00p Readings – Open Mic and Featured Reading

 Jen Currin has published four books of poetry, including The Inquisition Yours, which won the Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry in 2011; and School (2014), which was a finalist for three awards. Hider/Seeker (stories) is forthcoming from Anvil Press in the spring of 2018. She lives on the unceded territories of the Qayqayt Nation (New Westminster, BC), and teaches creative writing and English on the unceded territories of Kwantlen First Nation at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (Surrey, BC). More >

 And coming up, The Ottawa International Writers Festival!

http://www.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