Greetings,
I went to a lecture last night. It was in a lecture hall filled, mostly, with students. The room was warm. The speaker’s voice was like a motor for something that is used to running well, not that he droned but we didn’t have to worry about him stalling. And because it is October and October is the month that follows September which is an eight-lane expressway month and we’ve just merged all that traffic onto a two-way road known as October, it was an easy place, an inviting place to fall asleep. I didn’t but I watched a couple of young men struggle, the slow, incremental submersion into the warm water of repose, then the jerk of oh-my-god-was-I-sleeping-or--worse--snoring buck of their heads awake. And I realized that we’re tired. Night is lowering, pressing against our windows and watching us eat our supper. And it’s there in the morning, still wagging, wanting to be fed. Part of me was listening to the speaker talk about how each of our senses has its own truth and the heart is the governing official of them all. That qi (chee) literally means steam rising from rice but also means our vital energy, our nutritive vapour. And I wanted to tell you all that it’s okay to put your feet up. Especially during this long weekend when we all can give thanks to the inventor of the long weekend. May your plates be piled with the foods you like best. May your mouth’s truth be the delicious taste of home and may the governing truth of your heart know that you’re exactly where you should be, reclined in a brief rest while still steaming with vitality.
Your WFNS Crew
NEW: October 12th is the WFNS Literary Awards Celebration and you are invited!! Nominees for the awards will be fêted and the winners announced at an event that celebrates writing and books and our writing community. The evening is casual, hors d’oeuvres will be served and there will be a cash bar. Admission is free. Dalhousie University Club, 6259 Alumni Crescent, just off South Street in Halifax (look for the entrance to Alumni Crescent, framed by stone pillars, just across from Studley Avenue). Please RSVP if you would like to attend: programs@writers.ns.ca.
NEW: Want to come to the WFNS Literary Awards, but feel awkward without a job to do? We are looking for energetic souls for the afternoon of the awards to help set-up and decorate the space and smiling faces to help greet and seat guests on the night. The afternoon commitment would begin at 2pm and the evening one at 6pm. If you are interested in participating, please write Hillary at programs@writers.ns.ca for further information.
EVENTS
October 5, 7pm: Thomas Head Raddall Fiction Prize Reading. Nominees Heather Jessup and Valerie Compton read from their novels and discuss their work at Fables, 259 Main Street, Tatamagouche.
October 5, 8pm: Gary Blackwood’s Two Hours in a Madhouse. DaPoPo Theatre presents Gary Blackwood’s play, Two Hours in a Madhouse: An Evening with the Notorious Nelly Bly at TNS Living Room, 2353 Agricola Street, Halifax. Tickets are $20/$15 artists/$10 students. Reservations are recommended: dapopolivein@gmail.com
October 6, 1pm: Herstory 2013 Launch. The Saskatoon’s Women’s Calendar Collective launches Herstory 2013, a datebook with a short essay or biography each week of a Canadian Woman who has made a significant contribution to our country’s herstory. Box of Delight, Wolfville.
October 10, 7pm: Lecture with Martin Hallett. Acadia University presents Martin Hallet delivering his lecture: Putting a Face (and other body parts) to the Name: Illustrating the Classic Fairy Tale followed by a Q&A. KCIC Auditorium, 32 University Avenue, Acadia University, Wolfville.
October 11, 7pm: Thomas Head Raddall Fiction Prize Reading. Nominees Heather Jessup, Valerie Compton and David Adams Richards will read at Lane’s Privateer Inn, 27 Bristol Avenue, Liverpool.
October 11, 7pm: Book Launch. Ian Colford launches his new novel, The Crimes of Hector Tomás at The Company House, 2202 Gottingen Street, Halifax.
October 11, 12 & 13, 7:30pm: An Evening of Short Plays. It’s Alive Theatre, with local playwrights and actors, premiers it’s new production: An Evening of Short Plays featuring six short plays, a reading by poet Alison Smith and live music. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Tickets $10 and on sale at "The Shop on the Corner" in Lunenburg or call Pamela: (902) 527 9094 to reserve. The Lunenburg Cultural Centre, 114 Fox Street, Lunenburg.
October 13, 2pm: One Book Nova Scotia. Leo McKay Jr. reads from his book, Twenty-Six at the South Shore Public Library, Bridgewater, NS.
October 15, 7pm: Saint Mary’s Reading Series. Vincent Lam reads from his new novel, The Headmaster’s Wager in The Atrium, Room 101, Saint Mary’s University, 5940 Inglis Street, Halifax.
Planning ahead? Check out more events happening later in the month here: http://writers.ns.ca/events.html
WORKSHOPS and RETREATS
***There’s an Exciting New Line-Up of Workshops at WFNS: visit: http://www.writers.ns.ca/workshops.html for more information.
Neptune Theatre School Presents: Issues-Based Performance Writing for Youth (Ages 13-18). Saturdays, 9:30-11:30am, October 13-December 1. Neptune Theatre, 1593 Argyle Street, Halifax. Cost: $160 + HST (HST charged to students ages 14+). This course will allow students to collaboratively create a stage play based on the topic of cyber bullying. A mixture of theatre games and writing exercises will be used to create the script, which will be performed to friends and family on the last day of the program. Register online: www.neptunetheatre.com under Arts Education menu tab.
The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC)—Professional Development Workshop—How To Be Your Own Publicist
Authors Elizabeth Ruth and Ann Douglas are offering this workshop in Halifax on November 3, 9:30am-4:30pm. Cost: $89 (includes lunch). The Prince George Hotel, 1725 Market Street, Regency 1, Halifax. For information about the workshop, workshop leaders and registration, visit: http://www.writersunion.ca/pd-workshops.
Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Winter Retreat
February 8 to March 1, 2013. St. Peter’s Abbey, Lumsden, SK. Cost: $475 out of province SWG members or CARFAC SK or $550 per week for non-members. Deadline for application: November 16. Details about the retreat and application guidelines can be found at: http://www.skwriter.com/sk-writers-artists-retreats
Creative Writing Workshops with PARL Writer-in-Residence, Donna Morrissey. A full schedule and details about the workshops can be found at: http://www.parl.ns.ca/services/writers/workshops.html
OPPORTUNITIES and ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW: Monday, October 15th, 8:30-10am—Come Meet Your Municipal Candidates, HRM: Neptune Theatre Foundation in cooperation with the Greater Arts Coalition hosts an All Candidates Meeting on Culture to give community members and business and cultural sector representatives to discuss culture’s social and economic importance within HRM at the Delta Halifax, 1990 Barrington Street, Bluenose Room, Halifax. To read the survey the Greater Arts Coalition has conducted which will be presented at this gathering, visit: http://greaterhalifaxarts.org/. If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP Isabelle Chevrier: ichevrier@neptunetheatre.com by October 9th.
NEW: Employment Opportunity: Executive Director for Dance Nova Scotia. Application deadline: November 15. For a full job description and to view the job posting, please visit: http://www.dancens.ca/.
NEW: The Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women would be happy to share your Women’s History Month, Mi’kmaq History Month and Person’s Day events with their contacts and networks. Email the name of your event along with the time, location and brief details to women@gov.ns.ca as soon as possible.
NEW: Halifax-Dartmouth & District Labour Council is planning MayworksHalifax and is inviting proposals from artists that explore economic and social justice. To read their Call for Proposals visit: http://mayworkshalifax.ca/. Deadline: November 5.
One Book Nova Scotia has announced its new, province-wide initiative to get as many Nova Scotians as possible reading the same book at the same time. Twenty-six (McClelland and Stewart) by Leo McKay Jr. has been chosen to be that book. For more information about this province-wide reading event, about the chosen book and events to celebrate it, please visit: http://1bns.ca/.
StoryFinds, an on-line company dedicated to bridging the gap between readers and authors, will be highlighting Canadian authors for month-long promotions where the author showcase their books, talk about why they write and showcase their favorite place in Canada. For more information please email R. Field at rfield@storyfinds.com or visit: www.storyfinds.com.
Arts Nova Scotia Funding- Grants to Individuals
http://novascotia.ca/cch/investing/artsns-funding/individuals/
The program supports the creation of new works by professional artists in all disciplines including fine crafts, literary, visual, media and performing arts. It also promotes a broad understanding and appreciation of art and artists through professional development, creation and presentation of work. Individual artists may submit one application per grant per deadline. To encourage equitable distribution of funds, artists can only receive one Creation Grant in a 12-month period. Deadline to apply: December 15.
AWARDS
NEW: Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Authors. Information about the award can be found at: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/new-award-recognize-excellence-first-nations-metis-inuit-young-adult-literature-1697807.htm
The Raymond Souster Award for a poetry book by a member of the League of Canadian Poets. For more details about the award and the submission form, visit: http://poets.ca/wordpress/contests-awards/raymond-souster. Submission deadline: Nov. 1.
Call for Submissions – 2013 Dartmouth Book Awards/John and Margaret Savage First Book Award. Details are available at: http://www.halifax.ca/bookawards/submissions.html. Deadline for submissions: November 16.
CONTESTS
NEW: Summer Literary Seminars’ Literary Contest. Full details are available at: http://www.sumlitsem.org/slscontest.html. Deadline: February 28.
36th Atlantic Writing Competition is now open for entry! Full details can be found here: http://www.writers.ns.ca/competitions/atlantic-writing-competition-unpublished-manuscripts.html. Deadline is November 9, 2012.
Descant Magazine: Winston Collins/Descant Prize for Best Canadian Poem: details are available here: http://www.descant.ca/winstoncollins. Deadline: October 12.
The Lawrence House Centre for the Arts Short Story Competition. Deadline: October 15. Details are available at: http://www.lawrencehouse.ca/shortstorycontest.htm
Write Now: A Woman’s Writing Competition. The competition is open to women writers who live in Lunenburg/Queens County and the theme is “Women Creating Peace.” All proceeds go towards supporting Second Story Women’s Centre in Lunenburg. Deadline: October 31. Entry fee: $10, payment may be by cheque or money order payable to Second Story Women’s Centre, PO Box 821, Lunenburg, NS B0J 2C0. First prize: $50. For more information, contact SSWC at (902) 543 1315 or (902) 640 3044. For more information, visit: www.secstory.com.
The Attys Poetry Contest: hosted by Wattpad and Judged by Margaret Atwood. Enter a small collection or just one poem. Win a $1000 prize. Deadline: October 31. Details: http://www.wattpad.com/attys.
The Malahat Review’s 2013 Open Season Awards: deadline: November 1. Contest details are available at: http://www.malahatreview.ca/contests/open_season/info.html.
Prism International’s 2012/13 Literary Non-Fiction Contest. Deadline: November 28. Full contest guidelines are available at: http://prismmagazine.ca/contests/.
The Fiddlehead’s 22nd Literary Contest: Details can be found at: http://www.thefiddlehead.ca/FHcontest.html. Deadline: December 1.
MARKETS
NEW: K1N journal of literary translations is accepting submissions of previously unpublished translations of poetry, fiction and literary non-fiction. Deadline: October 15. For more details, visit: http://k1nlitra.ca/.
NEW: filling Station is accepting poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction and non-fiction submissions for an upcoming themed issue: Experimental Writing by Women. Guidelines are available at: http://www.fillingstation.ca/submit. Deadline: February 15.
NEW: Dragnet Magazine is accepting fiction submissions. Details can be found at: http://dragnetmag.net/?page_id=21
Event Poetry and Prose is accepting submissions. Guidelines are available at: http://eventmags.com/about-2/submission-guidelines/fiction-poetry/.
Grain Magainze is accepting submissions. For more details, visit: http://www.grainmagazine.ca/submissions.html
Papirmasse, an affordable art subscription that sends a monthly print with art on one side and writing on the other, is accepting both art and writing submissions until October 15. For submission guidelines, visit: http://papirmasse.com/art/submissions.
The Acrobat is accepting poetry and fiction submissions for its first issue. Theme: Beginnings and endings. Deadline: October 15. For more details email: info@tightropebooks.com.
Vallum Magazine is accepting poetry for its “Magic” issue. Details can be found at: http://www.vallummag.com/. Deadline: October 15.
Lunch Ticket is accepting fiction, non-fiction, poetry and YA submissions for its next issue. Deadline: November 1. Guidelines are available at: http://lunchticket.org/about/submission-guidelines/.
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The announcements in this e-mail message are compiled and forwarded to WFNS members as a benefit of membership. The contests, publishing opportunities and external workshops are not necessarily endorsed by the Federation. We do our best to keep this information current, accurate and comprehensive, but sometimes we make mistakes. We encourage all members to check with hosting organizations to be sure of dates, times and submissions criteria. Notes from the Fed is not a forum for expressions of opinion or advocacy concerns. WFNS members are encouraged to raise such issues with the entire membership by writing a letter to Eastword.