Events held by other NS literary & arts organizations, festivals, indie bookstores, and other groups
Join us for the Halifax launch of Hollay Ghadery’s short story collection, Widow Fantasies, joined by poet Annick MacAskill! We will have an author reading, a Q&A, and books for sale & for signing c/o of the King’s Co-op Bookstore.
Hollay Ghadery launches ‘Widow Fantasies’ w/ guest Annick MacAskill Read More »
Learn and get inspired by writers and literary professionals.
Join Nova Scotian memoirist, Lindsey Harrington, 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize Winner, Chanel Sutherland, and a gaggle of talented writers from across Canada for the two-day Off Topic Publishing virtual conference! Learn more and register at https://offtopicpublishing.com/conference/
OTP Virtual Writing Conference Read More »
The Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival (DCAF) is back for 2025 – and bigger than ever. This year, DCAF will span two full days, kicking off with a slate of panels and workshops on Saturday, August 9, followed by the beloved comic arts marketplace on Sunday, August 10 at Alderney Landing.
Saturday’s events, which will include a mix of artist panels, hands-on workshops, and one-on-one portfolio reviews, will take place inside the Alderney Gate Public Library. From worldbuilding and grant-writing to the benefits of comics in academia and education, the programming is designed to support emerging and established creators alike – and to welcome fans and curious newcomers into the comic arts community.
Notable guests include Vivian Zhou (Atana and the Firebird), Scott Chantler (Squire & Knight), Molly Cronin (Art Brat Comics), and others. Comics editor Irene Velentzas (Emanata, Tunnel Vision Press) will offer 20-minute portfolio reviews for artists (pre-registration required), and illustrator Kate Phillips (The Usual) will lead a workshop focused on thumbnailing and layout techniques.
On Sunday, August 10, the action moves to Alderney Landing’s market space, where artists, writers, publishers, and comic shops will showcase and sell their work. Entry is free, and visitors of all ages are welcome.
DCAF is presented by Strange Adventures Comix & Curiosities with support from the Comics Creators Society of Nova Scotia. The expanded format reflects the festival’s ongoing commitment to building space for comics creators to connect, learn, and thrive.
Quick Details:
What: Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival 2025
When:
Saturday, August 9: Panels & Workshops (Alderney Gate Public Library)
Sunday, August 10: Comics Marketplace (Alderney Landing market)
Where: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Cost: Free admission
More Info: https://dcaf.strangeadventures.com
Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival Read More »
Join actor and writer Katerina Bakolias for a buoyant reading followed by an engaging Q & A. Everyone welcome.
Katerina Bakolias is a Queer, Greek Canadian Actor, Screenwriter, Playwright, Producer, and Creator. She is currently playing the role of Clara the Colony House Resident in the MGM+ TV series FROM and starring as Quinn in the digital series Good Grief on OUTtv. Her first YA novel, Luscious Love, was released in February 2024 by James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers and she is working on a new queer paranormal romance. Katerina is currently writing and producing a digital series (Good Grief) with her creative partner Amy Trefry.
This event is part of the Canning Library’s 2024-2025 Literary Series which provides free readings and workshops funded by Arts Nova Scotia’s Artists in Communities Program.
Katerina Bakolias at Canning Library Read More »
On Hiroshima Day, NS Voice of Women are opening a poster display at Halifax City Hall in the ‘Halifax Room.’ We are inviting all writers to come share a poem on the themes of Hiroshima, peace, and/or disarmament. A signup sheet for readers will be available onsite.
Join us for the full exhibit on August 6, 7, or 8 (9:00 AM – 2:00 PM). Admission is free and open to all.
Open Mic: Hiroshima and Nagasaki Poster Exhibition Read More »
Join poet and essayist Basma Kavanagh for a contemplative reading of prose and poetry honouring the natural world. Reading followed by Q & A. Everyone welcome.
Basma Kavanagh is a Lebanese Canadian artist whose multidisciplinary practice includes writing, drawing, printmaking, artist’s books, textiles, land-based explorations, and performance. She has published three volumes of poetry, Ruba’iyat for the Time of Apricots (Frontenac House, 2018), Niche (Frontenac House, 2015) and Distillō (Gaspereau Press, 2012). She recently completed an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from University of King’s College, Halifax.
This event is part of the Canning Library’s 2024-2025 Literary Series which provides free readings and workshops funded by Arts Nova Scotia’s Artists in Communities Program.
Basma Kavanagh at Canning Library Read More »
Join us for an informal Saturday morning author Meet & Greet with the Potterfield Prize Winners for Creative Nonfiction!
The first-place winners of the Seventh Annual Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction were co-authors James MacDuff and Mirriam Mweemba for The Illogical Adventure, and second-place was Matthew R. Anderson for Someone Else’s Saint.
The Illogical Adventure recounts the story of an unlikely cross-cultural, cross-continental romance between two independent-minded travellers during the Covid pandemic and beyond. Mirriam Mweemba is from the small village of Batoka in Zambia, and James MacDuff is a Maritimer who grew up in Moncton and has called Halifax home for over twenty years. The memoir is told from each of their perspectives in an alternating fashion.
In Someone Else’s Saint, seasoned walker and historian Matthew Anderson, hoping to uncover the elusive Saint Ninian, treks the traditional Scottish pilgrim ways associated with the saint, only to find that the trail leads to Nova Scotia, where Ninian’s story intertwines with Acadian, Mi’kmaw, Loyalist, and Gaelic history. Matthew R. Anderson grew up in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, spent almost 35 years in Montreal and now lives in Pomquet, Nova Scotia.
Pottersfield Prize Author Meet & Greet Read More »
Join beloved children’s book author and illustrator Doretta Groenendyk for a family-friendly reading and discussion. Little ones and the young-at-heart are welcome!
Artist, educator, and children’s book author Doretta Groenendyk has written and illustrated more than a dozen books for children and her unmistakable, whimsical paintings can be found in galleries and private collections throughout the Maritimes.
This event is part of the Canning Library’s 2024-2025 Literary Series which provides free readings and workshops funded by Arts Nova Scotia’s Artists in Communities Program.
Doretta Groenendyk at Canning Library Read More »
Our next book club meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23rd, at 6:30 p.m. Please keep in mind the date change: it is the 4th Wednesday of the month and not the usual 3rd.
Our book club is unique. Please read the following:
Our Book Club aims to promote local authors, their books, and the writing of reviews. #supportlocalauthors
Locally Authored Book Club Exchange Read More »
NS Writers for Palestine – Come Create with Us!
As part of @inclusivestorytime‘s NS Grief and Solidarity for Palestine Quilt, create a written word square to be included in the NS Writers for Palestine Quilt. The resulting artwork will be raffled off, with proceeds going to aid funds for Palestinians. You can drop off a square you made at home, or come create one in a collaborative community space.
Poetry or prose can be transferred to fabric via embroidery, fabric markers, heat transfer paper, or other mechanisms. We will have some supplies onsite, but feel free to bring supplemental:
Contact Lindsey Harrington (@lindseyharringtonwriter or lindseyharrington@tutamail.com) for more info!
NS Writers for Palestine – Come Create With Us! Read More »
The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) uses the following terms to describe writers’ experience levels:
Please keep in mind that each form of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, writing for children and young adults, and others) provides you with a unique set of experiences and skills, so you might consider yourself an ‘established author’ in one form but a ‘new writer’ in another.
The “Recommended experience level” section of each workshop description refers to the above definitions. A workshop’s participants should usually have similar levels of creative writing and / or publication experience. This ensures that each participant gets value from the workshop and is presented with information, strategies, and skills that suit their career stage.
For “intensive” and “masterclass” workshops, which provide more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback, the recommended experience level should be followed closely.
For all other workshops, the recommended experience level is just that—a recommendation—and we encourage potential participants to follow their own judgment when registering.
If you’re uncertain of your experience level with regard to any particular workshop, please feel free to contact us at communications@writers.ns.ca
