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Events

Readings at the Woodside

Date:
Time:
-
Venue:
Woodside Tavern
Location:
209 Pleasant Street, Dartmouth. More info
Calendar:
Member event

An Evening of Stories At The Woodside

Step into Halifax’s past with two captivating voices of historical fiction. Bestselling author Donna Jones Alward will share from Ship of Dreams: A Novel of the Titanic, and Brenda Tyedmers will bring us into the world of her debut novel Mrs. Walford. Both stories are steeped in the rich history of Halifax and the early twentieth century.

Following the readings, enjoy a lively conversation moderated by award-winning Dartmouth author Susan LeBlanc (The Nowhere Places).

Local favourite Dartmouth Book Exchange will be on hand with books from all three authors—perfect for taking the stories home with you.

Join us for an evening of history, imagination, and community!

Doors Open at 6:00pm
Readings and Event start at 7:00pm

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Renée Belliveau reads from A Sense of Things Beyond

Date:
Time:
-
Calendar:
Member event

Join us for the Sackville launch of A Sense of Things Beyond, the latest novel by Renée Belliveau, author of The Sound of Fire.

This free event will be held at the R.P. Bell Library (49 York St) at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB, on Monday, November 3, at 7:00 p.m.

The evening will include a reading and Q&A with the author, followed by a book signing. Copies of the book will be available for purchase from Tidewater Books.

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AfterWords Literary Festival

Date/Time:
at - at
Link:
https://afterwordsliteraryfestival.com/festival-2025/
Calendar:
Community event

Seventh Annual AfterWords Literary Festival
Saturday November 1 to Sunday November 9

Writers and readers meet at the seventh annual AfterWords Literary Festival, with a full week of events in venues around Kjipuktuk/Halifax.

From our opening Kids’ Day/Journée jeunesse at Halifax Central Library, to our closing night conversation with radio host and best-selling author Terry O’Reilly at The Bus Stop Theatre, from brunch at The Carleton with David A. Robertson and Jesse Wente to a rousing talk about poetry with Sue Goyette, Billy-Ray Belcourt, and katherena vermette, from a screening of a new documentary by poet Asiah Sparks to a midweek party at Cafe Lara—this year’s festival brings together more than fifty writers in Halifax for readings, conversations, workshops, and more. Tickets are on sale now. Find the full lineup and buy tickets on our website https://afterwordsliteraryfestival.com/.

The AfterWords Literary Festival is sponsored by University of King’s College, Starboard Wealth Planners, Dalhousie University, The Halifax Independent School, and Rosie Porter Realtor, along with funders J&W Murphy Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, Canada, Nova Scotia, Arts Nova Scotia, Halifax. None of this work would be possible without these amazing supporters.

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MFA Author Talks: Michelle Hebert

Date:
Time:
-
Venue:
Halifax Central Library
Location:
5440 Spring Garden Road, Halifax. More info
Calendar:
Community event

BMO Room

Join host Gillian Turnbull, Director of Writing & Publishing at the University of King’s College, in conversation with Michelle Hebert, author of Every Little Thing She Does is Magic.

A darkly humorous family saga set in Nova Scotia about a young woman coming of age in a family that believes it’s cursed, for fans of Emma Straub and Lesley Crewe.
Kitten Love’s family is haunted by the memory of her teenaged aunt, Nerida, who died just days before Kitten’s birth in 1970. Her mother, Queena, believes the family is cursed, and she’s determined not to let disaster strike again. She won’t let Kitten out of her sight—especially to visit the beaches that surround the town. She’s built a bomb shelter to protect against Soviet attack, and she’s desperate to protect her husband, Stubby, from the fatal and mysterious Love Heart.

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No Place for a Child: Honouring Nora Bernard

Date:
Time:
-
Venue:
Halifax Central Library
Location:
5440 Spring Garden Road, Halifax. More info
Link:
https://afterwordsliteraryfestival.com/product/no-place-for-a-child-honouring-nora-bernard/
Calendar:
Community event

We’ll screen a new mini-documentary about the life and work of 2025 Heritage Day honouree Nora Bernard, and then Shelagh Rogers will lead a panel discussion about reconciliation—how we move forward together, meaningfully. Andrea Currie, Ma’lglit Pelletier, and Rebecca Thomas will join us for this vital conversation. Then, you’re invited to enjoy some light catering and conversation, as you process what you’ve seen and heard. This is a free event, open to all, presented in partnership with Halifax Central Library, and with the support of the Nova Scotia Department of Culture, Communities, Tourism, and Heritage.

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Experience Levels

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) uses the following terms to describe writers’ experience levels:

  • New writers: those with less than two years’ creative writing experience and/or no short-form publications (e.g., short stories, personal essays, or poems in literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks).
  • Emerging writers: those with more than two years’ creative writing experience and/or numerous short-form publications.
  • Early-career authors: those with 1 or 2 book-length publications or the equivalent in book-length and short-form publications.
  • Established authors: those with 3 or 4 book-length publications.
  • Professional authors: those with 5 or more book-length publications.

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