Hello Friends and Members 

Hey writers – how’s your summer going? I must say, the hot weather has put me firmly in my happy place. If you’re not enjoying the heat as much as I am, then I hope you find relief with the cool, rainy days. I dove headfirst into the garden right after WordSpring, and most of my spare hours—outside of work and book sales–have been spent there since. Here’s what’s coming up next:

Upcoming Events and News

WFNB Summer Writers’ Retreat

If you are thinking about signing up for our summer retreat, on August 23-25, now is the time to register! Remember, we need a minimum of 15 participants, and it’s always a good time—a weekend doesn’t seem long enough.

Our summer mentor is the poet Gerald Arthur (Art) Moore. Art is an adventurer, a part-time university lecturer, a high school teacher, and a rugby coach living in Moncton, New Brunswick. Author of the poetry collection Shatter the Glass, Shards of Flame, his work has appeared in Queen’s Quarterly, Vallum, The Antigonish Review, The Nashwaak Review, The Dalhousie Review, Qwerty, Off the Coast, Prairie Fire, Boston Poetry Magazine, Quills, and The Military Review. Moore has led six humanitarian work projects to Haiti since the devastating earthquake there in 2010, and his employment history includes army officer, schoolteacher, and bootlegger. Art's latest poetry collection, Flak Jacket, is now available in bookstores and online.

Frances Peck Workshop Series

If you missed last week’s workshop, Show, Don’t Tell, you’ll have a chance to listen to Frances once more on September 10, when she will complete her workshop series for us with an online informal discussion about publishing called From Editor to Author: A Journey in Several Parts. Come prepared with your questions about the publishing industry, the writing process, marketing—whatever interests you. For three decades, Frances Peck was a successful behind-the-scenes wordsmith, working on other people’s publications as an editor, ghostwriter, and rewriter. She also taught over 10,000 people how to get better at editing and writing. Then she decided it was time to return to her youthful passion—writing fiction. In this webinar, Frances will recount her journey from hidden editor to published author, discuss the delicate dance of creativity and editing, and field questions on writing, editing, publishing, and marketing. Look for the event page in early August.

ArtsNB Workshop: Writing Successful Grant Applications

Artsnb is conducting a free workshop for WFNB members on July 25, from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, on writing successful artsnb grant applications. The response has been enormous, but you can still sign up at https://wfnb.ca/event-5795260

WordsFall is coming soon!

Plans are underway for WordsFall in Sussex, October 25-27. Save the date and look for the event page in early August. Rooms have been reserved for us at the Amsterdam Inn, and our readings and workshops will take place at the AX Gallery and a couple of other locations in the lovely little town of Sussex. We were last there when Jen McGrath conducted a workshop on writing picture books in November 2022.

We have some great sessions lined up: On Saturday morning, Carlos Anthony will return to teach a class on writing successful Canada Council grants, and there will be other workshops to choose from led by wonderful Maritime authors like Charlene Carr, Kelly Cooper, Brandon Mitchell, Fawn Parker, and Zev Bagel. If you write nonfiction, historical fiction, or you’re just a history buff, we hope a guided tour of the Hussars Museum in Sussex will be fun and interesting for you. And as always, if you can’t take in the whole weekend, you can pick and choose what to attend. It will be great to see you at our fall gathering!

Announcements

A Word about Marketing Scams

Take heed, writers: One of our members reached out to say that she has received several calls from different companies in the past year offering to promote her book, buy certain rights, adapt for the screen, etc. A legitimate company would know that they must contact a publisher to obtain such rights (unless you are self-published). If you are getting similar calls, you can listen to this podcast, which talks about the workings of the scam here: https://amarketingexpert.com/2022/09/22/snake-oil-exists-in-book-publishing-and-marketing/  

And you can read more in an article here: https://selfpublishingadvice.org/pearson-media-group-a-watchdog-advisory/

Member News

Gina Sweet-Ellis published novel, “Petri Johnny.”

Writers of Kingston Peninsula founder and WFNB member Gina Sweet-Ellis recently published a novel on Amazon entitled “Petri Johnny.” You can find Gina on Facebook, under Skinny Dogs Studio. Folks are saying it’s hilarious! https://www.amazon.ca/Petri-Johnny-Gina-Sweet-Ellis-ebook/dp/B0D4G6H85V

Welcome New Members

Noeline Bridge

Noeline Bridge is a Moncton writer and former librarian who is a three-time nonfiction winner in our annual writing competition. Noeline writes in the genres of Creative non-fiction, Fiction, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Spiritual, and Travel Writing. Welcome, Noeline!

Alyssa Leigh Briscoe

Alyssa Leigh Briscoe is a writer from Fredericton who is interested in the genres of editing, fantasy, fiction, romance, science fiction, and short stories. Welcome, Alyssa!

Lar Collicott

Lar Collicott is based in Fredericton and writes Fiction, Horror, Scripts, Suspense, Flash/Micro fiction, Thrillers, and Short stories. Welcome, Lar!

David Ting

David Ting lives in Moncton and writes Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Poetry, Science Fiction, Technical, and Short stories. Welcome, David!

That’s it for me. Enjoy July, writers!

Remember, “Editing is all about doubt. Changing, fixing, chopping. But your horrible first draft—get it out without judgement. Find your inner kindergartner. Live as if all your dreams will come true.” Katherina Vermette

Cheers,

Rhonda

Program Newsletter

Current and Upcoming Program News

Acknowledgements of Support

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for their support of this year’s professional development programming, including monthly workshops, our two main festivals - WordSpring and WordsFall - and the newest addition to our PD portfolio the WordCraft podcast for writers, by writers.

WordCraft Wednesdays are Starting Soon!

Our first professional development podcast is ready to launch! Every Wednesday, a new episode will go live on every major podcast platform, and transcripts will be available with show notes here, on the WFNB blog. 

We’ll send a link to each episode on Wednesdays, starting July 24th until the last Wednesday in August. The first episode will feature an interview between our lovely host Jenna Morton and the incomparable Beth Powning. Stay tuned!

New Resources

BIPOC Writers Connect Extended until July 22.

The deadline for BIPOC Writers Connect: Facilitating Mentorship, Creating Community has been extended until July 22, 2024!

BIPOC Writers Connect is a virtual conference for Black, Indigenous, and racialized emerging writers to connect with industry professionals, established authors, and fellow emerging writers — all in one place! Presented by The Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC) and the League of Canadian Poets (LCP).

BIPOC Writers Connect is a free event, with no application fees, but advance application is required. We welcome applications from emerging writers across Canada. Applications are open until July 22, 2024 at 11:59 pm PDT. This year's conference takes place on October 17, 2024 on Zoom.

BIPOC Writers Connect is a free event, but advance application is required. Applications are open until July 22, 2024 at 11:59 pm PDT. Successful applicants will be notified by September 2024.

For more information: writersunion.ca/bipoc-writers-connect.

Upcoming Contests, Submissions, and Grants

The Fiddlehead’s 2024 Fiction Contest is Now Open for Submissions.

The Fiddlehead invites authors, emerging and established, to send us their best piece of writing by September 2, 2024, to be considered by acclaimed author and judge Zilla Jones. Don't miss your chance to win $2000 and be published in our winter 2025 issue! 

See the full guidelines at https://thefiddlehead.ca/contest

Tidewater Press is inviting submissions for a New Short Story Anthology.

Inspired by the Trans Canada Trail, the collection will feature one story from each of the provinces and territories. Not a travelogue, we are looking for original, creative tales, in any genre or style, with the linking theme of place: waterways, trails, roads and communities along the Trans Canada Trail. All authors will receive a standard contributor’s fee for first publication rights only. Deadline for submissions is September 30, 2024. Stories (2,000—8,000 words) to  may be sent via the Tidewater Press website, or to info@tidewaterpress.ca

ArtsLink NB is launching an exciting new project!

ArtsLink NB is launching an exciting new project – Root Words: In Search of NB Arts Writing, which is an anthology of writing about the arts in New Brunswick to be published in 2025. This call for pitches is an opportunity for writers at absolutely all career stages and levels of experience. Please read more about the project in the attached document, share widely in your networks, and with anyone you feel would be a good fit to contribute. Read the submission guidelines here: https://artslinknb.com/blog/2024/07/08/root-words-call-for-pitches/

Tenth Mennonite’s Writing Conference Invites Proposals.

Organizers of the tenth Mennonite’s Writing conference invite proposals for critical and creative presentations on any aspect of Mennonite literature, including the 2024 conference theme of "Words at Work and Play."

In keeping with the field's long-standing practice of working across creative and critical boundaries, we invite proposals for scholarly presentations as well as creative and genre-bending work from across and beyond the academy, including: work in any literary genre or medium; audio and visual arts; theatre and film; historical writing; social critique; theological reflection; religious studies; anthropology; community-engaged research; race, ethnicity, and gender studies; ecocriticism; reconciliation and Indigeneity; postcolonial writing; autotheory; ethics; digital humanities; comedy; publishing, printing, & editing; podcasting; translation; and even literary criticism. We especially encourage submissions that will broaden and enrich the field's historical, geographical, methodological, and disciplinary range.

Please send proposals as 250-word abstracts (with short contributor biographies) to mennowritingx@cmu.ca by November 1, 2024. More details will be available soon at the conference webpage: www.cmu.ca/programs/english/mennonites-writing

Community Events

July 21, 2024

Cathy J. Hopkins will be giving a public reading at the Partridge Island Publishing Bookstore.

Area 506 Container Village
85 Water Street
Saint John, NB

Saturday, July 27th

The Greater Moncton, Riverview, and Dieppe Book Fair will take place at the Riverview Lions Community Centre.

701 Coverdale Road
Riverview, NB

Free admission! A portion of all proceeds will go to support Read NB.

For more information, go to www.gmrdbookfair.ca 

July 28, 2024

Join Vanessa C. Hawkins - author of A Child to Cry Over, Baloon Riot & Bunker Blitz, and The Curious Case of Simon Todd - at the Partridge Island Publishing Bookstore.

Area 506 Container VIllage
85 Water Street
Saint John, NB

July 31, 2024

Join Sheila McPhee at the Partridge Island Publishing Bookstore.

Area 506 Container VIllage
85 Water Street
Saint John, NB

August 2, 2024

Join Cathy J. Hopkins, Suzanne Casey, Anne Smith-Nochasack, and Danielle Metcalfe-Chanail at the Partridge Island Publishing Bookstore.

Area 506 Container VIllage
85 Water Street
Saint John, NB

August 4, 2024

Join Danielle Metcalfe-Chanail and Cathy J. Hopkins at the Partridge Island Publishing Bookstore.

Area 506 Container VIllage
85 Water Street
Saint John, NB

Submit to Inkspot

If you have news for writers in NB, share it here!

Email us at info@wfnb.ca with the words, “Inkspot Submission” in the subject line. Tell us about the resource, event, or news you’d like us to share as well as a link for more information and any image, logo, or graphic we should attach to your entry. 

That’s all for now! See you next month in Quispamsis.

Kris

Hello Friends and Members 

Overall, WordSpring was a seamless weekend. I’ve been slack about getting the survey out to participants, but I promise to send it out before you forget what you want to say!

We enjoyed lots of great workshops and opportunities to chat and network with other writers. The Empress Theatre in Moncton was a lovely venue for the NB Writing Competition literary soiree. Susan White and Martha Vowles did a great job of keeping the evening humming along. And of course, the NB Book Awards on Saturday night at the Press Club was an exciting, inspiring and fulfilling event, as always. Best wishes to all the talented nominees and winners in our two award ceremonies. I am in awe.

And now, on to the AGM, which took place last evening, June 13 at 7 pm via Zoom. Our registrations are well above quorum, so thank you members, for your quick response to my plaintive cry on Monday. If you are a WFNB member, meeting materials can be found in the forum of our members-only section. Login to the website with your username and password, click Members-Only at the top of the home page, then scroll down the page. The forum is on the right-hand side.

In Memoriam

Gwen Logan Martin

October 31, 1951 - June 6, 2024

Our hearts are heavy to report that we have lost a beloved, longtime member. Gwen Martin passed away on June 6, after a long and valiant battle with cancer. 

Gwen Martin: A Legacy of Courage and Love

Gwen L. Martin was born in England, and lived in three Canadian provinces before moving to the shores of Yoho Lake, near Fredericton. She began her working life as a geologist, adept at revealing the stories buried in stone, then made a living writing and editing for scientists, engineers, politicians, NGOs, artists, and musicians across Canada. She taught writing and editing workshops, authored Our Forest Heritage, a publication for the Province of NB, plus four geology books: Once Upon a Mine, For the Love of Stone (Vols 1 and 2), and Gesner’s Dream, a rollicking good tale of early New Brunswick mining explorations. She won various prizes for her poetry, books and essays, including awards with the Newfoundland Arts and Letters Competition, Canadian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy, Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick, and Geist Magazine.

The written word delighted her in all its genres. Gwen held memberships in PWAC, TWUC, EAC, CWC, and WFNS. She joined WFNB in the 1980s, and remained a fervent supporter throughout the ensuing decades, encouraging other writers, participating in the WiSP program, writing grant applications, organizing workshops, and serving a term on the board of directors. When the ED left suddenly in 2014, she stepped into the role for two years, breathing new life into the organization, increasing membership, securing funding, encouraging young writers, developing a new website, and designing the colourful logo and branding that we have today.

But it was the authentic, graceful and courageous woman of immense depth and genuine love, not the accomplishments, that truly drew people to her. Music flowed through Gwen, finding expression not only in melodic harmonies, but in eloquent prose. She will be remembered for her intelligence and sensitivity, her spontaneity and joie de vivre, her wise counsel, keen perception, natural wit, generous spirit, and the myriad ways in which she elevated and encouraged the creativity in others. She peered into the hearts of those she met and mirrored for them the potential she saw buried there. And we loved her for it. —Deborah Carr

A Handful of Comments:

Zev Bagel (former president): “Gwen Martin was a bright surge of energy lighting up our world. I was honoured to be on the WFNB board of directors with Gwen, and then worked more closely with her when I was President, and she became our acting Executive Director. It was a challenging time for the Writers' Federation. We were at a low financial ebb, and our funding was being cut. Gwen kept us going. She straightened us out financially, inspired us with her notes in InkSpot, and steered us through tough decisions. Given our financial straits, it was remarkable that it was the year we launched, with the Fiddlehead, our first NB Book Awards. Gwen helped keep us on course. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Gwen, and those of us who knew and worked with her over the years have lost a wise, fun-loving, sparkly, energetic and inspirational woman. Thank you, Gwen, for living among us.”

Rayanne Brennan (former president): “I will always remember you as a wisp of a woman but a big ball of energy who jumped up at events to play a mean piano, read a brilliant piece of prose or lead a balloon-popping orchestra to celebrate WFNB’s 30th. You brought such passion to everything you did, as a geologist, writer, WFNB administrator, nature enthusiast…there’s so many things that could be said about you but none can adequately describe the extraordinary, one-of-kind person you were. You leave a rich legacy.”

Deborah Carr: “I have no idea how I'll find my way through, but I know because of you--because of what you’ve taught me and so many others—somehow, the way will become clear. May we all hold in our hearts the ferocious beauty and courage and wisdom that was yours, and let it resonate clearly in our own lives, and echo in the way we love.”

Margaret Eaton: “Gwen was truly a beacon of light. I have wonderful memories of her at what I think was the 30th anniversary of WFNB when she orchestrated a directed a great balloon popping event to the William Tell Overture. Only someone with Gwen’s delightful sense of fun and whimsy could have pulled off such an activity. She was an amazing force of light and life - still is.”

Spencer Folkins (former board member): “Gwen was greatly encouraging of young writers in our province. I appreciated her collaboration. Condolences to her friends and loved ones.”

Cathy Fynn (former ED):  “Gwen's passion and fearlessness transformed the people and causes she loved. She saw through flaws and walls to the purity inside and held it up for us to see and believe in. The world will not be the same without her; she left it a better place.”

Carla Gunn: “What an intelligent, sensitive, delightfully humourous woman she was. And also how beautifully her intellect, humour and sensitivity are reflected in her personal essays. The essay I link here is one of my favourites; she writes: "And so it goes. Rumi’s cozy adage – the wound is where the light enters – misses an essential corollary. Wounds are also where the light departs." So insightful and so very true. A most beautiful light has departed.” https://hippocampusmagazine.com/.../the-fragility-of.../

Jane Simpson (former board member and VP): “I do remember her staying over one night when we were hosting some event in Sussex. We sat together at my piano and sang and played back and forth all night. That’s how I’ll remember her. My condolences to her close friends and family.”

Sean Tapley: “She was a positive force in my life, and was the person who encouraged me to start writing. She was making me read Farley Mowatt at just 7 years old (haha). We used to walk through the woods in Yoho together, and she was capable of identifying every bird and rock in the forest. I even travelled with her sometimes while she was interviewing people for Gesner’s Dream. She really shaped me in certain ways. We lost contact not long after her and my grandfather went their separate ways, but I have always had a tremendous amount of love and appreciation for her. I can’t believe she’s gone.”

And a Poem

By Roger Moore

This is my tribute to my friend, Gwen Martin. It is published in The Nature of Art and the Art of Nature. (P. 52)

Gwen Martin

Magnificent the music, Tchaikovsky,

big and booming, balloons blooming,

colored uniforms, gaudy their globules,

our Field-Marshall standing to attention,

surveying the battlefield, her command

post positioned so she can organize

her army’s response. So, here we are, armed

with pins all primed, balloons at the ready.

Here it comes: climax, crescendo, the old

guard preparing that one last charge, Moscow,

behind us, burning, and now … she cries now …

now … pointing to each of one us in turn

and we pin-prick our balloons … now ... now … our

enemies run, Napoleon retreats,

Moscow is saved … glorious music, church

bells ring out in a wondrous finale.

I hope this is a fitting tribute to a great lady in remembrance of a wonderful occasion that demonstrated her strength, creativity, vibrancy, and exceptional skills. I shall miss my very good friend  – Roger Moore

Good memories. Thank you, Gwen.

Upcoming WFNB Events, News, and Requests

Frances Peck online workshop: Show Don’t Tell

July 11, 2024 @ 7 pm AST - Look for the event page next week! 

“Show, don’t tell”—it’s advice writers get all the time. But how exactly do you do it? Rather than tell you all about this key to crackling prose, this workshop shows, through examples and short exercises, how to heed the advice on the page. From balancing narrative passages (that tell) with actions and scenes (that show), to banishing filter words that keep readers at a remove, we’ll explore how “show” techniques make fiction and nonfiction come alive. Bring your work in progress to assess during the exercises if you like.

WFNB Summer Writers’ Retreat

Join writer in residence, Gerald Arthur Moore for a weekend of writing, community, and mentorship. August 23 – 25 - Look for the event page by the end of June.

WordsFall Festival in Sussex, NB

WordsFall will be in Sussex this year, October 25-27 – we will be staying at the Amsterdam Inn. Other locations and our full slate of workshop leaders are to be determined. Stay tuned, but mark the date on your calendar. Look for the event page by the end of July.

Member News

Congratulations, Lisa Alward!

The Writers’ Union of Canada announced today that WFNB member Lisa Alward is the recipient of the $10,000 prize for the 27th annual Danuta Gleed Literary Award, recognizing the best first collection of short fiction by a Canadian author published in 2023 in the English language for Cocktail. Lisa also won the Mrs. Dunster's Fiction Prize this year for this short story collection. You can watch the rest of the TWUC award announcements here.

How's your dialogue?

On June 22nd, WFNB member Shelley Egan is offering an online workshop on how to edit dialogue in fiction through the College of Extended Learning at UNB. Details can be found here, under Writing and Literature.

Input requested:

WFNB member Jerry Iwanus is looking for recommendations re: a book cover designer for his next book. Know a great cover artist? Send the details to jiwanus@syban.net

Book Launch: Sly as a Fox by Wendy L. Koenig

WFNB member Denise McClure, who is facilitator of the writers’ group, EXHALE: Grand Falls, is happy to share with you a photo of a group member, Wendy L. Koenig of Drummond. Wendy is launching her book, Sly As a Fox, the second in her Sylvia series, with the third on its way.

Software Launch: Fablehenge

WFNB member, Dusty Phillips of Smithtown is announcing the launch of Fablehenge.com! This software helps writers manage their outlines, characters, settings, research, and more. Dusty is eager to share it with fellow New Brunswick authors. Key features include a to-do system to keep track of areas of active research, daily word count goals, tagging story elements in scenes, and a huge collection of element templates. Sharing scenes for feedback is coming soon. With a goal to ensure that artificial intelligence supports, rather than replaces, creative writers, the first two AI features to generate outlines and character reference images are already available. The software is available at https://www.fablehenge.com/.

We will feature Dusty’s new venture in an upcoming blog post.

Welcome New Members

Louis Anthony Bryan

Louis won third place in our Jane LeBlanc Screenwriting Competition for his short script, “Vertices.” Welcome, Anthony!

Lisa Alward

Lisa Alward is an award-winning fiction writer from Fredericton. Lisa just won the Mrs. Dunster’s fiction prize for her story collection, “Cocktail.” The same collection recently won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award – well done indeed. The book was also longlisted for the 2024 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. Welcome, Lisa!

Mira Dietz Chiasson

Mira Dietz Chiasson lives in Sackville and writes creative non-fiction, fantasy, fiction, journalism, photography, poetry, short stories. Welcome, Mira!

Liv Mazerolle

Liv Mazerolle is a writer from Moncton who recently placed third in the Douglas Kyle Memorial Prize for Short fiction, for her story, “The Ducks.” She writes Flash/Micro fiction, stories for middle grade, and travel writing. Welcome, Liv!

Cecile Robichaud

Cecile Robichaud writes from Dieppe and enjoys the genres of photography, poetry, songwriting, and spiritual. Bienvenue, Cecile!

Chris Wanamaker

Chris Wanamaker often visits our events and records our readings for 107.3 FM Saint John radio. He writes in the genres of Flash/Micro fiction, Middle Grade, and Travel Writing. Welcome, Chris!

I wish you all a warm, sunny, restful, sand-between-your-toes summer. Remember, writers: “Writing is like driving at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way. – EL Doctorow (Hey Beth…did he really say that?)

Best,

Rhonda

Program Newsletter

Current and Upcoming Program News

The NB Book Awards

Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees of the 9th annual New Brunswick Book Awards! We are so proud to see your work celebrated at the Atlantic Book Awards and beyond. We really do get to celebrate the cream of the canadian literary crop here in New Brunswick. 

NBReads: Celebrating NB writers all year long.

This year, with the partnership of local independent book stores and input from Les Éloizes and the AAAPNB, we’re so pleased to be able to celebrate the shortlist of the NB Book Awards all year.

The program is starting small, with a campaign to encourage book stores to highlight our NB Reads books with posters, book marks, and a link to our NB Reads information page.

We hope to be able to grow this initiative into a more robust public outreach program with public readings, book reviews and maybe even some book club events. For now, we are excited to take this opportunity to showcase the tremendous literary talent to be found, here at home. 

Feel free to download and share the NB Reads Poster.

Thank you for another wonderful WordSpring!

My second year at the WFNB is highlighted by the experience of joining our community to celebrate, learn together, and break out of our writerly solitude for some much needed time together in the outside world.

I particularly loved the experience of running our first consignment member book and WFNB merch table. From the lovely kids at the Literary Soirée who were starstruck to meet the real authors of the books in my “Teeny Tiny Bookshop,” to all of the members popping in during lunch and between classes to see each other’s work or restock their own (we had more than one sold out title!).

We stocked our shop with some lovely canvas tote bags and our hand thrown custom stoneware mugs too. By WordsFall, we hope to include pre-order WFNB T-shirts and more.

Professional Development and Community Events

Don’t forget to submit info about events in your area.

As we wrap up WordSpring, the NB Book Awards and Literary Soirée, and the Annual General Meeting, we don’t have any announcements about upcoming events or workshops in our inboxes.

Please forward information about any events you’d like us to share with the community, and let us know if there are any great professional development opportunities you think others could benefit from attending.

Call for Submissions

Workers of the Warming World Unite! Poetry Anthology

Deadline: July 31, 2024

Has your job, workplace, industry, or livelihood been affected by changing environmental conditions? We are seeking submissions of up to three poems about work in the age of global warming, written by working people about labour they have done themselves. New and previously unpublished poets welcome! Check our website for more information including upcoming writing workshops.

·  Insider poems by working people who are doing or have done the work they write about,

·  Poems about all kinds of work,

·  Poems by workers from underrepresented groups—especially Indigenous, racialized, migrant, 2SLGBTQ+, disabled, Elders and elderly, women, and non-binary workers,

·  Poems written in any style or form. We welcome writing from new or previously unpublished poets.

Please submit up to 3 previously unpublished poems to workandclimatepoetry@gmail.com by July 31, 2024. Check our website for more information including upcoming writing workshops. 

Until next month,

Have a lovely beginning of summer! I’m excited about everything that is coming up in the next few months and hope to see lots of you at the retreat in August.

Kris

Hello there, Writers 

We had a wonderful visit with Frances Peck at her workshop on May 8, called “Sentences with Style.” It was useful, practical, and enjoyable. If you missed Frances, we’ll have her back in July to tackle the subject, “Show, don’t Tell,” which is a familiar mantra in our circles, but could use some fleshing out. Then, in September, she’ll present an overview of her experience developing from professor and editor to author, and a Q & A discussion about the publishing biz. Stay tuned!

WordSpring! It’s almost here!

Are you coming? If you haven’t signed up yet, please do soon! Remember that you don’t have to pay for the whole event (even though it will be smashing). There are lots of options to be found on the registration page. We were just checking out the Moncton Press Club today, where we will hold this year’s NB Book Awards. It’s going to be a fun time, so don’t miss it.

The Annual General Meeting will follow WordSpring sometime in June (date to be determined), and this is your second call if you have nominations for the board. The board will request the membership’s vote at the AGM on a minor by-law change. Details to come soon.

Welcome New Members!

DKR Boyd

DKR Boyd is an award-winning author from St. Stephen. He has published more then 25 books for children and is also interested in historical fiction, young adult and ghostwriting. Welcome, David!

Cathy Donaldson

Cathy Donaldson has published features, columns and photography in media outlets ranging from The Boston Globe and CBC Radio to The Halifax Chronicle Herald (SaltWire), The New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal and the Moncton Times & Transcript. She is also a contributor to JourneyWoman.com. Cathy also pens the travel blog Destinations by Donaldson. Welcome back, Cathy!

Jeff Houlahan

Jeff Houlahan is an ecologist and conservation biologist, and teaches and researches in these fields at UNB Saint John.  But he is also an author of fiction and thrillers, having published a half dozen short stories in on-line journals, and also signed a three-book deal with Level Best Books for two crime novels already written, and a third to follow. Welcome, Jeff!

Cathy Sterling

Cathy writes from her home in Moncton. Welcome, Cathy!

Manju Varma

Manju Varma writes stories for children and creative nonfiction from her home in Moncton. Welcome, Manju!

Tristis C. Ward

Tristis C. Ward lives, writes and creates in Fredericton NB. Trained in graphic design, she has written several short pieces for anthologies, a children’s book titled The Storm Fairy, a “graphicless” novel, and plays.  She is interested in a wide variety of genres. Welcome, Tristis!

Community Events and News

“The Geographies of DAR” available to stream.

A visually stunning film on acclaimed author David Adams Richards and his connection to one of Canada’s most overlooked yet breathtaking regions, The Geographies of DAR can be streamed free on nfb.ca, and the National Film Board app.

 "... this portrait is not merely that of a writer with a unique journey, but rather of the infinite potential of our humanity."

FIFA Jury

Contribute to Academic Study on Literary Theory and Archive use.

Alina Ruiz is an archivist at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax NS, and her area of research is in the cross-sectioning of literary theory and archival theory. She is currently researching writers’ use of archives and archival materials for creative writing, and requests that any fiction writer, whatever their preferred genre and whatever stage they are in their careers (published or non-published), would complete an anonymous survey for the following study: 

Study title: Fiction and Archives: Creative Writers as an Archival User Group 

The purpose of this survey is to collect data from authors and creative writers about their experiences interacting with archival material and archival institutions. The goal is to understand if and how creative writers use archives as a source of information or inspiration during the creative process, and to understand any barriers or difficulties writers have when accessing archives. The results of the research will inform archival professionals about potential improvements to services and outreach for non-traditional archives users.    

More information about this study can be found on the information and consent form located on the first page of the survey. 

As a token of appreciation for your participation in this study, you have the option to include your email address in a draw for a $250.00 e-gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Deadline May 26, 2024.

Member News

Hannah State

Author of The Dark Galaxy series and WFNB Member Hannah State, would like to invite you to her book signing at Chapters Fredericton, at the Regent Mall. Hannah will greet you and sign books on Saturday, May 25, from 2 to 4 pm.

I would stay and chat longer, but there’s SO. MUCH. TO. DO.

See you soon,

Rhonda

Program Newsletter

WordCraft Updates

WordCraft Podcast Launch Coming Soon!

We’re very excited to be able to soon share our first season of the WFNB professional development podcast, WordCraft. All interviews have been completed, artwork is ready to go, and final production work is underway! Stay tuned for episode dates! I can’t wait to share these conversations with all of you. You’ll hear valuable advice, insight, and inspiration from these successful NB writers:

• Beth Powning
  
• Leo LaFleur
  
• Len Falkenstein
  
• Jennifer McGrath
  
• Terry Armstrong
  
• Sue Sinclair

Community Events

Fredericton

The Fredericton Senior Center Spring Showcase opens on May 22nd. The Writing Well class, taught by WFNB member Heather Browne, will be there to showcase their work. A few of Heather’s students are also members of WFNB

Upcoming Contests, Submissions, and Grants

RBC Pen Canada, New Voices Award

The deadline for submissions for the 2024 RBC PEN Canada New Voices Award is fast approaching on Sunday, May 19th, APRIL 14 TO JUNE 16, 2024

The annual award aims to encourage new writing and to provide a space where unpublished writers can submit short stories, creative nonfiction, journalism, and poetry. The winning entry will receive a $3,000 cash prize and mentorship from a celebrated Canadian author.

The Prairie Journal of Canadian Literature

Seeking previously unpublished poetry, short fiction, plays, creative non-fiction, literary essays, reviews, interviews. We also are interested in high-contrast black & white line drawings for original cover art. Check out our past covers and longer-form writing online. Guidelines are available on our website: The Prairie Journal of Canadian Literature

Uncharted Magazine Cinematic Short Story Contest

Writers are invited to submit to the Uncharted Magazine Cinematic Short Story Contest from April 14 to June 16, 2024. This award is for all of our genres: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller/Mystery (Horror), Historical Fiction, and Young Adult. Guest Judge Matt Bell will choose three winning stories from our shortlist. We’re excited to offer the first-place winner of this contest $2,000 and publication, while the second- and third-place winners will receive publication and $300 and $200, respectively.

Geist Literal Literary Postcard Story Contest

Calling all writers and wordsmiths, Geist is accepting submissions for The 19th Annual Geist Literal Literary Postcard Story Contest! Deadline: May 20, 2024 at 11:59PM PDT.

Winning entries get cash prizes and publication in Geist, so dig through your drawers and find a postcard that inspires the micro-lit writer in you.

Saint John Artist-in-Residence Program

The City of Saint John invites artists to submit Expressions of Interest to be selected for the 2024 May-September Artist-in-Residence Program.

Community engagement remains at the heart of this program, which is open to artists practicing in all media including but not limited to:

• visual (painting, sculpture),
  
• literary (poetry, collective works),
  
• performance (dance, music, opera, theatre, musical theatre),
  
• new media (film, television, radio, audio, video, animation, digital), or
  
• multidisciplinary and the intersectionality therein.
  

Please note this is not a live-in residency. Artists must reside within the City of Saint John to be considered for this program.

Deadline for applications is Wednesday May 15th 2024 at 4:00 p.m.

For more information or to apply, please visit the online application.

Call for nominations for the 11th Parliamentary Poet Laureate

Professional Services, Workshops, and Retreats

Go and Write! Upcoming Writing Retreat Schedule

For writers who are interested in focused writing retreats here in New Brunswick or overseas, Go and Write! retreats, hosted by Newfoundland native Gerard Collins and Janie Simpson, professional authors living in New Brunswick are a thoughtful blend of dedicated writing time, group writing sessions, one-on-one meetings to discuss your writing, and some touring. Gerard, a mentor and educator with 30+ years of experience, also provides written feedback on a piece of writing that each participant provides in advance of the retreat.

Below are the details of our 2024 retreats. Visit www.goandwrite.ca for more information, or reach out directly to janiegoandwrite@gmail.com to set up a Zoom meeting to discuss.

May 4-11, 2024 Spring retreat to Kingsbrae, St. Andrews by-the-Sea, NB (full)

Jul 7-14, 2024 Summer Writing in St. Martins, NB (full)

Sep 13-27, 2024 Into the West of Ireland (one space left)

Oct 23-30, 2024 Autumn retreat to Kingsbrae, St. Andrews by-the-Sea, NB (two spaces left)

Nov 24-Dec 5, 2024 Retreat to the Highlands, Scotland (three spaces left)

Dec 12-19, 2024 Christmastime in the Cotswolds, England (one space left)

Go and Write! participants include emerging and established writers of all genres: poets, dramatists, novelists, children’s authors, memoirists, journal writers, and more as well as their friends, family and spouses.

As we continue to gear up for this year’s festival season, keep your eyes and ears open for updates and announcements. It’s going to be an amazing summer for writers in New Brunswick!

Hope to see many of you in person soon!

Kris

Dear Writers

Hello, Members and Friends. April 8 was a mild and clear day, and I enjoyed a drive north to Rogersville with friends to take part in this momentous—and communal—viewing of this once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse. I was excited that, unlike other parts of the country, there were no cloudy skies to obscure the celestial show. The event has punctuated the seasons for me, a period to end the sentence of winter. I feel sure, as I write this on another mild, sunny day, that the reliable warmth of spring cannot be far away. (Apologies that I seem to lead every Inkspot with a comment about the current weather. I’ll do better next time.)

We regret to announce that one of our newest board members, Dianne Churchill, died suddenly and unexpectedly last week. Dianne was a lawyer who practiced law through the offices of Grew MacDonald in Riverview and joined the WFNB board last year at the invitation of our program director, Kris Windley, who was a longtime friend. A musician who was active in many community projects and non-profit organizations, Dianne is survived by her husband, Caleb MacDonald, her two brothers, Phil and Peter Churchill, and a loving extended family. She was an active member of the community and will be missed deeply by many. On behalf of the board, we extend our deepest sympathies to Dianne's family. A go fund me page has been set up to offset the costs arising from Dianne's untimely death.

WordSpring is just around the corner. If you need to stay at the Rodd Moncton Inn, you only have until May 2 to make your reservations at the group rate. And remember that if you can’t take part in the whole weekend, you can just come for Saturday, or just pay per workshop.

Thank you for your participation in the NB Writing Competition. We had an increased number of submissions, and adjudication is now underway. I expect the results from the judges by mid-May. The shortlist for the 2023-24 NB Book Awards has also been announced. Look for posts on social media featuring the shortlisted authors as we creep closer to June 1, when the winners will be announced! Both the literary soiree for the NB Writing Competition, and the NB Book Awards Gala are free and open to the public. Even if you don’t register for WordSpring, you are welcome to attend these reading and award ceremonies – and bring a friend!

Finally, The Annual General Meeting is coming up soon as well. The AGM is an online event that occurs in early June, following WordSpring. If you know someone who you’d like to nominate for the board, please contact info@wfnb.ca. We will forward you a nomination form. Please fill it out and send back, and we will pass it along to the nominating committee. As our bylaws stipulate:

“Nominations of members of the Board may be made by any member of the Federation for consideration of the Nomination Committee up to two weeks prior to the scheduled date of the Annual General Meeting. Nominations will not ordinarily be accepted from the floor of the Annual General Meeting.”

Welcome New Members!

We have twelve new members this month, and we are so happy to welcome you all. Please take a moment to read a little more about our new members. We have new poets, memoire writers, short-story writers, former Book Award winners and more - coming from all over New Brunswick and beyond.

Julia Bannister

Julia Bannister writes Creative non-fiction, Scriptwriting, Technical, and Short stories from her home in Fredericton. Welcome, Julia!

Caitlin Carpenter

Caitlin Carpenter is a writer in Waterloo, Ontario who focuses on a wide variety of genres: Corporate writing, Fiction, Journalism, Scriptwriting, Suspense, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult, Flash/Micro fiction, Copywriting, Freelance writing, Middle Grade, Thrillers, and Short stories. Welcome, Caitlin!

Peter J. Clair 

Peter J. Clair is a 2017 New Brunswick Book Award winner ((Taapoategl & Pallet, Chapel Street Editions) and writes Fiction, Flash/Micro fiction from his home in Perth-Andover. Welcome, Peter!

Jenna Clarke

Jenna Clarke is interested in the genres of Fiction, Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Speculative Fiction, Freelance writing, Mystery, and Thrillers, and writes from her home in Edmunston. Welcome, Jenna!

Louise Collette

Louise Collette writes from her home in Moncton. Welcome, Louise!

Shelley Egan

Shelley Egan (eganediting.com) taught English to adult speakers of other languages and was a parliamentary editor. She now edits full time from her home in Fredericton. She also writes Creative non-fiction, Editing, Fiction, Flash/Micro fiction. Welcome, Shelley!

Alice Finnamore

Alice Finnamore (dreambringer.com) comes to us from Scotch Settlement, York County. Her areas of focus are Blogging, Creative non-fiction, Poetry, and Spiritual. Welcome, Alice!

Barb Parker  

Barb Parker has published two memoirs ((Find "Headache to Heartache" and "The Choice My Path My Destiny" on Facebook) and is working on a third book. Besides memoir, Barb works in the genre of Non-Fiction, Flash/Micro fiction, Middle Grade from her home in Fredericton. Welcome, Barb!

Celine Parlee

Celine Parlee (pen name Céline Savoie) writes Biography, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction, Suspense, Flash/Micro fiction, Middle Grade from her home in Fredericton. Welcome, Celine!

Tricia Snell

Tricia Snell (http://www.triciasnell.com/) recently published a poetry chapbook, “Rooted” (Little Books Collective, 2023, and recently completed a novel manuscript, which she is shopping around to publishers. Besides poetry, she has published short fiction, fiction on the radio, and nonfiction reviews. She lives in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, where she is interested in a wide variety of genres. Welcome, Tricia!

Jake Swan

Jake Swan is a novelist who comes to us from Quispamsis, and writes in the genres of Fiction, Science Fiction, Scriptwriting, and Speculative Fiction. Welcome, Jake!

Diana G. Tingley

Diana G. Tingley is a Monctonian who writes Poetry, Flash/Micro fiction, and Middle Grade. Welcome, Diana!

Community Events and Announcements

Frye Festival in Moncton is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

And it’s just a few days away! The festival runs from 19 April 2024, 12:00 AM - 28 April 2024, 12:00 AM ADT.

If you are an active member of our community, fill out this form to request a Free Festival Pass. Once you receive your pass, then you can sign up for all ticketed events, except for the literary lunches and the Frye Jam. Check out the schedule at frye.ca

Sell your book at Area 506, with Partridge Island Publishing.

Partridge Island Publishing is accepting authors who want to sell their books in the bookstore at Area 506 on the Saint John waterfront. Any author interested in selling their books through PIP can contact Amanda Evans, the Managing Director of Partridge Island Publishing. Her email is amanda@partridgeislandpublishing.ca.

Their season runs from May 17th - November 4th this year. They also can also book the community area for book launches for any interested authors.

Raymond Fraser’s estate is fulfilling his legacy.

Raymond Fraser was a New Brunswick writer who published 13 novels, three books of non-fiction and eight collections of poetry. Ray’s final novel, Through Sunlight and Shadows, won the Mrs. Dunster’s fiction prize – posthumously – in 2018. One of the last things he did before his death in 2018 was to compile poems for a final collection. His literary executor wanted to help fulfill his legacy by making this collection a reality. The book is now available at Westminster Bookstore and the UNB bookstore in Fredericton, and online through Amazon and Friesen Press.

Member News

WFNB member Cathy Adams just published her third book. It's called "When we walk and talk." Cathy also illustrated this story about a mother penguin and her little one who learns to appreciate the little things around them that they see and find during their walk together. It's available on Amazon.ca and locally in a few stores.

WFNB member Michelle McLean is pleased to announce her upcoming book launch for Tesserae, taking place at the L.P. Fisher Library in Woodstock, N.B. on May 4th, from 2-4.  The poems collected in Tesserae trace the journey of trauma, grief, addiction, and recovery.  The book is being published by Chapel Street Editions.

That’s it for me. Here’s your quote of the month: “Write like it matters, and it will.” Libba Bray

Rhonda

Hi Members and Friends 

As the sun starts to warm up, and the grant deadlines come rushing in, we are busily planning the content of our workshop series for the coming year, and I’m really excited to be able to share it all with you. Even as we are tying up the last of the loose ends for WordSpring, we are starting to see plans for WordsFall taking shape too, while the last of the podcast interviews is about to be finished. 

Lots of things are happening! And it’s pretty exciting to see.

Our hopes for further public outreach programs are coming to fruition too, and I look forward to giving you some more information about that as soon as we can. I’ll say this - we are going to be celebrating the Book Awards short list a lot more in the coming months.

In the meantime, we’ve got lots of professional development events you can check out.

Register for upcoming WFNB Events:

Our next live, hybrid workshop is ready for registrations.

Author/editor Frances Peck will be in Moncton on May 8 to give a professional development workshop on writing sentences that sing. It’ll be a great session. If you can’t make the trip to Moncton, you can tune in via zoom. 

Register here, to save your spot.

Frances will also be reading, speaking and signing her books at the Moncton Public Library on the evening before our workshop (May 7 at 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm) if you would like to join her.

Frances will conduct two more online workshops in July and September, which will form the first of our professional development “WordCraft” series. She’s a great teacher, so don’t miss the opportunity to take part.

WordSpring is just around the corner.

If you need to stay at the Rodd Moncton Inn, you only have until May 2 to make your reservations at the group rate. And remember that if you can’t take part in the whole weekend, you can just come for Saturday, or just pay per workshop.

Get Involved

Writing Groups

WFNB member Jeremy Cairns advises us of changes to writers’ groups meeting in Saint John:

• Saint John Writers - Every Sunday, 10am-12 @ Second Cup Cafe
• Saint John Voices - Sunday, April 28th, 6:30-8:30pm @ Wasted Day
• Saint John Publishing Forum - Saturday May 11th, 3:30-5, Saint John Library

Saint John Voices features a published writer and a merch table every month where they can sell their books. If any WFNB writers would like to participate, it’s a great way to get in front of a crowd and possibly sell a few copies. All proceeds go to the author. Beyond the featured reader, it’s an open mic where readers get approx. 7 minutes. They have a panel of experts offering feedback to readers if they choose to receive it.

New Resources for Writers

Workshops and Retreats:

WFNB member Peter Von Ziegesar celebrates his third season organizing the Tennants Cove Writers’ Workshop. He is looking for writer applicants from New Brunswick and the rest of the Maritimes. The 2024 TCWW summer session will be held from July 28 through August 3, 2024. All WFNB members get a 20% discount on tuition.

At TCWW, the focus is on the craft of writing, whether you are starting a new manuscript or revising an old one. The retreat is located in a multi-generational farm in Kars, New Brunswick. The eight-bedroom farmhouse sits on a nature preserve of 175 acres with a view of the cove and the wide, slow Saint John River. Bring your bug spray, your guitar, and your sense of humour. We're serious writers who seriously retreat.

Our participants received fresh insights as they met individually or met as a group with screenwriter and novelist Melissa Scholes Young and creative nonfiction writer and memoirist Peter von Ziegesar. In addition to hands-on instruction and quiet times to write, they ate home-cooked meals, hiked in the fields on the 175-acre farm, and swam and kayaked. There were spectacular sunsets and breakthroughs in every area. The inspirational bonding among the writers continues even today.

“My experience at Tennants Cove Writers Workshop was nothing short of transformative,” says Alastair Woods of Toronto. “I had been writing my novel during stolen moments before work, after dinner and between meetings, and suddenly, I had this incredible opportunity to dedicate myself to writing amidst stunning natural beauty and a supportive creative community. I am incredibly grateful to Peter, Melissa and TCWW for the gifts they gave me. I made more progress on my novel in seven days than I had in the previous seven months.”

To apply or learn more, please use this link.

Renowned poet, Margo Wheaton, is offering a poetry writing workshop on Saturday, April 20, at the Halifax Central Library at 1 pm.

Upcoming Contests, Submissions, and Grants

The 2024 CBC Poetry Prize opened on April 1.

Writers can submit an original, unpublished poem or collection of poems up to 600 words in length. The winner will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and have their work published on CBC Books. https://www.cbc.ca/books/literaryprizes/cbc-poetry-prize-1.4090929

PEN Canada is pleased to announce that submissions for the 2024 RBC PEN Canada New Voices Award are now open.

The annual award aims to encourage new writing and to provide a space where unpublished writers can submit short stories, creative nonfiction, journalism, and poetry. A jury of distinguished Canadian writers will judge the shortlisted submissions, and the winning entry will receive a $3,000 CAD cash prize and mentorship from a renowned Canadian author.  The deadline for submissions is midnight on Sunday, May 19th, 2024.https://pencanada.ca/news/now-accepting-submissions-for-the-rbc-pen-canada-2024-new-voices-award/

Geist submissions and the 19th Annual Geist Literal Literary Postcard Story Contest are now open!

How it works: Send us a story and a postcard—the relationship can be as strong or as tangential as you like, so long as there is a clear connection between the story and the image.

Deadline: May 20, 2024 at 11:59PM PDT.

Winning entries get cash prizes and publication in Geist, so dig through your drawers and find a postcard that inspires the micro-lit writer in you.https://www.geist.com/contests/the-19th-annual-literal-literary-postcard-story-contest

Sunspot Lit’s “Goldilocks Zone” offers authors/artists $500 plus publication.

Sunspot Lit is looking for the perfect combination of craft and appeal in stories, CNF, novel or novella excerpts, artwork, graphic novels, poems, scripts/screenplays. Literary and genre accepted. Closes April 30. Entry fee: $10. Enter through Submittable: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit/280344/goldilocks-zone-2024-500-for-fiction-cnf-poetry-art-or-graphic-novel or Duotrope: https://duotrope.com/listing/34958/goldilocks-zone-contest-authors-artists.

The Icelandic Festival of Manitoba is once again looking for help advertising for our annual poetry and prose contest.

It is free to enter. Cash Prizes. Due date is June 7th 2024. Please check the website for full list of rules and all the details about the contest. 

https://www.icelandicfestival.com/festival-events/contests/poetry-short-story-contest

The 2024 Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize.

The deadline has been extended to April 30th, giving you a little more time to enter the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize!

Awarded for fiction under 2000 words: 1st Prize: 2,000€, 2nd & 3rd Prizes: 1,000€

NEW THIS YEAR:  Increased cash prizes, plus a new residency, and all longlisters will receive one year’s access to the literary consultancy’s “being a writer” platform.

https://desperateliterature.com/prize/

Enjoy the beginnings of Spring, folks! I’ll be seeing you soon, I hope.

Kris

Happy March, Writers and Friends!

Do you get a glimpse of grass when the snow melts under these bouts of miserable cold rain? The green shoots tantalize me with the thought of flowers and black earth and compost, but just when I think we’ve turned a weather corner, another late-winter storm beats the enthusiasm out of me – a common experience during mercurial March in New Brunswick.

But I have much to keep me occupied in the cloudy gloom. This is the time of year when arts organizations scurry to file reports with their chief funders and make application for the upcoming year’s grants. We are currently planning programming for the 2024-25 season, while we also put the finishing touches on the events that are just a couple of months away.

WFNB Events and News

WordSpring is just around the corner!

The event page is now open for registration on our website, and I hope you’ll take time to consider if anything on the schedule interests you. You can pay to attend the whole event or spend just Saturday with us. If you are only interested in one workshop, you can pay separately for that, too. With this flexibility of options, we hope that as many folks as possible can participate.

This year WS is in Moncton, and our hosts are The Rodd Moncton Inn, the Alma City Club, The Empress Theatre and The Moncton Press Club.

For the last several years, we have offered book sale tables to writers on Friday afternoon at WordSpring, but we have never held the event in a location which offered much foot traffic from the public. Instead this year, we are offering to sell books for the members who are launching books at the Friday afternoon open mic, for a low consignment fee. We will set up our merch table at the Rodd Inn Friday afternoon, and also Friday evening at The Empress Theatre during the literary soiree. If you would like to participate, you will be responsible to bring the books to the table and take them away.

We are thinking about organizing a book sale during Buy a NB Book Day season in mid-September. More details will be released as they solidify.

News from Members

Brian Cormier

WFNB member Brian Cormier is thrilled to announce that his very first book is now available for purchase! Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 1 is a compilation of recipes gathered from members of the Acadian Poutine Râpée Facebook Group and elsewhere. You will find more than 100 recipes - many of which are family recipes that are impossible to find! Enjoy the extra bonuses of exclusive recipes from Moncton’s famous Marven's Biscuits and Cy's Seafood Restaurant, too. Click on the link to buy. An ebook version will also be available. You can purchase from Amazon.ca, or from Amazon.com.

Rhonda Bulmer

Merlin Star Press invites you to the gala launch of WFNB member Rhonda Bulmer's new novel, The Widow & The Will. The celebration will take place on Thursday, April 4 at 5 to 7 p.m. at the Alma City Club, 114 Alma St., Moncton (the corner of St. George and Alma Streets). If you can’t make it, there will also be a book signing at Chapters in Dieppe on April 6 from noon to 4 pm, and a reading at the Moncton library from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, Wednesday, April 17.

Wendy McLeod MacKnight

(Le francais suit) The teen novel The Frame-up, written by WFNB member Wendy McLeod MacKnight, has just been published in French under the title Hors cadre by Les Éditions Bouton d'or Acadie, translated by Marie-Claude Hébert. Congratulations, Wendy! 

Le roman jeunesse The Frame-up, écrit par la néo-brunswickoise Wendy McLeod MacKnight, vient de paraitre en français sous le titre Hors cadre aux Éditions Bouton d’or Acadie, traduite par Marie-Claude Hébert. Félicitations, Wendy!

Heather Browne

Heather is offering a creative writing course in Fredericton (Tuesday, April 2 - May 21, 2024) In this continuing series, writers will have an opportunity to draw from photographs and music while developing their writing skills. Discover how the everyday invests your writing with power. Write with Heather Browne and others as she challenges the small group with prompts and resources for writing well together. This series is for those interested in developing their writing, and surprising themselves in the process. Call 506-460-2020 (Culture and Recreation) for registration details.

News from Sponsors and Friends

Galleon Books

Moncton-based Galleon Books, with six books published and eight titles in the publishing queue, are offering readers a five-book subscription, with a bonus book if subscribers act by March 30. The cost of the subscription is $135 and includes shipping. See Subscriptions – Galleon Books for more details, including a list of our next six titles. As a fundraiser for Galleon Books, editor/publishing Lee Thompson is offering clients 25% off selected editing and design packages. Write editor@galleonbooks.com.

Welcome New Members!

Natasha Barlow

Natasha Barlow writes scripts, poetry and plays from her home in Indian Island. Welcome, Natasha!

Monique Carrier

Monique enjoys writing poetry as a hobby (we have a great many poets in New Brunswick, of all levels) and she is also interested in the middle-grade genre. Welcome, Monique!

Shaun Cunningham

Originally from the prairies, Shaun's fiction, poetry, and non-fiction has been published in several Canadian outlets. Now living in Sackville, Shaun won first place in the Creative Non-Fiction category of WFNB's 2023 literary contest. A poetry chapbook entitled "Driving Home" was recently published by Hardscrabble Press and is available on Shaun’s website.Welcome!

Philip Davidson

Philip began writing later in life, at the age of 61. Now seventy, Philip writes fiction, horror, flash/micro fiction, and middle grade from his home in Saint John. Welcome, Philip!

Sandra English

Sandra has been developing a collection of poems and short stories over several decades, and is looking for advice on publishing. From her home in Taymouth, Sandra writes creative non-fiction, fiction, poetry, flash/micro fiction and short stories. Welcome, Sandra! 

Rhea Gallant

Rhea lives in Beresford, where she writes nonfiction. She is passionate to work with people who are naturally evolved towards multi-disciplinary studies in substance misuse and mental health. Rhea is an accredited tea sommelier, mixologist, reflexologist and is a fashion designer. Welcome, Rhea! 

Diane Jameson

Diane writes poetry from her home in Moncton. Welcome, Diane!

Nancy Kenny

Nancy lives in Halifax, and writes biography, comedy, editing, playwriting, poetry, scriptwriting, copywriting, and website copy. Welcome, Nancy!

Vanessa Moeller

Vanessa has written poems and short stories which have appeared in numerous periodicals, anthologies, and journals. Vanessa has also published two poetry books, and has served as a poetry editor for publications/publishers. She completed her MA in creative writing at the University of New Brunswick. She now lives in Moncton, New Brunswick.Welcome, Vanessa!

Carol Shillibeer

Carol joins us from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. Welcome, Carol!

Lorna Waye-Munn

Lorna is a retired teacher who is now embarking on her second career as a writer (a wonderful occupation, we think). From her home in Fredericton, she writes in the genres of biography, creative non-fiction, fiction, memoir, poetry, flash/micro fiction, short stories. Welcome, Lorna! 

That’s it for now.  Best of luck with your writing projects. Remember, “Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else.” C.S. Lewis

Cheers,

Rhonda

We’re doing a lot this month at WFNB!

Read the Letter from the Director here.

Current and Upcoming Program News

WordCraft Workshop Series

Our hybrid workshop event with Beth Powning is this Saturday, March 16. Beth will teach a portion of her time on memoir and a portion on historical fiction. This event will take place at her home in Markhamville. There is still time to sign up for the zoom portion of the event, if you wish.

Beth lives in a rural area and uses satellite internet. We do not foresee any issues, but if we do experience connection problems, be assured that the session will be recorded so that you will be able to access her valuable insights afterward.

Seasonal Writing Retreats

The dates for our late summer retreat at Villa Madonna in Rothesay have been set for August 23-25. Mark your calendars, writers! Bring all your accoutrements, including your enthusiasm. Our weekend retreat is an economical way to develop your projects – and connect with other writers – in the waning days of summer. More details to come.

WordCraft Podcast is launching soon!

Our first season of the WordCraft podcast is very close to being ready to launch for your listening pleasure. This first season has been developed to provide a platform for successful working writers to share insights, experiences, and tips related to the craft and business of writing in our province.

The guests we have scheduled are amazing writers, and I know that you will benefit from their conversation with our wonderful host, Jenna Morton. All but one of the interviews is complete, so stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks!

Get Involved in the Community

Volunteer Opportunities

Thank you for the recent response to our request for volunteers at WordSpring, and for our upcoming major gifts committee. If you haven’t reached out yet - but would like to get involved - email Rhonda or I at info@wfnb.ca or admin@wfnb.ca respectively.

We will be contacting volunteers soon with a list of needs, as well as some potential times for orientation calls. Hopefully, we can slot you all in!

Register for Upcoming WFNB Events

You still have time (today) to register for online access to Beth Powning’s Fiction writing class this  Saturday. We’ll be in her cozy home, outside of Sussex - but you can join us from wherever you are.

Events in the Community

Mark your calendars: The Atlantic Book Awards Gala will be held at Paul O'Regan Hall in Halifax Central Library on Wednesday evening, June 5 at 7pm. A full list of events, links, and any applicable costs will be available by April Inkspot.

In an effort to better connect with and serve regional writers of sci fi, fantasy, horror, and other speculative genres, the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia is offering a series of virtual SFFH/speculative creative writing workshops this spring.

All five workshops are available to non-members at the rate usually reserved for WFNS members, and fee waivers are available for writers facing financial barriers - no questions asked.

Write from the Heart is an intimate, luxurious weekend writing retreat held in a chic and spacious farmhouse outside of Victoria-by-the-Sea in PEI. Combining writing workshops, group discussion, gourmet meals, and lots of quiet writing time, it will be held the weekend of May 24-26 and registration is limited to only 8 writers. As an incentive, leader Trevor Corkum is happy to offer WFNB members $50 off either regular or early bird registration prices. Simply indicate that you are a member hen you register. Learn more here.

Writing Groups

Cambridge-Narrows:

Bill Rowe has initiated a writing group in Cambridge-Narrows called Lemon Pie. The meetings are on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30pm at the Cambridge-Narrows Library. It is free and open to all. Contact Bill Rowe at 506-654-3349.

Submit to Inkspot

If you have an announcement for an upcoming event, opportunity, recommended writing resources or services or something you’re proud of - please reach out! We love to celebrate and share.

New Resources for you

InkSpot has grown into something of great value to our community, and we want to make the best use of its potential. We’re excited to be able to share this information with all of you, and we are very thankful for all of the folks in the arts and literature sector who share information with us regularly to give to you.

Nothing is going away! We’re trying to make this resource as usable and accessible as possible, so we are developing a Resource Page on our website to keep all of the information we have accrued over time about career opportunities, writing resources, and community connections. If we keep that library of information in one place, we can keep it up to date and easy to find for you.

As new information comes to us, and as important dates get closer, we will always include those highlights here in InkSpot, and we will maintain an ongoing resource list for you to check on at any time for more details.

Check out the Writers’ Resource Page here for information on contests, services, markets, and opportunities for publication.

Check out the Community Resource Page for information on events, writing groups, and opportunities to volunteer and/or provide feedback.

Upcoming Contests and Submissions

The Montreal International Poetry Prize is now open for submissions. Enter your poem of 40 lines or fewer for a chance to win a cash prize of $20,000. Submission fees for first entries are $20 until the early bird deadline of May 1st, and $25 after that. Every additional poem is $17 at any time. The final deadline is May 15th. Submit your work to the Montreal Prize to join a major poetry event this year.

Submit here. For more information about the jury, past winners, and more, visit www.montrealpoetryprize.com.

The 2024 Whistler Independent Book Awards are now open for submissions! 

Presented by The Writers’ Union of Canada, the literary contest recognizes excellence in Canadian self-publishing. Self-published authors of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books can enter and winners in each category will be announced at the annual Whistler Writers Festival. Each submission will receive a valuable, constructive critique of their submitted work which can be quoted for publicity and promotional purposes.

Award terms and details are on our website (www.independentbookawards.ca). Accepting submissions for the 2024 awards until April 30, 2024.

For Sunspot Lit’s Inception Contest, send your best opening of a novel, art collection, CNF, photo series, or any other artistic work. No restrictions on theme or category. Opens March 1st and closes on March 31st. The entry fee is $12.50 with a prize of $500 cash plus publication. See detailed guidelines here on Submittable, or on Duotrope.

The Fiddlehead’s 2024 Creative Nonfiction Contest is open for submissions! Send your best, unpublished piece by Monday, June 3 for a chance to win $2000 and publication in the fall issue of The Fiddlehead.

See the full contest details and rules here.

We are updating the permanent Resource Pages on WFNB.ca, and as we do - you will find all new writing groups, resources, recommendations, competitions, and other opportunities added and updated periodically.

Every new or timely resource will still be highlighted here in Inkspot, with a link to more info, and added to the resource pages when appropriate. As we make those resources more robust and searchable, we hope that they will become a reference you can use easily, at any time.

We’re really excited about the programs and events forming up for the coming year. As we add new information to our WFNB website and programs, we’ll let you know, so stay tuned!

Kris