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

Hello Members and Friends,

Our February-not-so-wintry edition of Inkspot is chock-full of information! Let’s get right to it.

Upcoming WFNB Event

The 2024 New Brunswick Writing Competition is now open. Remember that the competition is open to New Brunswick residents only--unless you are a WFNB member. WFNB members can participate from anywhere.

We’d like to encourage any teens, ages 13 to 18, to submit to the Sheree Fitch Prize for Teen Writers, and for all you closet screenwriters to submit your short screenplay to the Jane LeBlanc Screenwriting Award. Polish up those works-in-progress and send them in! Deadline is March 31.

Our last monthly professional development workshop for the season is with Beth Powning, who will present a three-hour workshop, touching on both memoir and historical fiction from her home in Markhamville. There’s only one in-person spot left, but you can still tune in via Zoom.

There’s still a few days left to register for the winter retreat at Villa Madonna on February 23-25. It’s a productive time for everyone, and an economical weekend, too. Don’t miss it!

We’re still working on venues and other details for WordSpring in Moncton this year, but we can tell you that the dates are May 31 - June 2. The New Brunswick Writing Competition Literary Soiree will take place May 31 at the Empress Theatre (above The Capitol), and the 2023 NB Book Awards will be held June 1, at the Moncton Press Club. Mark your calendars! The event page for this big weekend will be open by early March.

And finally, Kris is working hard at a new six-part podcast series that will soon be available for broadcast, and we hope will become a regular part of our programming, funding dependent. Stay tuned for more details about this great initiative, coming up soon.

That’s it for now. Stay warm, writers.

Rhonda

New Members

Katherine Adlam joins us from Ontario and writes in the genres of Children’s, Poetry, Flash/Micro fiction, and Middle Grade. Welcome, Katherine!

Christine Bédardjoins us from Quebec. Welcome, Christine!

Allison Billings is a writer from Rothesay who is interested in Biography, Creative non-fiction, Memoir, Poetry, and Flash/Micro fiction. Welcome, Allison!

Aidan Creaghan (pen name A.M. Creaghan ) is a writer from Fredericton who is looking to expand his skills and meet other people with a passion for writing. He writes in many genres: Creative non-fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Non-Fiction, Suspense, Young Adult, Flash/Micro fiction, Copywriting, Graphic Novel, Spoken Word, Middle Grade, Mystery, Thrillers, Short stories. Welcome, Aidan!

Sandra English Is a writer from Taymouth, who is working on a collection of poetry and short stories that goes back several decades. She is looking for advice with a view to publishing. She is interested in the genres of Creative nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry, Flash/Micro fiction, and short stories. Welcome, Sandra!

Sue Griffith (pen name Sue Nelson Buckley, Susan Lyn) is a new member from Saint John who writes in the genres of romance, young adult, and short stories. Welcome, Sue!

Paul Kasdan (pen name Bao Luo) https://www.schoolofunusualarts.com/ 

From his home in Saint John, Paul writes short stories that are both playful and serious and reflect on the central question of the meaning of life.

Joe Mahoney (https://joemahoney.ca/) Joe retired from a long career with the CBC in 2023 and now writes full time from his home in Riverview. He has published in the genres of speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy and memoir.He is interested in a wide variety of genres, including: Blogging, Comedy, Editing, Fantasy, Fiction, Memoir, Playwriting, Science Fiction, Scriptwriting, Songwriting, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult, short stories. Welcome, Joe!

Jane Touchie writes creative nonfiction from her home in Gagetown. Welcome, Jane!

Laura Watson (http://www.laurakwatson.com/) is an artist and writer living in Sackville, NB in the Siknikt district of Mi'kma'ki. She acquired her BFA from Mount Allison University in 2015 and is currently Tantramar’s poet laureate. She makes zines, prints, and textile works that combine drawing and poetry and runs a monthly open mic for writers.She is interested in illustration and poetry. Welcome, Laura!

Member News

Don Bourque and Sarren Scribner will be featured authors at The Grand Author Takeover 2024

The Grand Author Takeover 2024 will take place at the Grand Hotel in Carleton Place, Ontario. This international book fair takes place from February 22nd-24th, beginning with a author panel at the Carleton Place Art Gallery on the 22nd, a VIP reception at the hotel the evening of the 23rd and an all-day book signing event on the 24th at this same beautiful venue.

Two WFNB members will be among the featured authors, Sarren Scribner (one of the event’s organizers) and Don Bourque. The WFNB will also be promoted there, as there are many NB ex-patriots in the National Capital Region. For 2024, the event has chosen First Book Canada as a supported beneficiary.

Congratulations to WFNB member Jacqueline Clydesdale

Jaqueline is one of the selected artists (writer) for the Winter 2024 cohort of the Catapult Arts Accelerator mentorship program administered by ArtsLink NB! You can meet all the artists and hear their pitches about their artistic practice at Launch Day on March 4th at 2pm in Saint John.

Read, “The Imposter Author: Banish Author Impostor Syndrome

WFNB member Em Whelly is an author who has suffered from imposter syndrome. She has written a book about her journey with imposter syndrome. If you are feeling stuck in your own work, Em hopes this story will help you validate yourself and give you the self-confidence you so deserve. Check out the eBook : Whelly, E: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store

Gerard Collins is reading at the Halifax Public Libraries on Feb. 24.

There'll be tea and coffee and a cozy, intimate setup for the conversation in the best room in the library, in one of the most beautiful libraries you'll ever see. It would be so lovely to see some friends and acquaintances, and to make some new ones. Carol Bruneau is a great talent herself, and I'm looking foward to chatting with her about anything and everything related to the writing life. Nova Scotia, here we come! (This event sponsored by the Halifax Public Library and artsnb).

S.C. Eston would like to announce the publication of Spring Paths.

Sometimes, a compelling short story is all you need.

Let our tales of gods, ghosts, alien worlds, mystery, secrecy, love, loss, and horror get under your skin for a while.

Nine North Atlantic writers have collaborated to create this anthology, the third in a series of multi-genre fables that will entertain, possibly unsettle, and cause you to think about the present in which we live.

Curl up on the sofa and allow yourself to be lost in the pages of this fascinating book.

Newsy Bits

The Fiddlehead and Acadiensis are hiring!

The Fiddlehead: Studies in Canadian Literature, and Acadiensis are searching for a new Production and Marketing Coordinator to join their production team. Reporting to the Managing Editor, the Production & Marketing Coordinator coordinates the production of each issue of the three Faculty of Arts journals, including typesetting and layout, and acts as a liaison with the printers. Additionally, the coordinator will plan and market promotional events, as well as performing other administrative tasks as required for the journals. Applications can be made through the University of New Brunswick. The deadline to apply is February 22. Learn More.

Dernier rappel Appel d’offres: région hôtesse des Éloizes 2026

L'Association acadienne des artistes professionnel·les du Nouveau-Brunswick (AAAPNB) productrice des Éloizes, lance un appel pour sélectionner la région hôtesse de l’édition 2026 de cet événement artistique d’envergure! Qui peut soumettre une candidature?

Une municipalité dans les quatre provinces du Canada atlantique ou aux Îles-de-la-Madeleine peut soumettre sa candidature pour devenir la municipalité hôtesse des Éloizes.

La date limite pour soumettre une candidature est le 1er mars 2024. Tous les critères et directives pour postuler se trouvent dans l'appel d'offres.

Consultez ‘apple d’offres

Pour renseignements : Joëlle Tougas, directrice de production des Éloizes

506-852-3313, poste 228 | joelle.tougas@aaapnb.ca

Montréal novelist named inaugural writer-in-residence at The Hideout in PEI

Montreal-based novelist Christopher DiRaddo has been named the inaugural writer-in-residence at The Hideout in Prince Edward Island. Now in its fifth year, the Hideout Residency program welcomes writers, artists, and self-care practitioners from across Canada and internationally to PEI’s south shore each spring and fall. A new writer-in-residence component of the program is being launched to mark the fifth year anniversary of the Hideout residencies, with the goal of inviting prominent Canadian writers to visit the Island each year to engage in new work.

Created by writer Trevor Corkum (2022 Alfred G. Bailey competition judge) and psychotherapist Joshua Lewis, The Hideout offers retreat and vacation space to writers, creative folk, wellness practitioners, and visitors from across Canada and around the world. The Hideout is located on the scenic South Shore of PEI, a few minutes outside the village of Victoria-by-the-Sea. The Hideout Residency program was founded in 2020.

Winners of the Sixth Annual Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction:

Martin Bauman in first place for Hell of a Ride and Chris Harvey-Clark in second place for In Search of The Great Canadian Shark. Bauman’s top winning entry is a coming-of-age tale of a 7,000-kilometre solo bicycle voyage across Canada. The second-place winner is a first-hand account of diving research adventures with sharks and other exotic undersea creatures in Canadian waters. Both books will be published by Pottersfield Press in 2024.

Community Events

Moncton

festival FRYE festival

Do you like to cook, drive, meet female authors? We are looking for volunteers for the 25th edition of the FRYE Festival to be held from April 19-28, 2024

Here’s the form

Sackville

Writers’ Open Mic

Sunday, March 10th

3:00 - 4:00 pm
Bill Johnstone Memorial Park Activity Centre
70 Main Street, Sackville, NB

The Writers’ Open Mic is a free monthly event open to all. Come out and read your poems, short stories, comics, novels, essays, twitter posts, stand-up comedy, etc. Or just come to listen. Please wear a mask.

A projector will be set up for those with comics or other images or videos they want to share. Files can be brought on a USB or emailed in advance. Accessibility concerns, general questions, and image or video files can be directed to laurawatsonartwork@gmail.com.

Writing Groups

There have been some changes to our groups – please take note.

Fredericton

Come Write with Ann. Sunday afternoon Open Writers Group, 2 to 4 pm ($5) at 209 Willow Ave, Fredericton. (This replaces the Sunday morning group, and the Oromocto courses can be dropped since they've changed, too.) -- Ann Kitching

Saint John

WFNB member Jeremy Cairns is organizing/running several writer programs in Saint John that he would like to inform the WFNB community about. 

Saint John Writers (SJW)

Saint John Voices (SJV)

Saint John Publishing Forum (SJPF)

All programs are free and for all ages. At every SJW session, Jeremy encourages people to work on submissions, and submit them to our competition. 

Currently, Jeremy is looking for participants in all of the programs and potential Featured Authors and Readers for Saint John Voices & the Saint John Publishing Forum.  The Forum is held six times per year, and Jeremy is always looking for a published author to talk about their publishing journey. Jeremy has open spots for visiting authors in May and July, so if you would like to volunteer, get in touch with him at the above link. Saint John Voices is a show with music and different readers, the last of which is the Featured Reader, who is a published author. There is no monetary compensation, but there is a merch table, so the author can sell/sign books at the table.

Hello, Members and Friends.

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to hole up with your writing projects and let your imagination warm up the wintry weather. There’s plenty of writing-related activities to keep us busy until Spring:

The 2024 New Brunswick Writing Competition is now open. Remember that the competition is open to New Brunswick residents only--unless you are a WFNB member. WFNB members can participate from anywhere.

• Review the submission category guidelines 
• Prepare your submission - word counts are strict!
• Wait for the competition to open on January 1
• Go to https://wfnb.ca/Writing-Competition,
• Select your category on the writing competition page
• Click the "Add to Cart" button (they won’t work until January 1)
• Complete the checkout process
• Send your blind submission and your cover letter with details to info@wfnb.ca

Our fine lineup of judges looks forward to reading your submissions! Deadline is March 31.

Our next monthly workshop happens tomorrow on Saturday, January 13, with the very funny and talented Marshall Button. He will be leading an in-person two-hour session on writing comedy, but it will also be available online. Check out the event page for more information if you’d like to register (at the very last-minute!) And on Thursday, February 8, Vanessa Hawkins will present an online two-hour workshop called Ink and Intimacy –you know we all wanna know how to write effective sex scenes. You can register for that now, as well.

On March 16, Beth Powning will present a three-hour workshop, touching on both memoir and historical fiction from her home in Markhamville. (Space at this hybrid event will be limited.) Look for that event page before the end of January.

The event page for the winter retreat at Villa Madonna is open and ready for registrations. That’s February 23-25. We need a minimum of 15 people to hold this event, but registrations have begun to flow in. Our winter writing mentor will be Terry Armstrong.

We’re still working on venues and other details for WordSpring in Moncton this year, but we can tell you that the dates are May 31 - June 2. The New Brunswick Writing Competition Literary Soiree will take place May 31 at the Empress Theatre (above The Capitol), and the 2023 NB Book Awards will be held June 1, at the Moncton Press Club. Mark your calendars! The event page for this big weekend should be ready by late March or early April.

That’s it for now. Stay warm, writers.

Rhonda and Kris

Welcome, New Members

John Ball writes from Fredericton and is interested in the genres of fiction, poetry, and short stories. Welcome, John!

Madi Banks is a student in Fredericton, and writes in the genres of childrens, young adult, flash/micro fiction, freelance writing, graphic novel, spoken word, middle grade, short stories. Welcome, Madi!

Andrew Butters (https://potatochipmath.com) is an essayist, novelist and memoirist from Dieppe, NB who writes in a wide variety of genres: Creative nonfiction, Essays,Fiction, Memoir, Nonfiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Young Adult, Thrillers, andShort stories. Welcome, Andrew!

Steve Chrysostom writes in the genres of Biography, Corporate writing, Editing, Memoir, Playwriting, and Short stories from his home in Alma. Welcome, Steve!

Jennifer Houle is a New Brunswick Book Award winning poet (Virga, 2019, Signature Editions) who lives near Fredericton and writes in the following genres: Children, Editing, Essays, Nonfiction, Photography, Poetry, Website copy. Welcome, Jennifer!

John Neeleman (pen name Eric Delong) is a debut writer of Sci-Fi short stories and Novels and also writes an eclectic mix of Children's stories, Bio, Horror, Satire, mystery, humor (and even a cookbook.) Welcome, John!

Shane Neilson (https://difficulttogetthenewsfrompoems.ca/) Born and raised in New Brunswick, Shane is a poet and a physician now living in Ontario, and focuses on the genres of poetry, memoir and short stories. Welcome aboard, Shane!

Kate O’Rourke focuses on Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Mystery, and Thrillers. Welcome, Kate!

Aaron Pope is a writer from Saint John who enjoys a wide variety of writing disciplines: Creative non-fiction, Editing, Essays, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Journalism, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Flash/Micro fiction, Freelance writing, and Short stories. Welcome, Aaron!

Cynthia Ramsay joins us from Geary and writes Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Suspense, Young Adult, Flash/Micro fiction, Middle Grade, Mystery, Thrillers, and Short stories. Welcome aboard, Cynthia!

Stephen Roney (pen name Stephen Kent Roney  https://gheel.substack.com/) is an award-winning poet,college professor and past president of the Editors’ Association of Canada, whose poetry has appeared in many anthologies, websites and periodicals. His writing interests vary widely: Blogging, Comedy, Corporate writing, Editing, Essays, Fiction, Journalism, Non-Fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Spiritual, Technical, Young Adult, Copywriting, Website copy, Freelance writing, Spoken Word, Middle Grade. Welcome, Stephen!

Katie Swift also comes to us from Ontario and writes in the genres of Creative nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry. Welcome, Katie!

Member News

Jaroslaw (“Jerry”) Iwanus is proud to announce his new website, The Prairie Maritimer.

Created as a public portfolio, it is a repository of opinion, observations, and poetry from an edge of Canada, namely Pointe-Sapin, NB. Originally from Winnipeg, MB and after 40 years in Alberta, Jerry is a freelancer who has done technical and expository writing for years and has recently added to his repertoire with poetry, essays, and reviews.

Hannah State would like to announce the release of her book, Journey to the Dark Galaxy, a sci-fi thriller, which is the sequel to the award-winning book, Journey to the Hopewell Star. Find more details here.

Have you published or self-published a book? Won an award? Are you hosting a book signing or launch event? Share it here!

Newsy Bits

When ArtsLink NB's CATAPULT Arts Accelerator program opens for submission in 2024, consider applying to the program as a mentee. Catapult gives New Brunswick artists the tools to be prolific & build sustainable careers, but writers rarely take part in this business development program. You’ll get business skills training, career development, workshops, and mentorship – packed into one eight week program, designed to help you to be purposeful and organized about the business side of your artistic practice. Participants are matched with a mentor in their field for a one-year mentorship, complete with funding for mentorship pairs to visit each other, attend workshops together, or travel together.

New Brunswick-based artists or groups/collectives working in any discipline are welcome to apply. Program participants must be members of ArtsLink NB (if not already a member, enrol online at www.artslinknb.com). Tuition for Catapult participants is generously subsidized by the Province of New Brunswick and the Government of Canada.

Email catapult@artslinknb.com for more information about next year's program.

Events

The Royal Society of Literature is inviting public recommendations of writers from you, their writer peers and readers. They are seeking recommendations of writers of diverse literary forms, including writers of drama, fiction, graphic fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and screenplays. These will be writers not resident in, or citizens of, the UK, who have published or had produced two works of outstanding literary merit (where works are translated into English, or originally written in English). Guided by your recommendations, our panel will make a recommendation of writers to be appointed RSL International Writers.

Please consult the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions prior to completing your recommendation. Recommendations will only be accepted via the form below and must be submitted by 3 May 2024. 

Your recommendations will be read by a panel of Fellows including Kit Fan (Chair), Moniza Alvi, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Chloe Aridjis, Homi K. Bhabha, Margaret Busby, Maureen Freely, Deirdre Osborne and Nathalie Teitler.

Submit your recommendation here!

SEEKING BACK ISSUES of Historical publications

Dear WFNB Members:

Ian LeTourneau is currently looking for New Brunswick books, chapbooks, magazines, broadsides, and ephemera for research and collecting purposes. He is happy to take anything you have off your hands or negotiate a fair price for the rarer stuff. Specifically, Ian is looking for:

Books

Cadence. Female Voices anthology. Edited by Kayla Geitzler and Elizabeth Blanchard. Frog Hollow, 2020.

Scroll. Wombat Literary Series #1.

Fiddlehead Poetry Books: especially Fred Cogswell, Stunted Strong (1954), Al Purdy, Emu, Remember! (1956), FIVE NEW BRUNSWICK POETS, but he also has many holes to fill from their 300+ publications.

Any New Brunswick chapbooks, but especially 9-14, 16-20, 22-23.

Any books or chapbooks by RM Vaughan or Owl's Head Press.

Any chapbooks by Joe Blades or Broken Jaw Press or Wild East Publishing Co-operative (they produced the Salamanca Chapbookseries).

"A little something..." series of broadsides by Broken Jaw, Ian needs: 1, 9, 22-25, 28, 31, 36, 37.

Very early issues of The Fiddlehead: Ian needs 1-17, 23-26, 30, 31, 33, 34, 37, 49, 53, 55, 67, 68 and a broadside “I’m a silence so grim” by Milton Acorn which was folded inside spring 1963 issue, no. 56.

The Cormorant: I need Issues 1.1- 9.1, 10.2, 11.2-12.2, 15.1-onward but happy to have any in duplicate.

Any back Issues of magazines such as Urchin, Floorboards, Germination, Qwerty, New Muse of Contempt, Dooryard Post, ArtsAtlantic, Intervales, First Encounter, Galleon, Vox, Studies in Canadian Literature, Ellipse, Pottersfield Portfolio (esp. the NB-printed ones), etc.

Any chapbooks, broadsides, etc. by NB authors. Ian would be particularly grateful for NB literary ephemera like printed editions of NB Ink, the WFNB newsletter, old Goose Lane or Broken Jaw catalogues, event/reading posters, programs, brochures, Writing on the Wall exhibition brochures (only missing Nela Rio), newspaper sections like NB Reader, Salon. And in general, anything NB produced or by an NB author.

Please contact Ian LeTourneau at ian.letourneau@icloud.com if you have any of the above. Thank you!

A note about our InkSpot Survey

We sent out a call for information earlier in the summer to help develop our strategic plan and fundraising efforts. We sent a link to a long and boring survey about demographics and program satisfaction and were hoping to get enough responses to be able to measure a decent population size.

We do know that filling out online surveys about demographics and program satisfaction is not a super exciting summer activity, so we were cautiously optimistic.

We were very gratified to have received more than eighty completed responses, and lots of actionable suggestions and valuable info. Thank you!

We drew an email from all of those provided by responders and have sent information to that winner about how to claim their free year of WFNB membership. Congrats!

Many responders value WordSpring and WordsFall very highly (and the chance they provide to spend time together in community while learning craft and business skills), as well as the opportunities for employment and public outreach that programs like WiSP can provide to writers.

You'd also like to see more monthly or online workshops, further development of public readings or showcases, the broadening of access to programs, and a solution to the problem of finding and sustaining smaller writing groups.

Thanks again for the thoughtful and helpful responses you all took the time and effort to share with us. We'll be sharing more information about how we are planning on folding your ideas and priorities into our continued development of WFNB programs and initiatives over the coming months. We're really excited about things to come, so keep an eye out for more updates.

A word about Writing Groups

When filling out their member profiles, a great many people tick off the box beside the sentence, "I would like to join a writing group," and others also very often tick off, "I would like to create a writing group."

We have just updated our list in Inkspot thanks to a recent informative post on our Facebook page, but there are undoubtedly more writing groups. We'd like to know more about groups in Moncton, and ones that take place outside of our three major cities.

Do you have a writers' group that meets elsewhere? From Sackville/Dorchester, up the Acadian coast to Shediac, Bouctouche, Richibucto, all the way to the Miramichi, Bathurst, Campbellton or Edmunston? How about along the Fundy coast, or the Western part of New Brunswick? If you do, and you are open to new writers, please let us know.

Writing groups are tricky things. There's a certain amount of magic involved in getting a productive group together, and the members themselves must be motivated to create it and keep it running.  But there is no doubt that being involved with a regular, committed writing group helps build the skills of writers and pushes them toward publication.

In the Inkwell blog in the members-only section, there's a story entitled, "A sprinkle of fairy dust: The magic of Seaside Scribes." This story covers Martha Vowles' 2022 WordSpring workshop on How to Create and Sustain a Healthy, Happy Writing Group - She provided pdfs of her notes on that subject, and they are included at the bottom of the article. This is very practical and helpful.

Once again, if you run a current writing group within our membership, if you would like to promote your willingness to create a writing group, or know of other writing groups who are accepting new members, please let us know at info@wfnb.ca, so that we can make that information available to those who might be looking for a group with whom to share their work.

In the meantime, if you do not have a writing group, building relationships with lots of other writers--people who you like and connect to--makes the formation of a writing group (or an invitation to join one) more likely.  I was invited into a small writing group a couple of years ago - only five people, and most live in Sussex/Elgin, so we always meet in Sussex. They are all published writers, at varying levels, and I'm lucky to be included. I drive to meet them once a month from Moncton. It's a 40-minute drive, but I gladly do it because the relationship is valuable. Another person drives from Fredericton in order to attend.

We have breakfast and read what we're working on, and everyone comments on everyone's work, which is in itself a learning process. I don't find that I make the same insightful comments as the others, who are award-winning writers and editors. These things come with time and experience.

If you can't find a current group right away, start at least by looking for other writers you might connect with in your community. It's worth the effort. 

We will be thinking of ways to facilitate community-building for our membership in the future, not just for matching folk together for writing groups, but for all aspects of artistic sharing.

Best,

Rhonda

Events

Sussex Events

The AX, the Arts and Culture Centre of Sussex Reading Series offers regular readings and literary events. Visit the AX Literary page for more information.

Moncton Events

Do you like the words ? Do you like fashion? Here is your chance to participate in a double writing/sewing workshop that will give you the chance to learn, on the first day, to shape words into poems with the poet Paul Bossé and then discover, the next day, how to arrange your poems on costumes with the seamstress Guylaine Joly. All participants will have the chance to showcase their creations at the Frye Festival Poetic Fashion Show next April.

Saint John Events

Check back next month for more literary events in Saint John!

Fredericton Events

Check back next month for more literary events in Fredericton!

Online Events

Live Canon - For fourteen years Live Canon have been publishing, performing, promoting, celebrating and sharing poetry. Visit the website, check out their Lunchtime Reading Series.

Writing Groups

Fredericton Writers’ Groups

• Ann Kitching is hosting a Sunday Morning Writers Group from 9 am to noon, starting on 17 Sept 2023. We'll write, chat, and increase our output. Meet at 209 Willow Ave in Fredericton North. Free to join. Contact almkitching@outlook.com with any questions--kindly write "Writers Group" in the subject line.

  Also, Ann leads courses through Dog Eared Books in Oromocto on Friday evenings from 6:30 to 8 pm. (Bad weather moves the course to Willow Ave in F'ton.) Starting on Friday, 6 October, our mission is to write serial adventures (one complete story per week) for a character of our choosing. By the end of May, we should have enough chapters to publish as a book which is our aim for next summer. This course is $15/week (alumni pay $10).

• Freddy Words (a public Facebook group) is connected, though not currently as active and not specifically tied to NaNo. It was (and hopefully will be again) a year-round group.
  
  

• Lou Ellen Mielke Somerville tells us about FredNoWriMo, which is a collection of Fredericton NaNoWriMo participants who are always open to accepting new members/participants. Check out their private Facebook group. They are doing virtual events and aim to get back into having in-person events - primarily from late October to early December. There is also CampNaNo in April and July. Lou Ellen is one of two Municipal Liaisons this year.

Saint John Writers’ Groups

• Jeremy Cairns tells us about Saint John Writers (SJW), which meets every Sunday. They welcome a wide variety of ages and different types of writers. They are about getting together and producing, rather than exchanging work or reading aloud. They write from 10 am-11:30 am and then they sit and discuss narrative, character development, publishing, etc. https://saintjohnwriters.wordpress.com/
  
  
• John Hanson tells us that Fog City Scribes has become a loose connection for writers in the Saint John area, originally formed for NaNoWriMo.
  
  
• Amanda Evans and Jaimie McGivery tell us about Write Now Saint John, which is a social writing group which takes place every other Thursday evening (the next one is Thursday, September 21st) at Homeport Inn on Douglas Avenue. They review work, do activities, and have social events. The proprietor of the Homeport Inn is Lane Mack and her husband’s name is Neil. https://www.homeportinn.caEmail: stay@homeportinn.ca

Other Writing Groups

• The Chapter One Writing Group, led by Roche Sappier, has moved to a monthly format at the Perth-Andover library. All are welcome! Contact PerthAndover.PublicLibrary@gnb.ca for more information.
  
  
• The Writers of Kingston Peninsula are an eclectic group of people that write for a variety of reasons, with many motivations they joyfully share. If you’d like to join them for an exercise in writing from prompts, share your own writing journey, or just to meet other writers, check out our Facebook page or reach out to us through Messenger. Times and dates may vary.
  
  
• The Fundy Bay Writers is open to receiving new members. They offer monthly Zoom sessions, in-person workshops, shared readings, and ongoing support for writers at all stages of the craft. This group is affiliated with the Sunbury Shores Art & Nature Center in St. Andrews. For more information or to join, please email Carole Martignacco and Louise Chase, WFNB members and co-founders: fundybaywriters@gmail.com
  
  
• The Writing Group Exhale: Grand Falls, meets every 3rd Saturday at 10:00 AM at the Grand Falls Public Library. The next meeting will be held on February 18, 2023. For more information contact Denise McClure at 75deemac@gmail.com, or call 506-473-6125.
  
  
• The AX, the Arts and Culture Centre of Sussex has a writing group that meets monthly in the gallery. For more information, check out the website, visit 12 Maple Ave., Sussex, or call (506) 433-8351.

Workshops, Courses, and Retreats

Banff Centre is excited to announce their new Literary Arts residency programs for 2024/2025. Full program details and application information are available online. 

Literary Arts Thematic: Form and Constraint – Spring 2024

This program will consider how authors of fiction and poetry use form and constrained forms to create opportunities for new and unfettered expression. 

Program dates: April 22 – May 3, 2024 | Application deadline: January 10, 2024

Literary Journalism: Memoir – Summer 2024

This residency gives memoir writers time to work on their manuscripts, have individual consultations with faculty, and participate in workshops. 

Program dates: June 10 – 21, 2024 | Application deadline: February 7, 2024

Summer Writers Residency - 2024

This is a self-directed program offering time and space for writers to reconnect and re-energize their practice. 

Program dates: July 29 – August 9, 2024 | Application deadline: March 6, 2024

Early Career Writers of Fiction Residency – Fall 2024

During Early Career Writers of Fiction Residency, new writers of fiction – from not-yet-published writers to those with one published book – will expand upon their practice. 

Program dates: September 30 – October 12, 2024 | Application deadline: May 16, 2024

Go and Write! retreats are designed for writers, by writers.

Our participants range from those who are just getting started, to published, professional authors with years of experience. We support all types of writers, including poets, memoirists, travel writers, playwrights, fiction and non-fiction writers, children’s writers, and those who want to jot down thoughts about their journey along the way.

Because we’re writers, we get it—writers need time and space to write, and we structure our retreats to have a balance of quiet writing time, touring, and time spent together. We don’t pair up strangers on retreats, but participants are welcome to bring a partner, relative, or another writing friend to share their space and costs; all participants, whether or not they are writers, are encouraged to take part in as many or as few of the elements of the retreat as they like.

We hope you’ll join us this year. See below for our 2024 retreats, and contact us if you’d like to discuss details. You can also check out our previous adventures to see where we’ve hosted past retreats.

We’re actively rolling out our 2024 lineup and will be announcing these retreats as we get each one finalized, so sign up for our newsletter to be in the know early.

Competitions

The CBC nonfiction prize

Open between Jan. 1 and March 1. You can submit original, unpublished nonfiction that is up to 2,000 words. There is no minimum word requirement. Nonfiction includes memoir, biography, humour writing, essay (including personal essay), travel writing and feature articles.

CBC offers 3 prizes for original, unpublished work: the CBC Short Story Prize, the CBC Nonfiction Prize and the CBC Poetry Prize. The winner of each receives $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre and the five finalists have their work published on CBC Books.

The Writers' Union of Canada invites submissions to its 31st annual Short Prose Competition for Emerging Writers. Unpublished works of fiction and nonfiction up to 2,500 words in English are eligible, and writers may submit multiple entries. A $2,500 prize will be awarded to the winner. The Union is proud to announce an esteemed group of jurors for this year's Competition: Francine Cunningham, Frances Itani, C.M., and Ian Roy.  Emerging writers, get writing! The deadline for submissions is February 19, 2024. Learn more here.

Dave Williamson National Short Story Competition

THE DAVE IS BACK!! The Manitoba Writers’ Guild is thrilled to announce the Dave Williamson National Short Story Competition has returned for its second year - with cash prizes worth $2000, complimentary membership for winners, and guaranteed publication for winners and honorary mentions.

Follow this link to the complete guidelines posted on the website and begin to capture those thoughts tantalizing your mind and shape them into a story. If you have any questions, please contact us at MWGcontesto@gmail.com (the 'o' in contesto is the letter 'o' not the number zero).

The Inaugural Dave Williamson Short Story Competition was listed as one of Reedsy's best writing contests of 2023.

Announcing the inaugural Claire Harris Poetry Prize

Attention emerging poets from Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities. Icehouse Poetry has announced their inaugural Claire Harris Poetry Prize!

The prize will be awarded to a full-length debut poetry collection and will include $1000 of prize money, a contract for the publication of the collection under the icehouse poetry imprint in the following year (2025), and public readings in at least three Canadian cities.

Submissions will be accepted between January 2 and March 31, 2024.

Call for Entries: 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

Calling all indie book authors and publishers - including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors who have a book written in English released in 2022, 2023 or 2024 or with a 2022, 2023 or 2024 copyright date to enter the most rewarding book awards program.

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards offers more than 80 awards – more than 80 monetary prizes totaling over $10,000 in cash, including $1,500 cash prizes plus trophies for best fiction book and best non-fiction book, $750 cash prizes plus trophies for second best fiction book and non-fiction book and $500 cash prizes plus trophies for third best fiction book and non-fiction book!

"Independently-published books have become a major source for quality fiction and non-fiction, but often go unrecognized by the mainstream publishing industry," notes Marilyn Allen. "Finally, an awards program has been created to recognize talented authors from this important segment of our industry. I have been a part of representing over 100 authors, and always looking for new talent, so it is a great pleasure to be part of this program. We look forward to reviewing the works of the 80 best candidates and helping these authors gain the recognition they deserve."

Entry deadline for the 2024 awards program – February 14, 2024. https://www.indiebookawards.com/

Seventh Annual Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction

For the seventh annual prize, Pottersfield Press is again looking for submissions from writers who can provide a manuscript of 30,000 to 150,000 words in any of the following categories: history, memoir, autobiography, biography, literary journalism, political or social commentary, travel writing or virtually any existing or new category that uses the nonfiction medium to tell a story or put forward an idea. The First Prize winner will receive a contract for the publication of the winning book along with a $1000 advance on 10% royalty for all sales. The Second Prize winner will also see the publication of the book and a $800 advance on 10% royalties. Deadline is April 30, 2024 but early submissions are encouraged. Submit your manuscript electronically as a double-spaced basic Word document to: pottersfieldcreative@gmail.comand include on the title page your name, address and email address. Entry fee is $25 (includes HST) and can be paid by Interac Transfer (also to pottersfieldcreative@gmail.com), Paypal or by cheque made out to Pottersfield Press mailed to 248 Leslie Road, East Lawrencetown, NS B2Z 1T4 Canada after the manuscript has been submitted by email. www.pottersfieldpress.comWinners will be announced on June 30, 2024.

The winners of the Sixth Annual Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction are Martin Bauman in first place for Hell of a Ride and Chris Harvey-Clark in second place for In Search of The Great Canadian Shark. Bauman’s top winning entry is a coming-of-age tale of a 7,000-kilometre solo bicycle voyage across Canada. The second-place winner is a first-hand account of diving research adventures with sharks and other exotic undersea creatures in Canadian waters. Both books will be published by Pottersfield Press in 2024.

The Paul Cave Prize for Children's Literature

From November 30 submissions to The Paul Cave Prize for Children's Literature will open to writers and poets from around the world.

"Writing an engaging children's story that grips the reader is difficult," says one of the judges, Tim Saunders.

"It's a great opportunity for budding writers especially when getting noticed by a publisher is one of life's great challenges."

Entries close February 28, 2024.

There are three categories:

1. Best short story - 5,000 words or under
   
2. Best flash fiction - 300 words or under
   
3. Best poem - 30 lines or under
   

Winners will receive a cash prize and a copy of the book. More information here.

Call for Submissions

Announcing Lost in the Fog

Partridge Island Publishing’s 2024 anthologyDeadline is January 31, 2024

• up to 2 entries per person.
  
• Maximum word length 3,000 words.
  
• We accept poetry and prose.
  
• Must contain the [flexible] theme 'lost'.
  

Email questions or submissions to amanda@partridgeislandpublishing.ca

The Fiddlehead Poetry Submissions are open!

Canadian writers and poets, The Fiddlehead's submissions are currently open to you! Send us your best poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction by March 31. Learn more here.

Palimpsest Press

Submissions will be open from February 1 - March 31, 2024. They are currently looking for literary fiction by BIPOC, DEAF, and DISABLED authors. Poetry collections should be between 70 and 100 pages. Nonfiction and fiction have no page requirement. They are not accepting short fiction. They do not publish historical fiction. Although you do not need to be published in book form, you must have been published substantially in literary journals. If you are sending poetry or non-fiction, please query jim@palimpsestpress.ca with a sample first. If you are sending fiction, please query aimee@palimpsestpress.ca with a brief description of the work and short sample (No more than 4 pages). Include a cover letter and a list of publications for all genres. More info here.

GEIST: Nonfiction and Comics

GEIST has extended their deadline for nonfiction and comics to January 15, (which is Monday – got something in your back pocket?) -- open for short non-fiction (800-1500 words), longer non-fiction (up to 5000 words), and comics submissions. Please read Submission Guidelines before submitting: geist.com/writers/submit

Prairie Fire is giving centre stage to women writers fifty and over!

This special issue is a celebration that honours and recognizes the enormous contribution of living Canadian women writers, who have helped shape CanLit and continue to do so. Deadline: February 15. https://www.prairiefire.ca/call-for-submissions-50-over-50

If you are a woman, aged fifty and over, have at least one published piece of writing (literary journals, non-literary journals, writing group publications, anthologies, books, etc… we’re really not picky on this point.) and live in Canada (or lived a substantial amount of your life in Canada) then we want to see your unpublished work, as we compile this mosaic of new writing to be released in fall of 2024. 

This special issue, tentatively called “50 Over 50” will be guest edited by Katherine Bitney, poet and one of the founders of Prairie Fire Press.

Awards

Call for Submissions Issued for the 27th Annual Danuta Gleed Literary Award

The Writers’ Union of Canada and the Gleed family are pleased to announce the jury for the $10,000 Danuta Gleed Literary Award, Canada’s pre-eminent award for the best first Canadian collection of short fiction in the English language, now celebrating its 27th year.

This year’s jury comprises authors Danila Botha, paulo da costa, and Souvankham Thammavongsa.

A short list will be announced in May 2024, with the winner and two finalists being named in June 2024. The winner receives $10,000 and each of the two finalists is awarded $1,000.

To be eligible, books must be first collections of short fiction written by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and published in Canada in the English language in the 2023 calendar year. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2024. Eligible titles may be submitted by publishers according to submission guidelines available at writersunion.ca/danuta-gleed-literary-award.

Publishers and Literary Markets

Assembly Press will publish a balanced mix of voice-driven and concept-driven fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We want our books to be notable for engaging with contemporary issues with thoughtfulness, incisiveness, and passion in equal measure.  We welcome submissions by all writers regardless of publication history or writing experience, and especially by equity-seeking writers marginalized by attitudinal, historic, social, and environmental barriers based on age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation, and transgender status.  

We are committed to driving change in the publishing industry, and one way we can do so is to prioritize submissions written by equity-seeking writers. To serve this priority, we will push proposals and manuscripts of all genres by these authors to the front of our reading queue.
Atmosphere Press is a collaborative publisher, currently seeking great manuscripts from diverse (feminist!) voices. This year Atmosphere authors have sold thousands of books across five continents, received featured reviews with Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist, and have even appeared on a giant billboard in Times Square. And they’d love to see what you’ve written!

Authors Get Published is an online boutique publishing house located in Toronto, Ontario. They are a full-service publishing house that publishes first-time and seasoned authors on their journey to become published authors, by providing book cover creation, manuscript editing services, formatting, and more. Distributed through Ingram, Authors Get Published work to ensure that each author’s book or books receive maximum visibility online through their website and online platforms where books are sold. If you would like to submit your manuscript for consideration, please email the Editor-in-Chief Christine at Christine@AuthorsGetPublished.com. They reply to every submission within 2 weeks. Visit the website for complete manuscript submission details.

VS. Books was founded by artist Vivek Shraya to create more intergenerational dialogue and support for artists of colour. Each year, Vivek offers a mentorship opportunity and publishing contract for a writer who is Indigenous, Black, or a person of colour. This year VS. Books’ is seeking an unpublished Indigenous writer, Black writer, or a writer of colour, over the age of 50 living in Canada.

Indian Ink Publishing is currently seeking completed literary fiction, trade fiction, and creative non-fiction manuscripts by emerging and established writers. Indian Ink Publishing is focused on bringing diverse narratives in to the homes of our readers. We believe that a rich story lives in every writer and consider it our number one priority to nurture that story from page to press. Storytelling is our passion. We aim to amplify underrepresented voices and capture unique experiences in the fiction and non-fiction books we publish. We are excited by prose that is compelling and innovative, bold and nuanced, that has the ability to transport the reader beyond their own imagination. We aim to publish work that reflects the diversity in Canada's cultural fabric and encourage writers who identify as women, Indigenous, persons of colour, LGBTQ+, and persons with disabilities to submit.

The CBC has an extensive list of Canadian Literary Journals for submissions to literary magazines here and Canadian Publishing Houses here.
Quick Brown Fox regularly updates its list of writing markets for poems, short stories and novels. The site is maintained by writing workshop instructor and author Brian Henry and is an invaluable resource for new and seasoned writers.  

Grants, Residencies, and Laureateships 

Access Copyright Foundation Marian Hebb Research Grants.

Deadline: February 15, 2024

Access Copyright Foundation has begun to accept applications for its next round of funding for Marian Hebb Research Grants.

The Foundation’s Marian Hebb Research Grants program.

The Foundation’s Marian Hebb Research Grants program supports—both virtually and in-person—inquiry, information gathering and exploration by individuals and organizations relevant to Canadian publishing, writing and visual arts, and toward the realization of a publishable work in progress.

If this sounds like work you are currently undertaking, we heartily encourage you to consider applying for a Marian Hebb Research Grant.

Applications will be accepted until February 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

To apply for a grant, please visit the SK Arts Portal. The Foundation’s grants program is administered by SK Arts.

Learn more about the Foundation’s Marian Hebb Research Grants program by visiting the Foundation's website or download its Application Guidelines (please refer to pages 14-19).

Provincial Grants

Artsnb administers eight grant programs. Deadlines vary throughout the year. You can submit your grant applications online. In addition, ArtsNB:

• offers Accessibility and Equity programs which provide additional financial support to NB artists who face barriers when applying for grants or in carrying out their proposed activities.
• The Application Assistance program, provides funding to individuals who encounter disability-related barriers to completing an online grant application; and to Indigenous artists facing language, geographic and/or cultural barriers with the online application process.
• The Access Support program is designed to provide supplemental funding to grant recipients who require disability-related assistance to carry out their proposed activities. For more information: info@artsnb.ca or 506-444-4445

Federal Grants

• Canada Council for the Arts: New and Early Career Artists: The Canada Council for the Arts is making it easier for artists to apply for their first grant—they’ve launched a profile for new and early career artists. It’s part of a two-year pilot project to reach the next wave of artists in Canada and renew support to the arts sector. Artists at the start of their careers—including those who are new to Canada—can apply for Canada Council funding.

An artist with a new and early career artist profile is eligible to apply for grants from three Explore and Create components:

• Professional Development for Artists—Project grants to support career advancement activities for artists and artistic groups—including mentorships, internships, apprenticeships, specialized training and workshops.
• Research and Creation—Project grants to support creative research, development and the creation of new works, including residencies.
• Concept to Realization—Project grants to support activities that will result in completed works that are shown to the public—including public presentations, exhibitions, media arts and digital arts production ready for dissemination.

To be eligible as a New/Early Career Artist, you must:

• have no other approved applicant profiles with the Canada Council
• have not previously received a grant from the Canada Council
• be at least 18 years old
• be either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
• have some training, experience or accomplishments in one or more of the Council’s recognized fields of practice. Past training could include mentorship, self-study, workshops, etc. Training in an academic institution is not mandatory. The Council recognizes training, experience or accomplishments that took place outside of Canada.  
• be committed to the ongoing development of your skills and artistic practice

Create an account on the portal, and then submit a new and early career artist profile. You can only have one of these profiles. Create it and apply with your main field of practice—you can still apply for grants with other fields of practice later on. Make sure your CV matches with the eligibility criteria listed above. We recommend you get started with your profile well ahead of the competition you’re working towards because your profile will need to be validated before you can apply for a grant.