InkSpot, April 2023 Edition

Notes and Dates

Hello, members and friends.

You have just 11 more days to register for the popular YOU'RE HIRED AT WRITER, INC. business workshop by Helaine Becker, on April 24 from 7 pm to 9 pm. You can participate online if you can’t get to Moncton on a Monday night. This workshop occurs during Frye Festival (April 21-30), so if you’re in Greater Moncton, make sure you check the Frye Calendar for all the events happening that week.

You can still register for WordSpring on the website - we're looking forward to hearing the great James Mullinger as Saturday morning's keynote speaker. If you'd like to hear James, but you can't take in the whole weekend, you can pay on the website to see him separately, and we'll also sell tickets at the door. Don't miss this great opportunity!

If you're coming to Saint John for WordSpring and you intend on staying at Chateau Saint John, make sure you book a room (under "Writers' Federation of New Brunswick") before May 2 - the block of rooms will be released after that date.

Looking forward to meeting with all of you in Saint John, when we'll also celebrate the NB Book Awards.  Julia Wright of CBC has agreed to be our host, and Susanne Alexander of Goose Lane Editions will be our guest speaker. Brent Mason will provide entertainment. The shortlist announcement has already been made, and we congratulate the nominees. Look for profiles on all the nominees on social media in the leadup to the ceremony.

We had a huge response from New Brunswick writers for the 2022-23 NB Writing Competition - including the Sheree Fitch Prize for Teen Writers, which received a record number of submissions from New Brunswick teens, and we are so grateful for their participation. The judges are still compiling their responses, but they have all commented on the quality and breadth of the work they are reading. This has made the adjudication process difficult, but it's a great problem to have. The winners will be advised at the end of April, when all results have been received. 

And finally, save the date for the WFNB's annual writers' retreat at Villa Madonna in Rothesay on August 18-20. Look for the event page on wfnb.ca in the coming weeks, after we nail down a few details - like this year's Writer-In-Residence!

Cheers,

Rhonda Bulmer & Kris Windley

Welcome, New Members

Welcome, Michael Bray, who is from Fredericton and writes Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Flash/Micro fiction.

Welcome, Thomas Chamberlain!

Welcome, Anne LePage, who writes fiction and romance under the pen name, Alexa Wingfield.

Welcome, Karen McClean, who hails from Saint John and writes in a wide variety of genres: Blogging, Creative non-fiction, Editing, Essays, Fiction, Journalism, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Photography, Poetry, Flash/Micro fiction, Copywriting, Website copy, Freelance writing

Jennifer McMullin (https://jennifermcmullin.com/) has written two children's books and is interested in the following genres: Children's, Fiction, Horror, Poetry. Welcome, Jennifer!

Jewell Mitchell is from Acadieville and writes in the following genres: Creative non-fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance. Welcome, Jewell!

Welcome to Heather O’Keefe, who is from Saint John and writes in the genres of Fiction, Songwriting, Flash/Micro fiction.

Welcome, Philip Youden! Philip is from Dieppe and writes: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Technical.

Member News

• Forrest Orser is really happy – his poem ‘Balance’ will be the Poetry Pause poem on April 17. Every day the League of Canadian Poets emails a poem to the 1200 people registered at https://poets.ca/poetrypause/. During National Poetry Month, every poem will be about joy. 

• Contact Sandra Bunting at Gaelóg Press Writing and Editing Services for help with proofreading, editing or an extra polish on your short story, poem, memoir, novel or nonfiction project. Email: Gaelogpress@gmail.com or text 506-251-5009

• WFNB member Maria Gillespie has established a new publishing company, in concert with a few other writers and fellow WFNB members. The new publishing company, Merlin Star Press is open for business and calling for submissions. Check out their website for complete information regarding submission guidelines. 

  Merlin Star’s mission is to support local writers through their creative process and bring outstanding work to publication. 

  Congratulations, Maria et al.! We look forward to the great books Merlin Star Press will produce for New Brunswick authors. Look for a featured blog next month on this new venture.

• Jill MacLean’s medieval novel for adults, The Arrows of Mercy, will be launched at the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia on April 16^th at 4 pm. She is one of the authors at the Greater Moncton Riverview Dieppe Book Fair on April 22^nd at the Riverview Lions Community Centre from 10 am to 4 pm (https://gmrdbookfair.blogspot.com).She will be at Wordspring in Saint John on June 2, from 2-5 pm, with copies for sale. The Arrows of Mercy is available at Bookmark Halifax, the Dartmouth Book Exchange, at Amazon.ca, Barnes & Noble, and at Kobo, Kindle and iBook. She hopes to get it in more independent bookstores in the next few weeks.

• Roche Sappier would like to announce his first book that he wrote and illustrated in 2017 is available on Amazon - The Glooscap Tales & The Legends of the Red E.A.R.T.H. His daughter, Ryla helped do research for the book. See more in this issue's featured blog, below.

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

Writing Groups

• The Chapter One Writing Group, led by Roche Sappier, has moved to a monthly format, meeting on Thursday nights from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm at the Perth-Andover library. All are welcome! Contact PerthAndover.PublicLibrary@gnb.ca for upcoming dates.

• 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 Sunbury Shores writing group is open to receiving new members. They meet on Zoom every 2nd Tuesday and 4th Thursday of every month. Every 2nd Tuesday the group meets in the morning from 10:00am-11:30am and every 4th Thursday they meet in the evening from 7:00pm-8:30pm. For more information or to join, email info@sunburyshores.org or call 506-529-3386.

• 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.

Featured Blog -

Introducing Glooscap Tales

& The Legends of Red E.A.R.T.H.

The Land of the “Wabanaki” (or Red EARTH) as this is called, is the land nearest to the sunrise and to the “Eastern Gate” where the sun first touches the earth. This is where the name of “Wabanoag” or the “People of the Dawn” originates. These Eastern Woodland Tribes including the Mi’kmaqs, the Maliseet, the Penobscot and the Passamaquoddy dwell here and consider these lands holy and sacred.” Taken from the introduction: “Wabanaki Mythology & Legends of Creation -Glooscap and the Red E.A.R.T.H. Tales," by Roche Sappier.

Events

Sussex

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.

Greater Moncton

The 24th edition of the International Frye Festival is just around the corner, April 21-30 in Greater Moncton. They announce their lineup on March 21. Check out frye.ca for all the details.

Mark the date in your calendar - April 22nd 10am - 4pm, for THE GREATER MONCTON BOOK FAIR (Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview). More than 30 authors and their books all in one place. Please SHARE with all your friends. Visit the website and meet the authors. There are new listings everyday.  This independent book fair is organized by regional authors, many of whom are WFNB members. If you would like to participate as an author, please contact Allan Hudson at gmrdbookfair@gmail.com for details and registration.

Saint John

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

Fredericton

Check back next month for more literary events in Fredericton!

Online

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.

Literary Festivals

Check back next month for more literary festival news!

Conferences, Writing Courses, Workshops and Retreats

Writer and Artist Retreats This Summer in Saskatchewan

Application Deadline: May 25, 2023

The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild is accepting applications from writers and artists across Canada for the Writer and Artist Retreats for the weeks of July 7-28, 2023. Writer and Artist Retreats are independent week-long retreats for established and practicing writers and artists. Our retreats are held at St. Peter’s Abbey in Muenster, SK, which is a Benedictine monastery set in a serene rural location. Retreat participants are accommodated in private rooms in Scholastica Residence and all meals are provided. The fees are $425 for in-province SWG members, $525 for out-of-province SWG members or SK-based non-members, and $625 for out-of-province non-members, plus studio fees for visual artists at $100 per week. 

Attention, Creative Nonfiction Writers!

Consider attending the Creative Nonfiction Collective conference “Writing True: Riding the Waves” at the University of King’s College on May 26-28 in Halifax. 

CNFC is a volunteer-run national organization promoting creative nonfiction through workshops, webinars, writing contests, and yes, annual conferences. They are excited about having their conference on the east coast for the first time (and their first live event since the start of the pandemic). This is a great opportunity to celebrate the special literary community of the Atlantic provinces. The stellar line-up features 21 regional authors including Donna Morrissey, Andre Fenton, Chad Lucas, Wanda Taylor, Afua Cooper, Susan MacLeod, and Michelle Sylliboy. The conference will foster new connections and strengthen older ones among established and emerging authors, publishers, and CNF enthusiasts.

And two of the workshop leaders/speakers are WFNB members: Deborah Carr and Kathy Mac!

Sage Hill Writing - Summer Courses

www.sagehillwriting.ca Application Deadline: April 17, 2023 Course Dates: July 5 – 14, 2023  ONLINE:

Creative Nonfiction Course: Facilitated by Lorri Neilsen Glenn

Poetry Course: Facilitated by Michael Trussler 

IN-PERSON

Playwriting Course: Facilitated by Guillermo Verdecchia

Emerging Writers’ Course - Prose & Poetry: Facilitated by D.A. Lockhart & Lisa Richter 

See below for this year’s line-up of writing retreats offered by New Brunswick-based authors (and WFNB members) Dr. Gerard Collins and Janie Simpson. Participants range from beginning writers who want to start jotting down their thoughts to experienced writers who’ve published extensively. Previous attendees include playwrights, poets, novelists, TV producers, short story and memoir writers, children's book authors, and everything in between.

May 14-19 / June 16-23, Kingsbrae, St. Andrews, New Brunswick

One spot left for June; reduced costs for May – register by March 16 for early bird discount

Make time for your own writing with a small group retreat. You’ll have a private room in a historic mansion, separate private writing studio, and the award-winning Kingsbrae Garden at your doorstep. Retreats include all breakfasts and some suppers. Only 5 rooms available. Register as a single or bring someone to share your room, studio, and costs.

November 19-28, Writing in the Highlands (Scotland)

Just announced!

Join us for this 10-day writing retreat in the Highlands, including a full week at the Loch Ness Country House Hotel, just five minutes from Loch Ness and Inverness. We’ll tour the Culloden Battlefield, Isle of Skye, Glencoe, and Clava Cairns, and wrap up with a literary walking tour of Edinburgh and two nights in a hotel with views of the castle.

December 3-16, Christmastime in the Old Country (Ireland)
Note: this retreat is already half full.
Christmas in Ireland is every bit as magical as you might think. We’ll start with a week in a West Coast castle overlooking a cozy village on the bay, then spend three nights at a glorious old hotel in the heart of Galway, and another three nights at a charming hotel in the centre of Dublin when all the old country is decked out in its festive finest.

Questions? Contact janiegoandwrite@gmail.com or visit www.goandwrite.ca.

The Tennants Cove Writers' Workshop

Announces its 2023 Summer Sessions

Tennants Cove Writers is located in a century-old farmhouse on 175 acres of protected woods and fields on the Saint John River in New Brunswick. For the 2023 Summer season, TCWW is doubling the number of weeklong workshops to give more writers an opportunity to work with us and retreat in an inspiring natural setting. They are accepting four to five students for each session.  Room and board are included. Travel to the retreat is at one’s own expense.  More information from their news release on the WFNB news section.

Session 1: July 30-August 4, 2023 (six days, five nights)
Half-day Sessions: August 5, 2023 workshops in screenwriting  publishing 
Session 2: August 6-August 11, 2023 (six days, five nights)

Check back next month for more writing development opportunities from the web, across Canada and across the globe!

Free Online Writing Resources

& Support

• Desperate Literature Prize for short fiction, awarded for fiction under 2000 words. Deadline extended to April 30.

  More than 100 free and reduced entries have been added to the prize! All the info about getting a free spot is on our website, in the FAQs as well as eligibility & conditions. We are committed to making sure that money is not an obstacle to writers who want to get their work out into the world.  We have a spectacular judging panel - Ottessa Moshfegh, Mariana Enríquez, and Tiffany Tsao - and our prize package includes up to 1500€ for the top three winners, two writers' residencies, a spot at the Georgia literary festival, and consultations with literary agents and a manuscript service.

• The Icelandic Festival of Manitoba presents their annual Poetry and Prose Contest, free to enter with cash prizes. Due date for entries is June 5th, 2023.

• The Paul Cave Prize for Literature is now officially open for entries. All forms of poetry: haiku, free verse, sonnet, acrostic, villanelle, ballad, limerick, ode, elegy, flash fiction, short stories and novellas. Work must be new and unpublished. International submissions welcome. Entries close September 30.

• Sunspot has a new open call for Fiction, NF, Poetry, Scripts, and Graphic Novels. Sunspot Lit welcomes art and fiction, nonfiction, poetry, scripts, and graphic novels from 4 words to 49,000 words. Editor’s prizes are paid out for each edition; cover art is also paid. A Fast Flux option offers a speedy turnaround. Feedback for poems and genre fiction is available. Send the journal your work through Submittable: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit or Duotrope: https://duotrope.com/listing/27249/sunspot-literary-journal.

• The 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize is open for entries. The competition is open to all writers around the world whether published or unpublished. The closing date for entries is midnight (BST) April 26th, 2023. Twenty stories will be shortlisted and published in Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 16. The winner and 2 runners up will be selected from the shortlist and announced at an awards ceremony in October 2023. First prize is £1,000 (about CAD 1,600), Second prize is £500 (about CAD 800), Third prize is £250 (about CAD 400 ). 17 further prizes of £100 (about CAD 160) will be presented to the remaining shortlisted writers. All shortlisted writers will receive 2 free copies of the anthology. Prizes will be sent to any writer on the shortlist who is unable to attend the awards ceremony. The judging panel is: literary agent, Abi Fellows; writer, editor and creative producer, Heather Marks; writer and independent bookshop manager, Daniel Ross. .Entry fee is £9 (about CAD 15) per story. 250 free online entries are available to those for whom the entry fee is a barrier to submitting to the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize. The free entries will be offered on a 50 per month basis. One free entry per person. No email request or any other method of application is necessary to use the free entry option. Full details and rules of the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize are available here.

• Announcing the Sixth Annual Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction!
  
  For the sixth 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.
  
  (For 2022, the top winning entry was Tom’s Story: My 16 Year Friendship with a Homeless Man by Jo-Ann Oosterman of Ottawa. The second-place winner was Walking the Camino: On Earth As It Is by Maryanna Gabriel of Salt Spring Island.)
  
  Deadline is April 30, 2023, but early submissions are encouraged.
  
  Submit your manuscript electronically as a double-spaced basic Word document to: pottersfieldcreative@gmail.com and 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.com 
  
  Winners will be announced on June 30, 2023

• Submissions for the 2023 RBC Pen Canada New Voices Award are now open. 
  
  This 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.  
  
  This 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 Friday, May 5th, 2023. Check out the website for more details.
  
  

Les Éloizes 2024

L'Appel Des Candidature est Lancé

Date Limite

31 Mai 2023

Soumettez votre candidature pour une œuvre, une prestation ou une contribution créée ou présentée entre le 1er juin 2021 et le 31 mai 2023

L'Association acadienne des artistes professionnel.le.s du Nouveau-Brunswick est heureuse de donner le coup d’envoi de la période de l'appel de candidatures pour les prochaines Éloizes qui se dérouleront à Shédiac du 1er au 4 mai 2024.

L’Académie des arts et des lettres de l’Atlantique est l'instance responsable de l’encadrement et du fonctionnement des jurys qui évalueront les candidatures.

Les catégories déterminées par l'Académie sont les suivantes :

• Artiste de l’année en arts médiatiques
• Artiste de l’année en arts visuels
• Artiste de l’année en danse/arts du cirque
• Artiste de l’année en littérature
• Artiste de l’année en musique
• Artiste de l’année en théâtre
• Découverte de l’année
• Artiste s’étant le.la plus illustré.e à l’extérieur de l’Acadie
• Soutien aux arts
• Soutien à la production artistique
• Événement/Spectacle de l’année
• Prix Hommage

Note importante : les oeuvres ou prestations présentées en ligne seront acceptées par l'Académie.

Pour soumettre votre candidature :

• Rendez-vous sur notre site web;
• Prenez connaissance des règlements, des catégories et des critères de l’excellence artistique;
• Remplissez le formulaire de mise en candidature disponible en ligne.

Les formulaires de mises en candidature sont disponibles dès maintenant.

La date limite pour soumettre une candidature est le 31 mai 2023.

Vous avez des questions? Contactez Joëlle Tougas, directrice de production des Éloizes

eloizes@aaapnb.ca | 506-852-3313 poste 228 | 506-874-1380

Writers’ Trust of Canada strides onto world stage