Aboiteau Beach, Cap Pelé - We hope you're enjoying a view where you are this summer. Like the long waves on a sea beach, Where the sand and silver shines, With a soft, monotonous cadence, Flow its unrhymed lyric lines- The Secret of the Sea, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Happy August, Members and Friends. We had a great response to our Annual Writers' Retreat, which takes places August 18-20. The deadline has passed, but if you'd like to attend last minute, let us know. Looking forward to seeing everyone there! Looking ahead to the Fall, we've teamed up with the Friends of Fundy to present WordsFall on October 27-29 in Alma. Our partnership with Friends of Fundy will continue in 2024 in Sussex, and 2025 in St Martins.
We're looking forward to lots of interesting information and opportunities to mingle with other writers, in the outstanding natural setting of the Bay of Fundy. Normally closed for the season, The Parkland Village Inn has agreed to open up for us and provide most of the accommodations. The workshops will be held at the Parkland Village Inn, and the new Alma Gallery space across the street. If you can't commit to coming for the whole weekend, how about a Saturday day pass, so you can take in a couple of workshops, have lunch and enjoy Fundy Park? We will also offer registration per workshop, if you just want to take a trip to Alma to hear a particular speaker. It's a gorgeous drive, and we will hope and pray for mild weather! The Fundy is mercurial, but you never know... Here's the lineup so far: FRIDAY, October 27 VENUE: Octopuses’ Garden 5 pm – We encourage people to come for dinner 6 pm to 7 pm – Open Mic Readings/book launches 7:00 to 7:30 pm –music by TBD 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm – Readings Duncan Ireland, 20 minutes Alan Cooper 20 minutes Carlos Anthony, 20 minutes SATURDAY VENUE: Workshops at the Parkland Inn or the Alma Gallery 9 am to 11 am – Teri Kingston –Professional Speaking for writers/presenters 11:30 am – 12:30 pm - Fundy National Park Forest Tour 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm – LUNCH (tentative location, Fundy Park) 1:30-3:30 pm -- Allan Cooper - Poetry and the Natural World— (tentative location, Fundy Park) 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Ruth McLean—Writing Romance (Gallery) OR Carlos Anthony – Screenwriting (Parkland Inn meeting room) 7:00 pm – 10:00 – Music and words at the Gallery– music by Fundy Ceilidh, et al. Reading: Vanessa Hawkins Catering and cash bar SUNDAY Venue: Gallery and Parkland Inn 9:30 am – 11:30 am – Roche Sappier -- Talking Circle: Mythologies that derive from Indigenous Roots (GALLERY) OR 9:30 am – 11:30 am – Vanessa Hawkins – Writing Fantasy (PARKLAND) Cheers, Rhonda Bulmer and Kris Windley Dieppe, New Brunswick.(Make sure to take in some activities during Quinze-Août - August 15, National Acadian Day!) WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS! Bonnie Baird - Bonnie lives in Sackville and is a full-time writer who specializes in poetry, although she's interested in many genres. Welcome, Bonnie! Carolyn Higgins - Carolyn is an educator in Fredericton and is interested in poetry, Blogging, Creative non-fiction, Essays, and Memoir. Welcome, Carolyn! Check out Carolyn's blog here: https://poetryproseperspectiveandpractice.blogspot.com/ David Hansford - David lives in Hampton where he is a retired teacher. He writes Fiction and Flash/Micro fiction. welcome, David! John Kelley - is from Quispamsis, and focuses on flash/micro fiction. Welcome, John! April Morgan is from Sackville and writes in the genres of Essays, Memoir, and Non-Fiction. Welcome, April! Tammy Morgan also lives in Sackville and focuses on fiction. Welcome, Tammy! Aren Morris - Aren A. Morris (arenamorris.com) is a Halifax-based educator, performer and novelist. She is co-owner of Black Box Publishing House, a relatively new press with a focus on Maritime Authors and works by, for and about women. Aren’s debut novel, We Happy Few, was released in May 2022. She is now working on her sophomore novel, another historical fiction set in NS and Europe during the First World War. She is interested in the genres of Historical Fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Romance, Scriptwriting Carol Taylor (caroltaylor.ca) Carol is a visual artist/ potter from Rothesay who is interested in the genres of creative non-fiction, fiction, illustration, non-fiction, and flash/micro fiction. Welcome, Carol! MEMBER NEWS Anne-Marie Beattie (pen name Anne Murphy) announced the release of her new book, Women of Western New Brunswick, on June 21. Find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0C8R9DDC9/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3YUY0MN5YRC&keywords=ann This collection of multiple biographies from a single writer and contributing writers features women born or living on the Western border of New Brunswick, from Tobique First Nation to the Fundy Shores. The resourcefulness of women remains constant. Whether 1825 or 2025, mothers are still protective of their children, aging parents, and terminal spouses. Women still struggle. The struggle was, and still is, a juggling of home and children while balancing a source of outside income. This book features a cross-section of women born or having lived in the western part of NB spanning 200 years . They share the commonality of struggle. WFNB members Ryla Nicholas, and her father (and new board member!), Roche Sappier, leader of Chapter One Writing Group in Perth - Andover, have submitted an entry on her paternal grandmother, Rena Sappier. *** Steve Chiasson (pen name S.C. Eston) has launched a new project titled The Baneseeker Project. It’s a new open-ended dark fantasy series, set in the world of Arvelas, the same setting as his novella The Conclave. This time, Steve invites interested readers to participate in the development of the story and possibly influence the direction of the series! Anyone interested can join and provide feedback at their own convenience. Some will jump in from the beginning and receive early drafts of stories before they are edited or published. Other readers wait until the books are published and provide their comments then. Any feedback that is selected and included in a book will see the contributor’s name included in the book. It’s a great way to learn about the process of building a story and publishing a book. More information can be found on the official project page on Steve’s website, here: https://sceston.com/baneseeker. Everyone is welcome to join! *** CSG Publishing House is proud to announce the upcoming novel, Dante's Inferno by Charlotte St. James (the pen name of WFNB member Vanessa Hawkins). Dante's Inferno is a sexy retelling of Dante Alighieri's 14th century epic poem, Divine Comedy and runner up of the 2022 David Adams Richard's Award. *** Joan Hall Hovey launches her new book, The Long Dark Road, on August 26, 2023, 2:00 - 4:00 pm. Joan will sign your new book at the Partridge Island Publishing bookstore, located at the AREA 506 container village at 85 Water Street, Saint John. Check out Joan’s work at joanhallhoveyauthor.com *** Benjamin McFarlane has just published a novella (Two Tales of New Brunswick Bootlegging/Deux histoires de "Bootlegging" au Nouveau Brunswick) in a somewhat unconventional way. Moonshine Creek Distillery commissioned two war veteran stories, dramatizing numerous historical events in the Northwestern part of the province. This is Benjamin's first published fiction, and finding all the historical events and details was an extremely large research project, including sorting through hundreds of newspaper articles, correspondences and court records to produce the story of Etienne Dubois, who is based on a real New Brunswick WWI veteran. Readers will have an entertaining first-hand account of dramatic events in Madawaska, some of which have not been talked about since they happened a century ago. At $40 plus shipping, Ben likes to say it comes with a free bottle of top shelf 3-year-old rum. (they come as a pair) :) NEWSY BITS
Positions to fill: · Treasurer · General board member If you are interested in joining the board or would like more information, please contact Grace Taylor (Chair, They/Them) by email at chair.word.feast@gmail.com*** On Saturday, October 14, the Fredericton Public Library (12 Carleton Street, Fredericton) will host a Local Authors Book Fair onsite in conjunction with Word Feast 2023. We are excited to issue a call for participants in the local writing and publishing communities. This free day-long event will provide the opportunity for New Brunswick-based authors to speak about or read from their book in a public space, to sell their book if they wish, and meet other authors and local readers. This will be a free drop-in event for the public consisting of about 15 presenting authors and up to 30 authors selling books, with time and space provided for light refreshments and perusing tables. Author involvement consists of offering a 10–15-minute presentation or a reading of their book and the option to setup a table alongside fellow authors to sell and sign their book. Feel free to refer authors to Michelle Lovegrove Thomson (michelle.thomson@gnb.ca) and/or colleague Amanda Lloyd (Amanda.lloyd@gnb.ca) to reserve a table or obtain more information. We are aiming to have a tentative schedule and list of participating authors by September 15. Music/Musique NB is partnering with Nordicity to create an accurate profile of the New Brunswick industry (le français suivra) Music/Musique NB is partnering with Nordicity to create an accurate profile of the New Brunswick industry as well as an up-to-date assessment of music's impact on our provincial economy. They need people, from all sectors of the music industry, to fill out our Sound Impact survey: Artists, producers, songwriters, sound engineers, venue managers, educators, booking agents, festival organizers, music store owners, etc. Please help them reach as many people as possible by sharing the survey in your networks. For more information, please visit MNB's website. Bonjour! Music·Musique NB s'associe à Nordicity pour obtenir un profil précis de l'industrie de la musique au Nouveau-Brunswick, de même qu'une analyse à jour de l'impact de la musique sur notre économie provinciale. Nous avons besoin que les personnes œuvrant dans les divers secteurs de l'industrie de la musique remplissent notre sondage Impact sonore: Artistes, réalisateur·trices, auteur·es-compositeur·trices, ingénieur·es de son, gérant·es de salle, éducateur·trices, agent·es de booking, organisateur·trices de festival, propriétaires de magasin de musique, etc. Merci de nous aider à rejoindre autant de gens que possible en partageant le sondage dans vos réseaux. Pour plus d'informations, veuillez visiter le site de MNB. CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Yolk accepts Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Visual Arts from Canadian artists. The theme for this issue is: Solastalgia. Do you have something in your back pocket? The submission deadline is Monday, August 14. They pay $30 per page, regardless of genre, up to a maximum of $200. We pay $200 for our print cover art. All contributors will also receive a free copy of the journal. *For the purposes of our publication, we consider a Canadian to be: Anyone with Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, at home or abroad; Anyone currently residing in Canada. Direct all submissions to themail@yolkliterary.ca. Please visit our submission guidelines for further information about the theme, payment, and formatting your submission. SUNSPOT LIT, Open call for writers and artists Sunspot Lit welcomes art and fiction, nonfiction, poetry, scripts, and graphic novels from 4 words to 49,000 words (open calls for longer categories close early). Accepting genre, commercial, mainstream and literary pieces. Pays editor’s prizes and cover art. Submit at https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit today! WRITERS’ WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES & RETREATS
RESIDENCIES
WRITING CONTESTS-- OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS
Journals, Zines and Podcasts
Publishers and Literary Markets
Grants, Residencies and Poet Laureateships Provincial Grants Artsnb administers eight grant programs. Deadlines vary throughout the year. You can submit your grant applications online. In addition, ArtsNB:
Federal Grants
An artist with a new and early career artist profile is eligible to apply for grants from three Explore and Create components:
To be eligible as a New/Early Career Artist, you must:
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. Canadian Writing Markets
Services for Writers Writing Mentoring /Coaching
Editing
Self-Publishing
Translation
Post a Short Ad It's free for members (runs indefinitely) and $15 for non-members. For members, this service includes posting your ad on the Resources page of wfnb.ca. Ongoing Membership Benefits Group Health Insurance for Writers The Writers’ Coalition Program offers an affordable personal health insurance plan for WFNB members. To obtain a quote, just provide your province and date of birth here. WFNB Bookstore ClubPresent your current membership card to receive a 10% discount at the following independent bookstores: and Blind Forest Books & Novelties in Sackville, Cover to Cover Books in Riverview, Tidewater Books in Sackville, and Westminster Books in Fredericton. Regional Representatives Region Representative Charlotte Country, St. Andrews Vanessa Hawkins Fredericton Jenna Lyn Albert Moncton, Dieppe, Riverview Kayla Geitzler Saint John, Grand Bay-Westfield, Rothesay Martha Vowles Shediac Louise Comtois Sussex Jane Simpson Tantramar, Sackville, Port Elgin, Dorchester Geordie Miller Lifetime MembersNancy Bauer, Ann Brennan, Kent Bulmer, Rhonda Bulmer, Wayne Curtis, Sheree Fitch, Jean Frances, Cathy Fynn, Ginny Hill, M. Travis Lane, Gwen Martin, M. Anne Mitton, David Adams Richards, Valerie Sherrard, Lee D. Thompson, Doug Underhill Become a Lifetime MemberLifetime membership costs $1000. We appreciate the generosity of those members who are ensuring the continuity of the WFNB, and its impact on NB writers, by such a donation. Contact us at info@wfnb.ca for more details. Lifetime Membership has been bestowed on those founding members who helped establish the WFNB in the 1980s. It is also sometimes bestowed on those who have made a significant volunteer contribution to the life of our organization. See the main page of our website for a list of general sponsors, and sponsors of our awards programs. The Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick acknowledges that the land on which we live and work, gather and create is, by law, the traditional unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples, and we honour the spirit of the Treaties of Peace and Friendship. | SEEKING BACK ISSUES of Historical publicationsDear 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 Chapbook series). "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
There is a list of current writing groups (that we know of) in each issue of Inkspot, but there are undoubtedly more across New Brunswick. 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. 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 |