InkSpot, May 2023 Edition

Notes and Dates

Hello, Members and Friends.

In an effort to make Inkspot a bit shorter, we have created a permanent archive for Inkspot, so that you can read the info that doesn't change very often on the website. We're hitting the highlights in your email.

Don't forget - The Helaine Becker "You're Hired" online workshop is set for this coming Monday, May 15. The more, the merrier!

 WordSpring is three weeks away!  With James Mullinger as keynote speaker (you can register separately to hear James for the low, low price of $10), and fabulous workshops and readings by Sarah Xerar Murphy, Marshall Button, Chuck Bowie and Michael Pacey, Margo Wheaton and Allan Cooper (David Adams Richards had planned to attend, but was recalled to the Senate), not to mention the literary soiree for the NB Writing Competition, hosted by Martha Vowles and Susan White, plus the NB Book Awards ceremony on Saturday evening with emcee Julia Wright and guest speaker Susanne Alexander of Goose Lane Editions, a-a-a-and a wrap-up lunch for everyone on Sunday to talk about how inspiring everything was...you just have to come. It won't be the same without you!

The Basket of Books Raffle is now available online. There are two chances to win a handcrafted basket by fellow WFNB member Beth Powning, plus all 12 nominated books. This is a $400 value, and every bit of profit will go toward the NB Book Award Program. The draw will take place on June 3 at Lily Lake Pavilion, immediately following the live awards ceremony.

Look for the event page regarding the online Annual General Meeting immediately following WordSpring.

Our annual Writers' Retreat is slated for August 18-20 at Villa Madonna Retreat House in Rothesay, and our writer-in-residence will be Susan White, author of 12 books for adults and young people. Look for the event page soon. A minimum of 15 participants is required.

Cheers,

Rhonda Bulmer & Kris Windley

Welcome, New Members

Jon Claytor- Jon is interested in flash and micro fiction, and is currently nominated for a WFNB Creative Nonfiction Award in the 2022 NB Book Awards, for his latest book, Take the Long Way Home. Welcome, Jon!

Tara Pyfrom - http://www.tarapyfrom.com/ Tara writes essays, memoir, nonfiction, poetry, and freelance work from her home in Quispamsis. Welcome Tara!

Angel Fox - Is from Riverview and is interested in the genres of biography, children's, illustration, journalism, songwriting, suspense, freelance writing. Welcome, Angel!

Annette Robichaud -  is an Acadian poet and translator from Saint John, New Brunswick. Her poems and poetry translations have appeared in print and online. Welcome, Annette!

Member News

• Heather Browne again offers a writing course in Fredericton this spring. She enjoys sharing the benefits of writing well with her local community. Check out the details below under Writing Courses, Workshops and Retreats.
  

Have you published or self-published a book? Won an award?
Are you hosting a book signing or launch event? We'll share it here, and we'll also include your news on our social media posts!

Writing Groups

• The Chapter One Writing Group, led by Roche Sappier, has moved to every third Thursday from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm at the Perth-Andover library. All are welcome! Contact Tammy at 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 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 third Saturday at 10:00 AM at the Grand Falls Public Library. 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.

New Brunswick's Newest Publisher

Making the Dash to Publishing

After five years of trial and error in the craft and business of writing, members of a writers’ group from Shediac have established a new publishing company.

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

Check back for more events next month.

Saint John

Come to the Bibliothèque publique de Saint John Free Public Library on May 18 to celebrate 140 years! À une semaine de notre fête ! Venez à la bibliothèque le 18 mai pour célébrer 140 ans de service! Thursday, May 18, from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm at 1 Market Square. Event will include live music, crafts for children, presentations, and refreshments.

Fredericton

Join The Fiddlehead on May 17 at 7 pm ADT as we launch the Spring issue with readings from The Fiddlehead's Ralph Gustafson Prize winner Moni Brar, contributors Adrienne Gruber and Kawai Shen, and special guest Mary Germaine, author of Congratulations Rhododendrons. The event will take place in Room 106 of UNB's Carleton Hall and on Zoom for those who can't attend in person. An ASL interpreter will be present.

The event is free to all. To attend virtually, please register by emailing thefiddlehead@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. When registering please provide your name and whether or not you require ASL services. If attending in person, registration is not necessary. Facebook event

Date: May 17

Time: 7:00 PM ADT 

Location: University of New Brunswick, Carleton Hall Room 106 and Zoom

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!

Writing Courses, Workshops and Retreats

- Heather Browne again offers a writing course in Fredericton this spring. She enjoys sharing the benefits of writing well with her local community. Her Spring workshop series is called "Writing Well." Heather has taught creative writing at St. Lawrence College and Seniors Centers in Ontario. 

Location: Fredericton Seniors Centre, 112 Johnson Ave.

Time: Wednesdays 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Dates: May 17 thru June 21.

Cost: $40 per person. Call 506-260-0605 to register.

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.

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

• Submit to The Fiddlehead's Creative Nonfiction contest! The deadline is June 1, the prize is $2,000, and the submissions will be judged by Cody Caetano! thefiddlehead.ca/contest

• The 2023 competition is now open and closes on June 23,2023. The Greber Awards offer separate prizes - book ($5000.00) and magazine ($2000.00) for writing concerning social justice issues. https://www.greberwritingaward.com/call-for-submissions

• The 2023 CBC Poetry Prize is currently open! The deadline to enter is Wednesday, May 31 at 11:59 p.m. ET.  You can submit an original, unpublished poem or collection of poems, up to 600 words in length. There is no minimum word requirement.

  This year, the winner will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have the opportunity to attend a two-week writing residency at Artscape Gibraltar Point, a cultural hub on Toronto Island, and have their work published on CBC Books. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.

  Submissions are read by a panel of established writers and editors from across the country. The shortlist and winner will be decided by a jury comprised of Joseph A. Dandurand, Catherine Graham and Tolu Oloruntoba.

  The entry fee is $25, which covers the administrative costs of the CBC Poetry Prize. The prize is for one long poem or a collection of poems, but the submission will be judged as a whole and must be a maximum of 600 words (including titles).

• 2023 International Literary Seminars Fiction and Poetry Contest

  In partnership with Fence! Ready to embark on an incredible literary adventure? We invite you to submit your writing for a chance to be published in Fence, one of North America’s most prestigious literary magazines, and be awarded a full scholarship to attend the December 2023 International Literary Seminars program in Kenya. The ILS program is a unique and intensive series of literary workshops, career consultations, and cultural offerings in Nairobi and Lamu, Kenya. All entries will be considered for publication in Fence or Fence Digital, and a chance to receive editorial feedback.

   The first-prize winner will have their work published in Fence, and will also be awarded a full scholarship, including tuition, accommodations, and an airfare stipend, to attend the December 2023 International Literary Seminars program in Kenya. The second-prize winner will be offered a full tuition fee waiver to attend the December 2023 International Literary Seminars program in Kenya. The third-prize winner will be offered 50% off the tuition fee. Runners up will be awarded partial fellowships to attend the program.

  Read the full contest guidelines. Deadline: August 25, 2023.  Reading Fee: $19 US

• An exciting prize for emerging writers has been launched. The Paul Cave Prize for Literature invites submissions for all forms of poetry, flash fiction, short stories and even novellas up to 10,000 words. Entries open on March 30 and close on September 30. Prizes: Best Novella - £100; Best Short Story - £50; Best Poem - £25; Best Flash Fiction - £25
  Winners of each category will also receive a complimentary copy of The Paul Cave Prize for Literature 2023 book. 
  
  Entries open: March 30, 2023
  Entries close: September 30, 2023

Call for Nominations – 2024 Lieutenant-Governor's Awards for High Achievement in the Arts

Members of the visual arts, literary arts and performing arts communities: nominate an artist for the prestigious Lieutenant-Governor's Awards for High Achievement in the Arts – and help the New Brunswick Arts Board promote artistic excellence. The nomination period is open!

The Lieutenant-Governor’s Awards for High Achievement in the Arts are designed to recognize the outstanding contribution of New Brunswick artists.

One award of $20,000 may be conferred in each of the following four (4) categories:

Visual Arts Award: including architecture, fine craft, media arts and photography. 

Performing Arts Award: including dance, music and theatre

Literary Arts Award*:  including literary translation, literary performance, spoken word and storytelling

*NEW* Indigenous Artist Award: including visual arts: architecture, fine craft, media arts and photography; performing arts: dance, music and theatre; and literary arts: literary translation, literary performance, spoken word and storytelling

* Please note that awards in Literary Arts alternate between French and English from year to year. This year (2023), nominations in English language literary arts will be considered.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT A NOMINATION: July 1, 2023

For more information on how to nominate an artist, please refer to the program guidelines or contact the artsnb Program Officer. 

CONTACT:
Rebecca Salazar, Program Officer
New Brunswick Arts Board (artsnb)
(506) 440-0037
prog@artsnb.ca
www.artsnb.ca

• OPEN CALL for submissions of all-new works
  
  An Exciting New Anthology from Exile Editions, edited by Lynn Hutchinson Lee and Nina Munteanu. Through the Portal: Stories From a Hopeful Dystopia: A collection of eco-fiction that imagines and celebrates the complexity of relationships and the emotional and physical journey from catastrophe. Dystopias embrace an element of hope through a character’s experience, and can serve as a road map for individual or community endurance, resilience, and triumph. Stories can be literary or speculative, with the environment playing an essential role in the narrative. We welcome visual content in the form of black and white illustrations accompanying a story or prose poem, or as graphic stories. We look forward to reading your work! We want submissions from everyone, emerging through established, including but not limited to LGBTQ2S+, Black, Indigenous, marginalized, under-represented, culturally diverse, and persons who are disabled. Deadline for Submission has moved to: May 31, 2023
  
  https://exilepublishing.submittable.com/submit/
  
  
• Exclusive Promotional Opportunity for WFNB Members 
  
  Mark Dykeman is a writer from Woodstock, NB, who currently publishes a Substack newsletter called How About This described as Notebook nerdery, creativity, reading, writing, and realizing, with a dash of current events and pop culture, cooked in a curious Atlantic Canadian sauce. He invites WFNB members to be interviewed about their work and creative process as a part of his Atlantic Canada Mondays series. He is happy to link back to websites, social media, etc. as a part of the interview.
  
  Mark normally sends a ten-question interview by email and gathers the interviewee's responses the same way. Interested? Contact Mark at  markdykeman@gmail.com.
  
  
• The Moderate Review is accepting short stories, poems, nonfiction, paintings, sculptures, 280 character stories (they will be tweeted if selected), music, and spoken word. The divisions between these art forms are arbitrary. Blur them. Newly established online journal The Moderate Review, showcasing both established and emerging literary talents, invites your words and voices to the ongoing creative discussion. Currently accepting submissions on a rolling basis with no deadlines or publishing dates. Submissions should be sent as a word attachment to moderatereview@gmail.com. There are no word limits, guidelines, or restrictions. However, all submissions must be original work and not previously published.
  
  
• Voyage YA seeking submission — Always free. Always open. Always paid. Please read the submission guidelines carefully. Voyage has no restrictions on the kind of fiction they’re looking for. They simply aim to publish good work and provide a space for new and established voices. To get an idea of what they publish, please read the archives. General submissions are open year-round and there is no fee to submit to the general categories. New work is published weekly. Submissions are only accepted via online submission managing system, Submittable. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
  
  
• Elegant Literature, a short fiction magazine focused exclusively on new/unpublished writers is accepting submissions in all genres, from anyone age 13 and up. We pay 10 cents a word and publish stories between 500 - 2000 words. Our contract is favourable to the author and openly available on our website. We don't allow pros to submit in order to focus on aspiring talent. Visit the website for more information.

• Live Canon - For fourteen years Live Canon have been publishing, performing, promoting, celebrating and sharing poetry. We publish anthologies, debuts and collections. Our ensemble perform poetry at theatres, festivals and events, and record poetry for radio, digital projects and interdisciplinary collaborations. We work with other art forms to create installations, interventions and experiences. We work with young people to create, explore and enjoy poetry.

• League of Canadian Poets Poetry News - Subscribe to Poetry Pause for your daily delivery of Canadian poetry! Poetry Pause delivers more than a daily poem; it delivers the chance for folks to pause for poetry.  Sign up for Poetry Pause and spare a few minutes each day for words that heal, inspire, and sustain. We’re always accepting submissions!

• Merlin Star Press is a new publisher based in Cocagne, New Brunswick, initially focusing on writers in southeastern New Brunswick, with a long-term goal of publishing writers from across Atlantic Canada. They are accepting submissions until July 1. They are interested in fiction and general interest submissions. They are not interested in poetry, children’s books, erotica, graphic novels, short stories, guide books, sports, cooking, young or new adult, memoir, autobiography, photo, self help, travel, how to, religious, or similar.

• 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. 

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. 

Writing Residencies

Check back next month for more writing residency opportunities!

Poet Laureateships

Check back next month for upcoming Poet Laureateship applications!