WordSpring is in Fredericton, May 30 - June 1, 2025!

If you can't attend for the whole weekend, we have a range of options for you.

Whether you are a student, a member, or a non-member, you can find something to enjoy during this 3 day festival. Remember that the Friday night Literary Soiree celebrating the winners of 2025 NB Writing Competition, as well as the New Brunswick Book Awards on Saturday night are open to the public, and free to attend.

1. Stay for the weekend

This includes all activities from Friday afternoon to Sunday at noon. But please note: accommodations at the Crowne Plaza are now fully booked.

2. Buy a Saturday pass

This includes Mark Leslie Lefebvre's Saturday morning address, lunch, Pitch the Publisher and an afternoon workshop. And please attend the NB Book Awards on Saturday evening!

3. Or, attend a single workshop

You can choose one of our many available workshops, from Mark Leslie Lefebvre's discussion on the varied paths to publishing on Saturday morning, to one of the two writing craft workshops on Saturday afternoon, or one of two on Sunday morning.

If you have trouble registering, contact us at 506-974-1476, and we'll assist you.

This year, all events for WordSpring and the New Brunswick Book Awards take place in Fredericton, hosted by the wonderful staff at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 659 Queen St, Fredericton, NB.

The tenth annual NB Book Awards--which is a free event, and open to the public-- will be held on Saturday evening and emceed by Vanessa Vander Valk of CBC's Main Street. Our guest speaker is comedian and CBC host of Canada Reads, Ali Hassan.

We have a great lineup of workshops for you to enjoy, including the accomplished Mark Leslie Lefebvre, who will teach us about the many paths to publishing. 

Register soon! WordSpring 2025 is only a few  months away. 

(NOTE: DEADLINE HAS PASSED FOR CONSIGNMENT TABLE.) We will set up a merchandise table on Friday afternoon and evening at the Crowne Plaza. We will allow those who are launching books at WordSpring to sign up for us to sell your books on consignment in our shop.

Please advise us at info@wfnb.ca as soon as you sign up for the book launch readings, if you would like us to sell your books on consignment on Friday. Please note that every author is responsible to carry their books to and from the merchandise table.

Accommodations 

The block of rooms at the Crowne Plaza is now fully booked.

WordSpring Schedule

Friday May 30, 2025

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Welcome! Get settled, meet and greet your fellow writers, and participate in the Open Mic and book launch readings in the Junior Ballroom

Merch table, Coffee/tea/refreshment

····DINNER ON YOUR OWN····

6:00 pm -6:45 pm

NB Writing Competition Literary Soiree Reception (cash bar),

Open to the Public

Junior Ballroom, Crowne Plaza

Music By: Leo LaFleur and guest cellist, Leandra Gold

6:45 pm

Welcome by the board

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Award Readings and Reception

Hosted by Susan White and Martha Vowles

Saturday May 31, 2025

8:00 am

Breakfast (for participants staying at the Crowne Plaza

9:30 am - 11:30 am

PUBLISHING  OPTIONS workshop with Mark Leslie Lefebvre

· · LUNCH on SITE · ·

11:45am — 12:30pm

Three events on Saturday afternoon in the Grand Ballroom

12:45 pm - 2:30 pm

Pitch the Publisher (organized by Partridge Island Publishing - to register, contact Amanda Evans at this email: amanda@partridgeislandpublishing.ca )

2:30 pm — 4:30 pm

Brian Bartlett & Michael Pacey  -  Poetry

OR

Mike Thorn - Horror

--DINNER ON YOUR OWN--

Join us to celebrate the tenth annual 

NB Book Awards!

6:00 pm - 9:00pm

Grand Ballroom,

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Fredericton

May 31, 2025

Main Ballroom,

Crowne Plaza Fredericton.

6:00 pm to 7:00 pm:

The NB Book Awards Reception

Music by: Catherine Kennedy

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm:

Live ceremony

Hosted by: Vanessa Vander Valk, CBC

Guest Speaker: Ali Hassan

Book Table provided by: Westminster Books

Trophies provided by: Glass Roots Inc

Sunday June 1, 2025

8:00 am 

Breakfast for participants staying at the Crowne Plaza

9:30 am -11:30am

Two workshop options for Sunday morning.  Choose from:

Ryan Griffith  -  Playwriting 

OR   

Gerard Collins - Writing Great Dialogue - This workshop is now full.

Checklist for Members

Make sure you didn't forget to register for anything with limited space!

Did you sign up for the Meet and Greet, Open mic and Book Launch?

Did you contact Amanda Evans (amanda@partridgeislandpublishing.ca), if you'd like to participate in the Pitch the Publisher event Saturday afternoon?

You must pay your registration for the 2025 WordSpring Festival before reserving your spot as a reader.

We will begin at 3 pm with a meet and greet time to chat and break the ice, to allow people time to arrive from where they're driving and get settled.

When the readings begin, choose an excerpt from your work that is about five minutes.

There's limited registration: First come-first served

Kicking off our summer/fall 2025 series of workshops is an ekphrastic poetry session by Nova Scotia poet Anne Simpson, who offers her knowledge in the wonderful setting of the Saint John Arts Centre.

Tree Lines: A Poetry Workshop

Join Nova Scotia writer Anne Simpson for a poetry workshop in collaboration with the Saint John Art Centre's exhibit, "The Presence of Trees". Explore what can take your poems beyond a simple description of what you see as you learn compelling ways to write about art.

About Anne Simpson:

Anne writes poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. She is the winner of the Griffin Poetry Prize for her second poetry collection, Loop (McClelland & Stewart, 2003). Simpson has been a writer-in-residence at universities and libraries across Canada. 

The Venue

The Saint John Arts Centre (20 Peel Plaza, Saint John, NB, E2L 3G6) is a multidisciplinary venue, dedicated to serving the community through arts, educational and cultural programming accessible to all. We strive to be an innovative showcase for all forms of creative expression and multidisciplinary thought.