Are you a developing writer completing your first manuscript and seeking a mentor? Or do you know one? Submissions are now open for the 2022 WT Mentorship program, which pairs established and developing writers working in fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction for one-on-one instruction.  This is a unique opportunity for writers who are just starting their careers to focus and receive guidance on their current work-in-progress.  Mentorships will run for five months (April-August 2022). Beyond instruction, mentees will also receive $2,500 to help finance their writing time during their mentorship.   View the Guidelines and Application Form Deadline: Monday, January 10, 2022 Each mentor will select one mentee to work with from the pool of applicants. The participating mentors are: Kaie Kellough Poetry “I’m interested in writing that balances experimentation with a devotion to clarity and a concern for the needs of the subject. I’m drawn to writing that sees poetic exploration as necessary to navigating our complex histories and the challenges of our present moment. I’m impressed by work that commits to the personal while expanding outward, into the world. Finally — crucially — I’m seeking a poet who is curious about the arts at large, who is committed to reading, listening, discussing, looking, voicing, and writing.”   Monia Mazigh Fiction “I am looking for an author who comes to this program with big dreams to produce something original, smart, and delicate. I’m fluently bilingual and can support mentees in both English and French. I am always impressed by people who can put passion and hard work together. The result can only be beautiful.” Harley Rustad Literary Nonfiction “I’m looking for a writer with, above all, a strong sense of story, who holds a narrative about a remarkable life or an important issue — representing change, connection, trial, or hope — that the writer is determined to explore. I’m excited to work with someone, whether in memoir or reported nonfiction, who is passionate about taking readers on a journey or changing the way they see the world.”

We hope you’ll consider pursuing this opportunity or sharing this call for applications with other writers who are at the beginning stages of their career. The Writers' Trust is proud to administer programs like this which have the ability to transform the artistic development of emerging writers and provide valuable assistance in bringing their work to publication.    This program is generously funded by the RBC Emerging Artists Project, which aims to provide opportunities to advance an artist's career trajectory. Interested in Other Mentorship Opportunities? Check out the list of Canadian mentorship programs our friends at The Writers’ Union of Canada compiled. It contains details and links to a range of programs across the country.  …And Another Thing Do you know about the Writers' Trust's Woodcock Fund? It’s unlike any other grant program in Canada, providing support to writers facing unforeseen financial challenges. This can range from full-blown crisis, like health emergencies, to more general setbacks that necessitate temporary support. Writers in Canada work on a proverbial financial tightrope. The Woodcock Fund is there to make sure when things go wrong there’s a safety net to catch them. Applications are accepted year-round. Additional details are available at writerstrust.com. Contact the program director with any questions.

Access Copyright invites you to take part in an important campaign entitled Creators Calling on Ottawa.

On October 26, the federal government announced its new Cabinet. With new and returning Ministers around the Cabinet table, we must act now to continue to urge the federal government to amend the Copyright Act so that creators and publishers are paid for the copying of their works by the education sector. This short video explains what’s at stake and why it’s critical that the government takes action now. That’s where we hope you will step in. It’s simple to add your voice.

1. Take a selfie of yourself holding one of your books.
2. Post the picture to your social media account(s) with a short message sharing why the Copyright Act needs to be amended.
   • Here are two sample messages you can use or adapt:
   • • For 10 years, creators like me have not been paid by educational institutions when our work is copied. Please support amending the Copyright Act so I can keep telling Canadian stories.
     • To keep creating Canadian stories like the ones I write, the education sector needs to pay for the use of our work. The government needs to fix the Copyright Act.
3. Be sure to tag Prime Minister Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau), Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez (@pablorodriguez) & Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne (@FP_Champagne), and also add the hashtags #IValueCdnStories, #cdnpoli, and #creatorscallingonottawa.

You’ll find an example post here.

Share our message! Please pass along this message to any creator friends and encourage them to get involved as well.

Not on social media? No problem. Just send us a photo along with the message you’d like to share and we’ll post it on our social networks.

We hope you’ll add your voice to the Creators Calling on Ottawa campaign. 

Are you curious about birth? Are you pregnant and wonder how it feels to give birth? Have you ever wished you could hear authentic and dynamic stories of birth from talented storytellers? Please join us October 30, 2021, for this intimate, one of a kind experience to hear award-winning birth stories and a live music performance by Kim June Johnson! 

This virtual event is called a Birth Sharing Circle, and is the culmination of the Doula Support Foundation’s third annual Birth Story Writing Contest. Personal stories of the diverse and compelling experiences of birth from around Canada were submitted by talented and breathtaking writers, and an expert group of writers, maternal health professionals, and birth nerds selected the winning stories. For this event, the jurors and readers will present winners of the Birth Story Writing Contest 2021 who will share their birth and writing experiences.

We created the Birth Story Writing Contest and this culmination Birth Sharing Circle to provide a platform for people—from expectant parents to seasoned birthers to birth workers—to hear real, diverse, and always beautifully written stories that focus on the voices of those who birth. We believe that everyone along their reproductive journey has the right to be heard, cared for, and respected, and this event is a wonderful opportunity for the contest winners to share their stories, be heard, and have others gain wisdom from their courage and power.

You can read the birth stories here. We will publish one birth story every week until Christmas.

The programme will include the sharing of :

Dear Diary - October 1979 by Jennifer Ashton

Jenn Ashton is an Award-winning author and visual artist. Her book of Short Stories, People Like Frank and Other Stories from the Edge of Normal (TidewaterPress 2020) is shortlisted for the Indigenous Voices Award (2021). Jenn was a Teaching Assistant in the Simon Fraser University's Writer's Studio and is now studying at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Professional Education. She is currently the Writer in Residence at the British Columbia History Magazine.

Winter Rose by Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt

Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt is a mother of four. Her fiction, essays and poems have appeared in Best Canadian Essays 2019 and Best Canadian Essays 2015, The New Quarterly, Grain, EVENT, Prairie Fire, Malahat Review, subTerrain, carte blanche, Antigonish Review, Queens Quarterly and Room, among other publications. She holds an MA from McGill University and an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC. Tanya is the author of the poetry collection Chaos Theories of Goodness (Shoreline, 2021) and Peacekeeper’s Daughter: A Middle East Memoir (Thistledown, 2021). Read more about Tanya and her writing at https://tanyaallattbellehumeur.com/

Mama Fits by Alison Milan

Alison Milan (she/they) lives on unceded, unsurrendered Algonquin Anishnaabeg territory with their partner, daughter, and two cats. Her interest in birth and desire to empower to-be parents of all sorts sparked a desire to share the story of her daughter’s birth. Alison loves to explore food and the great outdoors, studied Geography and Education at York University, and works as a Policy Analyst with Natural Resources Canada.

And a short talk about maternity care by:

Karen Lawford

Karen is professor at Queen’s University. Dr. Lawford is an Aboriginal midwife (Namegosibiing, Lac Seul First Nation, Treaty 3) and a Registered midwife (Ontario). Her research focuses on comprehensive, gender-inclusive sexual and reproductive healthcare for Indigenous Peoples with a particular focus on the provision of maternity care for those who live on reserve.

All donations will be used towards providing Birth, Postpartum and Bereavement doula care for low-income families in the Kingston area.

The Performer's Theatre Company of Sackville, NB, welcomes the playwright Adam Z. Robinson for a workshop and forum October 23-24. His play, "The Book of Darkness & Light" will open on October 27 at their community theatre studio. 

GHOST STORY WORKSHOP - Saturday October 23rd - United Church - 10am - 4pm - $60 adults / $20 students. 

There are 20 seats available for this workshop. Adam will share his knowledge and skill as a professional playwright. 

FORUM WITH ADAM - Sunday October 24th - The Studio - 4pm - 5pm - Free.

Meet Adam as he talks about his play, how it came to be written and shares further about his work, as a writer and actor. He will also read from one of his latest plays. There will be time for questions and answers, and the director, along with three of the cast, will be on hand to answer your questions and share about their involvement.

To book for these, and for the play itself, go to our website and follow the instructions: www.performerstheatre.com

Phoebe is a free resource for any NB writer who would like feedback on their work or a conversation about writing.  You can set up an online session with her and get more information about her writing and approach to mentorship at https://www.unb.ca/fredericton/arts/departments/english/student-life.html#writer.

Access Copyright - CALL TO ACTION Share the urgent need to fix fair dealing with the federal government Over the past few months, Access Copyright has worked with a small group of authors to test out a book mailing campaign to push Prime Minister Trudeau and the federal government to reform the Copyright Act so that Canadian creators and publishers are paid for the use of their work by the education sector. You may have seen authors such as Sylvia McNicoll, Robert Rotenberg and Amy Stuart on social media sharing that they mailed one of their books as well as personal letter to the PM.  Many of the authors who have taken part have received letters back from the PM’s office confirming their mailing were getting through and thanking them for sharing their work with the Prime Minister. With that welcome news, it is now time to take this campaign to the next level. That’s where we hope you will get involved. It’s all part of an effort to bring to Ottawa’s attention the urgent need to address the education fair dealing exception, which has resulted in much of the education sector refusing to pay approximately $150 million in royalties for educational copying. The federal government plans to introduce a bill later this year to update the Copyright Act to address its obligations under Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement to extend the term of copyright protection. They are also in the process of conducting a series of consultations around various aspects of copyright law which will inform additional the amendments to the Act. At this time, the government has not indicated any intention to address the harm caused by the education fair dealing exception.  This is deeply concerning as our creative sector has been dealing with the impact of this issue for almost a decade now. That’s why we are asking you to join this campaign today and share your work and your thoughts on what it means to be a Canadian creator with the PM, and why the federal government needs to take action to fix fair dealing. Here is how you can get involved   Mail one your books to Prime Minister Trudeau: Who better than you to share a Canadian story with the PM? Along with a book, include a personal note to him describing what trying to build a living as a professional writer looks like in Canada. How do you make ends meet? What sacrifices do you have to make? How has the loss of royalties from the education sector affected you? The mailing address is:  Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, P.C. , M.P. Prime Minister of Canada  Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 Share your mailing on social media: Before you mail out your book, please take a picture and post it to your social media platforms, with an explanation of why you are sending your book to the PM—for example, “I mailed my latest book to Prime Minster Trudeau to remind him what supporting Canadian creators really means.” It’s important that Canadians see the faces behind our stories and their rich diversity.  Here is how to make your message heard Tag Prime Minister Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau), Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault (@s_guilbeault) and Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne (@FP_Champagne).  Use the hashtags #IValueCdnStories & #cdnpoli.  Tag our organization as well as Access Copyright (@AccessCopyright) and I Value Canadian Stories (Twitter: @valuecdnstories; Facebook: @IValueCanadianStories; Instagram: @ivaluecanadianstories).  Please email editor@accesscopyright.ca to let us know you have mailed a book to the Prime Minister. Encourage others to get involved: Help build the momentum by encouraging others in your network to take part. Amplify what others are doing: Share posts related to the campaign. Just search for #IValueCdnStories on Twitter, Instagram in Facebook and then RT, share, like and comment away!  Have questions? We’re here to help. Email Access Copyright at editor@accesscopyright.ca.

Since its inception in 1998, the Lorenzo Society at UNB Saint John has had the privilege of hosting Canadian authors from across the country. These readings were typically in person, however, with the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, we’ve been challenged to pivot to hosting virtual events.

In September 2020 we launched the Lorenzo Virtual Book Club (LVBC). We feature authors on the third Wednesday every month; and for the 2020-2021 season, we hosted authors such as Emma Donoghue, Uzma Jalaluddin, Janie Chang, and many others.

In November we will be hosting Genevieve Graham as we discuss her bookLetter Across the Sea. This discussion will take place on Wednesday, November 17 at 7:30PM (ADT).  Participants must register in advance.  Please email lorenzo@unb.ca to register.

In December we will be hosting Lesley Crewe as we discuss her book The Spoon Stealer.  This discussion will take place on Sunday, December 5^, at 2:00PM (ADT).  Participants must register in advance.  Please email lorenzo@unb.ca to register.

All Lorenzo events are listed in our printed program.  To get a copy of our fall and/or winter program, email us with your name and address and the program(s) will be mailed to you.

This year's judges are Selina Boan, Matthew Gwathmey and Susan Musgrave. 

Get your submissions in by December 1 for a chance to win the $2000 prize for best poem!
Click here for more information: https://thefiddlehead.ca/contest

We're hosting a workshop on Saturday starting at 11:30 Atlantic Time that might be of interest to some of your members. Registration is limited, but we've reserved 30 seats for non-members at a price of $20 a ticket.

Tickets are available here:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/fall-virtual-mini-retreat-tickets-170066047125

Here is the itinerary: 

Saturday, Oct 2 - Mini Fall Virtual Retreat

1130 AM -1:00 PM - Using Character Emotion to Wow Readers: Becca Pugilsi, co-author, The Emotion Thesaurus

1:00-2:00 Lunch break (we'll leave the meeting live for people to chat informally)

2:00-3:00 Q&A with Literary Agent Paige Wheeler, Creative Media Agency

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, 2022 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) 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.

The winners of the Fourth Annual Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction have been determined. They are Jules Torti of Lion’s Head, Ontario in first place, and Beth Ann Knowles of Riverport, Nova Scotia in second place.

The top winning entry was Been There, Ate That: A Candy Coated Childhood by Jules Torti, a memoir about “edible memories that will transport readers back to a time and place that no longer exists but lingers dormant in our taste buds.” Jules is the former editor-in-chief of Harrowsmith and writes about “the best things in life: birds, books, burgers, beaches and beer (in no particular order).”

The second place winner, The Kimchi Experiment by Beth Ann Knowles, is “a humorous and charming story of adventure of miscommunication, discovery, frustration, and growth for two Canadian newlyweds as they spend a year teaching in rural South Korea.”