This week’s post is full of workshops and events to inspire you and keep you engaged. Scroll down to learn more about a Haiku Contest for Vancouver Island residents, a Publication Grant for authors writing about Vancouver’s heritage, a call for applications for the Powell River Public Library Children’s and Youth Writer in Residence program this fall – plus book launches, poetry readings and more!
Note: While we believe that the listings below may be of interest to FBCW members, the Federation of BC Writers is not directly affiliated with any of the following organisations or groups.
Submit your event or call-out to our next blog post here, or contact Rachel at rachel@bcwriters.ca.
Online Workshop: How to Write Thrilling Thrillers with Amber Cowie
Saturday, April 15, 2023, 10:00 – 11:30 AM Pacific Time
Sponsored by Sisters in Crime – Canada West
FREE on Zoom
Amber Cowie will cover key elements of writing riveting stories that make readers want to stay up all night. This workshop will focus on the specific expectations of the genre (including the inciting incident, gathering allies and enemies, and the “all is lost moment”) that ratchet up tension and lead to a satisfying conclusion. In the session, participants will develop a story outline that employs twists, tropes, and turns to create thrilling fiction.
Amber Cowie is a novelist living in a small town on the west coast of British Columbia. Her first novel, Rapid Falls, was a Whistler Book Awards nominee, hit number one overall on Amazon, and was a top-100 bestselling Kindle book of 2018. Her next book will be released by Simon and Schuster Canada in February 2024.
Register here: https://sistersincrime-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAlf–oqT0jGtyZw7sSGDGdCfVUAp2RZmi8
Contest: Give Us Your Best Haiku
Submission Deadline: Midnight, April 17, 2023
Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL)
To celebrate National Poetry Month, the Vancouver Island Regional Library is running the Give Us Your Best Haiku Contest around the theme of joy. Submit up to three haiku for the chance to win one of two fantastic prizes and have your work showcased to the library’s virtual fans. The contest is free to enter and open to all residents of the VIRL service area.
For more information, visit https://virl.bc.ca/give-us-your-best-haiku-contest/ or the Vancouver Island Regional Library + Fans Facebook page.
Book Launch
Friday, April 21, 2023, 1 – 3 pm
Autumn Services, Fraser Lake, BC
Doris Ray is celebrating the release of An Old Dead Tree in a Gravel Pit with a launch at the Autumn Services Centre in Fraser Lake. The book includes selections of mainly narrative poetry followed by stories that reflect the era and times of Doris’ life, residing in the rural British Columbia Interior. For more information, email Doris at dorishray@gmail.com.
https://www.amazon.ca/Old-Dead-Tree-Gravel-Recollections/dp/1989940676/
Poetry Reading
Saturday, April 22, 2023 2:00 – 3:00 pm
North Vancouver Public Library, Capilano Branch
3045 Highland Blvd, North Vancouver, BC
Join award-winning poets Susan Alexander and Rhona McAdam as they weave themes of spirituality, environment, food and family into powerful readings that will move, delight and inspire.
For more information, visit https://nvdpl.ca/event/taste-heaven-poems-feed-body-soul-and-nature
Register online at https://nvdpl.ca/node/5884/register or call 604-987-4471, ext. 8175
DAKH DAUGHTERS: Underground Ethno Punk Cabaret from Ukraine!
Wednesday, April 26, 7:30 pm
Port Theatre, Nanaimo, BC
Armed with musical instruments in hand, these seven actresses create a life-affirming performance about love, freedom, and beauty which – at the end of the day – will save the world. Immerse yourself in an experimentally-creative space where the walls of boring routine are broken!
The Federation of BC Writers is the Community Sponsor for this performance of Dakh Daughters. Come say hello to us at our table before the show and during intermission.
For more information, visit https://www.porttheatre.com/events/spotlight-dakh-daughters/
Book Launch: Kevin Chong and Lindsay Wong
Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
The Chinatown Storytelling Centre, 168 East Pender Street, Vancouver, BC
Presented by Word Vancouver and The Asian Canadian Writers Workshop, come celebrate the joint book launches of Kevin Chong, The Double Life of Benson Yu, (Simon and Schuster) and Lindsay Wong, Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality (Penguin Random House). Enjoy readings and talks from both authors, as well as from featured guest author Christine Lai, Landscapes (Penguin Random House).
Books will be available for purchase and signing through the Chinatown Storytelling Centre’s Foo Hung Curios bookstore. Explore the CSC’s permanent exhibition as you mingle, and take a peek at local wares in Foo Hung Curios! Food and beverage available on-site.
Register via Eventbrite here.
The Joy of Poetry: Reading and Open Mic
Thursday, April 27, 2023, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Third Space Coffee, 1708 Dolphin Ave, #103, Kelowna, BC
FREE
An evening of poetry by local poets, featuring readings by Robert Humphries, Fern G. Z. Carr, Lesley-Anne Evans and Sally Quon. An open mic will follow. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Publication Grant
Financial assistance for new publications focusing on Vancouver’s heritage places
Deadline: May 15th, 2023
Contact: Grant Programs Manager, Meghan Lenz, meghan@vancouverheritagefoundation.org
Up to $10,000 is available for publication projects aiming to increase public awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of heritage places or heritage conservation in Vancouver, including cultural landscapes and intangible cultural heritage.
For more information, visit: https://www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org/grants/publication-grant/
Call for Applications: Powell River Public Library Children’s and Youth Writer in Residence
Residency Dates: September 19 – October 31, 2023
Application Deadline: Friday, June 2 at midnight
Queries: Mel Edgar, edgar@prpl.ca
The Powell River Public Library invites applications for the Writer in Residence contract, a 6-week community engagement residency supporting emerging and established authors writing for children and youth. The residency aims to foster an appreciation for writing through innovative public programming, including school visits, outreach to community organizations, and in-person programs such as workshops, writer’s groups, and live performances.
For more information, visit www.prpl.ca/writer-in-residence
