A new year is almost here – bringing more workshops, contests, retreats, readings and other great writing events. Scroll down to read the latest details.
Note: the Federation of BC Writers is not directly affiliated with the following organizations or groups.
Submit your event or announcement to our next blog post here, or contact Rachel at rachel@bcwriters.ca.
Pulp Literature Wants You!
Call for Volunteers
Love all things literary? Want to get the inside scoop on publishing? Pulp Literature is celebrating its ten-year anniversary, and they’re on the lookout for passionate volunteers to help them continue to offer ‘Good Books for the Price of a Beer’! Unleash your creativity, connect with fellow word-nerds, and support a community of storytellers. Whether you’re a grammar guru, design diva, social media maestro, or simply passionate about good storytelling, they’ve got a place for you.
Check out their website, or fill out their volunteer form here.
Workshop: ChatGPT 101
Friday, December 15, 2023, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm PST
Arts BC – Community Cultural Forums
Online via Zoom (link will be provided in confirmation email.)
FREE – register here.
Presented by Arts BC, participants will dive into the world of ChatGPT and prompt engineering, essential tools in today’s AI-driven landscape. This workshop is tailored for content creators, grant writers and artists, demonstrating how ChatGPT can enhance productivity and creativity in their specific fields. Attendees will receive hands-on guidance on getting started with ChatGPT, understanding its core functionality, and mastering the art of prompt engineering to elicit tailored, precise responses. Participants will leave equipped to unlock the full potential of ChatGPT in their professional and personal lives.
The information shared during this workshop is for information purposes only, and we encourage attendees to discern if and when it is appropriate to utilize ChatGPT in their work and/or practice.
Learn more or register here: https://artsbc.org/events/#!event/2023/12/15/chatgpt-101
Pulp Literature’s 10th Anniversary Gala
Friday, December 15th, 7pm
Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay, 412 W Hastings, Vancouver
FREE
You are cordially invited to join Pulp Literature as they celebrate ten years of publishing great reads for the price of a beer. There will be literary readings, swordfighting, an appetizer competition, the launch of Issue 41, a silent auction, and a live band. Bring a plate of appetizers or sweets to take part in the potluck competition, and bid on any of the dozens of enticing silent auction offerings. Then dance the night away with The Fabulous Ringtones!
The event is absolutely FREE to attend, but please RSVP here so they can keep track of numbers.
Burnaby StrideFest: Poets Corner
Call for Submissions from Burnaby Poets
Submission Deadline: Midnight, December 15, 2023
Festival: February 2 – 10, 2024
Burnaby StrideFest is an annual celebration of Burnaby-based art. In addition to an art walk, live music Celtic kitchen dance party, and a range of unique free art demos and workshops, the festival features a dedicated Poet’s Corner. Burnaby residents are invited to submit up to three poems for consideration to fill shop widows and the streets with poetry (Hastings Street between Ingleton St. and Madison Avenue).
To submit your poems, fill out the online form or email stridefest@gmail.com with STRIDEFEST POETRY in the subject line.
Find out more at https://weareburnaby.com/stride/
University of King’s College
Online Writing Workshops
Early-Early Bird Registration Deadline: December 15, 2023
4-week and 8-week courses begin in February 2024.
New King’s College writing workshops include Travel Writing; Food Writing; Fiction Fundamentals; Introduction to Memoir; Black Voices, Black Stories; and Writing Your Family Story. Visit https://ukings.ca/programs/non-credit/writing-workshops/ for more information and to sign up at the reduced Early-Early Bird rate.
Workshop: A.I. Show & Tell
Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG)
Tuesday, December 19, 3:00 – 4:30 pm Pacific Time (6:00 pm Eastern Time)
Online
$5.00 for CFG members; $10.00 for FBCW members (discount code required – email rachel@bcwriters.ca BY Dec 15 for discount code)
Most people have no idea how much A.I. is already part of our daily lives. It’s in our phones, our computers, our bank accounts, the digital map you use to check traffic. The list goes on.
Yes, there are risks. Yes, you need to learn how to use this scalpel before you start using it. But if you’re good with words, know how to ask questions, you can learn to use these new tools safely and effectively. And we believe you should learn how they work. This workshop will include a behind-the-scenes look at A.I. at work for the CFG and for individual members.
Find out more or register at https://canadianfreelanceguild.wildapricot.org/event-5508769
NOTE: REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 12 PM ET ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT
Workshop: Find and Win Government Contracts
Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG)
Wednesday January 10, 2024, 3:00 pm Pacific Time (6 pm ET)
Online
$5.00 for CFG members; $10.00 for FBCW members (discount code required – email rachel@bcwriters.ca for discount code)
Join us for the first CFG Experts Panel of 2024 and discover how you can navigate the government contracting system to your advantage as a freelancer. Find out how the system works, how to make it work for you, and whether this is the kind of client you really want.
Find out more or register at https://canadianfreelanceguild.wildapricot.org/event-5485316
NOTE: REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 12 PM ET ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Literary Arts Thematic: Form and Constraint – Spring 2024
12-day self-directed residency
Application deadline: January 10, 2024
Program dates: April 22 – May 3, 2024
This program will consider how authors of fiction and poetry use form and constrained forms to create opportunities for new and unfettered expression.
Delve deep into your creative project and take advantage of the artistic community of your peers around you. This residency provides opportunities for consultations with mentors, readings, and optional group sessions led by guest mentors that allow creators to explore techniques, aspects, and devices that might be useful in your practice.
For more information, visit https://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/literary-arts-thematic-form-and-constraint-spring-2024/20240422 or Literary Arts residency programs.
https://bcbooklook.com/latest-issue/
In case you haven’t picked up the latest copy of BC BookWorld yet, you’ll find a digital copy here – with more literary news from around the province.
