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One Sweet Ride Book Launches

Planet Earth Poetry at the Black Stilt Cafe, Victoria, March 5th, 2010 Web Site
The Acoustic Cafe at the Rotary Hall, Qualicum Beach, April 2nd, 2010
Three City Switzerland Tour, September 2010 TBA Aarau
To book the Easy Writers for a performance in your area email us at Easy Writers


WordStorm TUESDAY March 23, 2010

WordStorm Web

Featured performers will be Richard Lemm, peot and short fiction writer, Pam Galloway, poet, Winona Baker, poet, and Kirsty Elliot, poet. at the Nanaimo Centre Stage.



Ann Eriksson Reading

Ann Eriksson will be reading fromher new novel, Falling from Grace at Back Page Books in Nanaimo on Thursday, March 25 at 7 pm.



New Monthly Poetry Series in Nanaimo

Greg Skala is trying to establish monthly poetry reading sessions at the Wellington Branch Library, 3032 Barons Road, Nanaimo, B.C., on the first Thursday evening of each month, 7:00-8:00 p.m. The upcoming session (our second so far) will be on Thursday, March 4, 2010. If you or someone you know might be interested in reading either their own poems or favourite poems by others, for the February session or for a session in some future month, please urge them to contact the Library at 250-758-5544 or either of these two e-mail addresses: Email Greg
Email VIRL



Nanimo Robert Service Poems with Andre Sutherland Begin

The Port Theatre Proudly Presents

RANDOM ACTS "The studio on stage experience"
Thursday March 11th at 12:15pm
Andre Sutherland Begin "The Man From Eldorado" recites Robert Service poems, "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee"



ISLAND MOUNTAIN ARTS

A Workshop With Patrick Lane -- July 22 to 25, 2010
The Story We Need to Sing.
This course in writing anecdotal lyrics and narrative poems will be explored through daily exercises and discussions on poetry and poetry techniques with master poet Patrick Lane. This will be a “writing” course and not a workshop. All the poets and poems produced here will be encouraged from start to finish and then read aloud each day in an open, safe atmosphere. Writers will show their work to each other individually as well as to Patrick. The progress of the poem with ideas and suggestions arising from the free exchange of experience and knowledge will be invaluable to each writer. Patrick has been a writer-in-residence at many institutions as well as teaching the art of poetry for forty years, the last ten years privately at secluded retreats across North America. He has been called the best poet of his generation and his teaching has been lauded from coast to coast. New and emerging writers are strongly urged to apply.
Island Mountain School of the Arts, Wells/Barkerville, B.C.
Fee: $449.00 + GST (if paid by June 1st), $499.00 + GST(after June 1st).
Accommodations are not included.
For more info visit www.imarts.com or email info@imarts.com or call 1-800-442-2787



Burnaby Writers' Society

WRITING CONTEST 2010 Deadline May 31, 2010
ONE PAGE ON THE THEME OF WATER
Eligibility

Open to all residents of British Columbia, except members of the BWS screening committee. Work must be previously unpublished, and not accepted for publication.

1. How to Enter
. Send us a complete one page work of poetry or prose (fiction, non-fiction or unclassifiable), on the theme of WATER. The theme can be interpreted in any way you like - water in oceans, rivers, waterfalls and ponds; water in story, fairytale and myth; floods and rainstorms; a dripping faucet; a glass of water; or any other association that may occur to you. Work can be in any form or genre, as long as it will fit on one side of a standard 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper with standard margins. Entries may be single or double-spaced, word-processed or typewritten. For the sake of the judges' eyesight, please use an easy to read font no smaller than 12 point. Clear photocopies are acceptable.

. Write your name, address, phone number and/or e-mail address on the reverse side of each entry. (Please don't put your name on the story itself. Entries will be photocopied, without identification, before they are submitted to the judges.)

. Include a fee of $5.00 for each submitted entry; or $10 for three entries. Please do not send cash. Cheques or money orders should be made payable to the Burnaby Writers' Society. (If you are sending several entries, include one cheque or m.o. to cover the total fee.) You may submit any number of entries, as long as each is accompanied by the requisite fee.

2. Judging and Prizes

. Cash prizes of $200, $100 and $50 Canadian will be awarded to the top three entries. Only one cash prize will be awarded per contestant. At the discretion of the judges, honourable mentions may also be awarded. These will receive a one-year subscription to the Burnaby Writers' Society's market newsletter. The judges' decisions will be final. If the judges feel no award is warranted, none will be given.

. Winners will be notified by September 15, 2010, and will be invited to read their winning entries at a public reading and awards night. (Entries by winners unable to attend in person will, with the author's permission, be read by a BWS member.)

.NO ENTRIES WILL BE RETURNED. For a list of winning entries, please enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope; or check the BWS website, www.bws.bc.ca, after September 15, 2010.

. Because of the large number of submissions, the BWS cannot correspond with contestants or supply individual comments on entries. The BWS is not responsible for entries lost or damaged in the mail. All rights remain with the authors.
. Mail your entry, postmarked no later than May 31, 2010, to BWS CONTEST COMMITTEE, 6584 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby BC Canada V5G 3T7.



CALL FOR POETRY

April is Poetry Month and among the many exciting events planned for Oakville are several opportunities for poets to participate in public readings. Thursdays (8, 15, 22 & 29) from 7 – 9 pm at Isabella’s Caffe (174 Lakeshore rd E) are OPEN MIC and do not require pre-registration. Just turn up and read whenever you are ready. Free

The following 3 events do require pre-registration no later than March 15. To participate in these events, please send a separate email for each event to Elka Ruth Enola, Coordinator of Poetry Month at ere@bell.net. In each email, include the poems that you want to read. By March 22, depending on how many poets register, you will be informed of the poems you may read and the order of the readings.

POETRY & PASTA EXTRAVAGANZA, our opening party on April 1 at Isabella’s Caffe (6-9 pm) is a Poetry Party with a wonderful buffet. There is no set topic for the poetry, but you must pre-register and submit poems. $10 advance payment; $12 at the door includes poetry and buffet.

POETRY WITH A CONSCIENCE on Sunday April 11 (noon – 2 pm) at the Moonshine Cafe (137 Kerr St) is dedicated to poems relating to such topics as the environment, child abuse, war, peace, social equality, racism, gender issues, democracy etc. Free

POETIC MULTICULTURALISM on Sunday April 25 (noon – 2 pm) at the Moonshine Cafe will be a reflection of our rich multicultural tapestry. Poems relating to life in other countries or to various Canadian cultures are appropriate. Culture will be very broadly defined e.g. There is a culture of the rich and a culture of the poor. There are also religious and secular cultures and various gender related cultures. Free

Poems with objectionable topics such as support for racism, misogyny or homophobia will not be accepted at any event.

For more information, see www.oakvillepoetry.org or email Elka at ere@bell.net
Oakville Poetry Alliance www.oakvillepoetry.org



GEIST Poll Rates Sheri-D Wilson Best Canadian Lover!

GEIST Magazine recently had a poll asking readers the following question: Which Canadian Author Would Make the Best Lover?
And after the dust settled, “The Mama of Dada” Sheri-D Wilson came away the winner, tied with Farley Mowat, each with 26.92% of the votes! (http://www.geist.com/web-exclusive/responses-question-which-canadian-author-would-make-best-lover)
Close behind Sheri-D was Billeh Nickerson with 25%
The only thing Sheri-D wonders…
Is the prize an electronic devise?
Sheri-D Wilson has 7 collections of poetry; her most recent, Autopsy of a Turvy World (2008, Frontenac House). Her last collection, Re:Zoom (2005, Frontenac House), won the 2006 Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry, and was shortlisted for the CanLit award. She has 2 Spoken Word CDs (arranged by Russell Broom), and 4 award-winning VideoPoems: Airplane Paula (2001), Spinsters Hanging in Trees (2002), Surf Rave Girrly Girrl (2004), and The Panty Portal (2008), all produced for BravoFACT.
Awards Include: CBC Arts Top Ten Poets in Canada (2009), ffwd Readers’ Choice – Best Poet (‘09, ‘08, ‘07), Global TV's Woman of Vision Award (2006), SpoCan Award (2005), Bumbershoot Heavyweight Title for Poetry USA (2003), Gold Award at the Houston Film Festival (2003), Three ACE awards (2003), AMPIA (2003, best short), CBC Face-off (2002).



ARTS IN HARMONY FUNDRAISER

Pandora’s Collective and the Vancouver Artists’ Collective Association
March 15, 2010
Pandora's Collective and The Vancouver Artists Collective have come together to bring you Arts In Harmony, a night full of entertainment you won’t forget. This night is a fundraiser for both non-profit organizations to continue their work in the growth of local artists and community development. We hope you will come out and support all the work these organizations do in our community.
Tickets: $20 at the door includes entertainment, a burger with fries and beer. After costs, all proceeds go directly Pandora's Collective and The Vancouver Artists Collective.
Contact:
Bonnie Nish
Sarah Martin
Cell Phone:778-322-4039
604-764-2379
Email: blinsh_pandoras@yahoo.ca
sarahm@vanartscollective.com
www.pandorascollective.co
www.vanartscollective.com



SHARE YOUR STORY

For upcoming anthology of writing to end violence against women and girls

Anthology will be published by Caitlin Press, Fall 2010.

You may not be a writer, but you have a story to share on this important subject. If so, we would like to hear it. Your story could inspire or empower a reader, or even change someone's life. If you live in the Victoria area, we invite you to meet with an experienced and sensitive recorder to share your story. All interviews will remain anonymous if requested.

If you live outside this region, and are interested in becoming involved in this project as a recorder, we would like to hear from you.

This is a charitable project; no remuneration. Contributors will receive two copies of the anthology. Proceeds will benefit anti-violence organisations.
The anthology will feature a collection of diverse voices which record the experiences and impacts of violence against women at all levels: brutality, neglect, a punch, a put-down; from the personal to the abstract. Pieces cover a range of subjects, from violence in media imagery, pornography, beauty rituals, humour, language, myth, etc.; and a range of tone, from the serious to the humorous.

If you are interested in sharing your story, contact Emma Cochrane by phone at (250) 213-9571 (Victoria number), or by email to loudspeakerfestival@gmail.com (please type INTERVIEW in email subject).

Seeing Takes Time

A Five-Day Exploration at Rivendell Retreat to Write and Take Your Time
June 30 - July 4, 2010
Retreat Flyer



Qualicum Acoustic Cafe

QB Acoustic Café
Rotary House, 211 W. Fern, Qualicum Beach

This month's feature is an ango-alaskan acoustic world music duo from the UK . $5 per adult. Children free. Check out their website http://www.opland-freeman.com/
(The "Rotary House" is located on the corner of Fern Road West and Beach Road in Qualicum)
QB Acoustic Café is committed to the sharing of community, acoustic music from all genres, poetry, story-telling, and more…
Next Evening
Qualicum's Acoustic Cafe, with music, poetry, story telling and song is on the first Friday of the month with open stage at 7:30pm.
$5 at the door
Rotary House on corner of Fern Road and Beach Road
Please arrive early if you want to sign up for the open stage.
Doors open 7.00
Open Stage 7.30-8.45
Intermission 8.45-9.00
Feature act 9.00-10.00
Sign up for open stage
· at the door or
· by calling Joyce at 250 752-1162



StoryTelling Evenings

The Around Townd Tellers now gather:
every SECOND Friday of the month at
the Unitarian Fellowship Hall
595 Townsite Road ( at Millstone)

7:30pm



Poetry Gabriola Festival

Poetry Gabriola Festival Site for on-gpoing events




The Ontario Poetry Society

Introducing Three New Poetry Contests

The Ontario Poetry Society will be introducing three new poetry contests for the 2009/2010 year. They include: The Male, The Female and The Mail Poetry Contest (deadline: October 15, 2009); Emerging from the Shadows Poetry Contest (deadline: April 15, 2009) and the Glosa Poetry Contest (deadline: September 30, 2010). Two additional contests will return: The Open Heart Poetry Competition (deadline: December 25, 2009) and The Arborealis Prize for Poetry (deadline: June 30, 2010). See the website for contest details: www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca


Planet Earth Poetry

The 2009 Planet Earth Poetry Series began on September 18 with an Open Mike (semi-scheduled) and Raffle to raise funds for Doctors Without Borders.

7:30 @ The Black Stilt, 103-1633 Hillside Avenue. Blog


Peter Schwartz'latest chapbook Old Men, Girls, and Monsters

Blog Link


TOSH 10

TOSH 10 is a group of ten fine artists showing their work at TOSH.
TOSH 10

Dogwood Avenue Books

Dogwood Avenue Books Announces the Release of "A Guide to the Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit" by Michel Gauthier We are pleased to inform you that "A Guide to the Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit" is finally in print. The 90-page guide book can be ordered at your local bookstore or purchased online from Dogwood Avenue Books or Amazon.com . This long awaited book presents information on the Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit, a recreational gem located north of Campbell River on Vancouver Island, within a day's drive of Vancouver and Victoria. The author, Michel Gauthier, brings you not only a kilometre by kilometre description of the circuit, but also great tidbits of information about the natural history of the area. At 90 pages, the book is long enough to provide the necessary information for the outdoorsman/woman to complete the circuit, and yet it remains light enough not to be a burden to the paddler when carrying it in his/her pack on the portage trail.
The Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit, sometimes referred to as the best-kept recreational secret on Vancouver Island, invites city-weary paddlers to crystal clear lakes, lively streams, and quiet ponds, all linked to each other by portages wide enough to accommodate canoe or kayak carts. The route is just right for beginners who want to experience the joy of canoe tripping. Intermediate paddlers will also enjoy the secluded places on the route. Ease of access, a choice of managed or unimproved campsites, and world class scenery reward both novices and old hands with a great wilderness experience. "A Guide to the Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit" provides maps, GPS waypoints, and detailed descriptions of every campsite and portage on the circuit.
The author, Michel Gauthier, has paddled thousands of kilometres on Canadian waterways. His canoeing articles have been published in Kanawa, Canada's Canoeing and Kayaking Magazine. He is a member of Paddle Canada and past president of the Comox Paddlers, a club based on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Dogwood Avenue Books was created for the purpose of publishing information about the Sayward Forest Canoe Circuit. If you wish to receive no further messages from Dogwood Avenue Books, simply reply to this email and paste the word "remove" in the subject line. No other text necessary.

Dogwood Avenue Books Dogwood


If Only the Dust Would Settle by Althea Romeo-Mark

If Only the Dust Would Settle front cover

The Poetry collection, “If Only the Dust Would Settle,” consists of selected poems interwoven into a personal essay. The essay contemplates the meaning of home and my experiences as an immigrant. I come from a line of immigrants, was born in Antigua, West Indies and raised in the US Virgin Islands. I lived in the USA and Liberia, where I got married, bore three children and survived Liberia's political upheavals. I also lived in England and now Switzerland.
The book is now available now from AuthorHouse Author House
0800 1974150
Order this title through your local bookseller or preferred on-line retailer.
978-1-4389-8267-0 (SC ISBN)
You can also order copies from www.amazon.com and www.borders.co You can see a copy of the book's cover, designed by Cassandra, on my blogsite (www.aromaproduction.vox.com).



What Were Their Dreams - New Poetry by Wendy Morton

Press Release


How To Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd

Purple Snowflake Marketing

Mother Tongue Publishing Launches Rocksalt, An Anthology of Contemporary BC Poetry

Rocksalt, An Anthology of Contemporary BC Poetry,. front cover

Rocksalt, An Anthology of Contemporary BC Poetry, 2008



TALE SPINNERS

Tale Spinners, a writing group welcomes all writers, be they published or simply interested in writing. Our purpose is to support and encourage one another in the act of creative writing. We meet on the first and third Friday of the month from 1 - 3 at St. Edmond's Church library.
Information at 250-248-6176 - Evelyn



RANDOM ACTS OF POETRY NANAIMO AND OCEANSIDE

October 5th to 11th

RAP Poets

Photos
David Fraser's Random Acts of Poetry

Nanaimo Screenwriters Gathering
The Nanaimo Screenwriters Gathering (NSG) is a group devoted to writers for film and TV. There are two components to the group - monthly gatherings and our website.

Gatherings
We meet every third Monday of the month at 7 p.m., Starbucks in Chapters, across from Woodgrove Centre. We discuss screenwriting and share our scripts for feedback. Every meeting has a focus ­ some of our more frequent themes include: Ten Page Read, Logline and Synopsis Session, and Favorite Screenplays. Anyone interested in screenwriting is welcome to attend. No membership fees.

NSG Online
Our website has information about the monthly gatherings, local news related to film and writing, members pages, book reviews, and more.

Newsletter
Our monthly newsletter is filled with info about websites, contests, and local events, as well as details on the next gathering.

For more information -
Contact: Melissa Walker
Ph. (250) 729-2673
Email
NSG Online



Running Down the Wind

Running Down the Wind Cover

Running Down the Wind, David Fraser's second collection of poetry is now available.

Press Release



Native Women in the Arts

Web Site



Tongues of Fire

Solstice Cafe - 529 Pandora Ave at 7:30, $3.00. Evening starts with an Open mic followed by a feature performance by the Tongues of Fire poetry collective Love and Literature

Tongues of Fire

My Space Tongues of Fire



Planet Earth Poetry

Planet Earth Poetry, at the Black Stilt, 1633 Hillside, at 7:30 pm every Friday

Email



Canadian Federation of Poets

Web Page



Federation of BC Writers New Web Site

Web Site







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Ascent Aspirations revised February, 2010

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