Events, Workshops and Deadlines from BC Writer's Federation

SAW Reading & Fundraiser
Central regional representative Kay McCracken is organizing a fundraising event for SAW (the
Shuswap Association of Writers) featuring Garry Gottfriedson, Michael Blackstock, Jeff More,
Alex Forbes, Karen Bissenden, John Vivian, Howard Brown, Marilyn McAllister, Maureen Egan,
Patsy Alford, Lois Higgins and Kay McCracken on Saturday, April 21, 7 to 10 pm. at the Art
Gallery in Salmon Arm. Live music by the Dust Puppets. Refreshments. Book sales. Door prizes.
Admission: $10 for SAW members, $15 for non-members, $5 for students.

The Sidney Reading Series
Long-time Fed members Pauline Holdstock and M.A.C. Farrant hare resurrected their popular
reading series which ran from 1994 to 2001. The new Sidney Reading Series is held each month
at the Red Brick Cafe, 2423 Beacon Avenue, Sidney, and includes musical guests and book draws.
The next event takes place on Friday, March 16, 7:30 pm. and will feature Arthur Black and Susan
Juby. Admission is $3. More info: 250-656-4446. Fall 2007 presenters include Derek Lundy, Wade
Compton, Caroline Adderson, John Gould, bill bissett, Carla Funk & Wendy Morton.

The RAW Exchange
Thursday, March 29, 7:30 pm at the Vancouver Public Library, Peter Kaye Room.
M.A.C. Farrant (The Breakdown So Far), Trevor Carolan (The Pillowbook of Dr. Jazz) and
Steven Price (Anatomy of Keys) will read from their books and participate in a panel discussion
on "Writing in Unreaderly Times: Finding Fresh Topics" with Moderator Rodney Clarke. Free
admission.

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Federation Workshops & Presentations
Pre-registration is required. Limited seating. To register,
contact the Fed office at 604-683-2057 or email bcwriters@shaw.ca
Registration Deadline: Saturday, March 3.

A Model for Testing When a Poem is Finished
March 10, 1 to 5 pm.
Alliance for Arts & Culture, 938 Howe Street, Vancouver
Instructor: Betsy Warland
Cost: $50 for Fed members, $75 for non-members
How do you know if your poem or poetry collection is ready for submission? Betsy Warland,
the Director of The Writer's Studio at SFU, will present a model for assessing when a poem
is finished. Several exploratory exercises will be applied to your poem(s) to assist you in
determining when the poem is finished (on all levels) and ready to be submitted to journals,
competitions, or -- if you have a manuscript in progress -- when it is ready to include in your
manuscript. Selected "test" poems will be taken through five exercises: the first two exercises
will be audio-based, one done without having a copy of one another's poem to refer to and
one done with a copy of the poem to check as we hear the poet read it. The third exercise
will be assessing the poem for what might be missing (from a punctuation mark to significant
content). The fourth exercise will assess the poem for where we might need less. The fifth
will check the poem for general presentation. Depending on the size of the group, some of
these exercises may be done in the group and some may be done in smaller groups or in pairs.

About the instructor
Betsy Warland is the author of ten books and one of Canada's leading experimental, feminist
writers. She is the Director of The Writer's Studio at SFU's Writing and Publishing program
and has taught a variety of courses incuding A Poet's First Book and Realizing Your Manuscript.


Framing, Voice, and Colouring: Key Skills in Creative NonFiction
Saturday, May 12, 10 to 3 pm.
Room 141, Okanagan College, Salmon Arm Campus
Instructor: Harold Rhenisch
Cost: $50 for Fed members, $75 for non-members.


In this hands-on workshop, you will learn three key techniques for exploiting some of the genre's
key strengths: how to frame inserted materials; how to bridge material, foreshadow, and develop
themes through colouring; and how to develop and extend voice. Feel free to bring a work in
progress (not mandatory).

Harold Rhenisch is the author of twenty books, including four books of creative nonfiction, most
recently the humorous bird watching memoir Winging Home, and The Wolves at Evelyn, a
reassessment of British Columbia's place in twentieth century history. He is the winner of the
Critic's Desk Award, the B.C. & Yukon Newspaper Association's Arts & Culture Writing award, and
the Malahat Review Long Poem Prize. He will be teaching memoir this summer at the Victoria School
of Writing.

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SFU Summer Publishing Workshops
The 2007 schedule for the SFU Summer Publishing Workshops is now online www.sfu.ca/pubworks.
With more than 35 workshops in all areas of book and magazine publishing SFU is mounting the
largest array of workshops yet. The SFU Summer Publishing Workshops are nationally recognized as
the top professional development program in publishing in Canada and each year enjoys increased
enrollment and demand. Application and registration forms can be downloaded directly from the
site. Please note that the financial assistance opportunities are limited and are distributed on a first
come, first serve basis. More than 35 workshops in all aspects of publishing in books, magazines
and new media are being offered this year. The Summer Publishing Workshops at SFU in Vancouver
focus on four topic areas-book publishing, magazine publishing, editing, and design. The workshops
are developed in association with Canada's foremost publishing professionals.

Douglas College Summer Institute in Historical Fiction
Immerse yourself in your passion for historical fiction this summer at Douglas College. Start the day
with English 1106, Studies in Fiction, emphasizing historical novels and short stories, and move onto
Creative Writing 1105, Introduction to Historical Fiction Writing. A cohort of 21 students will study
models of historical fiction, then practice writing it themselves. Students may draw inspiration from
any historical period they wish. The day-long Institute will include opportunities for lunch time
socials, and special events including featured speakers and field trips. Instructors: Jill Maclachlan,
English; Andrea Macperson (When She was Electric, and Beyond the Blue), Creative Writing.
Fridays, May 11 to August 3
English 1106, 8:30-11:30AM
Lunch
CRWR 1105, 12:30-3:30PM
NB: Students must register separately for both classes. www.douglas.bc.ca
Contact Mary Burns, Chair, Creative Writing, at 604-527-5289


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subTerrain
Deadline: March 15, 2007
www.subterrain.ca
Theme Issue #47 (Summer/Fall 07): Sports. Be sure to identify on the envelope the theme issue
for which you�re submitting. Fiction: 2,000-3,000 words. Creative nonfiction: to 4,000 words. No
unsolicited poetry, unless it is specifically related to a theme issue. No electronic submissions, and
you MUST include a self-addressed envelope if you want your work to be considered. Send both
general and theme-related submissions to: P.O. Box 3008, MPO Vancouver, BC V6B 3X5.


The Okanagan Short Story Contest
http://www.okstorycontest.org/
Deadline: March 16, 2007
All residents of the Southern Interior of British Columbia are eligible to enter the Okanagan Short
Story contest this year. Prizes are $500 for first prize, $200 for second and $100 for third, with
publication in a limited edition chapbook. The contest is sponsored by the University of British
Columbia Okanagan, Okanagan College, CBC Radio One Kelowna and the Central Okanagan
Foundation. For rules and guidelines, as well as information about the contest, see the website.

Borderlines Poetry and Flash Fiction Contest
Deadline: March 31, 2007
www.ascentaspirations.ca/borderlines.htm
Ascent Aspirations Magazine seeks poetry and flash fiction for its fourth anthology, Borderlines,
to be published in Fall 2007. Prizes include cash and publication. Contest fee for poetry is $10 for
three poems. Contest fee for flash fiction is $10 per piece of flash fiction. Multiple entries will be
accepted. Full details on the website or email publisher David Fraser at ascentaspirations@shaw.ca

Event Magazine
Deadline for entries: Postmarked by April 16, 2007.
Three winners will each receive $500 plus payment for publication in Event 36/3. Other manuscripts
may be published. Final Judge: TBA. Writers are invited to submit manuscripts exploring the creative
non-fiction form. Note: Previously published material, or material accepted elsewhere for
publication, cannot be considered. Maximum entry length is 5000 words, typed, double-spaced.
The writer should not be identified on the entry. Include a separate cover sheet with the writer's
name, address, phone number/email, and the title(s) of the story (stories) enclosed. Include a SASE
(Canadian postage / IRCs / US$1). Douglas College employees are not eligible to enter.
Entry fee: Multiple entries are allowed, however, each entry must be accompanied by a $29.95
entry fee (includes GST and a one-year subscription; make cheque or international money order
payable to Event). Those already subscribing will receive a one-year extension. American and
overseas entrants please pay in US dollars.

Send entries to:
EVENT
The Douglas College Review
PO Box 2503, New Westminster, BC
Canada V3L 5B2
Phone: 604-527-5293 Fax: 604-527-5095
Email: event@douglas.bc.ca


The Writers' Union of Canada presents the Writing for Children Competition
Deadline: April 24, 2007
$1,500 Prize
Entries of the winner and finalists will be submitted to three publishers of children's books. Canadian
citizens or landed immigrants who have not been published (in any genre) in book format are eligible
for entry. Entrants must not have a contract with a book publisher. Eligible entries will be in
English, up to 1,500 words, and not previously published in any format. The deadline is April 24,
2007 and the entry fee is $15. For more information visit www.writersunion.ca

The Seven Wonders of Mernac Writing Contest
The Legends of Mernac, an online inter-active community for High Fantasy writers & artists, is
holding another fantastic writing contest with a grand prize of $500 US. It's free to enter. For
contest rules and additional details, email the Fed office and I'll forward the freaky-looking email
announcement to you.

NAUGHTY BITS
The First Annual Victoria Erotica Festival Story Contest
Deadline: Friday April 20, 2007.
www.victoriaeroticafestival.com
FREE to enter! Send us a scintillating story or prose poem--a fetish fantasy, a do-me dream,
some titillating anecdote, perhaps a snippet of overheard intimate conversation, shopping lists
for the sex shop, lists of things to pack for a dirty weekend, what you did on the dirty weekend,
a furtive feel-up or a very public coming of age. Entries will be judged on their heat-and-moisture-
inducing merit alone by Lynne Van Luven , writer, columnist, reviewer, editor and UVic Professor,
and an equally discerning male judge yet to be disclosed. 300 words maximum. Authors must be at
least 18 years old. Send typed entries, along with your name, address and phone number ON A
SEPARATE SHEET to
Naughty Bits
P.O. Box 30034 - 3989 Quadra St.
Victoria BC V8X 5E1