| Writing contests, and writing that contests
Have you ever attended a play and found yourself saying, "I could write a better play than this myself – if only I had someone to feed me and look after me for the whole 24 hours I'd need to scribble out a work of theatrical genius, or even theatrical pretty-goodness!" Maybe you didn't say it out loud, or in those words. But if you've even felt anything sort of like that, now's your chance to put that conviction to the test. Start training now for Alberta Theatre Projects’ annual 24-Hour Playwriting Competition, which is scheduled to start at noon on February 15. Call 294-7474 for details, or see their Web site at ATPlive.com. And if you've heard that Tom Stoppard wrote his play Arcadia in a single 24-hour blitz – well, you heard wrong. But don't let that stop you from entering. Per ardua ad astra, as my Latin teacher always said. Did that have anything to do with plays?
John Ralston Saul's new book, On Equilibrium, has already generated controversy: how dare the spouse of the Queen's representative in Canada go beyond the smile-and-wave routine perfected over nearly 50 years by Her Royal Highness herself? Perhaps Saul's critics would have preferred that he write something more tranquil: On Librium, perhaps? If critical thought from a vice-regal spouse doesn't make you too anxious, you can hear Saul read on Tuesday, January 22 at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. The reading's at 7:30 p.m. and tickets areavailable at Ticketmaster (777-0000), through Wordfest (294-7462) or at Pages on Kensington.
If you're a prose writer looking for places to send your work, you might consider Grain magazine's annual Short Grain Contest. They're looking for unpublished dramatic monologues, postcard stories, prose poems and creative non-fiction. The deadline's January 31 and all the details are at www.skwriter.com/grain, or call 306-244-2828. There are 12 prizes of $500 on offer. There's also the PRISM International Short Fiction Contest, with a $2,000 grand prize. Same deadline, and all details are at http://prism.arts.ubc.ca/contests/index.htm.
The instructors from the Alexandra Writers Centre Society (922 - 9 Ave S.E., enter by green door with the #3 on the east side of the building) will be reading their own work on Friday, January 18 at 7:30 p.m. You can meet the writing instructors and sign up for winter courses at the same time. For details see www.writtenword.org/awcs. |
