| I’m off to sunny Mexico next week (as I’ve said, the life of a Fast Forward columnist is indeed a tough one), so I’m also going to try and compress two weeks’ worth of events into this column. Next week, this space will feature a profile of another person in the book community.
Spring is here and that means there’s lots happening around town, so let’s get right to it….
The Boardwalk Writers will begin a Friday morning workshopping and support group for writers of prose (fiction, non-fiction, creative non-fiction, technical, etc.) beginning March 7 at 10 a.m. and lasting for about two hours. For more information call Karen at 286-6305.
On Friday, March 7, NeWest Press authors Dave Margoshes and Laura J. Cutler join with Harbour Publishing author Sean Johnston at Pages Books on Kensington at 7:30 p.m. Because of my job, I am required by law to love all writers equally, but I do have a soft spot for both Dave and Laura – Dave for being a great friend and mentor when I was in Saskatchewan, and Laura for writing one of the best short story collections I’ve read recently, Out of Her Backpack.
Writes of Spring gets a jump on the season on Monday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. at McNally Robinson, featuring Anne Burke, Sharon Drummond and Stuart Ian McKay. Admission is free.
Two readings are coming up at the University of Calgary. First, Steve McCaffery, a writer who is at the forefront of poetic experimentation and innovation in Canada, will read on March 10 from noon to 1 p.m. (Social Sciences 113). Then on March 19, Karen Solie will be reading at 7 p.m. (Social Sciences 10). This reading has been scheduled in the evening to allow more people from off-campus to attend, as Solie is one of the hottest poets publishing in Canada today and an excellent reader. Contact Pamela Banting at pbanting@ucalgary.ca for more information.
Students of the Alexandra Writers Centre will read on Friday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the center (enter by Door #3 on the east side of the building). Admission for AWCS Members is free.
The deadline for the $5,000 Brenda Strathern "Late Bloomers" Memorial Award is March 15. The award is given to a resident of Calgary who is 40 years old or over and completing their first work of fiction. Details are available from Darlene Chrapko of the Calgary Foundation at 802-7711 or dchrapko@thecalgaryfoundation.org.
Crossing Places: The 2003 Red Deer Writers Festival has issued a call for submissions with a deadline of March 15. Last year, over 50 writers from across Alberta converged on downtown Red Deer for a day to take part in readings. The organizers are now accepting submissions from writers who would like to be one of the participants this year. To enter, send typed, unpublished material only. If submitting poetry, include a maximum of five poems. If submitting fiction, include a maximum of two pieces containing a maximum of 750 words each. Send your submission, a SASE, your full contact information and a 50-word bio along with a $10 cheque or money order (payable to "Red Deer Writers’ Festival") to: Crossing Place, Box 27081, Plaza Centre Post Office, Red Deer, AB, T4N 6X8. The festival will take place on June 7, 2003.
Adios until next time…. |
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