Thoughtful gifts for those who have a way with words
Winter came early to Quebec this year, announcing the also fast-approaching holiday season. If you’re stumped on what to get the writers in your life, here are a few ideas that are sure to check all of the right boxes.
The Holiday Pop-up Book Fair
For a writer, a book is truly the gift that keeps on giving. At any age, a good book can provide the warmth and inspiration needed to boost creativity and provide an escape during the winter months. If you’re planning on gifting books this holiday season, we recommend supporting the work of local authors.
A great place to start would be the Holiday Pop-up Book Fair presented by AELAQ (The Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec) in partnership with the QWF, which takes place this weekend in Concordia University’s McConnell Building Atrium (1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8).
“With Quebec publishers and authors on hand, there will be hundreds of titles for sale: novels, poetry, history, political and scholarly books, mysteries, SF and fantasy, LGBTQ titles, all written or published in Quebec (sometimes both!). You can’t buy more local than this.”
A Year of QWF Membership
Connect the writer in your life to a vibrant community of Quebec English-language writers and an organization that serves writers at any stage of their career.
The Quebec Writers’ Federation provides professional development, support, community, resources, mentorship and employment opportunities to its members. We have a growing number of programs and activities to offer, including this year’s exciting addition of the Max Margles Writing Residency, for which only members can apply. Our student membership is 15$/year and our general membership is 40$/year.
If you would like to gift a membership to a writer, please contact Rachel McCrum (rachel (at) qwf.org)
A Writers’ Workshop
Give a writer the opportunity to hone their craft in an enjoyable and enriching environment. Workshops are a great place to start writing, gain new perspective on your practice or even to broaden your existing network of writers.
The QWF offers a range of writers’ workshops every year. Workshops are offered in a wide range of genres, including long- and short-form fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, children’s and/or young adult literature, and career-related topics.
Workshop registration will begin mid-December for classes beginning in the spring. If you are interested in giving a workshop as a gift, please contact workshops (at) qwf.org.