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SUMMARY:The Words & Music Show: The 2025 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize Finalists
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, November 5\, 2025\, 2:00–3:30 pm ET4TH SPACE\, Concordia University (1400 Maisonneuve Blvd W\, Montreal)Free\, Open to All\n\n\n\nCo-sponsored by SpokenWeb and the Quebec Writers’ Federation \n\n\n\nJoin us for an afternoon of spoken word\, storytelling\, and literary performance featuring the eight finalists of the 2025 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize and hosted by Alexis O’Hara.  \n\n\n\nThe following Monday\, one to three of these finalists will be awarded the prize at the 2025 QWF Awards Gala. Before the prize is bestowed\, let us cheer on the top-notch work done by the shortlisted finalists in this special iteration of QWF’s Words and Music Show! \n\n\n\nHow can you participate? Join us in person at Concordia’s 4TH SPACE or online by registering for the Zoom Meeting or watching live on YouTube. \n\n\n\nAccessibility: 4TH SPACE is located on the ground floor and is accessible by wheelchair. \n\n\n\nHave questions? Send them to info.4@concordia.ca   \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nThe Spoken Word Prize Finalists\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto: Erica Steeves\n\n\n\n\n\nLiana Cusmano (Luca/BiCurious George) is a three-time Montreal Slam Champion and 2019 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championship runner-up. Their novel Catch & Release was published by Guernica Editions in 2022. They were a finalist for the 2022 QWF Spoken Word Prize and winner of the 2024 Society Pages Poetry Contest.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto: Brooklyn Melnyk\n\n\n\n\n\nOctavie Doherty-Haigh is a poet\, actor\, and tree planter. Her work explores topics of neurodivergence\, eating disorder recovery\, and mental illness through the lens of love. Based in Montreal\, she is currently earning her BFA in theatre acting at Concordia University. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto: Vadim Daniel\n\n\n\n\n\nA self-titled Jamhaitianadian\, Kym Dominique-Ferguson is a Montreal spoken word artist. Through Madpoetix Productions’ curated events like Inside Madpoetix Studios\, Ferguson shines a spotlight on Montreal Artists. He has been a slam team member at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word multiple times\, and his poetry appears in The Great Black North anthology. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto: Nine Desbaillet\n\n\n\n\n\nRachel McCrum’s debut collection The First Blast to Awaken Women Degenerate was translated by Jonathan Lamy and published in a bilingual edition with Mémoire d’encrier in 2020. With Amélie Prévost\, she is the co-author and co-performer of La Belle-mère / The Stepmother (L’Hexagone\, 2024). Rachel is the vocalist for Pigs&Wolves. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto: @jozef_photoz\n\n\n\n\n\nRobin Warren (aka Rusty) is a spoken word artist in Montreal\, educated at Concordia University in Aerospace Engineering. He represented Montreal at the 2024 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam\, ranking as a finalist. Recently\, he performed at the 2025 Fringe Festival and is now a co-host at the Throw Poetry Collective. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto: Johanna Stosik\n\n\n\n\n\nClaire Sherwood is a Montreal writer\, visual poet\, and oral storyteller. Her poetry has appeared in Kola Magazine\, carte blanche\, Helios\, and Lantern. Her chapbook Eat Your Words was published in 2024 by Turret House Press. She has appeared at Confabulation and the storytelling edition of QWF’s Words and Music Show. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto: Noc Photography\n\n\n\n\n\nRomel Sylne Jr\, Haitian-American poet and author of five collections\, writes at the crossroads of identity\, resilience\, and belonging. His words echo with heritage and heart\, offering readers both solace and strength while transforming adversity into art that lingers long after the page is turned. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto: Annie Rousseau\n\n\n\n\n\nSvens Telemaque is an author\, spoken-word artist\, and social entrepreneur whose literary work and community leadership illuminate the power of narrative to heal and elevate. His debut book\, Pen of a Ready Writer Vol. 1 (2014)\, challenges conventional perceptions of circumstance\, faith\, and emotion\, inviting readers to explore nuance from cradle to grave. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNow in its fourth year\, the Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize celebrates the excellence of Quebec-based artists working in English in any form of performative writing\, including poetry\, story\, monologue\, hip hop\, dub\, sound poetry\, and experimental or interdisciplinary work. The prize will be awarded to one to three winners\, to be announced at the 2025 QWF Awards Gala on Monday\, November 10.  \n\n\n\nTickets to the gala are now available for purchase. A cocktail reception with the finalists will precede the gala\, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Tickets to the reception are $60 ($40 for full-time students) and include two glasses of wine\, beer\, or non-alcoholic drink; hors d’oeuvres; and admission to the awards ceremony\, which begins at 8:00 pm. Tickets for the ceremony alone are $25 ($10 for full-time students). Doors for the ceremony open at 7:30 pm. \n\n\n\n\nGEt GALA tickets\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize is named in honour of the inimitable Ian Ferrier. Widely considered a pillar of literary performance in Montreal\, Ian was a past president of QWF and the founder of the Words and Music Show\, Montreal’s longest-running spoken word\, poetry\, literature\, performance\, and music show.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/the-words-music-show-the-2025-ian-ferrier-spoken-word-prize-finalists/
LOCATION:4TH SPACE\, McConnell Building\, Concordia University\, 1400 de Maisonneuve Boulevard West\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H3G 1M8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Performance,Words and Music
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251105T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251105T194500
DTSTAMP:20260429T162409
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SUMMARY:Stage-Worthy: How to Write a Play
DESCRIPTION:Seven Wednesdays\, Oct  8-Nov 26\,  5:45-7:45pm  (No session on October 29; double-session [5:45-9:45pm] on November 26)Open to allLimited to 12 participantsIn-Person Workshop* \n\n\n\nDialogue\, characters\, plot\, setting! This will be a learn-by-doing-as-you-go\, anecdotal (in a theatre history way)\, ease-you-into-it experience that’s not scary or overwhelming. If you have always wanted to write a play or already have a play idea in the works\, this is the workshop for you. I’m quite motivational\, coach-like\, and pushy in a good way. I will get that play out of you if you are willing to try. I am all for deadlines\, discipline\, and contests. Since I have more of a comic bent\, there could be more emphasis on comedy. The workshop will evolve as it goes\, based on what everyone hopes to accomplish. I am often surprised and quite happy to see what happens when I throw ideas and writing games at writers in a workshop. I am very careful about how feedback is given because everything is so new. This does not mean that there won’t be opportunities to share your work or prove that you are indeed writing. Participants will have something dramatic to show for it at the end of the workshop. A past QWF workshop resulted in Picturesque: Voices From Beaver Hall\, which saw productions at Redpath Museum\, Dawson Theatre\, as well as museums in Hamilton and Calgary. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place exclusively in-person at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Westmount\, Quebec). \n\n\n\nColleen Curran is an award-winning playwright\, novelist\, actor\, and teacher. Her comedy Cake-Walk premiered at the Blyth Festival in 1984 and has had more than 50 productions across North America. It was brought to the attention of Showtime Network by Whoopi Goldberg. Curran’s many plays include Villa Eden\, Sacred Hearts (winner of the International Gabriel Award and most recently done by Zeitgeist Stage in Boston) Maple Lodge (Winner Best Canadian Play\, Samuel French Inc. Competition)\, Another Labour Day (Best New Play\, QDF\, 1984)\, El Clavadista\, A Brave Girl\, Sibyl and Sylvia\, Casa de Mary\, Ceili House\, and Ireland’s Own Carmel O’Reilly Tonite! Her three novels about Montreal singing waitress Lenore Rutland are Something Drastic\, Overnight Sensation\, and Guests of Chance. Her stage adaptation of Something Drastic premiered in 2002 and has been seen in Winnipeg\, Toronto\, Athens\, and Melbourne. Her True Nature launched the 2011-2012 season at Centaur Theatre. Her latest novel\, Out for Stars\, made the long list for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/stage-worthy-how-to-write-a-play/2025-11-05/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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SUMMARY:Deep Story Design: Story-Craft Essentials for Longer Form Narratives (Wednesday Cohort)
DESCRIPTION:Ten Wednesdays\, Oct 8-Dec 17\, 5:45-7:45pm (No session on October 15)        Open to allLimited to 12 participantsOnline Workshop* \n\n\n\nThis workshop delves into the five fundamental elements of story-making—structure\, plot\, character\, theme\, and scene building. Whether you’re writing a novella\, novel\, screenplay\, or memoir\, the skillful use of these elements allows all writers to create powerful stories that are meaningful and satisfying. \n\n\n\nAfter introducing a basic three-act story structure that’s foundational for most stories\, the workshop will progress through aspects of character\, theme\, and plot so that you can feel confident about completing fiction or nonfiction of any kind or length. We also touch on scene construction so your stories feel dynamic and alive on the page. \n\n\n\nWeekly homework exercises help writers at different stages of your story-making process\, whether you’re gathering material for a new story\, drafting an existing work\, or revising a project that is nearly ready to share with others. Completed homework will receive instructor feedback and some in-class discussion. \n\n\n\nIn addition to the focus on craft essentials\, this workshop invites writers to make personal discoveries about what matters most deeply to them and how this connects with their writing. This connection between self and story is integral to Deep Story Design\, because writers who know who they are\, and what they care about most\, are better able to access their unique creative voice. \n\n\n\nWeekly meetings will look something like this: \n\n\n\n\na 90-minute lesson\, including 15-30 mins of in-class exercises\n\n\n\na 10-minute break\n\n\n\n20 minutes for Q&A/homework discussion\n\n\n\n\nCompleted homework assignments will be due 4 days after the meeting at which they are assigned. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants a week or so prior to the first session. Please note that this is the Wednesday iteration of the workshop; there is also a group meeting on Mondays. The material covered will be the same\, but note that due to limited spots\, we cannot facilitate transfers between groups.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/deep-story-design-story-craft-essentials-for-longer-form-narratives-wednesday-cohort/2025-11-05/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251105T200000
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SUMMARY:Short Fiction: Plot and the Inner Life
DESCRIPTION:Eight Wednesdays\, Oct 8- Dec 3\, 8-10pm (No session on October 29)                 Open to allLimited to 12 participantsHybrid Workshop* \n\n\n\nThis eight-week workshop will explore how deepening a character’s inner life can generate new possibilities for a short story’s plot. One premise of this workshop is that fiction’s power lies in its capacity to depict with a high degree of detail an individual’s consciousness: the realm of perceptions\, feelings\, desires\, memories\, and thoughts. How one consciousness bumps up against another—and against the external world of norms\, things\, economic and cultural forces\, etc.—is what makes a story possible. We will investigate story as\, in George Saunders’s words\, “a system for the transfer of energy.” \n\n\n\nPlot and interiority are broad categories that encompass other topics such as point of view\, dialogue\, backstory\, and deepening the role of setting and/or of the body\, all of which can be studied and discussed\, depending on the group’s interest and the story drafts that are submitted for workshopping. Note that the workshop leader’s focus is realist literary fiction\, but all genres are welcome. The larger goal of the workshop is to support writers in uncovering the best possible versions of their stories. \n\n\n\nMost of the workshop will be devoted to reading and discussing participants’ stories (two per week over seven weeks\, up to 5000 words each). However\, for the first meeting\, participants will discuss Yiyun Li’s story\, “Prison\,” a jarring tale about surrogate birth. Please read the first 23 pages before the first session\, but do not read farther than that. We will read the final 5 pages together\, tracking how the plot ultimately unfolds. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 4023 Tupper Street\, Westmount\, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default\, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot\, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot\, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you. \n\n\n\nMichelle Syba is the author of the story collection End Times (Freehand Books\, 2023)\, a finalist for the QWF Concordia University First Book Prize. End Times explores the lives of people variously entangled with evangelical culture\, including immigrants\, the elderly\, the burned-out\, and the lonely\, examining our hidden anxieties and longings. Michelle’s shorter works have been published in The New Quarterly\, Cosmonauts Avenue\, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency\, and elsewhere. \n\n\n\nYou can find out more about her at www.michellesyba.com.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/short-fiction-plot-and-the-inner-life/2025-11-05/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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