Quebec Writers' Federation

Book Launch: Imagining Musical Pasts
2024-01-10 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Librairie Résonance, 40 rue Beaubien Est, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
January 10, 6:00-8:00 pmLibrairie Résonance Bookstore40, rue Beaubien Est, Montreal

Please join us for an in-person book launch celebration for Imagining Musical Pasts starting around 6pm on January 10 at Librairie Résonance (40 Beaubien E)! The event will consist of a presentation and Q&A with the author, with refreshments provided by Librairie Résonance. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

About the Book: Imagining Musical Pasts: The Queer Literary Musicology of Vernon Lee, Rosa Newmarch, and Edward Prime-Stevenson (Clemson University Press) focuses primarily on three turn-of-the-twentieth-century musicologists–philosopher and horror writer Vernon Lee (pseud. Violet Paget), biographer and program note annotator Rosa Newmarch, and critic and amateur sexologist Edward Prime-Stevenson. It examines the strategies Lee, Newmarch, and Prime-Stevenson each used to find ways of addressing (or, in some cases, strategically not addressing) the subjects of gender and sexuality in their scholarly and creative work several decades prior to the development of any kind of organized feminist or queer approaches to musicology. This book also explores the place of musicology as a form of literature, as well as the role of gossip, fiction, and speculation in constructing music histories.

More information (including details about distribution and available formats) is available at the book’s companion website: https://imaginingmusicalpasts.hcommons.org/about-the…/

About the Author

Kristin M. Franseen is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of History and Research Associate at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute at Concordia University, where her work is supported by a Knowledge Mobilization Plan Grant from the FRQSC. Her research focuses on unreliable sources in the history of musicology and composer biography and appears in a variety of publications, including Music & Letters, 19th-Century Music, the Cahiers de la SQRM, and VAN Magazine. She is currently in the preliminary stages of a new project on gossip, fiction, and misinformation in Antonio Salieri’s reception history.

Winter Writers Residency 2024
2024-01-15 00:00 - 2024-02-02 23:59 | Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, 107 Tunnel Mountain Drive, Banff, Alberta, T1L 1H5, Canada
Overview
The Winter Writers Residency is a self-directed program that offers time and space for writers to retreat, reconnect, and re-energize their writing practice. In addition to a single room, and a small private studio, you will be surrounded by a community of artistic peers with the opportunity to attend inspiring talks, performances, and meet with guest faculty to consult on your work.
What does the program offer?
The three-week Winter Writers Residency will provide writers space for the creative exploration of their writing practice. This self-directed residency offers the opportunity to work away from the constraints of everyday life. Delve deep into your creative project and take advantage of the artistic community of your peers around you.
The program provides optional teaching from faculty members and professional guests, Q&A sessions, public events, and one-on-one consultations with mentors. Public readings, and group sessions led by guest mentors will explore techniques, aspects, and devices that writers may find useful in their practice.
The first two weeks focus on mentorship and consultations with faculty, the third week allows self-directed time for further work on manuscripts and peer community.
The Winter Writers Residency allows you to choose the amount of support you are looking for. All program elements are optional.
Who should apply?
We welcome writers of all ages, backgrounds, and all gender identities and expressions. Writers in all creative genres are invited to apply. The program is designed for emerging and established writers with a proven publication record seeking a period of dedicated time to work on a project in any genre.
Winter Writers Residency 2024 only accepts projects that are being written in English.
This program is not open to applicants who have taken part in a Banff Centre residency in the last year, nor to current faculty members of any other Banff Centre programming.
Application Deadline: September 06, 2023
Program Dates: January 15 – February 02, 2024
Learn more and apply online: https://bit.ly/3oXG5av
*Financial Aid of 100% of tuition and 50% of food and accommodation is available for this program.

Shut Up & Write with QWF (Virtual)
2024-01-20 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, January 20, 10:00 am–12:30 pmOnline via Zoom—RSVP below to receive the Zoom link

Start 2024 off strong, and join us for the first Shut Up & Write session of the year!Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space? Register below to do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25 minute bursts, with 5 minutes break in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

The Zoom link will be sent out a day or two before the session.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

10:00–10:25: Writing 110:25–10:30: Break10:30–10:55: Writing 210:55–11:00: Break11:00–11:25: Writing 311:25–11:30: Break11:30–11:55: Writing 411:55–12:00: Break12:00–12:25: Writing 5

To receive the Zoom link, RSVP below. You will receive the Zoom link a few days before the session.

Note: RSVPs will close 24 hours before the event starts. If there is no option to RSVP, RSVPs are closed.

The Words & Music Show
2024-01-22 20:00 - 22:00 | Casa del Popolo, 4873 boul. St-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1R6, Canada
Monday, January 22, 20248:00 pm EST (Doors: 7:30 pm)Casa del Popolo (4873 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal)

Join us for the January 2024 edition of the Words & Music Show, featuring the three winners and one finalist of the 2023 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize.

Featuring:

Michael “BeWyrd” Clark (Winner, 2023 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize)

Caitlin Murphy (Winner, 2023 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize)

Svens Telemaque (Finalist, 2023 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize)

Deb Vanslet (Winner, 2023 Spoken Word Prize)

Hosted by poet, trumpet player, and community worker Jason “Blackbird” Selman.

Tickets will be available at the door.

About the Performers

Michael “BeWyrd” Clarke is a slam poet based in Tio’tia:ke. He is the president of the Throw! Poetry Collective, which showcases competitive yet friendly bilingual poetry slams every 1st Saturday at Le Basement. He has a master’s degree in educational technology and is also a musician, livestreamer, and martial artist. For his piece “Survival Mechanisms,” he was a winner of the 2023 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize.

Caitlin Murphy is a writer, director, and dramaturg. She has performed in one-woman shows, stand-up and sketch comedy, and a web-series she created called Mothers Try. Caitlin has also written and directed plays and short films. She was a finalist for the 2022 QWF Spoken Word Prize, and for her piece “All the Screams,” she was a winner of the 2023 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize.

Svens Telemaque has a unique perspective on life and challenges the average perception of circumstances, faith, and emotion. After relocating to Montreal in 2007, he co-founded L’art Selah, a poetry collective, and released his first book, Pen of a Ready Writer Vol.1, in 2014. For his piece “Out of Space,” he was a finalist for the 2023 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize.

Deb Vanslet is a media artist, storyteller, and writer. Her videos explore storytelling and performance. Deb hosted Dykes on Mykes, CKUT-FM for 16 years. She is a co-producer of Confabulation, live storytelling. She won the 2015 carte blanche Prize (“Self-Serve”), and “Ghost Station” was published in The Malahat Review. For her piece “Laughter in the Rain,” she was a winner of the 2023 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize.

About the Host

Jason “Blackbird” Selman is a Montreal-born poet, trumpet player and community worker. He is the author of The Freedom I Stole (2007, Cumulus Press) and Africa As A Dream That Travels Through My Heart (2016, Howl) and co-editor of the poetry anthology Talking Book (2006, Cumulus Press), which chronicles the writings of Kalm Unity Vibe Collective (of which he is a founding member). He has done extensive poetry workshops in schools and community groups across the Montreal area. His work is grounded in the themes of ethnomusicology, surrealist expression, love, and the intersection of masculinity and emotional vulnerability.

Lunch and Learn with YES
2024-01-23 12:00 - 13:30 | YES Montreal, 666 Sherbrooke Street West, Suite 700, Montreal, Quebec, H3A0B2, Canada
Tuesday, January 23, 202412:00–1:30 pm ESTYES Montreal (666 Sherbrooke Street West, Suite 700, Montreal) or Online (via Microsoft Teams)Free, Registration Required (RSVP below)

Presenting the Youth Employment Services (YES) Montreal!

“You know art. YES can help you to sharpen your business skills.”

YES is a non-profit, community-driven English-language service provider that has been helping Quebecer artists develop skills needed to succeed in the creative world. In this Lunch & Learn, YES Artist Business Coach Caroline Gauthier will be presenting the programs and services YES offers for writers and other artists.

From artist coaching, to educational panels, to workshops on taxes and contracts, YES is an invaluable hub for writers and artists.

Come join us on 23rd of January from 12nn-1:30pm at YES Montreal (666 Sherbrooke Street West, Suite 700) for this informative presentation. After the presentation, interested folks are invited to stay for mingling and free one-on-one consultations.

If you are unable to join in-person, you can also attend the event virtually via Microsoft Teams. A link to join the meeting will be sent out the day before. (Note that you do not need to install a separate program on your device: you can run the Teams meeting via your normal internet browser.)

To secure your spot, please RSVP using the button below. You will have the option of indicating whether you will be attending in-person or virtually.

Perspective in Literary Fiction
2024-01-24 18:00 - 21:00, 2024-01-31 18:00 - 21:00, 2024-02-07 18:00 - 21:00, 2024-02-14 18:00 - 21:00, 2024-02-21 18:00 - 21:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
This five-week workshop will offer a deep dive into the use of perspective in fiction. Storytellers operate in first-person, second-person, third-person limited, third-person omniscient, and more unusual points-of-view. What distinguishes these perspectives? What are their gifts and limitations? Most importantly, what can your chosen perspective do for the story you want to tell?

Each class will open with a discussion of perspective in some published fiction. How close is the narrator to the characters? How does the perspective affect the voice in which the story is told? What is the relationship of the voice to the characters?

Next, we will do two writing exercises. The first will be largely generative, based on the reading. The second will be integrative, guiding participants to apply what we are learning to their own stories or characters.

After discussing the writing exercises, we will devote the last part of each class to discussing participant stories.

On registration, participants will receive a packet of published stories or samples to be discussed in the first class; reading for subsequent weeks will be distributed after our first meeting. Participants are encouraged to bring ½-1 page of fiction to share on the first day, though they may choose instead to share some work generated in class. Subsequently, each participant is encouraged to submit 3-10 pages of fiction to be discussed by the class with a special focus on perspective. Otherwise, discussion will be tailored to participant preferences, with an eye to making discussion as useful to the writer as possible.

Participants should arrive each week having read the assigned stories and their peers’ work (approximately 40 pages). Be prepared to discuss these thoughtfully and with engagement! My goal is to create a space for candid and open-ended discussion.

Participants will finish the workshop with greater fluency and command in perspective, as readers able to discern the subtleties and mechanics of this important aspect of our craft, and as writers able to choose and employ a storytelling perspective with verve and confidence.

Padma Viswanathan’s novels have been published in eight countries and shortlisted for various awards, including the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her most recent book is Like Every Form of Love: A Memoir of Friendship and True Crime (Random House Canada, 2023). Her short fiction, essays, and short translations can be found in Granta, The Paris Review, BRICK, and elsewhere. Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Arkansas, she has also served as fiction faculty at the Banff Center, the Vermont Studio Center, the Bread Loaf Conferences, and the low-residency MFA of Fairleigh Dickinson University. More at www.padmaviswanathan.com

January Japan Book Club
2024-01-25 19:00 - 21:00 | QC
January 25, 7:00-9:00 pmOnline via Zoom (registration instructions below)

Looking for a book to start your new year with some poetic verve? The Argo Bookshop, in conjunction with the JET Alumni Association of Quebec and Atlantic Canada, will be hosting its next Japan Book Club on January 25th.

For this meeting, we’ll be discussing A Narrow Road to the Interior by Matsuo Basho. This classic work from the famed poet details a trip through late 17th century Japan, with scenery and anecdotes punctuated with poetry. While the haiku themselves are considered a masterwork, the travelogue also has inspired many people to follow in Basho’s footsteps and travel through less trafficked country in Japan.

Join us online via Zoom for a lively discussion! Email events@argobookshop.ca for the link. You can read the book in any language. We will be stocking two translations of the book in the store, but you are welcome to read a different one! You’re also welcome to come if you haven’t read the book, but there will be spoilers (as much as there can be for a centuries-old poetic travelogue!).

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2024-01-26 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, January 26, 12:30 pm–3:00 pmFree, In PersonQWF Office (Room 3, 1200 Atwater Ave., Westmount)

Register for the session by filling out the RSVP form below.

Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space?

Join us for the first in-person Shut Up & Write session of the year!

Do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do, and meet a few of your fellow QWF members. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25 minute bursts, with 5-minute breaks in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

12:30–12:55: Writing 112:55–1:00: Break1:00–1:25: Writing 21:25–1:30: Break1:30–1:55: Writing 31:55–2:00: Break2:00–2:25: Writing 42:25–2:30: Break2:30–2:55: Writing 5

To register, RSVP below.Note: If there is no option to RSVP, registration has closed.

Getting to the QWF Office

Our office is located on the top floor of the Atwater Library and Computer Centre, in Room 3.

Address: 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3Westmount, QC H3Z 1X4

Closest Metro: Atwater Station

Closest Bus lines: 24, 63, 90, 104, 138, 144, 150

Accessibility:

The QWF Office is fully accessible by wheelchair from the side entrance on Tupper Street. Once inside, there is an elevator to the second floor, where the QWF office is.

Learn more about the office location and accessibility.

Confabulation presents : Shortest Story 14
2024-01-27 21:00 - 23:00 | Centaur Theatre, 453 St. Francois-Xavier, Montreal, Quebec, HZY 2T1, Canada
It’s that time of year. Centaur’s Wildside Festival meets Confabulation’s Shortest Story eventSaturday January 27, 2024 21h2-minute stories, told by as many storytellers as we can fit in!

If you have a very short true-life story to share, send us an email

Stories – quick as we can tell them. Come join the chaotic fun!Get your tickets here: https://centaurtheatre.com/shows/confabulation/Centaur Theatre 453 Saint Francois Xavier St Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2T2

Information Session: One Planet, Countless Wor(l)ds
2024-01-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
January 29, 12:00–1:30 pm ESTOnline via Zoom (RSVP below to get the link)

An informal, online information session for writers and literary artists interested in the “One Planet, Countless Wor(l)ds” initiative.

Project Coordinator Liana Cusmano will be joined by Executive Director Lori Schubert and Communications Officer John Wickham to answer questions from writers and literary artists.

One Planet, Countless Wor(l)ds is an initiative produced by the Quebec Writers’ Federation and the Conseil des arts de Montréal which will take place in the spring and summer of 2024 in the West Island of Montreal.

Learn more and read the call for project proposals.

This event has now passed.

Watch the Information session recording

The Air Contains Honey with a reading by Assiyah Jamilla Touré
2024-01-31 19:30 - 23:30 | La Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Laurent Boulevard, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 2R5, Canada
The Air Contains Honey with a reading by Assiyah Jamilla TouréBenefit event for Brique par brique’s Time-Bank project. Presented by Arts in the Margins, Brique par Brique and The Air Contains Honey.
Wednesday 31 January, 2024Doors: 7:30 pm, music: 8:00 pmLa Sala Rossa, 4848 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Qc H2T 1R5Tickets: $20.14 with taxes and fees included in advance / $20 at the door (No one turned away for lack of funds)Advance Tickets: https://www.venuepilot.co/events/86368/orders/new#/Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/x8qwndduwImage by Maude Arès
THE AIR CONTAINS HONEY was co-founded by Adam Kinner and Jacob Wren and is an “orchestra” that mixes professional and amateur musicians in search of a warmth and community spirit they may or may not find. All of their songs follow the same basic structure: a quote sung four times, an instrumental break, and then the same quote sung another four times. For the audience, as well as for the performers, this is a chance to hear an orchestra in the process of discovering its sound as it goes. Orchestra members: Maude Arès, Patrick Conan, Michael Feuerstack, James Goddard, Thanya Iyer, Adam Kinner, Liam O’Neill, Lara Oundjian, Pompey, Stephen Quinlan, Rebecca Rehder, Catherine Fatima, Frédérique Roy, Mulu Tesfu, Jacob Wren. Members who are also writers include: Catherine Fatima, Frédérique Roy, and Jacob Wren.
ASSIYAH JAMILLA TOURÉ is a multidisciplinary artist of West African descent. They were born and raised on Skwxwú7mesh land and are now currently based in Kanien’kehà:ka territory. Their work focuses on the body as a geographical site, somatic experiences of eco-grief, internal and external violence and animism.
Autowar by Assiyah Jamilla Touré

BRIQUE PAR BRIQUE’S TIME-BANK is a platform to facilitate the exchange of services between residents in Parc-Extension. By tapping into the diverse skills and talents within the community and connecting residents, this initiative aims to empower individuals and reinforce community bonds. Through this project, Brique par brique believes it can contribute to the improvement of the living conditions in the neighbourhood by fostering a vibrant ecosystem where all residents contribute and benefit regardless of their status and abilities.
https://opencollective.com/brique…/projects/px-timebank
ACCESSIBILITY // The Sala Rossa is located on the second floor (there are 38 steps total). There are gender neutral washrooms which are not wheelchair accessible. There is a Hearing Assistance System on the FM dial at 101.1 FM. Anyone needing assistance accessing the space can contact us – we are more than happy to try and accommodate people to the best of our ability.
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THE AIR CONTAINS HONEY ET ASSIYAH JAMILLA TOURÉSoirée bénéfice pour le project Banque de temps pour Parc-Extension de Brique par brique.Diffusé par Arts in the Margins, Brique par brique et The Air Contains Honey.
Mercredi, le 31 janvier 2024Portes : 19h30 musique : 20h00La Sala Rossa, 4848 boul St Laurent, Montréal, Qc H2T 1R5Billets : 20.14$ avec taxes et frais en avance / 20$ à l’entrée (Personne ne sera refusé à la porte )Billetterie en ligne : https://www.venuepilot.co/events/86368/orders/new#/Événement Facebook : https://fb.me/e/x8qwndduw~Image par Maude Arès
THE AIR CONTAINS HONEY est un « orchestre » qui mélange des musiciens professionnels et amateurs à la recherche d’une convivialité et d’un esprit de communauté qu’ils peuvent ou non trouver. Toutes leurs chansons suivent la même structure de base : une citation chantée quatre fois, une pause instrumentale, puis la même citation chantée à nouveau quatre fois. Pour le public comme pour les interprètes, c’est l’occasion d’entendre un orchestre en train de découvrir sa sonorité au fur et à mesure.
ASSIYAH JAMILLA TOURÉ est une artiste multidisciplinaire d’origine ouest-africaine qui est née et a grandi sur le territoire de Skwxwú7mesh et qui est actuellement basée sur le territoire de Kanien’kehà:ka. Leur travail se concentre sur le corps en tant que site géographique, les expériences somatiques de l’éco-chagrin, la violence interne et externe et l’animisme.
Autowar by Assiyah Jamilla Touré

LA BANQUE DU TEMPS DE BRIQUE PAR BRIQUE est une plateforme qui vise à faciliter l’échange de services entre les résident.es de Parc-Extension. En mettant de l‘avant les diverses compétences et talents des résident.e.s et en créant des ponts entre eux.elles, cette initiative vise à briser l‘isolation ainsi que de renforcer la confiance en soi et entre nous. Grâce à ce projet, Brique par brique pense pouvoir contribuer à l’amélioration des conditions de vie dans le quartier en favorisant un écosystème dynamique où tous et toutes peuvent contribuer et bénéficier, indépendamment de leur statut et de leurs capacités.
https://opencollective.com/brique…/projects/px-timebank
ACCESSIBILITÉ // La Sala Rossa est située au deuxième étage (38 marches au total). Il y a des toilettes neutres qui ne sont pas accessibles aux fauteuils roulants. Il y a un système d’aide à l’audition sur le cadran FM à 101.1 FM. Toute personne ayant besoin d’aide pour accéder à l’espace peut nous contacter – nous sommes plus qu’heureux d’essayer d’accommoder les gens au mieux de nos capacités

If It's Thursday: A Virtual Launch of Loch Baillie's Chapbook "Citronella"
2024-02-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual
Join 2023 QWF poetry mentee Loch Baillie and four guest readers as they launch Baillie’s debut chapbook Citronella (Anstruther Press, 2024).
Contact lochbaillie@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Writers Out Loud: The Middle East As a Canvas for Canadian Writers
2024-02-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Adair Auditorium, Atwater Library, 1200 Atwater Avenue (top floor), Montreal, Quebec, H3Z 1T4, Canada
Join us for Writers Out Loud: The Middle East As a Canvas for Canadian Writers.

Organized by Muslim Awareness Week and QWF, this free event will feature writers Ehab Lotayef (To Love a Palestinian Woman) and Ian Thomas Shaw (Quill of the Dove) discussing how the region and concept of “the Middle East” has influenced their work. Moderated by CKUT Community Radio Reporter Samaa Elibyari.

Light refreshments will be served after the discussion.

The panel will be in person at the Atwater Library Auditorium. Attendees can attend in person or register to join online via Zoom.

Feel free to share the Facebook event with friends and family.

To attend online: Register to get the link to the Zoom Webinar. You do not need to register if you plan to attend in person.

Register for Zoom Link

About the Authors

Ehab Lotayef is a poet and writer. His poetry book To Love a Palestinian Woman was published by TSAR in 2010. His works have appeared in multiple anthologies, papers, and webzines. Ehab, who was born in Cairo, Egypt, also writes in classical Arabic and colloquial Egyptian. He holds a B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering and is an IT and Technical Services Manager at McGill University. Ehab has been, and continues to be, dedicated to social justice and is a founding and active member of a number of NGOs.

Ian Thomas Shaw is a Canadian novelist and former diplomat. Born in Vancouver, he worked for 34 years first as an international development expert and then as a diplomat, living in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Ian’s second novel, Quill of the Dove, is a blend of literary fiction and political thriller set against the Lebanese Civil War and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ian is also the founder and main editor for Deux Voiliers Publishing (27 books edited), and the founder of the Prose in the Park Literary Festival and the Ottawa Review of Books.

Getting to the Venue

The Adair Auditorium is located on the top floor of the Atwater Library and Computer Centre.

Address: 4023 Tupper Street (side entrance)Westmount, QC H3Z 1X4

Note: As this event will be held outside the library’s opening hours, please use the Tupper Street entrance if the main entrance on Atwater is closed.

Closest Metro: Atwater Station

Closest Bus lines: 24, 63, 90, 104, 138, 144, 150

Accessibility: The auditorium is fully accessible by wheelchair. From Tupper Street, there is a slight slope down to a side entrance to the basement. Once inside, there is an elevator to the second floor, where the auditorium is located.

For questions or requests about accessibility, contact John Wickham, Communications Officer, at john@qwf.org.

Learn more about the office location and accessibility.

The Second Plateau Symposium
2024-02-02 20:00 - 2024-02-03 01:30 | 4361 Saint Denis, 4361 Saint Denis, Montreal, QC, H2J 2L2, Canada
The Plateau Symposia is holding its second in-person event, featuring readings from Kiara Blanchette, Nuria Isabel, Salesforce Child, and Inuya Schultz.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2024-02-03 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, February 3, 10:00 am–12:30 pmOnline via Zoom—RSVP below to receive the Zoom link

Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space?

Register below to do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25 minute bursts, with 5 minutes break in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

The Zoom link will be sent out a day or two before the session.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

10:00–10:25: Writing 110:25–10:30: Break10:30–10:55: Writing 210:55–11:00: Break11:00–11:25: Writing 311:25–11:30: Break11:30–11:55: Writing 411:55–12:00: Break12:00–12:25: Writing 5

To receive the Zoom link, RSVP below. You will receive the Zoom link a few days before the session.

Note: RSVPs will close 24 hours before the event starts. If there is no option to RSVP, RSVPs are closed.

Illuminated Grant-Writing
2024-02-03 10:30 - 13:30, 2024-02-10 10:30 - 13:30, 2024-02-17 10:30 - 13:30 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
This series of four workshops will examine how writers with projects for print, spoken word, or storytelling can develop a strong literary arts grant application. From drafting a project description to balancing a budget, we will also discuss artistic risk, impact, and cultural appropriation. Focus will be on funding programs at the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), and an arts council program officer will join us to answer questions. This series is information-heavy and intended for Quebec-based writers at all stages of their practice: emerging, mid-career, or established. Participants must have an original literary arts project in mind in order to focus their efforts and be prepared to complete tasks between sessions.

Access to MS Word or similar writing software will be necessary as well as a willingness to share work, and give and receive feedback in a workshop setting.

As soon as they have registered for the workshop, participants should email a short, one-sentence description of their current literary arts project to riley@qwf.org with the subject line “For Tawhida Tanya Evanson.”

Tawhida Tanya Evanson is a poet, author, performer and producer. Her poetry collections include Bothism and Nouveau Griot, and her debut novel Book of Wings won the 2022 CAM/Blue Metropolis New Contribution Prize. Her French autotranslation Livre des ailes (2023) is fresh from Marchand de feuilles. With a twenty-five-year practice in oral poetry and music, she performs internationally and has released studio albums and short films including the upcoming concert film CYANO SUN SUITE. She is president of the Quebec Writers’ Federation, director of the Banff Centre Spoken Word Program, and produces interarts events as Mother Tongue Media. She moonlights as a whirling dervish. www.mothertonguemedia.com

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2024-02-09 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, February 9, 12:30 pm–3:00 pmFree, In PersonQWF Office (Room 3, 1200 Atwater Ave., Westmount)

Register for the session by filling out the RSVP form below.

Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space?

Join us for an in-person Shut Up & Write session at the QWF office!

Do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do, and meet a few of your fellow QWF members. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25 minute bursts, with 5-minute breaks in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

12:30–12:55: Writing 112:55–1:00: Break1:00–1:25: Writing 21:25–1:30: Break1:30–1:55: Writing 31:55–2:00: Break2:00–2:25: Writing 42:25–2:30: Break2:30–2:55: Writing 5

To register, RSVP below.

Getting to the QWF Office

Our office is located on the top floor of the Atwater Library and Computer Centre, in Room 3.

Address: 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3Westmount, QC H3Z 1X4

Closest Metro: Atwater Station

Closest Bus lines: 24, 63, 90, 104, 138, 144, 150

Accessibility:

The QWF Office is fully accessible by wheelchair from the side entrance on Tupper Street. Once inside, there is an elevator to the second floor, where the QWF office is.

Learn more about the office location and accessibility.

Launch of Yolk 3.2
2024-02-09 19:30 | Librairie De Stiil Bookstore, 351 Duluth Ave E, Montreal, Quebec, H2W 1J3, Canada
Friday, Feb 9, 7:30 pmDe Stiil Booksellers (351 Ave. Duluth E., Montreal)

Join the folks at Yolk at De Stiil Friday, February 9th for the launch of yolk volume 3.2: Solastalgia, complete with readings from the issue, music, merchandise, and drinks. Issues of 3.2 will be available for purchase online and at select bookstores following the launch.Where: @destiil_books, 351 Duluth Ave E, Montreal.Time: Entrance at 7:30pm, readings set to begin at 8pm.Entry: $7.50 (or PWYC), or $20 with a copy of volume 3.2. Card or cash accepted.

Late Winter Writers Residency Online 2024
2024-02-12 00:00 - 2024-02-23 23:59 | Online
Overview
The Late Winter Writers Residency Online is a small cohort program that gives you a chance to learn from each other and faculty, attend exclusive talks, ask questions, and develop your practice.
What does the program offer?
This two week online residency provides broad thematic teaching from faculty members, Fawn Parker and Annick McAskill, Q&A sessions and workshopping. Instructors will discuss ideas, experiences, and obstacles that you may be encountering with your writing of both poetry and fiction.
One-on-one mentorship will allow you to receive direct mentorship on craft and professional development.
Who should apply?
Writers in all creative genres are invited to apply. The online program is designed for emerging and established writers with a proven publication record. We welcome writers from all ages (18+), backgrounds, and all gender identities and expressions.
This Residency only accepts projects that are being written in English.
This program is not open to applicants who have taken part in a Banff Centre residency in the last year, nor to current faculty members of any other Banff Centre programming.
Application Deadline: November 08, 2023
Program Dates: February 12 – February 23, 2024
Learn more and apply online: https://bit.ly/3o6Sf0q
*Financial Aid of 100% of the program fee is available for this program.

Solo Collab
2024-02-13 19:30 - 23:30 | Casa del Popolo, 4873 boul. St-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1R6, Canada
Klara du Plessis, Rachel McCrum, Katherine McLeod & Deanna Radford. Poetry & Dance
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Doors: 19h30, show: 20h00
Casa Del Popolo, 4873 boul St-Laurent, Montréal
Advance tickets available. $8 +taxes & fees: https://www.venuepilot.co/events/91259/orders/new#/
$10 at the door
KLARA DU PLESSIS is an interdisciplinary artist-scholar, literary curator, and poet. Her most recent publications include G, translingual poetry composed in collaboration with Khashayar “Kess” Mohammadi, and I’mpossible collab, a collection of literary essays. Post-mortem of the event is forthcoming fall 2024 from Palimpsest Press.
RACHEL MCCRUM is a poet, performer, editor, and curator. Originally from Northern Ireland, she lived in Edinburgh, Scotland between 2010 and 2016, where she was the first BBC Scotland Poet in Residence and recipient of a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship. Her 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 Fall 2020, and was a finalist for the Le Prix de traduction de la Fondation Cole from the Quebec Writers’ Federation in 2022. She is currently working on a new spoken word show on stepmothers. Rachel is the vocalist for noise-poetry group Pigs&Wolves.
KATHERINE MCLEOD (she/her) is a scholar and dancer. She publishes research on feminist listening to literary audio, and most recently she has co-edited with Jason Camlot the special triple-issue of English Studies in Canada, “New Sonic Approaches in Literary Studies.” She teaches in the Department of English at Concordia, she curates Where Poets Read, and she produces the monthly series ShortCuts for The SpokenWeb Podcast.
In 2023, DEANNA RADFORD’s poetry-sound group Cloud Circuit recorded its first full-length album at Hotel2Tango in Montréal. Following that, they took on the role of Ambassadors of the Embassy of Utopia as part of the Tartu International Literary Festival Prima Vista in Estonia. She is also a co-founder of improvisational group, The Tuned Air Trio, with vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb and multiinstrumentalist Eric Lewis. Deanna’s poetry has appeared in The Belfield Literary Review, The Capilano Review, Radio, Occulto, and elswhere.
ACCESSIBILITY: Casa Del Popolo is located on ground level. There are ramps on both the venue and bar front entrances for wheelchair accessibility. Washrooms are gender neutral and one is wheelchair accessible.

Lunch and Learn with Playwrights' Workshop Montreal
2024-02-14 12:00 - 13:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Wednesday, February 14, 202412:00-1:30 pm ETOnline via Zoom

Presenting Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal!

Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal (PWM) is a theatre creation and development centre sparking collaborative exploration of new work. In this Lunch & Learn, PWM Programs and Development Manager Heather Eaton will be presenting the programs and activities PWM offers to playwrights in various stages of their careers.

With their varied programming, including mentorships, workshops, residencies, dramaturgical conversations, and professional development workshops, PWM is an invaluable centre for playwrights, dramaturgs, theatre translators, and performance makers.

Come join us on the 14th of February from 12nn-1:30pm for a virtual presentation. Folks are invited to come with questions for the dedicated Q&A portion toward the end.

RSVP using the button below and a Zoom link will be sent to you a couple of days before the event itself.

Poetry & music with Elena Stoodley + Svens Telemaque + The Legendary Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
2024-02-14 20:00 - 23:30 | La Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Laurent Boulevard, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 2R5, Canada
Casa Del Popolo Productions, Arts in the Margins, et Lectures Logos Readings present The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble on their 50th Anniversary Tour & Special Guests Elena Stoodley + Svens Telemaque
Wednesday February 14, 2024, Doors: 8:00 pm, music: 9:00 pm
All ages. Tickets: $22 +fees & taxes
Box office: https://www.venuepilot.co/events/88138/orders/new#/
★★★ ~le français suit ~
THE ETHNIC HERITAGE ENSEMBLE was formed in 1974 shortly after SIR KAHIL EL ZABAR graduated from Lake Forest College, with the goal, “To combine concepts of African American music with its earlier roots in traditional African music, to produce new motifs and sounds true to their origins yet firmly pointed in a new artistic direction of enlightenment and deep listening”. Half a century later and the rich, compelling, ever-evolving sound they are known for, is still going strong. Together with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble is one of the two remaining original groups active in the world today that were nurtured in the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.) El Zabar attests. “My concept was based in logic as it pertains to the history of Great Black Music.
EHE has a strong rhythmic foundation, innovative harmonics and counterpoint, well-balanced interplay and polyphony among the players for highly developed ensemble dynamics. They are strong individual soloists with an in-depth grasp of music history, originality, fearlessness and deep spirituality. Alongside multi-faceted El-Zabar, the EHE’s current line-up includes COREY WILKES on trumpet, who has worked with numerous jazz masters, including Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Elling, and multi-instrumentalist ALEX HARDING on baritone sax, who has performed with Dollar Brand, Julius Hemphill Sun Ra, and Fela The Musical. They whip up an electrifying mix of spiritual jazz and African rhythms built around fundamental brass improvisations and a swing-induced groove.The resulting trance-like fervor, transports one into a mind opening journey of spiritually enlightened deep listening.
Their album, Open Me, A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit (Spiritmuse Records, Music for the Spirit) releases on Feb 28, 2024. https://ethnicheritageensemble.bandcamp.com/album/open-me-a-higher-consciousness-of-sound-and-spirit
Elena Stoodley is a singer, author, songwriter and sound designer half of the time, the remaining being spent in community organizing. Born in Tio’tia:ke, Montreal, she often blends her passion for social justice and black liberation with her art practices. She studied Creative Writing and Electroacoustic music and performed her music internationally, including in Cameroon and in the Republic of Congo. She sometimes gives workshops or consults on topics of anti-oppressive work practices and intersectional inclusion. Her most recent sound design work was shown in the plays, The Mountaintop, the Rootless tree, Manman LaMer, Black Out (nominated for oustanding sounddesign for the META’s – Montreal English Theatre Awards). Her most recent work was sound designing for Pipeline by Black Theatre Workshop and M’appelle Mohamed Ali by La Sentinelle and L’amoure looks something like you by Eric Noël. She is currently working on the annual recap Chécké2023 and sound design for a documentary. This Spring of 2023, she will be sound designing the play Diggers, for Black Theatre Workshop and S’enjailler by Stephie Mazunya. https://www.elenastoodley.net
Svens Telemaque abandoned familiarity and utilizes his past experiences to help him pave the way for others. Svens Telemaque has a unique perspective on life and challenges the average perception of circumstances, faith, and emotion. After relocating to Montreal in 2007, he co-founded L’art Selah, a poetry collective, and released his first book, Pen of a Ready Writer Vol.1, in 2014. He now arms audiences to face, embrace, and overcome adversity with hope. As a Social Entrepreneur, Author, and speaker, he reminds us that even “Broken Crayons Still Color.” @svens_telemaque
ACCESSIBILITY // The Sala Rossa is located on the second floor (there are 38 steps total). There are gender neutral washrooms which are not wheelchair accessible. There is a Hearing Assistance System on the FM dial at 101.1 FM. Anyone needing assistance accessing the space can contact us – we are more than happy to try and accommodate people to the best of our ability.
★★★
Productions Casa del popolo, Arts aux marges, et Lectures logos readings présentent L’ETHNIC HERITAGE ENSEMBLE à l’occasion de sa tournée du 50e anniversaire et des invité.es spéciaux – Elena Stoodley et Svens Telemaque
Mercredi 14 février 2024, Portes : 20h00, musique : 21h00
Tous âges. Billets : 22 $ + frais et taxes
Billetterie : https://www.venuepilot.co/events/88138/orders/new#/
L’Ethnic Heritage Ensemble a été fondé en 1974, peu après que Sir Kahil El Zabar eut obtenu son diplôme au Lake Forest College, dans le but de « combiner les concepts de la musique afro-américaine avec ses racines plus anciennes dans la musique africaine traditionnelle, afin de produire de nouveaux motifs et sons fidèles à leurs origines, tout en s’orientant fermement vers une nouvelle direction artistique d’illumination et d’écoute profonde ». Un demi-siècle plus tard, le son riche, captivant et en constante évolution qui a fait leur réputation est toujours d’actualité. Avec l’Art Ensemble of Chicago, l’Ethnic Heritage Ensemble est l’un des deux derniers groupes originaux actifs dans le monde aujourd’hui qui ont été formés au sein de l’AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). « Mon concept était basé sur la logique de l’histoire de la grande musique noire. »
EHE s’appuie sur une base rythmique solide, des harmoniques et des contrepoints innovants, une interaction et une polyphonie bien équilibrées entre les musiciens pour une dynamique d’ensemble très développée. Ce sont de solides solistes individuels qui ont une connaissance approfondie de l’histoire de la musique, font preuve d’originalité, d’intrépidité et d’une profonde spiritualité. Outre El-Zabar aux multiples facettes, la formation actuelle de l’EHE comprend Corey Wilkes à la trompette, qui a travaillé avec de nombreux maîtres du jazz, dont Wynton Marsalis et Kurt Elling, et le saxophone baryton Alex Harding, multi-instrumentiste, qui a joué avec Dollar Brand, Julius Hemphill, Sun Ra et Fela The Musical. Ils créent un mélange électrisant de jazz spirituel et de rythmes africains autour d’improvisations fondamentales de cuivres et d’un groove induit par le swing. La ferveur qui en résulte, semblable à une transe, transporte l’auditeur dans un voyage d’ouverture de l’esprit et d’écoute profonde spirituellement éclairée.
Leur album, Open Me, A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit (Spiritmuse Records, Music for the Spirit) sort le 28 février 2024. https://ethnicheritageensemble.bandcamp.com/album/open-me-a-higher-consciousness-of-sound-and-spirit?fbclid=IwAR2rL6D_aN0M0prfRc_Tj5ixxUW8jlm2NcKXTfY9N2M7vsvt6GHwEkh6A4Q
Elena Stoodley est chanteuse, autrice-compositrice et conceptrice sonore en plus de se consacrer à l’organisation communautaire. Née à Tio’tia: ke, Montréal, elle joint souvent sa passion pour la justice sociale et la libération des personnes noires à ses pratiques artistiques. Elle a étudié la création littéraire et la musique électroacoustique et a interprété sa musique à l’international, notamment au Cameroun et à la République du Congo. Elle donne parfois des ateliers ou des consultations sur les pratiques de travail anti-oppressives et d’inclusion intersectionnelle. Son travail de conception sonore le plus récent a été montré dans les pièces de théâtre, The Mountaintop, the Rootless tree, Manman LaMer, Black Out (nominé pour conception sonore exceptionnelle aux META’s – Montreal English Theatre Awards) Ses plus récents projets étaient la conception sonore des pièces de théâtre Pipeline de Black Theatre Workshop et de M’appelle Mohamed Ali de La Sentinelle ainsi que L’amoure looks something like you d’Éric Noël. Elle travaille présentement sur la revue annuelle Chécké2023 et la conception sonore d’un documentaire Elle signera la conception sonore de la pièce Diggers, en collaboration avec le Black TheatreWorkshop au printemps 2023 et de S’enjailler de Stephie Mazunya. https://www.elenastoodley.net
Svens Telemaque abandonne la familiarité et utilise ses expériences passées pour ouvrir la voie aux autres. Svens Telemaque a une perspective unique sur la vie et remet en question la perception moyenne des circonstances, de la foi et des émotions. Après s’être installé à Montréal en 2007, il a cofondé L’art Selah, un collectif de poésie, et a publié son premier livre, Pen of a Ready Writer Vol.1, en 2014. Il encourage maintenant ses auditoires à faire face à l’adversité, à l’embrasser et à la surmonter avec espoir. En tant qu’entrepreneur social, auteur et conférencier, il nous rappelle que même les « crayons cassés ont encore de la couleur ». @svens_telemaque
★★★
ACCESSIBILITÉ // La Sala Rossa est située au deuxième étage (38 marches au total). Il y a des toilettes neutres qui ne sont pas accessibles aux fauteuils roulants. Il y a un système d’aide à l’audition sur le cadran FM à 101.1 FM. Toute personne ayant besoin d’aide pour accéder à l’espace peut nous contacter – nous sommes plus qu’heureux d’essayer d’accommoder les gens au mieux de nos capacités.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2024-02-17 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, February 17, 10:00 am–12:30 pmOnline via Zoom—RSVP below to receive the Zoom link

Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space?

Register below to do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25 minute bursts, with 5 minutes break in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

The Zoom link will be sent out a day or two before the session.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

10:00–10:25: Writing 110:25–10:30: Break10:30–10:55: Writing 210:55–11:00: Break11:00–11:25: Writing 311:25–11:30: Break11:30–11:55: Writing 411:55–12:00: Break12:00–12:25: Writing 5

To receive the Zoom link, RSVP below. You will receive the Zoom link a few days before the session.

Note: RSVPs will close 24 hours before the event starts. If there is no option to RSVP, RSVPs are closed.

Youth-Led Poetry Night
2024-02-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Viva Vida Art Gallery, 278 Lakeshore Road, suite 2, Pointe-Claire, Quebec, H9S 4K9, Canada
Thursday, Feb 29, 2024, 7:00 pm ESTViva Vida, 278 Ch. du Bord-du-Lac-Lakeshore, Suite 2Point-Claire, QC, H9S 4K9

You’re invited to a Youth-Led Poetry Night, a free event encouraging young writers to share their work with an audience. Everyone is welcome!

Desserts, coffee, and tea will be available.

Hosted by MNA Greg Kelley & Samara O’Gorman (Poète/Poet).

Feel free to bring your poetry, or other forms of written work for our open mic—it will be a night of sharing stories, art, and connecting with other local artists

To RSVP: Email Gregory.Kelley.JACA@assnat.qc.ca.
