Quebec Writers' Federation

ELAN x QDF x QWF Solstice Schmoozer
2023-12-04 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Mon, Dec 4, 5:00-7:00 pmTeesri Duniya Theatre 251 avenue des Pins W, #148Open to all

Calling all community members! QWF is excited to invite you to our first “Partner Organization Schmoozer” in over a year! We’ll be gathering together with ELAN, QDF, and QWF members to make connections, learn about each other’s work, and, most importantly, schmooze! Hosted by Teesri Duniya, we’re thrilled to gather in person to wrap up the year together. Everyone welcome, and we hope to see you there!

This is a free event and open to all, so bring friends and fellow arts lovers! While an RSVP is not required, we ask interested people to do so via this link so we have a good estimate of the number of attendees.

Featuring the Minute Market: Promote your work! The first ten ELAN, QDF, and QWF members to sign up for the Minute Market will be given one minute during the event to promote their latest work (project, album, exhibition, publication, etc.) to an audience of artists and art lovers. Market participants are asked to contribute a door prize such as tickets, copy of your work, discount, book, etc., to be raffled off at the end of the event. (Note: Registration for the Minute Market is now full.)

RSVP on Facebook

Getting to the Event:

Teesri Duniya Theatre is located in the La Cité-des-Hospitalières complex on Pine Avenue.At the southwestern entrance of La Cité-des-Hospitalières (251 avenue des Pins Ouest, just east of avenue du Parc), you’ll see an arched entrance to a parking a lot. Go through there and walk past the parking lot. Enter the building on your right and proceed upstairs to the second floor.

Mille-Feuille: Writing Layered Nonfiction
2023-12-07 18:30 - 20:30 | Online via Zoom
Eight Thursdays, Oct 5-Dec 7 (no meeting Oct 26 and Nov 23), 6:30-8:30pmOpen to allLimited to 12 participantsOnline via Zoom

The Book of Delights, by Ross Gay. Ongoingness, by Sarah Manguso. Persephone’s Children, by Rowan McCandless. Citizen, by Claudia Rankine. Safekeeping, by Abigail Thomas. What these and many other contemporary memoirs and book-length essays share is that they build in fragments. Each fragment may be less than a page long, and the one that follows may or may not appear to be related. Yet somehow, layer upon layer, the fragments cohere into a rich and satisfying whole. In this online generative workshop, we’ll take a cue from books like these. We’ll practice writing as a process of accretion, starting small and layering, adding texture and depth to our memoirs or personal and lyric essays.

Each class will begin with a warm-up invitation, followed by conversation about a short reading related to the technique or form of the day. A second writing invitation will give you the chance to practice what we’ve discussed. You’ll also get opportunities to share your work.

You’ll come away with one or more short essays (in draft) and/or the beginning of a longer piece.

This workshop is suitable for participants at all levels. Poets wanting to move to prose and fiction writers may also enjoy it, because the exercises will be adaptable to these genres. Come prepared to write, to read, to experiment, to share.

Week 1: The Fragment and the Flash.

Week 2: Collage. Contrast, juxtaposition, the unexpected.

Week 3: The Braid. Parallel narratives.

Week 4: The Hermit Crab. The borrowed form.

Week 5: The Hermit Crab. More borrowings.

Week 6: Diptych or Triptych.

Week 7: Visual Essay.

Week 8: Accretion as Method and Aesthetic.

Note: Participants might wish to read one or more of the books mentioned above before the course begins, but there’s no requirement to do so. I’ll provide reading material before or during each class, and a list of suggested resources at the end.

Susan Olding is the author of Big Reader: Essays, a finalist for the Canadian Authors Association Fred Kerner Award and the Alberta Publishing Awards Trade Nonfiction Book of the Year, and Pathologies: A Life in Essays, selected by 49th Shelf and Amazon.ca as one of 100 Canadian books to read in a lifetime. She mentors writers through the Vancouver Manuscript Intensive and holds the 2023 Southam Residency in Personal Journalism at the University of Victoria. You can find her at www.susanolding.com.

Temporarily Stairs: Developing and Refining Long-Form Fiction
2023-12-07 20:00 - 22:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Ten Thursdays, Oct 5-Dec 7, 8-10pmOpen via application to those with a novel-in-progress

Limited to 10 participants

Hybrid Workshop

As Mitch Hedberg pointed out, escalators are never broken—if they stop running, they still work just fine as stairs. In the same way, a story of any length is never broken, even if it sometimes feels that way. If you’ve been working on a novel or novella and are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just plain lost, this workshop is here to help you look at your manuscript anew and get things moving again.

This workshop is intended for writers who are looking for resources and encouragement while working on a novel or novella already in progress. Ideally, you’ll have a significant portion (a minimum of about 30–50 pages) of your novel or novella already completed, as well as a solid grasp of the story you’re working on.

Writing long-form fiction on your own or with few readers can be exhilarating, but can also leave you with incomplete drafts, discarded chapters, and the feeling that things have stalled. If you have pages of text, a cast of fantabulous characters, an amazing idea, and a story no one else can tell, but you sometimes want to call it a day and throw the whole thing out the window—don’t! I’ve been there, and I’m here to help.

Gaining insight from unbiased readers—myself and the other members of the group—in a supportive, creative atmosphere will help you identify issues, clarify your intent, and find real ways to improve your manuscript. To this end, our focus will be on crafting outlines and workshopping sections of each participant’s novel or novella. You will be invited to submit pages from your work in progress to receive feedback and notes from your fellow writers (including me!). You’ll also be encouraged to include one or two questions about your work with each submission, and you will have the opportunity to engage in informal question-and-answer sessions in each workshop.

Workshopping will be combined with lectures, discussions, and writing exercises to help you gain new insight to constructing and completing your novel or novella. We’ll explore ways to reinforce the structure of your existing manuscript, gain deeper understanding of characters, fix plot holes, tie up storylines, and approach publishers and editors. We’ll also work on sharpening another skill invaluable to any writer: the ability to pinpoint what might not be working and cut or rework if need be. Because writing a novel or novella takes as long as it takes, this workshop is designed to help you stay motivated and focused through the difficult parts of writing a long piece, and aims to give you the tools to get things moving and finish your manuscript in your own time.

To apply for a spot in this workshop, please submit the following to Riley at QWF (riley@qwf.org) by Wednesday, September 13 :

A short summary of your novel or novella (about one or two lines).

A maximum of 10 pages from your novel or novella, double-spaced (if these are not the opening pages, please include a brief note to let me know where we are in the story).

One or two questions about your novel, the process of completing a long work, and/or what to do with it when you feel it’s finished.

Sextant (Conundrum Press), Maya Merrick’s first novel, was released to critical acclaim in 2005, followed by The Hole Show (Conundrum Press) in 2007. She works with the Quebec Writers’ Federation as a mentor and workshop/master class facilitator, was an instructor at Concordia University’s Centre for Continuing Education, and served as the editorial and administrative assistant at Conundrum Press. She is an active writing coach, mentor, editor, copyeditor, and manuscript consultant. Maya is currently completing The Ride, a collection of microfiction.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2023-12-09 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, December 9, 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.

Michael Tolliver Lives (Violet Hour Book Club)
2023-12-09 15:00 - 16:30 | Les Archives gaies du Quebec,, 1000 Atateken #201-A, Montreal, Quebec, H2L 3K4, Canada
Join us for the next meeting of the Violet Hour Book Club, a reading group devoted to classic and contemporary works of LGBTQ literature. The book we will be discussing is Michael Tolliver Lives (2007) by Armistead Maupin, the seventh book in the classic Tales of the City series (a stand-alone novel).

Townships Holiday Book Fest
2023-12-10 10:00 - 16:00 | Amédée-Beaudoin Community Centre, 10 Samuel-Gratham Street, Lennoxville (Sherbrooke), Quebec, J1M 2J4, Canada
Sunday, December 10, 10 am to 4 pm ESTAmédé-Beaudoin Community Centre10 Samuel-Grantham (Lennoxville)

Book Fest! The Townships Sun Holiday Book Fest invites all book lovers to meet with an exciting line-up of 25 or more recent Townships authors who will display and talk about their books. Enjoy a program of short readings, panel discussions, videos, and music throughout the day. A free pancake breakfast will be served until 1 p.m., and tea and treats all day.

The Book Fest is on Sunday, December 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Amédée-Beaudoin Community Centre, 10 Samuel-Grantham, Lennoxville. Free admission. All are welcome! The Book Fest is sponsored by the Townships Sun as part of its 50th Anniversary Celebrations, partnering with the Quebec Writers’ Federation and Townshippers’ Association.

The Words & Music Show: Enkonkaratonhase—Let Me Tell You a Story...
2023-12-11 20:00 | Casa del Popolo, 4873 boul. St-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1R6, Canada
Monday, December 11, 20238:00 PM EST (Doors open 7:30 PM)Casa del Popolo (4873 Saint-Laurent Blvd.)$10 (or pay what you can) at the door

The Indigenous people of Turtle Island were born from stories, live through sharing them, and celebrate them together through words, music, and dance. On Dec 11, four Indigenous artists welcome you to experience some of their stories with them in the spirit of respect and peace.

About the Performers

âpihtawikosisâniskwêw (Métis / Norwegian / French / British) multidisciplinary artist Moe Clark is a 2Spirit singing thunderbird. She works across diverse disciplines of vocal improvisation, spoken word poetry, sound design, and performance creation. Through creative continuums of Indigenous language immersion, song creation and embodied knowledge, Moe’s work in community reinforces the roles of 2S people, women, and intergenerational transmission. Her last solo album Within toured across North America and her collaborative video poem “nitahkôtân” won best Indigenous language music video at the ImagiNative film festival. In 2013 she directed the 10th Annual Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, highlighting Indigenous Languages, and she was named Poet of Honour at the same festival in 2014. Fire & Sage/ Du sauge et du feu, her bilingual book of poetry released through Maelström Editions, has been showcased at international literature festivals. Moe has seven albums of music, both solo and collaborative and multiple performance videos. Co-founder of Weather Beings with Māori Takatāpui dancer/ choreographer Victoria Hunt, their collaboration examines intersections of Métis & Māori cosmology and Indigenous futurism through performance experimentation. Moe’s work has appeared at the Lincoln Centre (US), UBUD Writers & Readers Festival (ID) and Origins Festival in London (UK). Originally from the prairies in Treaty 7, Moe resides in Tio’tiá:ke/ Montréal, on the unceded territory of the Kanien’keha:ka.

Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo is Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk) of mixed heritage, originally from Kahnawake, and now lives in Montreal. She is the artistic director/choreographer for A’nó:wara Dance Theatre. She is a storyteller who uses words, music, and dance to create pieces that bring Indigenous themes, stories, and perspectives to light. Her show, Sky Dancers, won a Dora Mavor Award for Outstanding Touring Production in 2022 and she was the recipient of the Prix de la danse de Montréal for most notable dancer in 2021. Barbara collaborates with several organizations to help educate populations, create “safe spaces” and support Indigenous artists around the world. Barbara performs and creates for generations to come, for her ancestors, for community, to inspire, to communicate, to uplift spirits, and to encourage cultural pride.

In the purest tradition of Inuit culture, Nina Segalowitz (Inuvialuit and Dìne) has given regal performances of throatsinging for more than 25 years. Throat singing has been practised by the Inuit for thousands of years, and their interpretations are Inuit women’s prized moments of leisure and entertainment. Nina has performed in many countries (France, Columbia, Chile, England, Belgium, Italy, USA) with many groups and singers like with Ariane Moffat or The Symphony Orchestra of Montreal. She has been actively involved in Oktoecho projects since 2010.

At 3 million+ streams, Montreal-based queer, trans non-binary, Indigenous pop singer/songwriter Siibii has emerged onto the national music scene with catchy acoustic pop melodies and a growing catalogue that has been capturing audiences at a rapid pace. Their most recent release, “YOY,” has landed them various Spotify editorials such as “Contemporary Pop & Indigenous” and has garnered over 700,000+ streams. Siibii’s accolodes include a CBC Searchlight 2022 runner up award, Canada’s Walk Of Fame 2022 Emerging Musician Grand Prize Winner, a SOCAN Young Canadian Songwriters Award in 2021, and numerous #1 chart-topping singles on the NCI-FM’s Indigenous Music Countdown.

Originally from the Cree community of Mistissini, Quebec, Siibii strives to be a changemaker, noting the responsibility they feel to pursue their talent to create more representation within the industry for those who look and identify as they do.

Turret House Extravaganza
2023-12-13 19:00 | Maison de la Culture NDG, 6400 Monkland Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H4B 1H3, Canada
Wednesday, December 13, 20237:00 pmMaison de la Culture NDG(3755 rue Botrel, Montreal)

Montreal micro-press Turret House invites you to the public premiere of two short films by James Hawes: The Dog Wore a Hat in collaboration with Stuart Ross and Double House Poem in collaboration with Sarah Burgoyne.

Featuring readings to launch new chapbooks by Hugh Thomas, Rose Maloukis, Jay Miller, Endre Farkas/Bálint Balassi, and Stuart Ross.

QWF Holiday Book Giveaway
2023-12-15 13:00 - 16:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Fri, Dec 15, 2023,1:00-4:00 pmQWF Office (1200 Atwater Ave, room 3, top floor)

We’re hosting a book giveaway at the QWF office!

On Friday, December 15, stop by between 1 and 4 pm before we close for two weeks for the holidays. Light refreshments will be available, and QWF members can take up to three free books. Non-members can join and get three free books, too. Enjoy some casual conversation with QWF staff and fellow members, and get yourself some new reading material (or Christmas presents for loved ones!).

RSVP on FAcebook

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.

Lunch & Learn with QWF
2024-01-09 12:00 - 13:15
Tuesday, January 9, 12:00-1:15 pmOnline via ZoomFree, open to all (registration required)

Looking to learn more about QWF, what we do, and how we can help you?

Join us for the next Lunch & Learn with QWF on Tuesday, January 9!

In this 75-minute online session, we’ll provide a deep dive into all our programs and services. Whether you’re new to QWF, want to find out about a particular program, or simply want to meet the team, we welcome you to join us.

Riley Palanca (Membership Services Coordinator) will discuss QWF programs and services for emerging and aspiring writers, including our mentorship program, Shut Up & Write writing sessions, and writing workshops.Lori Schubert (Executive Director) will explain QWF programs and services for more established writers, including the Writers in the Community program, the Hire a Writer Directory, and the QWF Awards.John Wickham (Communications Officer) will provide a brief tour of the website, highlighting sections and resources that are particularly useful to QWF members.

Free and open to all.To get the Zoom link: Register by filling out the RSVP form at the bottom of the event page. After filling out the RSVP form, you will receive the Zoom link by email the day before the event.

Note: RSVPs will close at 11:00 am on Tuesday, January 9. For help getting the Zoom link, please contact John Wickham at john@qwf.org

Lunch & Learn with QWF is held once every three months. The next session will be held in April 2024.

Book Launch: Imagining Musical Pasts
2024-01-10 18:00 - 20:00 | 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 | 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
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 | 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.
