Quebec Writers' Federation

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2025-07-25 12:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, July 25, 2025, 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.

If you registered and can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org to notify us.

Book Signing with Guy Gavriel Kay
2025-07-27 13:30 - 15:00 | Joie de livres, 5163 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1R9, Canada
Are you a fan of epic fantasy? In that case, save the date for Sunday, July 27th (1:30pm-3pm), because bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay will be at Joie de livres for a book signing session, with the recent release of his novel Written on the Dark (Viking Books)! A unique occasion to meet one of the genre greatmasters in Montreal!Stop by the store to reserve your copy before the event—it can be dedicated to you even if you decide to pick it up late.

Lesbian Wilderness Retreat from Hell
2025-07-31 20:00 - 21:30, 2025-08-01 20:00 - 21:30, 2025-08-02 20:00 - 21:30, 2025-08-03 20:00 - 21:30, 2025-08-06 20:00 - 21:30, 2025-08-07 20:00 - 21:30, 2025-08-08 20:00 - 21:30, 2025-08-09 20:00 - 21:30 | Cabaret Lion d’Or, 1676 Ontario St East, Montreal, Quebec, H2L1S7, Canada
Lesbian Wilderness Retreat from Hell

Follow us on instagram for delicious reveals: @lwrfhell

Lesbian Wilderness Retreat from Hell is an immersive and interactive queer horror-comedy stage-play.

When five social media influencers realize their invitation to a fabulous queer retreat is a cover-up for a nightmarish revenge plot, they have no choice but to come to terms with their dark pasts – all broadcast live to their social media fans.

** The audience takes on the role of a character in the show, deciding the fate of the influencers! At three key turning points, viewers will be prompted to scan a QR code and vote between two options: to FORGIVE or to CANCEL a character after a shocking revelation. The stakes are high, and the impact is immediate! **

Directed by Mariah Inger

Starring Alyssa Angelucci-Wall, Veronica Baron, Anton May, Elly Pond, Joan Edouard Williams, Emma Elizabeth, Chrystal Zhang, and Hannah Morrow.

Learn more about the show at https://www.misfitfilms.ca/theatre

Produced by Misfit Productions and In association with Fierté Montreal & Cabaret Lion d’Or

English with French closed captioning

A percentage of ticket sales will go to supporting humanitarian efforts for a free Palestine.

***

(FR)

Suivez-nous sur instagram pour de délicieuses révélations: @lwrfhell

Lesbian Wilderness Retreat from Hell est une comédie d’horreur queer immersive et interactive.

Lorsque cinq influenceurs des médias sociaux réalisent que leur invitation à une fabuleuse retraite queer n’est qu’une couverture pour un complot de vengeance cauchemardesque, ils n’ont d’autre choix que de faire face à leurs sombres passés – le tout diffusé en direct à leurs fans sur les médias sociaux.

**Le public joue le rôle d’un personnage dans le spectacle, décidant du sort des influenceurs! À trois moments clés, les téléspectateurs seront invités à scanner un code QR et à voter pour ou contre un personnage après une révélation choquante.

L’enjeu est de taille et l’impact immédiat! **

Pour en savoir plus sur le spectacle: https://www.misfitfilms.ca/theatre

Réalisé par Mariah Inger

Avec Alyssa Angelucci-Wall, Veronica Baron, Anton May, Elly Pond, Joan Edouard Williams, Emma Elizabeth, Chrystal Zhang et Hannah Morrow.

Produit par Misfit Productions et en association avec Fierté Montréal

Anglais avec sous-titrage en français

Un pourcentage de la vente des billets sera consacré au soutien des efforts humanitaires pour une Palestine libre.

*****

Please note :

• Seats are not assigned, general admission only

• Tickets are only available online

• Cabaret Lion d’Or has a bar, please arrive early, we will be happy to see you!

Bon spectacle! 🙂

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2025-08-02 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, August 2, 2025, 10:00 am–12:30 pm ETOnline 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-minute breaks 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 for virtual Shut Up & Write! sessions close 24 hours before the session begins. If there is no option to RSVP, RSVPs are closed.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2025-08-08 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, August 8, 2025, 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.

If you registered and can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org to notify us.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2025-08-16 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, August 16, 2025, 10:00 am–12:30 pm ETOnline 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-minute breaks 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 for virtual Shut Up & Write! sessions close 24 hours before the session begins. If there is no option to RSVP, RSVPs are closed.

Climate Fiction Discussion Panel
2025-08-16 17:00 - 19:00 | Argo Bookshop, 1841A Ste-Catherine St. West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Climate change is the defining crisis of our time. Artists are examining what the future will look like and what can be done now to help coming generations. This event features three published Canadian authors of climate fiction for young adults (Lea Beddia, May Jennifer Payne, and Allister Thompson.)nEach author has done their own take, from speculative fiction to realistc fiction about teen activists. Join us for author readings followed by an interactive discussion of the power YA fiction holds to inform, give hope, and inspire climate action.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2025-08-22 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, August 22, 2025, 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.

If you registered and can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org to notify us.

The Words and Music Show: with Tranna Wintour
2025-08-25 19:00 | Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill, 1254 MacKay Street, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 2H4, Canada
Monday, August 25, 20257:00 pm ET (Doors 6:30 pm)

Get Tickets

Limited tickets!

Introducing the Summer 2025 Edition of the Words and Music Show! For this night’s show, QWF is thrilled to present an hour of comedy, music, and storytelling with the spectacular Tranna Wintour!

Join Tranna Wintour for a glamorous, intimate night of entertainment. This cabaret show blends comedy, storytelling, and live music into a wild, unpredictable ride that harkens back to the glamour and sophistication of Barbra Streisand’s early days in Greenwich Village clubs. Sexy, soulful, and unapologetically fabulous, this is not just a show—it’s an experience.

About the Performer

Tranna Wintour is a comedian, writer, actor, singer, and podcaster. She has recorded gala performances with Just for Laughs in both English and French, and was one of the festival’s prestigious New Faces Canada in 2019. She has performed on stages and in festivals across the country and was named by Fashion magazine as one of the queens of Canadian comedy. In 2022, Tranna became a breakout star on Québec’s Big Brother Célébrités, with Journal Métro calling her rise to the top 4 “the best moment on Québec TV in years.” Last year, she returned to reality TV on CTV/Crave’s The Traitors Canada, where her honest and magnetic personality took her to the final two, cementing her as one of the franchise’s most beloved and unforgettable players. In addition to her work as a performer, Tranna co-hosted and co-produced CBC Podcasts’ Chosen Family for three seasons; it was named one of Apple’s Best Podcasts for two consecutive years.

Website: https://www.trannawintour.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trannawintour/?hl=en

About The Words and Music Show

The Words and Music Show is QWF’s literary cabaret, taking place once roughly every three months. Running since 2000, it is Montreal’s longest-running spoken word, poetry, literature, performance, and music show featuring top names from this city and across the country. More info at https://qwf.org.

Get Tickets

Lunch and Learn with CALQ
2025-08-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Tuesday, August 26, 202512:00–1:00 pm ETFree, Online—Register for Zoom Link

Learn about CALQ, their funding programs for writers, and applying for grants to support your work.

The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) is Quebec’s public arts funder that invests in the imagination and celebrates the successes of those who create memorable works, shape Quebec’s cultural identity, and make it shine. They support the creation, experimentation, and production in the arts and literature in all regions of the province and promote dissemination in Quebec, Canada, and abroad.

As a writer, you would benefit from learning more about the various funding programs that CALQ offers and how you can apply for one of these grants. Come attend the Quebec Writers’ Federation’s next Lunch and Learn where Guillaume Thériault, CALQ’s program officer in charge of literature in English, will deliver a short presentation on the various programs CALQ offers to writers. There will be a dedicated section for questions afterwards.

Prior to attending the session, participants are encouraged to watch this introductory video about CALQ so that our session can have more time to discuss more specific topics.

This session is free and open to all. Register to get the Zoom link.

Register Now

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2025-08-30 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, August 30, 2025, 10:00 am–12:30 pm ETOnline 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-minute breaks 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 for virtual Shut Up & Write! sessions close 24 hours before the session begins. If there is no option to RSVP, RSVPs are closed.

The Words & Music Show: We Look Good in Black—Fashioning Resistance
2025-09-01 18:00 - 21:00
Monday, September 1, 20256:00–9:00 pm ETMontreal (venue address shared upon ticket confirmation)

get tickets

Curated by Star Bunzigiye under the mentorship of Kym Dominique Ferguson for the Quebec Writers’ Federation Fresh Pages 2025 Guest Curatorship

A night of poetry, music, and storytelling that celebrates Black expression, style, and survival. Featuring powerful performances by Black Montreal-based artists, this multidisciplinary showcase will centre fashion as resistance, style as archive, and performance as protest.

Themes: embodiment, archive, protest

Live performances

Community art wall—want to hang your visual work? Reach out!

Come as you are. Come as your lineage. We’ve always looked good in Black.

The Fresh Pages Guest Curatorship

A component of QWF’s Fresh Pages Diversity Initiative, the Guest Curatorship is designed to help an aspiring literary artist who is Black, Indigenous, or a person of colour develop skills in creating and curating literary other arts events. The selected candidate receives a modest honorarium, mentorship from an established arts organizer, and a free one-year membership in QWF. Learn more.

The 2025 Guest Curator

Star Bunzigiye is a writer, cultural worker, and emerging curator. Their multidisciplinary practice spans literature, media, and public storytelling, with a particular focus on amplifying Black voices. Star is the founder behind We Look Good in Black, a digital fashion archive that documents and celebrates the rich, often-overlooked contributions of Black designers, stylists, and cultural icons.

With a background in journalism, digital outreach, and community engagement, Star has contributed to publications including This Magazine, Sumou Magazine, and Achipel. They’ve been featured in art exhibitions at Ada Slaight Gallery, Sankofa Square, and WIP Gallery. They also have curated and moderated arts events across Toronto and Montreal. Their current work is grounded in a belief that fashion, storytelling, and culture are interconnected tools for resistance, liberation, and self-definition. Star is passionate about fostering intentional, inclusive spaces for artistic expression that honour legacy while imagining new futures.

The 2025 Guest Curatorship Mentor

Kym Dominique-Ferguson is an award-winning Montreal-based spoken word artist, actor, and mentor celebrated for his dynamic performances and commitment to amplifying diverse voices. Born in Canada but raised in the Caribbean with Jamaican and Haitian roots, his cultural heritage deeply influences his work, blending traditional folklore with contemporary themes. As the founder of Madpoetix Productions, he has hosted and curated influential events like Inside Madpoetix Studios, The Phenomenal 5IVE and Madpoetix Soirée Open Mic, shaping Montreal’s spoken word scene. His play Dear Black Man, supported by the Cole Foundation, Black Theatre Workshop and the Canada Council for the Arts, explores identity and resilience, earning critical acclaim. A passionate mentor, Ferguson nurtures emerging artists through workshops and initiatives, ensuring his legacy as a transformative force in the arts.

Get Tickets

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2025-09-05 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, September 5, 2025, 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.

If you registered and can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org to notify us.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2025-09-13 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, September 13, 2025, 10:00 am–12:30 pm ETOnline 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-minute breaks 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 for virtual Shut Up & Write! sessions close 24 hours before the session begins. If there is no option to RSVP, RSVPs are closed.

Excavating Memories
2025-09-17 18:00 - 20:00
Fred Anderson in conversation about his memoir “Eyes Have Seen: From Mississippi to Montreal, A Memoir (Baraka Books, Montreal (2025)

Info Session with UNEQ: Update on the Status of the Artist Act
2025-09-17 19:00 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Wednesday, September 17, 20257:00 pm ETFree, Open to AllOnline—Register for Zoom Link

In partnership with QWF, the Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (UNEQ) will be leading a virtual information session in English for writers to learn more about UNEQ and their role in negotiating collective agreements for writers in Quebec.

Following the accreditation of UNEQ with respect to Act S-32.1 (Act respecting the professional status of artists in the visual arts, cinema, recording, literature, crafts, and the performing arts, also known as the Status of the Artist Act), UNEQ President Pierre-Yves Villeneuve will explain UNEQ’s progress so far negotiating standard contracts between Quebec publishers and writers. He will outline the main issues that UNEQ will be negotiating (see List of Demands) and explain the financial implications of UNEQ’s new role for writers who publish in Quebec (see Membership Fees and Union Dues: Information). A question period will follow.

Register to get the Zoom link.

This session will be recorded and published on QWF’s YouTube channel.

About the Act Respecting the Professional Status of Artists (S-32.1)

Adopted in June 2022, the Act Respecting the Professional Status of Artists is intended to bring together the provisions governing the professional status of artists working in visual arts, film, recording arts, arts and crafts, performing arts, and literature. As such, it allows UNEQ to negotiate collective agreements that set minimum working conditions for writers and literary artists.

For more information about the Act and its impact on writers, watch the recording of our previous Info Session with UNEQ, from 2024.

Register for Zoom link

Joint Book Launch: Su J Sokol and Rich Larson
2025-09-18 17:00 | Joie de livres, 5163 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1R9, Canada
Join Su J Sokol and Rich Larson for a double book launch at Librairie Joie de livres.

Su J Sokol will be launching Five Points on an Invisible Line, the unplanned yet long-awaited sequel to Cycling to Asylum, as well as the republication of an updated version of Cycling under its new title of Invisible Line.

Rich Larson will be relaunching his flash collection The Sky Didn’t Load Today and Other Glitches.

Date: September 18, 2025

Time: 5:00 pm ET

Double Book Launch: Just a Minute and Christmas Weekend by Monique Polak
2025-09-18 17:00 - 19:00 | Biblio Café, 5853 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Join author Monique Polak for the launch of her two new books: Just a Minute: Why Humans Tell Time, co-authored with Kirstie Hudson (Orca Book Publishers); and Christmas Weekend (Linda Leith Publishing). Books available for purchase and to sign by the author.

Book Launch: We're Somewhere Else Now by Robyn Sarah
2025-09-18 17:00 - 19:00 | Librarie Bertrand, 430 Rue St-Pierre, Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 2M5, Canada
Join Robyn Sarah for the launch of her new poetry collection, We’re Somewhere Else Now: Poems 2016–2024 (Biblioasis), at Librairie Bertrand Bookstore in Montreal.

About the Book

In her first collection of new poems in a decade, Robyn Sarah chronicles the pandemic years with quiet wisdom and her flair for meshing the familiar with the numinous.

We’re Somewhere Else Now moves with ease from the particular to the abstract. These are poems of grief and unexpected change, of quiet awe at the human experience. Each poem is a window for the reader to look into, “lit room to lit room.”

“[Hers] are the sort of metaphors that in their clarity of sense, image, and sound create spaces for meaning otherwise impossible to articulate.”—Anita Lahey, The Walrus

We’re Somewhere Else Now is available for purchase at The Word Bookstore (469 rue Milton, Montreal).

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2025-09-19 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, September 19, 2025, 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.

If you registered and can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org to notify us.

Cactus Press Fall Launch + Accent Open Mic
2025-09-21 20:00 - 22:30 | Bar La Marche à Côté, 5043 Saint Denis St, Montreal, Quebec, H2J 2L8, Canada
Join us for Cactus Press’ Fall title launch with featured readers Matthew Rettino and Kirsten Shute. Their chapbooks Pilgrimages (Rettino) and Fanfiction Is for Teenage Girls (Shute) will be available for sale. Sign up for the open mic at the door!

Bring Your Story to Life: Novel Writing Course with Mentorship & Group Support
2025-09-22 08:00 - 2025-10-31 17:00
The Unbearable Lightness of Novel Writing – 6-Week Course Starting Sept 22
Blending online learning, group work, and one-on-one mentoring.
Learn the fundamentals of novel writing—character, plot, setting—while developing your writer’s instinct for when a story’s working and when it isn’t. This six-week course will build your confidence as a writer in a fun, safe, and dynamic atmosphere where you’ll learn from each other while crafting your own story.
The course will cover:
Character development and compelling dialogue
Plot structure and narrative tension
Setting and worldbuilding
Show, don’t tell techniques
Pacing and story flow
Sensory descriptions that captivate readers
Overcoming writer’s block
Manuscript polishing strategies
Discover the story that’s waiting for you to tell it.​
You’ll receive individual mentoring sessions, group feedback, and practical techniques that save time. By course end, you’ll have a complete toolkit for crafting memorable stories and the confidence to move forward with your novel.
Testimonials
Lissa is approachable and supportive while providing detailed, specific feedback on student writing. She offers guidance that respects and applauds student voice. I felt seen and heard by this fantastic coach in the course I took with her. –Angela Mason
Working with Lissa Cowan was a transformative experience in bringing Power of Fear to life. –P.W. Brown
If you’re looking for a course that will help you develop your voice while giving you the tools to shape your story, I can’t recommend Lissa enough. –Antoinette Bekker (MFA)
Space is limited. Course begins September 22. $399 until September 15.

Lunch and Learn with CultureBrew.Art
2025-09-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 12:00–1:00 pm ETFree, Open to AllOnline—Register for Zoom Link

Discover CultureBrew.Art (CBA)—a digital platform that promotes and fosters opportunities for Indigenous and racialized artists throughout the arts.

CBA’s central tool is a national searchable database of Indigenous and racialized writers and artists, which employers and organizations—including theatre companies, community and social-service non-profits, government agencies, media outlets, ad agencies, and more—may access as subscribers.

In this one-hour session, Community Engagement Producer Chris Gatchalian will introduce CBA and provide a brief tour of their searchable online database. Join us as we learn about CBA as an invaluable tool for artistic promotion and collaboration, including how Indigenous and racialized artists can join to showcase their practice and how organizations can use the database to find new talent.

A Q&A with the audience will follow the presentation.

About the Presenter

Born and raised on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tseil-Waututh peoples (colonially known as “Vancouver”), now based primarily in Tkaronto (“Toronto”), Chris (C.E.) Gatchalian (he/him/his) is an award-winning Filipinx diasporic queer author, editor, playwright, dramaturge, teacher and consultant of Tagalog, Ilocano, and Spanish ancestry. The author of six books and editor of three anthologies, he is Community Engagement Producer for CultureBrew.Art.

Register for Zoom link
