Cross-Border Conversations: Environmental Writers' Retreat
2026-01-19 16:00 - 2026-01-25 12:00 (America/New_York) | QC
January 19-25, 2026, Hotel Gault, Old Port, Montreal. Please join us for a relaxing, luxurious retreat with environmental writers from the US and Canada. https://www.nature-culture.net/montreal-retreat-2026 This small gathering at a boutique hotel with gourmet meals is a time away from the fray to start the new year with focus on your own writing and to recenter among like-minded writers. There is an option for day attendance for Quebec residents. The event culminates in a reading (with vending opportunity through Librarie Bertrand); and includes an embodiment mapping project (optional). Confirmed conversation leaders include Lise Weil, Thomas Ian Shaw, and Anne Bergeron.

Launch of Quist Issue 3
2026-01-22 19:00 | Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe, 3952 Wellington Street, Montreal, Quebec, H4G1V3, Canada
Thursday, January 22, 2026, 7:00 pm ET

QWF’s literary magazine for youth, Quist, is throwing a launch party!Join us on January 22nd at 7pm at Pulp Books to celebrate Quist‘s third issue. There will be readings by issue contributors, followed by light refreshments.This is a free event and all ages are welcome. We can’t wait to see you there!

Read Issue 3 NOw

Launch of Ahoy Issue 4
2026-01-22 19:00 - 21:00 | QC
The launch of our fourth(!) issue is on Thursday, January 22nd. Join us for readings, live music, and a showing of artwork by our talented contributors. Come for a schmooze and a catch-up, leave with some new friends. The venue is homey and can only be disclosed upon purchase of a ticket 😉 BYOB. Starts at 7pm. Don’t be late that’s not cool anymore. $8 presale, $10 at the door.

Anniversary Launch: Soliloquies 30!
2026-01-22 19:00 - 22:00 | Bar Le Record, 7622 Rue St-Hubert, Montréal, Quebec, H2R 2N6, Canada
Mark your calendars! Please join us on Thursday, January 22nd at 7PM at Bar Le Récord (near Jean-Talon) to help commemorate the 30th iteration of Soliloquies Anthology!
Soliloquies is one of the longest-running anglo literary journals in Quebec, and prides itself on being a Montreal institution where many emerging writers publish their works for the first time. Soliloquies is produced by a student-led team of editors and creatives at Concordia University. Contributors (authors) are Canadian or those living in Canada.
We are excited to launch issue 30.1 and to celebrate the hard work of our 2025/2026 team.Come out for a night of readings and mingling with the literary community here in Montreal.
More details and other surprises to come, as well as news about our next open submission window.
Follow us at @soliloquies.concordia on Instagram for live updatessoliloquies.org

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2026-01-23 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, January 23, 2026, 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 for the session but can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org.

Environmental Writers' Reading to Benefit RAVEN Trust
2026-01-24 16:00 - 20:00 | Hotel Gault, 449 Rue Ste Helene, Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 2K9, Canada
Saturday, January 24, 5:00–8:00 pm ET

Join us for a public reading on January 24th at the Hôtel Gault in Old Montreal. Organized by NatureCulture, with QWF as a promotional partner, the event will feature readings by QWF members Lise Weil, Sarah Wolfson, Ian Thomas Shaw, Suzanne Keeptwo, Tina Wayland, Tamara Nazywalskyj, Nadine Neema, Su J Sokol, and Carolyne van der Meer,

Books by featured readers will be available for purchase, and five open mic slots will be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis. All proceeds go to Indigenous environmental rights organization RAVEN Trust.

The reading is part of NatureCulture’s Montreal Environmental Writers’ Conference, January 19–26. The retreat, which includes meals, literary conversations, a workshop, and more, is open to both out-of-town participants and local participants who wish to participate in the daytime activities. Learn more about the daytime retreat.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2026-01-31 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, January 31, 2026, 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.

If you are registered but can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org.

Lunch & Learn with: Confabulation
2026-02-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Online via Zoom
Tuesday, February 3, 202612:00–1:00 pm ETFree, online—register for Zoom link

Confabulation is a monthly storytelling event based in Montreal, Victoria, and Calgary. Storytellers share honest stories from their lives without notes, props, or gimmicks.

This Lunch & Learn will give you more information about Confabulation and storytelling. Prospective storytellers can learn how to pitch their story and participate in one of their shows. You can also learn how their storytelling workshops and coaching can enhance your daily communication skills. Whether you are a published author looking to branch into literary performance, an emerging writer longing to share your story, or a literary lover in want of engaging, entertaining events, you are invited to learn from Confabulation’s founding artistic director, Matt Goldberg, and general manager, Deb Vanslet, in this free information session.

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

Register to get the Zoom link.

Register for Zoom link

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2026-02-06 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, February 6, 2026, 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.

This session is now full.

If you registered for the session but can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org.

A Poetry Evening at the Thomas More Institute
2026-02-11 18:30 | Thomas More Institute, 3405 Atwater Avenue, Montreal, QC, H3H 1Y2, Canada
Immerse yourself in the poetic worlds of four Montreal authors in this poetry evening at the Thomas More Institute. We are excited to welcome Willow Loveday Little, Jerome Ramcharitar, Matthew Rettino and Carolyne Van Der Meer, who will each bring their unique styles and stories to the evening as they read some of their latest work. Whether you are curious about poetry or a lifetime enthusiast, this evening invites you to discover poignant and heartfelt works on a variety of themes, from the palpable and mundane to the abstract and existential. Wine and cheese will be served.
Date: February 11, 2026
Time: 6:30-8:00 pm
Location: 3405 Atwater
Entry ticket: Suggested donation of 10$ (Cash or card at the door)
Book Purchases: Fancy a new poetry book to bring home? Some of the authors will have copies of their works available on-site for purchase. (Accepted payment methods will vary.)

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2026-02-14 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, February 14, 2026, 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.

If you are registered but can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org.

BOOK LAUNCH: Oyster by Marianne Ackerman
2026-02-15 16:00 - 18:00 | BAR LE SPARROW, 5322 Saint-Laurent, 5322 Saint-Laurent, Montreal, QC, Canada
Celebrate the launch of local author Marianne Ackerman’s latest release, OYSTER! Join us on Sunday, February 15th from 4-6 pm EST at Bar le Sparrow! Books will be available for sale and for signing.
In this satirical family drama, a bestselling author struggles with writer’s block until she reconnects with her ambitious niece at a funeral — perfect for fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette.
One-time bestselling novelist Amelia Cameron has writer’s block. After her octogenarian father falls off a roof during a windstorm, his funeral brings the four Cameron siblings together on the family farm, following years of separation. With the patriarch gone, familiar relationships begin to crumble.
While the siblings spar, Amelia’s niece, Ginny Gupta, begs her famous aunt for writing advice on her first novel. After a wine-soaked weekend and an innocent bit of typing, the resulting novel, The World Is Your Oyster, brings both women to the brink of scandal with the potential to shake the powerful literary world.

Reading by Ricardo Wilson
2026-02-17 17:30 | Arts Building 160, 853 Sherbrooke W.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 5:30 pm ET

Please join us next Tuesday, Feb 17th at 5:30 pm for a Reading with Professor Ricardo Wilson, McGill English Department’s Richler Writer-in-Residence for 2025/2026. (Location: Arts Building 160, 853 Sherbrooke W.)

Ricardo Wilson, a creative writer and scholar, is an associate professor of English at Williams College and the founder and executive director of The Outpost Foundation, a residency and arts advocacy organization for writers of color from the United States and Latin America. He has, most recently, extracted from the archive and edited Troubled Lands, a forthcoming and previously unpublished collection of short fiction from Mexico and Cuba translated by Langston Hughes in 1935 (Princeton University Press) and is the author of An Apparent Horizon and Other Stories (PANK Books) and The Nigrescent Beyond: Mexico, the United States, and the Psychic Vanishing of Blackness (Northwestern University Press). He is at work on his forthcoming novel Even Worse than the Nightmare.

At next week’s reading (Feb 17), Ricardo will share work from An Apparent Horizon (2021), as well as from Even Worse than the Nightmare (his forthcoming novel), and El Negrero (a forthcoming work of translation). There will be wine and other refreshments! I hope you to see you there and I encourage you to share this event widely.

Read a recent interview with Ricardo Wilson here.

More on the Mordecai Richler Writer-in-Residence Program:

Situated in both the Department of English and the Département des littératures de langue française, de traduction et de création (DLTC) within the Faculty of Arts at McGill, the Mordecai Richler Writer-in-Residence Program brings a creative writer to the Department of English for one semester each year. By providing valuable insight into the creative process through events, student meetings, and workshops, the Richler WiR nurtures emerging student talent. Students take in practical and theoretical approaches to writing for such media as television, film, radio, stage, interactive media and print publications.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2026-02-20 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, February 20, 2026, 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.

This session is now full. To be put on the waitlist, please email john@qwf.org.

If you registered for the session but can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org.

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2026-02-28 10:00 - 12:30 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Saturday, February 28, 2026, 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.

If you are registered but can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org.

Lunch & Learn with: The Public Lending Right (PLR)
2026-03-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Online via Zoom
Tuesday, March 3, 202612:00–1:00 pm ETFree, Online via Zoom—Register for Link

Did you know that authors can receive payment when their books are in libraries? This is called the Public Lending Right (PLR). In Canada, the PLR Program sends yearly payments to writers and other creators whose works are in public libraries.

The Quebec Writers’ Federation is excited to host PLR Program Manager Peter Schneider and PLR Program Analyst Lori Knoll for our next Lunch and Learn. They will give an overview of the program, including who is eligible, how payments work, and what has recently changed in the registration process.

Whether you already have a book in a public library or are working towards one, this Lunch and Learn will acquaint you with a program that helps writers get paid for their work.

This session is free and open to all.

This session will be recorded and available to view until May 1, 2026.

Register to get the Zoom link.

Register for Zoom Link

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2026-03-06 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Friday, March 6, 2026, 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.

This session is now full. To be put on the waitlist, email john@qwf.org. You will be notified if a spot becomes available.

If you registered for the session but can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org.

Hustle Life Balance: How to Thrive as a Freelancer
2026-03-07 10:30 - 16:30 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
In this 6-hour intensive workshop, participants will learn how to avoid common freelance pitfalls and overcome major pain points. Through a mix of guided lessons and group exercises, we will cover the three pillars of a successful practice: finding work, managing operations, and organizing finances.

Together, we will build a roadmap to help you avoid the “feast and famine” roller coaster and navigate complex business requirements, such as when to incorporate or register for GST/QST.

Agenda

Hours 1-2: Finding Work. I will share my own strategies and tips for finding work. We will then review each participant’s current practices and collaboratively brainstorm solutions.

Hours 3-4: Managing Your Business. We will cover tips and strategies as well as specific automation tools that allow you to streamline administrative tasks and focus on the creative work you love. As a group, we will troubleshoot current stressors and establish boundaries to protect your energy.

Hours 5-6: Financial Health. We will examine different billing structures and financial management techniques to stabilize your income. I will also guide you through the financial administrative tasks, including the process of registering for GST/QST and knowing when it is time to incorporate your business.

Please bring to the workshop: 3-5 questions and/or pain points pertaining to your personal freelance practice.

Embodied Writing - The Dregs ("Almost Spring" Edition)
2026-03-07 14:00 - 17:00 | Espace Be Bien-Être, 2240 Beaconsfield, Montreal, QC, Montréal, Canada
Winter doesn’t wrap up all at once. It lingers in the body as residue—stiff joints, shallow breath, a heaviness that refuses to be rushed. The dregs are what remain when we’re done pretending something is over.
Writing begins here, in what persists: the slow shoulders, the tight ribs, the warmth that hasn’t yet settled. This is not the clarity of spring, but the insistence of what still needs attention.
We move gently, breathe deliberately, and let the body speak from its afterweight. Words rise from fatigue, from pressure, from the slow pulse of becoming that hasn’t yet found release.
This workshop invites you to write from the dregs—not to clear them away, but to listen closely to what refuses to end, and let language emerge from what is alive there.
Our practice will interweave:
-Kundalini breathwork
-Stretches & light movement
-Creative writing prompts & exercises
-Meditation
-An optional sharing & discussion circle
-Homemade chai & a sweet treat
What to bring:
Your journal, a pen, comfy clothes, and a willing heart.
What to know:
Pens & paper will be available, as will yoga mats, blocks, and bolsters. Seating options will include chairs, mats, and back jacks. There will be space to move, shift, and settle as needed. The space is on the 2nd floor, up a flight of stairs.
About the facilitator:
Maya Khamala is a lifelong writer of many stripes. From poetry to grassroots journalism to creative nonfiction, word is her bond. She has collaborated with visual artists, and has worked as a freelance copywriter and editor for the last decade. She has a shiny little MA in Creative Writing to list among her credentials, and is an emerging novelist. Maya has an extensive background in feminist, anti-racist, climate justice and Indigenous solidarity movements—work that has deeply informed the way she wields words. Aside from being a writer, she is also a Kundalini Yoga teacher and Embodied Writing facilitator offering regular classes and workshops in Montreal. She got into Kundalini as a way of healing from childhood trauma and its many lifelong manifestations in her body, as well as to counteract being a writer who sometimes forgets to step away from the keyboard…and just breathe.
Cost: $85
All are welcome. Limited spots.
Register: linktr.ee/heartfire.kundalini

Soliloquies x Pixie OPEN MIC + Music & Raffle
2026-03-08 08:00 - 17:00 | Bedroc Collective, Near Rosemont Station, Montreal, QC, H2S 1Z3, Canada
Marginalia: Scribbles, Scraps and Notes Apps
RSVP HERE: https://soliloquies.org/events-2/
For the first time, Pixie Literary Magazine and Soliloquies Anthology are collaborating on an Open Mic!
It’s your last chance to read with us this year!
This time around, we don’t want to hear your best, we want to hear your messiest. We’re looking for readings which resist perfection and conventional literary standards. Read us that short story from your first workshop that you abandoned. Or the breakup poem in your notes app that you’d never dream of publishing. Or your elaborate Hunger Games fan-fiction that did numbers in 2013 but you cringe to think about now. We want messy, weird, vulnerable, uncomfortable.
If you’ve got something in your repertoire that fits (and we Know that you do), sign up below! If you’re just looking to enjoy the evening as an audience member, RSVP at https://soliloquies.org/events-2/ to receive an email with our Open Mic address.
When: Friday, March 13th 2026 at 7pm
Where: Bedroc Collective @bedrocmtl (Near Rosemont metro, RSVP for address!)
Cost of Entry: PWYC Donation, suggested $5
Featuring Raffle Prizes from Concordia’s Queer Print Club and more, along with musical performances from Bedroc’s band!
Events

Follow us on Instagram @soliloquies.concordia

International Women's Day Reading Event § Journée internationale des femmes Lecture
2026-03-08 16:00 - 18:30 | Phoenix Books, 5928 Sherbrooke Street West, 5928 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, QC, H4A 1X7, Canada
EN: An afternoon of poetry, fiction and literature readings for and by women, for International women’s day!
Sign up to read, fiction, poetry or creative non-fiction from 3 pm – 4 pm. Readings will begin at 4 pm. Tea and treats for contributors and attendees. All are welcome. Reading in any language is invited. Event by donation, no tickets or registration fees.
FR: Un après-midi de lectures de poésie, de fiction et de littérature pour et par les femmes !
Inscrivez-vous pour lire des œuvres de fiction, de poésie ou de non-fiction créatives de 15 h à 16 h. Les lectures commenceront à 16 h. La lecture en n’importe quelle langue est la bienvenue. Thé et collations offerts aux participants. Bienvenue à tous. Entrée libre (dons bienvenus), sans billets ni frais d’inscription.

Poetic Transformations: Revising as Re-Seeing
2026-03-09 17:45 - 19:45 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Most poets move through a process of honing our work. We draft, workshop, revise, and polish our poems. But what possibilities await if we reframe revision as transformation?

This workshop will build a new toolkit for revising poetry—one that valorizes artistic possibility over the idea of a single finished draft. Together, we will embrace each poem’s power to contain and reveal multiple versions of itself—versions that can stand alone or in conversation.

Through generative exercises, craft wisdom, and workshop-style feedback, we will inhabit poet and composition scholar Wendy Bishop’s idea of radical revision. Each week, we will enact experiments on our work to shake us out of the poems we thought we knew and into new stylistic territory. By embracing revision as an act of re-seeing, we will confound our own expectations, deepen into the inherent promise of our work, and slough off stale writerly habits. A delightful, productive defamiliarization may result.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, not known how to revise, or felt too attached to a draft to change it, this workshop is for you. If you’ve ever wanted to create an inventive sequence of poems stemming from a single impulse, this workshop is for you. If you’ve ever wanted to turn your linguistic sandcastle into a lexical dragon or syllabic shore bird, this workshop is for you.

The strategies you will learn are designed to serve you both within and beyond the workshop. You can expect to leave the workshop with a newly articulated, personalized philosophy of revision. You might leave with 8 radically different versions of a single poem. You might leave with a whole new sequence of poems that could scaffold a collection. Regardless, you will leave with some substantially revised poetry along with the concrete tools and feedback to make future revision a process of expansive growth.

The workshop is open to practicing poets of all levels — with the following caveats:

1) you must already be writing and revising poems;

2) you must be willing to abandon the idea of single finished version of any given poem; and

3) you must bring 3 to 5 of your own poems that you are willing to revise beyond recognition.

Sustaining Dramatic Tension in Long-form Fiction
2026-03-09 20:00 - 22:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
The feeling of losing an audience is one of the most terrifying experiences a theatre actor can have. With fiction writing, the relationship to the reader is far less immediate but, I would argue, no less important. The energy created in the first pages of a novel begins a relationship between an author and her reader and must be tended throughout for the relationship to flourish.

Stories were spoken aloud long before they were written down. The ability to convey information in compelling packets is innate to all of us, as important to human survival as hunting or farming. From the 911 call to a teen’s excuse for why their homework is late, we are in a near constant state of story-making. But how to hold your reader’s attention for 300+ pages?

This workshop proposes to look at long-form fiction’s rules of craft through the lens of theatre to breathe new and exciting life into familiar concepts. It is open to writers at all levels; all aspects will be explained and explored in depth. Writing exercises and selected reading will supplement in-class discussions.

1. Week #1: Dramatic Tension – What is it? How is it created? How is it sustained? From the actor’s toolkit: actions, objectives, obstacles, tactics, and super-objectives.

Week #2: Unity of Action – We will look at Aristotle’s definition of action and Shakespeare’s use of verbs to see how every action in every chapter of your novel is contributing to the larger overarching action of the novel.

Week #3: Causality – How to discern if a chapter or scene is following the scene before it out of necessity. When a novel is propulsive, you can be sure the author understands causality.

Week #4: Character and the importance of contrast of characters.

Week #5: Show Don’t Tell and the actor’s version of this famous writing rule: acting is visual first.

Week #6: Language, Diction, and Tone – Style choices, syntax, and the nitty gritty at the line level.

Week #7: Writing Constraints as maps. How writing constraints allow you to access the buried treasures of your subconscious and still find your way back to your core ideas.

Week #8: Know Your Writing– Michael Crummey, Toni Morrison, and Louise Erdrich are three very different writers, but they are each completely and consistently themselves. Who are you as a writer? Participants will be asked to bring in a longer sample of writing than for previous workshops. Through positive constructive feedback, we will use the elements we have learned as a guideline to get a sense of where each writer’s strengths lie, and what in their voice or style makes them uniquely themselves.

Excerpts (2-4 pages) from the following works will be provided: The Poetics by Aristotle, Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, Self-Help by Lorrie Moore, A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, Beloved by Toni Morrison, Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich, True Grit by Charles Portis, Foster by Claire Keegan, Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood, Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, Room by Emma Donahue, Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout, All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews, and several Shakespearean monologues.

Crafting a Compelling Personal Essay
2026-03-10 17:45 - 19:45 | Online via Zoom
The personal essay sits at the crossroads of memory, imagination, and reflection. It is a form that invites vulnerability and experimentation, asking writers to turn the lens inward while reaching outward toward readers. This ten-week workshop explores the craft of creative nonfiction through readings, discussion, and guided writing exercises. Together, we’ll study a wide range of contemporary essayists and thinkers such as Sheila Heti, Alicia Elliott, Maggie Nelson, James Baldwin, Leslie Jamison, and Joan Didion, whose work challenges and expands our understanding of form, voice, structure, and truth-telling.

Each week, participants will write in response to prompts designed to help them develop their voice, experiment with structure, and explore the ethical and emotional complexities of writing about real lives (our own and others’). We will discuss fragments and braids, confession and restraint, intimacy and distance, always returning to the central question: how do we shape lived experience into compelling art?

By the end of the workshop, participants will have generated several essay fragments and drafts, gained tools for revision, and deepened their understanding of the essay as both a personal and public act. Writers will leave with at least one essay draft they can continue to refine beyond the course. No prior experience is required—just a willingness to read closely, write bravely, and share generously.

Week 1 — What Is a Personal Essay?

Theme: Truth, memory, and the boundaries of nonfiction.Readings:

Sarah Manguso, The Two Kinds of Decay (selections)

Joan Didion, “On Keeping a Notebook”

In-Class:

Introductions & course goals

Discuss “truth” vs. “fact” in essay

Prompt: Write a short scene from memory, then annotate where memory fails

Homework: Write a 600–800-word vignette about a formative memory.

Week 2 — Memory and Fragment

Theme: Shaping nonlinear memory.Readings:

Sheila Heti, Motherhood (fragmented passages)

Maggie Nelson, Bluets (selections)

In-Class:

Discussion: how fragment builds resonance

Exercise: Write three fragmentary takes on the same memory

Homework: Develop a mosaic-style essay (1,000 words).

Week 3 — Intimacy and Confession

Theme: The essayist’s voice and vulnerability.Readings:

Alicia Elliott, “A Mind Spread Out on the Ground” (title essay)

Leslie Jamison, The Empathy Exams (title essay excerpt)

In-Class:

Confessional vs. performative honesty

Prompt: Write a letter to someone you cannot send it to

Homework: Expand into a 1,200-word letter-essay.

Week 4 — Deepening Voice, Tone & Emotional Register

Theme: How voice, tone, and emotional distance shape the personal essay.Readings:

Zadie Smith, “Fail Better”

Katherena Vermette, selected interviews on writing community, trauma, and point of view

In-Class:

Discuss tonal shifts: intimacy, distance, authority, hesitance

Exercise: Rewrite a paragraph in three distinct tonal registers (tender, analytical, ironic)

Homework: Revise your Week 3 letter-essay with purposeful tonal modulation.

Week 5 — Structure and Form

Theme: Chronology, braiding, and experimentation.Readings:

Sarah Manguso replaced here to avoid repetition →NEW reading:

Jenny Offill, Dept. of Speculation (fragmented passages on structure)

Eula Biss, “Time and Distance Overcome”

In-Class:

Discuss braiding personal + cultural history

Exercise: Write a short braided passage (memory + outside text/reference)

Homework: Draft a braided essay (1,200–1,500 words).

Week 6 — The Self as Character

Theme: Distance between narrator and narrated self.Readings:

Sheila Heti, How Should a Person Be? (essayistic passages)

James Baldwin, “Notes of a Native Son” (opening sections)

In-Class:

Compare Baldwin’s authority with Heti’s uncertainty

Prompt: Write a scene twice — once from the past self’s POV, once from the present self’s POV

Homework: Develop one version into a polished essay draft.

Week 7 — Risk, Ethics, and Responsibility

Theme: Writing what feels dangerous; truth vs. harm.Readings:

Katherena Vermette, interview excerpts on writing community, family, trauma

Alexander Chee, “The Autobiography of My Novel”

In-Class:

Debate: what’s “too much” to share?

Workshop 2–3 student essays

Homework: Revise draft based on feedback.

Week 8 — Revision and Compression

Theme: Re-seeing, cutting, deepening.Readings:

Jenny Offill, Dept. of Speculation (compression and brevity passages)

Joan Didion, “Goodbye to All That”

In-Class:

Revision strategies (How to “write coldly”)

Prompt: Take a draft and cut it to 70% length without losing essence

Homework: Prepare a near-final essay draft (1,500–2,000 words).

Week 9 — Workshop Intensive & Thematic Excavation

Theme: Deep structural and thematic revision.Readings:

None — focus on student manuscripts.

In-Class:

Half-class workshop

Identifying the essay’s “governing question”

Discuss strategies for expansion vs. contraction

Homework: Revise based on workshop + draft your artistic statement.

Week 10 — Final Workshop & Publication Paths

Theme: Reflection and sharing.Readings:

None — focus on participant work.

In-Class:

Final peer workshop

Discuss venues for publishing personal essays (journals, anthologies, online mags)

Closing: Write a brief artistic statement on your personal essay practice

Homework: Submit final essay + artistic statement.

By the end, students will have:

A stronger sense of their essayistic voice and relationship to truth.

A good command of how to craft a compelling personal essay.

Experience with both traditional and experimental essay forms.

Creative Play for Writers (Online)
2026-03-10 20:00 - 22:00 | Online via Zoom
This workshop is designed for writers from any genre but artists from other mediums are welcome to join.

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.~ Maya Angelou

Many writers have other creative outlets. Maya Angelou danced. D.H. Lawrence painted. Miranda July makes films. Creativity thrives across disciplines and when writers tap into other art forms, surprising things can happen on the page.

Creative Play for Writers is an online exploratory workshop that uses visual art, music, movement, film, and more to spark new writing. Each session invites you to engage with a different form of creative expression—not to master it, but to play with it—and discover how it can fuel your storytelling.

You’ll respond to rich, sensory prompts, collaborate with others, and experiment freely, both during the Zoom sessions and with set exercises in between classes. Whether you’re feeling stuck, looking for new inspiration, or simply aiming to reconnect with the joy of making things, this workshop offers a playful and supportive online space to expand your creative practice.

We will explore exercises and readings from Syllabus by Lynda Barry, Workbook by Steven Heighton, and The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad. We will also touch on the ideas and art of Rebecca Belmore and Elizabeth Zvonar, among others, as inspiration. Weekly exercises and homework will be given.

Translating Quebec Fiction
2026-03-11 17:45 - 19:45 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Curious about literary translation? This eight-week workshop is an opportunity to experiment with translating contemporary French-language fiction from Quebec in a supportive setting where we will discuss the challenges and possibilities of different texts in translation together as a group.

Each week, participants will take home a short excerpt from a work of fiction to translate from French to English. We will then discuss and workshop our translations together during the following session. We’ll work on texts that pose a variety of different challenges in translation, such as cultural references; jokes; regional slang and Québécismes; the inclusion of other dialects, accents, or languages; period-specific dialogue in historical fiction; experimental prose; and rendering voice in a first-person narrative.

Throughout the workshop, we will also think together about audience, adaptation, research, and the role and responsibility of the translator, and we’ll look at examples of existing translations to see what we can learn from different approaches. In our final session, we’ll take a look at the process of translating a book for publication, from choosing a project to writing a pitch to working with a reviser.

No previous translation experience is necessary for this workshop, but participants should be comfortable reading and analyzing texts in French in order to write their own English translations.

Sustaining Dramatic Tension in Long-form Fiction (Wednesdays)
2026-03-11 20:00 - 22:00 | QC
The feeling of losing an audience is one of the most terrifying experiences a theatre actor can have. With fiction writing, the relationship to the reader is far less immediate but, I would argue, no less important. The energy created in the first pages of a novel begins a relationship between an author and her reader and must be tended throughout for the relationship to flourish.

Stories were spoken aloud long before they were written down. The ability to convey information in compelling packets is innate to all of us, as important to human survival as hunting or farming. From the 911 call to a teen’s excuse for why their homework is late, we are in a near constant state of story-making. But how to hold your reader’s attention for 300+ pages?

This workshop proposes to look at long-form fiction’s rules of craft through the lens of theatre to breathe new and exciting life into familiar concepts. It is open to writers at all levels; all aspects will be explained and explored in depth. Writing exercises and selected reading will supplement in-class discussions.

Week #1: Dramatic Tension – What is it? How is it created? How is it sustained? From the actor’s toolkit: actions, objectives, obstacles, tactics, and super-objectives.

Week #2: Unity of Action – We will look at Aristotle’s definition of action and Shakespeare’s use of verbs to see how every action in every chapter of your novel is contributing to the larger overarching action of the novel.

Week #3: Causality – How to discern if a chapter or scene is following the scene before it out of necessity. When a novel is propulsive, you can be sure the author understands causality.

Week #4: Character and the importance of contrast of characters.

Week #5: Show Don’t Tell and the actor’s version of this famous writing rule: acting is visual first.

Week #6: Language, Diction, and Tone – Style choices, syntax, and the nitty gritty at the line level.

Week #7: Writing Constraints as maps. How writing constraints allow you to access the buried treasures of your subconscious and still find your way back to your core ideas.

Week #8: Know Your Writing– Michael Crummey, Toni Morrison, and Louise Erdrich are three very different writers, but they are each completely and consistently themselves. Who are you as a writer? Participants will be asked to bring in a longer sample of writing than for previous workshops. Through positive constructive feedback, we will use the elements we have learned as a guideline to get a sense of where each writer’s strengths lie, and what in their voice or style makes them uniquely themselves.

Excerpts (2-4 pages) from the following works will be provided: The Poetics by Aristotle, Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, Self-Help by Lorrie Moore, A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, Beloved by Toni Morrison, Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich, True Grit by Charles Portis, Foster by Claire Keegan, Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood, Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, Room by Emma Donahue, Tell Me Everythi

Creative Play for Writers (In Person)
2026-03-12 17:45 - 19:45 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
This workshop is designed for writers from any genre but artists from other mediums are welcome to join.

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.

~ Maya Angelou

Many writers have other creative outlets. Maya Angelou danced. D.H. Lawrence painted. Miranda July makes films. Creativity thrives across disciplines; when writers tap into other art forms, surprising things can happen on the page.

Creative Play for Writers is a hands-on, exploratory workshop that uses visual art, music, movement, film, and more to spark new writing. Each session invites you to engage with a different form of creative expression—not to master it, but to play with it—and discover how it can fuel your storytelling.

You’ll respond to rich, sensory prompts, collaborate with others, and experiment freely. Whether you’re feeling stuck, looking for new inspiration, or simply aiming to reconnect with the joy of making things, this workshop offers a playful and supportive space to expand your creative practice.

We will explore exercises and readings from Syllabus by Lynda Barry, Workbook by Steven Heighton, and The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad. We will also touch on the ideas and art of Rebecca Belmore and Elizabeth Zvonar, among others, as inspiration. Weekly exercises and homework will be given.

Crafting a Compelling Personal Essay (Thursdays)
2026-03-12 17:45 - 19:45 | QC
The personal essay sits at the crossroads of memory, imagination, and reflection. It is a form that invites vulnerability and experimentation, asking writers to turn the lens inward while reaching outward toward readers. This ten-week workshop explores the craft of creative nonfiction through readings, discussion, and guided writing exercises. Together, we’ll study a wide range of contemporary essayists and thinkers such as Sheila Heti, Alicia Elliott, Maggie Nelson, James Baldwin, Leslie Jamison, and Joan Didion, whose work challenges and expands our understanding of form, voice, structure, and truth-telling.

Each week, participants will write in response to prompts designed to help them develop their voice, experiment with structure, and explore the ethical and emotional complexities of writing about real lives (our own and others’). We will discuss fragments and braids, confession and restraint, intimacy and distance, always returning to the central question: how do we shape lived experience into compelling art?

By the end of the workshop, participants will have generated several essay fragments and drafts, gained tools for revision, and deepened their understanding of the essay as both a personal and public act. Writers will leave with at least one essay draft they can continue to refine beyond the course. No prior experience is required—just a willingness to read closely, write bravely, and share generously.

Week 1 — What Is a Personal Essay?Theme: Truth, memory, and the boundaries of nonfiction.Readings:Sarah Manguso, The Two Kinds of Decay (selections)Joan Didion, “On Keeping a Notebook”In-Class:Introductions & course goalsDiscuss “truth” vs. “fact” in essayPrompt: Write a short scene from memory, then annotate where memory failsHomework: Write a 600–800-word vignette about a formative memory.

Week 2 — Memory and FragmentTheme: Shaping nonlinear memory.Readings:Sheila Heti, Motherhood (fragmented passages)Maggie Nelson, Bluets (selections)In-Class:Discussion: how fragment builds resonanceExercise: Write three fragmentary takes on the same memoryHomework: Develop a mosaic-style essay (1,000 words).

Week 3 — Intimacy and ConfessionTheme: The essayist’s voice and vulnerability.Readings:Alicia Elliott, “A Mind Spread Out on the Ground” (title essay)Leslie Jamison, The Empathy Exams (title essay excerpt)In-Class:Confessional vs. performative honestyPrompt: Write a letter to someone you cannot send it toHomework: Expand into a 1,200-word letter-essay.

Week 4 — Deepening Voice, Tone & Emotional RegisterTheme: How voice, tone, and emotional distance shape the personal essay.Readings:Zadie Smith, “Fail Better”Katherena Vermette, selected interviews on writing community, trauma, and point of viewIn-Class:Discuss tonal shifts: intimacy, distance, authority, hesitanceExercise: Rewrite a paragraph in three distinct tonal registers (tender, analytical, ironic)Homework: Revise your Week 3 letter-essay with purposeful tonal modulation.

Week 5 — Structure and FormTheme: Chronology, braiding, and experimentation.Readings:Jenny Offill, Dept. of Speculation (fragmented passages on structure)Eula Biss, “Time and Distance Overcome”In-Class:Discuss braiding personal + cultural historyExercise: Write a short braided passage (memory + outside text/reference)Homework: Draft a braided essay (1,200–1,500 words).

Week 6 — The Self as CharacterTheme: Distance between narrator and narrated self.Readings:Sheila Heti, How Should a Person Be? (essayistic passages)James Baldwin, “Notes of a Native Son” (opening sections)In-Class:Compare Baldwin’s authority with Heti’s uncertaintyPrompt: Write a scene twice — once from the past self’s POV, once from the present self’s POVHomework: Develop one version into a polished essay draft.

Week 7 — Risk, Ethics, and ResponsibilityTheme: Writing what feels dangerous; truth vs. harm.Readings:Katherena Vermette, interview excerpts on writing community, family, traumaAlexander Chee, “The Autobiography of My Novel”In-Class:Debate: what’s “too much” to share?Workshop 2–3 student essaysHomework: Revise draft based on feedback.

Week 8 — Revision and CompressionTheme: Re-seeing, cutting, deepening.Readings:Jenny Offill, Dept. of Speculation (compression and brevity passages)Joan Didion, “Goodbye to All That”In-Class:Revision strategies (How to “write coldly”)Prompt: Take a draft and cut it to 70% length without losing essenceHomework: Prepare a near-final essay draft (1,500–2,000 words).

Week 9 — Workshop Intensive & Thematic ExcavationTheme: Deep structural and thematic revision.Readings:None — focus on student manuscripts.In-Class:Half-class workshopIdentifying the essay’s “governing question”Discuss strategies for expansion vs. contractionHomework: Revise based on workshop + draft your artistic statement.

Week 10 — Final Workshop & Publication PathsTheme: Reflection and sharing.Readings:None — focus on participant work.In-Class:Final peer workshopDiscuss venues for publishing personal essays (journals, anthologies, online mags)Closing: Write a brief artistic statement on your personal essay practiceHomework: Submit final essay + artistic statement.

By the end, students will have:

A stronger sense of their essayistic voice and relationship to truth.

A good command of how to craft a compelling personal essay.

Experience with both traditional and experimental essay forms.

Slantwise: Writing the Prose Poem
2026-03-12 20:00 - 22:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
For poets, prose writers, and curious in-betweeners. All levels welcome.

What happens when a poem refuses the line? Or when a paragraph shifts under the influence of rhythm, repetition, and associative logic? The prose poem claims a wonderfully hybrid space between genres. It’s written using sentences as units of meaning but driven by compression, imagery, voice, and lyric intensity. What actually differentiates poetic prose from a prose poem? The ambiguity itself can be useful creative fuel.

Our workshop will invite poets to explore possibilities beyond the line break, and prose writers to loosen their attachment to traditional narrative. Each week, we will:

Read and discuss a prose poem and/or short craft-focused text

Respond to a generative writing prompt meant to inspire new writing

Workshop participants’ pieces in a supportive and inclusive environment

We’ll also explore a range of prose poem variations such as the haibun, list poems, persona poems, collage-based prose, constraint-driven pieces, and more.

Expect some reading and drafting to happen outside of the workshop. Our shared time will be devoted to generative discussion and thoughtful feedback. Prior workshop experience is helpful but not necessary. Either way, participants should come ready to both receive and offer critique in the spirit of curiosity and care.
