BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Quebec Writers' Federation - ECPv6.15.17.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Quebec Writers' Federation X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://qwf.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Quebec Writers' Federation REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T220000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T150551Z UID:10004523-1760644800-1760652000@qwf.org SUMMARY:Building a Better Short Story Collection DESCRIPTION:Eight Thursdays\, Oct 9-Nov 27\, 8-10pmOpen to allLimited to 12 participantsOnline Workshop* \n\n\n\nThis workshop takes as its premise that any writer can throw together a bunch of good or even great stories to publish as a collection\, but questions whether great stories alone make a great manuscript\, a great book.  \n\n\n\nIn looking at what binds a story collection\, we’ll consider: \n\n\n\n\na few writers (like Alice Munro\, Raymond Carver\, Edward P. Jones\, Amy Sands Brodoff\, Zalika Reid-Binta\, and Kaie Kellough)\n\n\n\ncritiques/reviews of their collections/books\n\n\n\nparticipants’ own work/stories.\n\n\n\n\nWe’ll also look at excerpts from a journal that participants will be asked to keep during the workshop (and hopefully beyond). The journal will contain thoughts\, such as story ideas\, outlines for their collections\, story order and contents\, frustrations\, and illuminations\, on the evolution of their manuscript. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants a week or so prior to the first session.  \n\n\n\nRobert Edison Sandiford is the author of several books\, among them the story cycle Fairfield\, the novel And Sometimes They Fly\, and graphic novels with NBM Publishing.  He has been shortlisted for The Frank Collymore Literary Award and is a recipient of Barbados’s Governor General’s Award of Excellence in Literary Arts.  In 2003\, he founded with the poet Linda M. Deane the Barbadian cultural resource ArtsEtc Inc.  He has worked as a publisher\, teacher\, and producer with Warm Water Productions.  His stories have appeared in journals\, magazines\, newspapers\, and anthologies.  Currently\, he’s busy with another novel\, this time about fathers\, sons\, and dementia.  URL:https://qwf.org/event/building-a-better-short-story-collection/2025-10-16/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/7.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251016T194500 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T212138Z UID:10004515-1760636700-1760643900@qwf.org SUMMARY:Writing the Personal Essay DESCRIPTION:Eight Thursdays\, Oct 9-Dec 4\, 5:45-7:45pm (No session on October 30)        Open to allLimited to 12 participantsHybrid Workshop* \n\n\n\nHave you ever wanted to see your words on the pages of your favourite newspaper\, magazine\, or website? The personal essay is a subgenre of creative nonfiction that focuses on unique stories with universal appeal told from a first-person perspective. In this 8-week workshop\, you’ll learn everything from how to generate ideas to how to structure your first and second drafts to how to pitch your completed piece. \n\n\n\nThe workshop will consist of teacher-led instruction\, at-home readings\, generative in-class writing exercises\, and guided peer feedback. You will also be expected to work on your essay at home\, between classes. By the end of this session\, you will have one completed personal essay. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Westmount\, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default\, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot\, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot\, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you. \n\n\n\nJulie Matlin is a writer with several areas of concentration\, including screenwriting\, personal essays\, novels\, and reported articles. Previously\, Julie worked at the National Film Board of Canada as a writer and social media strategist. Prior to that\, she spent 15 years as a producer’s assistant and production coordinator in feature film. URL:https://qwf.org/event/writing-the-personal-essay-2/2025-10-16/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/6.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T220000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T202248Z UID:10004507-1760558400-1760565600@qwf.org SUMMARY:Short Fiction: Plot and the Inner Life DESCRIPTION:Eight Wednesdays\, Oct 8- Dec 3\, 8-10pm (No session on October 29)                 Open to allLimited to 12 participantsHybrid Workshop* \n\n\n\nThis eight-week workshop will explore how deepening a character’s inner life can generate new possibilities for a short story’s plot. One premise of this workshop is that fiction’s power lies in its capacity to depict with a high degree of detail an individual’s consciousness: the realm of perceptions\, feelings\, desires\, memories\, and thoughts. How one consciousness bumps up against another—and against the external world of norms\, things\, economic and cultural forces\, etc.—is what makes a story possible. We will investigate story as\, in George Saunders’s words\, “a system for the transfer of energy.” \n\n\n\nPlot and interiority are broad categories that encompass other topics such as point of view\, dialogue\, backstory\, and deepening the role of setting and/or of the body\, all of which can be studied and discussed\, depending on the group’s interest and the story drafts that are submitted for workshopping. Note that the workshop leader’s focus is realist literary fiction\, but all genres are welcome. The larger goal of the workshop is to support writers in uncovering the best possible versions of their stories. \n\n\n\nMost of the workshop will be devoted to reading and discussing participants’ stories (two per week over seven weeks\, up to 5000 words each). However\, for the first meeting\, participants will discuss Yiyun Li’s story\, “Prison\,” a jarring tale about surrogate birth. Please read the first 23 pages before the first session\, but do not read farther than that. We will read the final 5 pages together\, tracking how the plot ultimately unfolds. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 4023 Tupper Street\, Westmount\, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default\, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot\, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot\, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you. \n\n\n\nMichelle Syba is the author of the story collection End Times (Freehand Books\, 2023)\, a finalist for the QWF Concordia University First Book Prize. End Times explores the lives of people variously entangled with evangelical culture\, including immigrants\, the elderly\, the burned-out\, and the lonely\, examining our hidden anxieties and longings. Michelle’s shorter works have been published in The New Quarterly\, Cosmonauts Avenue\, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency\, and elsewhere. \n\n\n\nYou can find out more about her at www.michellesyba.com. URL:https://qwf.org/event/short-fiction-plot-and-the-inner-life/2025-10-15/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/5.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251015T194500 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250818T183309Z UID:10004499-1760550300-1760557500@qwf.org SUMMARY:Stage-Worthy: How to Write a Play DESCRIPTION:Seven Wednesdays\, Oct 8-Nov 26\, 5:45-7:45pm (No session on October 29; double-session [5:45-9:45pm] on November 26)Open to allLimited to 12 participantsIn-Person Workshop* \n\n\n\nDialogue\, characters\, plot\, setting! This will be a learn-by-doing-as-you-go\, anecdotal (in a theatre history way)\, ease-you-into-it experience that’s not scary or overwhelming. If you have always wanted to write a play or already have a play idea in the works\, this is the workshop for you. I’m quite motivational\, coach-like\, and pushy in a good way. I will get that play out of you if you are willing to try. I am all for deadlines\, discipline\, and contests. Since I have more of a comic bent\, there could be more emphasis on comedy. The workshop will evolve as it goes\, based on what everyone hopes to accomplish. I am often surprised and quite happy to see what happens when I throw ideas and writing games at writers in a workshop. I am very careful about how feedback is given because everything is so new. This does not mean that there won’t be opportunities to share your work or prove that you are indeed writing. Participants will have something dramatic to show for it at the end of the workshop. A past QWF workshop resulted in Picturesque: Voices From Beaver Hall\, which saw productions at Redpath Museum\, Dawson Theatre\, as well as museums in Hamilton and Calgary. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place exclusively in-person at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Westmount\, Quebec). \n\n\n\nColleen Curran is an award-winning playwright\, novelist\, actor\, and teacher. Her comedy Cake-Walk premiered at the Blyth Festival in 1984 and has had more than 50 productions across North America. It was brought to the attention of Showtime Network by Whoopi Goldberg. Curran’s many plays include Villa Eden\, Sacred Hearts (winner of the International Gabriel Award and most recently done by Zeitgeist Stage in Boston) Maple Lodge (Winner Best Canadian Play\, Samuel French Inc. Competition)\, Another Labour Day (Best New Play\, QDF\, 1984)\, El Clavadista\, A Brave Girl\, Sibyl and Sylvia\, Casa de Mary\, Ceili House\, and Ireland’s Own Carmel O’Reilly Tonite! Her three novels about Montreal singing waitress Lenore Rutland are Something Drastic\, Overnight Sensation\, and Guests of Chance. Her stage adaptation of Something Drastic premiered in 2002 and has been seen in Winnipeg\, Toronto\, Athens\, and Melbourne. Her True Nature launched the 2011-2012 season at Centaur Theatre. Her latest novel\, Out for Stars\, made the long list for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. URL:https://qwf.org/event/stage-worthy-how-to-write-a-play/2025-10-15/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/4.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T220000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250812T173259Z UID:10004494-1760472000-1760479200@qwf.org SUMMARY:Turning Your Story Into a Book DESCRIPTION:Five Tuesdays\, Oct 7-Nov 4\, 8-10pm        Open to allLimited to 12 participantsHybrid Workshop* \n\n\n\nYou have a great story\, maybe something you published in a magazine or a newspaper. But how can you turn that into a book? A book is not just a much longer version of what you have already written\, it’s a different beast altogether. Over five weeks\, this workshop with Julian Sher\, investigative journalist and author of nine books\, takes you through the steps to make your next project a success. From making sure you have the right topic to building the best narrative arc\, developing your characters\, the best techniques for writing\, and how to do research. Not to forget the agents\, publishers\, and legal issues.  \n\n\n\nYou don’t have to have published anything to take this workshop\, and you can come with any ideas\, proposals\, or dreams of that book you want to write. To prepare\, think of a book (or movie\, TV show\, song\, or poem) that really moved you. Write down two things: what made it such good story-telling and what journey did the characters go on that made them so compelling. \n\n\n\nThough based on non-fiction writing\, this course is also suitable for fiction writers since the basic principles of story-telling are the same. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 4023 Tupper Street\, Westmount\, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default\, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot\, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot\, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you. \n\n\n\nJulian Sher is an award-winning story-teller as the author of nine books\, a documentary writer\, a director\, and an accomplished trainer around the world. His film Ghosts of Afghanistan won the top Canadian Screen Award for Best Documentary. He was also the Senior Producer of CBC’s the fifth estate\, Canada’s premier investigative TV program for five years. Julian also works to tell the stories of people fighting for human rights. He has written numerous articles for the Montreal Gazette\, the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail and he is a Senior Fellow with the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University. URL:https://qwf.org/event/turning-your-story-into-a-book/2025-10-14/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/3.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T194500 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250812T171936Z UID:10004486-1760463900-1760471100@qwf.org SUMMARY:Poetry in Concert: Composition\, Voice\, Performance DESCRIPTION:Eight Tuesdays\, Oct 7-Nov 25\, 5:45-7:45pm        Open to poets and writers with some writing experienceLimited to 12 participantsHybrid Workshop* \n\n\n\nThe workshop Poetry in Concert: Composition\, Voice\, Performance is intended for poets or writers with some writing experience who are interested in pushing their poetic imagination and expanding their vocal and performative abilities. No previous public performance experience is required\, but participants need to be willing to experiment and vocalize their work in front of each other. As everyone will be producing new writing\, no advance submission is necessary. \n\n\n\nIn this poetry workshop\, participants will focus on composing a poetic work or suite that draws inspiration from the oral and performing arts\, including forms such as theatrical dialogue\, prose monologue\, performance art\, sound poetry\, spoken word\, and vocal improvisation. In the first half of the workshop\, participants will engage in various writing and listening exercises in order to generate work\, listen to diverse poets and sound artists\, discuss and respond to each others’ writing\, and gradually compose a poetic work inspired by various aspects of performance that are not only translated onto the page but also imagined for the stage. Ideas related to composition\, movement\, pacing\, and embodiment will be explored. \n\n\n\nThe second part of the workshop will focus on the vocalization and performance of this work. Participants will learn about range\, volume\, dynamics\, timing; how to warm up their voices and prepare for a performative reading; how to properly use a microphone; and how to explore multiple ways that their unique voices can embody their work. Depending on interest\, the workshop could culminate in a performance event of the work produced. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Westmount\, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default\, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot\, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot\, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you. \n\n\n\nOana Avasilichioaei has created many performance/sound works that mix electronics\, ambient textures\, noise\, and vocal play\, published seven collections of poetry hybrids\, including Chambersonic (Talonbooks\, 2024) and award-nominated Eight Track (Talonbooks\, 2019)\, and written a libretto for the one-act opera Cells of Wind (FAWN Chamber Collective\, 2022–24). Based in Montreal\, she has been a writer- or artist-in-residence at Green College\, UBC (Vancouver\, 2009)\, University of Calgary (2010–11)\, Simon Fraser University (Vancouver\, 2018)\, OBORO (Montreal\, 2021)\, and Rhizome (Quebec City\, 2024)\, and is currently nominated for the Bernard Heidsieck Centre Pompidou International Literature Prize for her intermedia work. URL:https://qwf.org/event/poetry-in-concert-composition-voice-performance/2025-10-14/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T130000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250930T011444Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T011448Z UID:10004600-1760443200-1760446800@qwf.org SUMMARY:Lunch & Learn with QWF DESCRIPTION:Tuesday\, October 14\, 2025\, 12:00–1:00 pm ETOpen to all—register for Zoom link\n\n\n\nLooking to learn more about QWF\, what we do\, and how we can help you as a writer? \n\n\n\nJoin us for a Lunch & Learn with QWF! \n\n\n\nIn this quarterly online orientation session\, we provide a deep dive into our many programs and services and how we can help you in your writing journey. Whether you’re new to QWF\, want to learn about a particular program\, or simply want to meet the team\, we welcome you to join us. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRiley 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. \n\n\n\nLori 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. \n\n\n\nJohn Wickham (Communications Officer) will provide a brief tour of the website\, highlighting sections and resources that are particularly useful to QWF members. \n\n\n\nFree and open to all. We hope to see you there! \n\n\n\nTo get the Zoom link: Fill out the registration form. You’ll receive the Zoom link by email shortly thereafter. \n\n\n\nIf you have trouble registering or joining the meeting\, contact John at john@qwf.org. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLunch & Learn with QWF is our quarterly orientation series to welcome new members and provide an overview of QWF’s activities. The next one after July 22 will be in October. Learn more about our Lunch & Learn series. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nREGISTER NOW URL:https://qwf.org/event/lunch-learn-with-qwf-7/ LOCATION:Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link CATEGORIES:Lunch & Learn,QWF Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Lunch-Learn-with-QWF7.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251012T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251012T160000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20251003T181440Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T181444Z UID:10004606-1760277600-1760284800@qwf.org SUMMARY:Triple launch of Guernica Editions novels! DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, October 12\, 2:00 to 4:00 pm\, at Librairie Paragraphe\, 2220 McGill College Ave\, Montreal. Triple launch of Guernica Editions novels: Danila Botha will read from A Place for People Like Us\, Michael Carin from Eddison and Jeremiah\, and Rebecca Păpucaru from As Good a Place as Any. Wine and goodies and books for sale! URL:https://qwf.org/event/triple-launch-of-guernica-editions-novels/ LOCATION:Librairie Paragraphe Bookstore\, 2220 McGill College Ave\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H3A 3P9\, Canada ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/536283020_1458854242361980_1560399718783144453_n.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T160000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20251003T182854Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T182859Z UID:10004608-1760191200-1760198400@qwf.org SUMMARY:Launch of Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt’s new poetry collection The Hospitality of Trees (Shoreline Press). In conversation with Rebecca Păpucaru DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, October 11\, 2:00 to 4:00 pm at Black Cat Books\, 168E Rue Queen\, Lennoxville: Launch of Tanya Bellehumeur-Allatt’s new poetry collection The Hospitality of Trees (Shoreline Press). In conversation with Rebecca Păpucaru\, author of the novel\, As Good a Place as Any (Guernica Editions). Rebecca will also read from her novel. Wine and goodies and books for sale! URL:https://qwf.org/event/launch-of-tanya-bellehumeur-allatts-new-poetry-collection-the-hospitality-of-trees-shoreline-press-in-conversation-with-rebecca-papucaru/ LOCATION:QC CATEGORIES:Book Launch,Reading ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/557744513_1229211505898972_6844798880688694412_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T123000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250912T162543Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250912T162547Z UID:10004547-1760176800-1760185800@qwf.org SUMMARY:Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual) DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, October 11\, 2025\, 10:00 am–12:30 pm ETOnline via Zoom—RSVP below to receive the Zoom link\n\n\n\nLooking for some dedicated\, quiet writing space? \n\n\n\nRegister 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. \n\n\n\nThis event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.  \n\n\n\nThe Zoom link will be sent out a day or two before the session. \n\n\n\nPlease note that these sessions are designed for silent writing\, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work. \n\n\n\n10:00–10:25: 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 \n\n\n\nTo receive the Zoom link\, RSVP below. You will receive the Zoom link a few days before the session. \n\n\n\nNote: RSVPs for virtual Shut Up & Write! sessions close 24 hours before the session begins. If there is no option to RSVP\, RSVPs are closed. URL:https://qwf.org/event/shut-up-write-with-qwf-virtual-45/ LOCATION:Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link CATEGORIES:Shut Up & Write! ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Shut-Up-Write.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T220000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T150551Z UID:10004522-1760040000-1760047200@qwf.org SUMMARY:Building a Better Short Story Collection DESCRIPTION:Eight Thursdays\, Oct 9-Nov 27\, 8-10pmOpen to allLimited to 12 participantsOnline Workshop* \n\n\n\nThis workshop takes as its premise that any writer can throw together a bunch of good or even great stories to publish as a collection\, but questions whether great stories alone make a great manuscript\, a great book.  \n\n\n\nIn looking at what binds a story collection\, we’ll consider: \n\n\n\n\na few writers (like Alice Munro\, Raymond Carver\, Edward P. Jones\, Amy Sands Brodoff\, Zalika Reid-Binta\, and Kaie Kellough)\n\n\n\ncritiques/reviews of their collections/books\n\n\n\nparticipants’ own work/stories.\n\n\n\n\nWe’ll also look at excerpts from a journal that participants will be asked to keep during the workshop (and hopefully beyond). The journal will contain thoughts\, such as story ideas\, outlines for their collections\, story order and contents\, frustrations\, and illuminations\, on the evolution of their manuscript. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants a week or so prior to the first session.  \n\n\n\nRobert Edison Sandiford is the author of several books\, among them the story cycle Fairfield\, the novel And Sometimes They Fly\, and graphic novels with NBM Publishing.  He has been shortlisted for The Frank Collymore Literary Award and is a recipient of Barbados’s Governor General’s Award of Excellence in Literary Arts.  In 2003\, he founded with the poet Linda M. Deane the Barbadian cultural resource ArtsEtc Inc.  He has worked as a publisher\, teacher\, and producer with Warm Water Productions.  His stories have appeared in journals\, magazines\, newspapers\, and anthologies.  Currently\, he’s busy with another novel\, this time about fathers\, sons\, and dementia.  URL:https://qwf.org/event/building-a-better-short-story-collection/2025-10-09/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/7.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T213000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250926T174553Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T174558Z UID:10004599-1760036400-1760045400@qwf.org SUMMARY:Soliloquies Anthology Open Mic & Fundraiser DESCRIPTION:*Open to everyone\, not just students!\n*Sign up early at soliloquies.org/events-2 \nStep up to the mic and read your creative work for an audience of supportive fellow writers! Read your favourite (or least-favourite\, there’s no rules here) poetry\, fiction\, and creative non-fiction. Gain inspiration from the writers in your community. Buy a drink or three (please). You’ll have the opportunity to do all of this and more at the Soliloquies Anthology Fall 2025 Open Mic! \nAs well as being an exciting event to connect with your community of writers and readers\, this evening will also be dedicated to fundraising for this upcoming edition of Soliloquies Anthology. The money raised through this evening will go directly back into our printing costs\, as dramatic changes in our funding will likely impact the size and scope of our upcoming print issue. In short\, the more drinks you buy and the more you donate = the larger our page count can be = the better your chances to be published in Edition 30.1! \nDate and Time: October 9th at 19:00 \nLocation: Mes Pants De Queer\, 2025 Rue Parthenais\, Suite 241 \nCost of Entry: PWYC ($5 recommended donation) URL:https://qwf.org/event/soliloquies-anthology-open-mic-fundraiser/ LOCATION:Mes Pants De Queer\, 2025 Rue Partenais\, suite 241\, montreal\, Ontario\, h4k1e2\, Canada CATEGORIES:Networking,Open Mic,Performance,Reading,Storytelling ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-26-at-11.33.21-AM.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T194500 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T212138Z UID:10004514-1760031900-1760039100@qwf.org SUMMARY:Writing the Personal Essay DESCRIPTION:Eight Thursdays\, Oct 9-Dec 4\, 5:45-7:45pm (No session on October 30)        Open to allLimited to 12 participantsHybrid Workshop* \n\n\n\nHave you ever wanted to see your words on the pages of your favourite newspaper\, magazine\, or website? The personal essay is a subgenre of creative nonfiction that focuses on unique stories with universal appeal told from a first-person perspective. In this 8-week workshop\, you’ll learn everything from how to generate ideas to how to structure your first and second drafts to how to pitch your completed piece. \n\n\n\nThe workshop will consist of teacher-led instruction\, at-home readings\, generative in-class writing exercises\, and guided peer feedback. You will also be expected to work on your essay at home\, between classes. By the end of this session\, you will have one completed personal essay. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Westmount\, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default\, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot\, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot\, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you. \n\n\n\nJulie Matlin is a writer with several areas of concentration\, including screenwriting\, personal essays\, novels\, and reported articles. Previously\, Julie worked at the National Film Board of Canada as a writer and social media strategist. Prior to that\, she spent 15 years as a producer’s assistant and production coordinator in feature film. URL:https://qwf.org/event/writing-the-personal-essay-2/2025-10-09/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/6.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T220000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250813T202248Z UID:10004506-1759953600-1759960800@qwf.org SUMMARY:Short Fiction: Plot and the Inner Life DESCRIPTION:Eight Wednesdays\, Oct 8- Dec 3\, 8-10pm (No session on October 29)                 Open to allLimited to 12 participantsHybrid Workshop* \n\n\n\nThis eight-week workshop will explore how deepening a character’s inner life can generate new possibilities for a short story’s plot. One premise of this workshop is that fiction’s power lies in its capacity to depict with a high degree of detail an individual’s consciousness: the realm of perceptions\, feelings\, desires\, memories\, and thoughts. How one consciousness bumps up against another—and against the external world of norms\, things\, economic and cultural forces\, etc.—is what makes a story possible. We will investigate story as\, in George Saunders’s words\, “a system for the transfer of energy.” \n\n\n\nPlot and interiority are broad categories that encompass other topics such as point of view\, dialogue\, backstory\, and deepening the role of setting and/or of the body\, all of which can be studied and discussed\, depending on the group’s interest and the story drafts that are submitted for workshopping. Note that the workshop leader’s focus is realist literary fiction\, but all genres are welcome. The larger goal of the workshop is to support writers in uncovering the best possible versions of their stories. \n\n\n\nMost of the workshop will be devoted to reading and discussing participants’ stories (two per week over seven weeks\, up to 5000 words each). However\, for the first meeting\, participants will discuss Yiyun Li’s story\, “Prison\,” a jarring tale about surrogate birth. Please read the first 23 pages before the first session\, but do not read farther than that. We will read the final 5 pages together\, tracking how the plot ultimately unfolds. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 4023 Tupper Street\, Westmount\, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default\, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot\, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot\, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you. \n\n\n\nMichelle Syba is the author of the story collection End Times (Freehand Books\, 2023)\, a finalist for the QWF Concordia University First Book Prize. End Times explores the lives of people variously entangled with evangelical culture\, including immigrants\, the elderly\, the burned-out\, and the lonely\, examining our hidden anxieties and longings. Michelle’s shorter works have been published in The New Quarterly\, Cosmonauts Avenue\, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency\, and elsewhere. \n\n\n\nYou can find out more about her at www.michellesyba.com. URL:https://qwf.org/event/short-fiction-plot-and-the-inner-life/2025-10-08/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/5.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T190000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250915T214835Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T214839Z UID:10004579-1759946400-1759950000@qwf.org SUMMARY:October Readings with Montreal Authors DESCRIPTION:Montrealers Licia Canton\, Anna Maiolo\, Heather McGuire share their most recent writing. Hosted by Liana Cusmano. URL:https://qwf.org/event/october-readings-with-montreal-authors/ LOCATION:QC ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/October-8-Readings-with-Montreal-Authors.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T180000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20251003T040308Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T040313Z UID:10004605-1759946400-1759946400@qwf.org SUMMARY:October Readings with Montreal Authors (Canton\, Maiolo\, McGuire) DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, October 8\, 20256 pm ET\n\n\n\nLicia Canton\, Anna Maiolo and Heather McGuire read from their most recent work. Hosted by Liana Cusmano. Online via Zoom. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nregister on Zoom URL:https://qwf.org/event/october-readings-with-montreal-authors-canton-maiolo-mcguire/ LOCATION:QC CATEGORIES:Reading ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/OctoberReadings.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T194500 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250827T174338Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250827T175103Z UID:10004551-1759945500-1759952700@qwf.org SUMMARY:Deep Story Design: Story-Craft Essentials for Longer Form Narratives (Wednesday Cohort) DESCRIPTION:Ten Wednesdays\, Oct 8-Dec 17\, 5:45-7:45pm (No session on October 15)        Open to allLimited to 12 participantsOnline Workshop* \n\n\n\nThis workshop delves into the five fundamental elements of story-making—structure\, plot\, character\, theme\, and scene building. Whether you’re writing a novella\, novel\, screenplay\, or memoir\, the skillful use of these elements allows all writers to create powerful stories that are meaningful and satisfying. \n\n\n\nAfter introducing a basic three-act story structure that’s foundational for most stories\, the workshop will progress through aspects of character\, theme\, and plot so that you can feel confident about completing fiction or nonfiction of any kind or length. We also touch on scene construction so your stories feel dynamic and alive on the page. \n\n\n\nWeekly homework exercises help writers at different stages of your story-making process\, whether you’re gathering material for a new story\, drafting an existing work\, or revising a project that is nearly ready to share with others. Completed homework will receive instructor feedback and some in-class discussion. \n\n\n\nIn addition to the focus on craft essentials\, this workshop invites writers to make personal discoveries about what matters most deeply to them and how this connects with their writing. This connection between self and story is integral to Deep Story Design\, because writers who know who they are\, and what they care about most\, are better able to access their unique creative voice. \n\n\n\nWeekly meetings will look something like this: \n\n\n\n\na 90-minute lesson\, including 15-30 mins of in-class exercises\n\n\n\na 10-minute break\n\n\n\n20 minutes for Q&A/homework discussion\n\n\n\n\nCompleted homework assignments will be due 4 days after the meeting at which they are assigned. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants a week or so prior to the first session. Please note that this is the Wednesday iteration of the workshop; there is also a group meeting on Mondays. The material covered will be the same\, but note that due to limited spots\, we cannot facilitate transfers between groups. URL:https://qwf.org/event/deep-story-design-story-craft-essentials-for-longer-form-narratives-wednesday-cohort/2025-10-08/ LOCATION:Online via Zoom CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T194500 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250818T183309Z UID:10004498-1759945500-1759952700@qwf.org SUMMARY:Stage-Worthy: How to Write a Play DESCRIPTION:Seven Wednesdays\, Oct 8-Nov 26\, 5:45-7:45pm (No session on October 29; double-session [5:45-9:45pm] on November 26)Open to allLimited to 12 participantsIn-Person Workshop* \n\n\n\nDialogue\, characters\, plot\, setting! This will be a learn-by-doing-as-you-go\, anecdotal (in a theatre history way)\, ease-you-into-it experience that’s not scary or overwhelming. If you have always wanted to write a play or already have a play idea in the works\, this is the workshop for you. I’m quite motivational\, coach-like\, and pushy in a good way. I will get that play out of you if you are willing to try. I am all for deadlines\, discipline\, and contests. Since I have more of a comic bent\, there could be more emphasis on comedy. The workshop will evolve as it goes\, based on what everyone hopes to accomplish. I am often surprised and quite happy to see what happens when I throw ideas and writing games at writers in a workshop. I am very careful about how feedback is given because everything is so new. This does not mean that there won’t be opportunities to share your work or prove that you are indeed writing. Participants will have something dramatic to show for it at the end of the workshop. A past QWF workshop resulted in Picturesque: Voices From Beaver Hall\, which saw productions at Redpath Museum\, Dawson Theatre\, as well as museums in Hamilton and Calgary. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place exclusively in-person at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Westmount\, Quebec). \n\n\n\nColleen Curran is an award-winning playwright\, novelist\, actor\, and teacher. Her comedy Cake-Walk premiered at the Blyth Festival in 1984 and has had more than 50 productions across North America. It was brought to the attention of Showtime Network by Whoopi Goldberg. Curran’s many plays include Villa Eden\, Sacred Hearts (winner of the International Gabriel Award and most recently done by Zeitgeist Stage in Boston) Maple Lodge (Winner Best Canadian Play\, Samuel French Inc. Competition)\, Another Labour Day (Best New Play\, QDF\, 1984)\, El Clavadista\, A Brave Girl\, Sibyl and Sylvia\, Casa de Mary\, Ceili House\, and Ireland’s Own Carmel O’Reilly Tonite! Her three novels about Montreal singing waitress Lenore Rutland are Something Drastic\, Overnight Sensation\, and Guests of Chance. Her stage adaptation of Something Drastic premiered in 2002 and has been seen in Winnipeg\, Toronto\, Athens\, and Melbourne. Her True Nature launched the 2011-2012 season at Centaur Theatre. Her latest novel\, Out for Stars\, made the long list for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. URL:https://qwf.org/event/stage-worthy-how-to-write-a-play/2025-10-08/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/4.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251007T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251007T220000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250812T173259Z UID:10004493-1759867200-1759874400@qwf.org SUMMARY:Turning Your Story Into a Book DESCRIPTION:Five Tuesdays\, Oct 7-Nov 4\, 8-10pm        Open to allLimited to 12 participantsHybrid Workshop* \n\n\n\nYou have a great story\, maybe something you published in a magazine or a newspaper. But how can you turn that into a book? A book is not just a much longer version of what you have already written\, it’s a different beast altogether. Over five weeks\, this workshop with Julian Sher\, investigative journalist and author of nine books\, takes you through the steps to make your next project a success. From making sure you have the right topic to building the best narrative arc\, developing your characters\, the best techniques for writing\, and how to do research. Not to forget the agents\, publishers\, and legal issues.  \n\n\n\nYou don’t have to have published anything to take this workshop\, and you can come with any ideas\, proposals\, or dreams of that book you want to write. To prepare\, think of a book (or movie\, TV show\, song\, or poem) that really moved you. Write down two things: what made it such good story-telling and what journey did the characters go on that made them so compelling. \n\n\n\nThough based on non-fiction writing\, this course is also suitable for fiction writers since the basic principles of story-telling are the same. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 4023 Tupper Street\, Westmount\, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default\, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot\, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot\, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you. \n\n\n\nJulian Sher is an award-winning story-teller as the author of nine books\, a documentary writer\, a director\, and an accomplished trainer around the world. His film Ghosts of Afghanistan won the top Canadian Screen Award for Best Documentary. He was also the Senior Producer of CBC’s the fifth estate\, Canada’s premier investigative TV program for five years. Julian also works to tell the stories of people fighting for human rights. He has written numerous articles for the Montreal Gazette\, the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail and he is a Senior Fellow with the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University. URL:https://qwf.org/event/turning-your-story-into-a-book/2025-10-07/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/3.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251007T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251007T194500 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250812T171936Z UID:10004485-1759859100-1759866300@qwf.org SUMMARY:Poetry in Concert: Composition\, Voice\, Performance DESCRIPTION:Eight Tuesdays\, Oct 7-Nov 25\, 5:45-7:45pm        Open to poets and writers with some writing experienceLimited to 12 participantsHybrid Workshop* \n\n\n\nThe workshop Poetry in Concert: Composition\, Voice\, Performance is intended for poets or writers with some writing experience who are interested in pushing their poetic imagination and expanding their vocal and performative abilities. No previous public performance experience is required\, but participants need to be willing to experiment and vocalize their work in front of each other. As everyone will be producing new writing\, no advance submission is necessary. \n\n\n\nIn this poetry workshop\, participants will focus on composing a poetic work or suite that draws inspiration from the oral and performing arts\, including forms such as theatrical dialogue\, prose monologue\, performance art\, sound poetry\, spoken word\, and vocal improvisation. In the first half of the workshop\, participants will engage in various writing and listening exercises in order to generate work\, listen to diverse poets and sound artists\, discuss and respond to each others’ writing\, and gradually compose a poetic work inspired by various aspects of performance that are not only translated onto the page but also imagined for the stage. Ideas related to composition\, movement\, pacing\, and embodiment will be explored. \n\n\n\nThe second part of the workshop will focus on the vocalization and performance of this work. Participants will learn about range\, volume\, dynamics\, timing; how to warm up their voices and prepare for a performative reading; how to properly use a microphone; and how to explore multiple ways that their unique voices can embody their work. Depending on interest\, the workshop could culminate in a performance event of the work produced. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Westmount\, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default\, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot\, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot\, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you. \n\n\n\nOana Avasilichioaei has created many performance/sound works that mix electronics\, ambient textures\, noise\, and vocal play\, published seven collections of poetry hybrids\, including Chambersonic (Talonbooks\, 2024) and award-nominated Eight Track (Talonbooks\, 2019)\, and written a libretto for the one-act opera Cells of Wind (FAWN Chamber Collective\, 2022–24). Based in Montreal\, she has been a writer- or artist-in-residence at Green College\, UBC (Vancouver\, 2009)\, University of Calgary (2010–11)\, Simon Fraser University (Vancouver\, 2018)\, OBORO (Montreal\, 2021)\, and Rhizome (Quebec City\, 2024)\, and is currently nominated for the Bernard Heidsieck Centre Pompidou International Literature Prize for her intermedia work. URL:https://qwf.org/event/poetry-in-concert-composition-voice-performance/2025-10-07/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251006T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251006T210000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250917T152223Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250917T152227Z UID:10004588-1759779000-1759784400@qwf.org SUMMARY:Writers Read Presents Billy-Ray Belcourt DESCRIPTION:On Monday October 6\, 7:30PM – 9PM at John Molson Building Floor 9\, Concordia University\, 1600 Maisonneuve Blvd. W\, Montreal\, Writers Read will welcome Billy-Ray Belcourt to read and discuss his new book. \nBilly-Ray Belcourt is a writer and academic from the Driftpile Cree Nation\, and Associate Professor in the school of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of five national bestselling books: This Wound is a World\, NDN Coping Mechanisms: Notes from the Field\, A History of My Brief Body\, A Minor Chorus\, and Coexistence. He released his sixth book\, The Idea of An Entire Life\, in September 2025. \nThis event is free and open to all. Please register to confirm your attendance (Link: https://forms.gle/4kWoccDbxcMLu7UV9) \nWriters Read is part of Concordia University’s Creative Writing program and is supported by the Department of English and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Writers Read\, directed by Professor Sina Queyras since 2011\, invites renowned and emerging authors\, both Canadian and international\, to read from and discuss their work with students and local audiences. Be sure to follow Writers Read on Instagram @writersreadconcordia and visit our website for more updates https://concordiawritersread.com/. URL:https://qwf.org/event/writers-read-presents-billy-ray-belcourt/ LOCATION:Concordia University\, John Molson Building\, 1600 Rue de Maisonneuve Ouest\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H3H 1J5\, Canada ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BRB2021-Author-Pic-copy.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251006T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251006T194500 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250812T170933Z UID:10004474-1759772700-1759779900@qwf.org SUMMARY:Deep Story Design: Story-Craft Essentials for Longer Form Narratives DESCRIPTION:Ten Mondays\, Oct 6-Dec 15\, 5:45-7:45pm (No session on October 13)        Open to allLimited to 12 participantsOnline Workshop* \n\n\n\nThis workshop delves into the five fundamental elements of story-making—structure\, plot\, character\, theme\, and scene building. Whether you’re writing a novella\, novel\, screenplay\, or memoir\, the skillful use of these elements allows all writers to create powerful stories that are meaningful and satisfying. \n\n\n\nAfter introducing a basic three-act story structure that’s foundational for most stories\, the workshop will progress through aspects of character\, theme\, and plot so that you can feel confident about completing fiction or nonfiction of any kind or length. We also touch on scene construction so your stories feel dynamic and alive on the page. \n\n\n\nWeekly homework exercises help writers at different stages of your story-making process\, whether you’re gathering material for a new story\, drafting an existing work\, or revising a project that is nearly ready to share with others. (Completed homework will receive instructor feedback and some in-class discussion.) \n\n\n\nIn addition to the focus on craft essentials\, this workshop invites writers to make personal discoveries about what matters most deeply to them and how this connects with their writing. This connection between self and story is integral to Deep Story Design\, because writers who know who they are\, and what they care about most\, are better able to access their unique creative voice. \n\n\n\nWeekly meetings will look something like this: \n\n\n\n\na 90-minute lesson\, including 15-30 mins of in-class exercises\n\n\n\na 10-minute break\n\n\n\n20 minutes for Q&A/homework discussion\n\n\n\n\nCompleted homework assignments will be due 4 days after the meeting at which they are assigned. \n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants a week or so prior to the first session.  \n\n\n\nApril Bosshard is a respected workshop facilitator and story coach who’s helped hundreds of writers develop and complete their projects. Sometimes called a “story whisperer” or “story genie\,” she has a background in film and television and has written fiction and non-fiction for traditional and independent markets\, which include publications in the US\, UK\, and Canada. April teaches at conferences and leads workshops internationally and online\, while also working with individual clients as a story coach and developmental editor. URL:https://qwf.org/event/deep-story-design-story-craft-essentials-for-longer-form-narratives/2025-10-06/ LOCATION:Online via Zoom CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251005T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251005T230000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250924T165701Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250924T165705Z UID:10004598-1759692600-1759705200@qwf.org SUMMARY:Poet & composer Tanner Menard + sound artist Martín Rodríguez @ FLUX Festival DESCRIPTION:Tanner Menard: A vessel for consciousness\, carrying sound\, vision\, and breath as living currents of presence. Here in relation\, a transparent ray of lineage\, flowing beyond self. THIS open pathway for imaginal becoming—beyond name\, beyond nation—with what is shared\, resonant\, alive. The living path. \nhttps://fullspectrumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-poet \nAs a transmission and sound artist\, Martín Rodríguez’s work emerges from his Xicanx upbringing along the Arizona-Mexico border. He employs performance\, intervention\, and installation as a process for deciphering aural histories and entangled identities. After recovering from surgery to remove a brain tumor\, a chance encounter with a radio transmission caught in the pickup coils of his guitar reoriented Rodríguez. Developing his practice from crisis\, he examines radio as a transformative medium. \nFacebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1473808313924906 URL:https://qwf.org/event/poet-composer-tanner-menard-sound-artist-martin-rodriguez-flux-festival/ LOCATION:Daphne Art Centre\, 5425 Casgrain Avenue\, Unit 103\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H2T 1X6\, Canada CATEGORIES:Festival,Performance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-qwfbanner-flux2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251005T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251005T130000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250924T165712Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250924T165717Z UID:10004597-1759662000-1759669200@qwf.org SUMMARY:Poetry\, Place and Politics: Readings and Moderated Discussion at FLUX Festival DESCRIPTION:How do poets and their poetry intervene into discussions and activism related to the politics of place? How might poetry enrich our understanding of place\, politics and the ways in which they might intertwine? This free event will feature several poets whose poetry addresses these questions. It will involve a brief reading by each poet\, followed by a guided discussion. Come and experience a variety of ways in which poets and poetry can activate our minds and urge us to think and act in new ways when navigating our present most perilous times. \nParticipants include: Kaie Kellough\, Deanna Smith and Marilou Craft with moderation by Prof. Amber Rose Johnson \nFacebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1441377396924951 URL:https://qwf.org/event/poetry-place-and-politics-readings-and-moderated-discussion-at-flux-festival/ LOCATION:Daphne Art Centre\, 5425 Casgrain Avenue\, Unit 103\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H2T 1X6\, Canada CATEGORIES:Festival,Panel ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-qwfbanner-flux1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T213000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250902T152105Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251118T151535Z UID:10004563-1759604400-1759613400@qwf.org SUMMARY:Dark Sky Preserve re-launch on International Observe the Moon Night! DESCRIPTION:Watch the highlight reel from the re-launch event. Recorded and edited by RASC Montreal.\n\n\n\nYou are invited to the re-launch of the poetry collection and album\, Dark Sky Preserve: A Literary and Musical Inquiry\, by the late Ian Ferrier\, Louise Campbell\, and Sarah Beth Goncarova\, from 7:00 to 9:30 pm\, on Saturday\, October 4\, 2025—International Observe the Moon Night. \n\n\n\nThis free\, bilingual event will be hosted by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada: Montreal Centre. The Bellevue Observatory is at the Morgan Arboretum in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. Activities will take place in the observatory clubhouse and outdoors on the observatory field. \n\n\n\nThe program will feature a presentation\, readings by guest poets from the QWF and La poésie partout\, an interactive learning activity\, an outdoor sound installation\, and the opportunity to observe the moon from the darkest skies on the island of Montreal. The observatory is home to an LX200 Meade SCT telescope. Additional telescopes will be on hand.Montreal’s Audiotopie will present a quadraphonic outdoor sound installation\, enabling attendees to experience the album directly on the observation field. \n\n\n\nEvent registration\, names of guest poets\, and information about transportation to and from the observatory in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue will be announced in early September. URL:https://qwf.org/event/dark-sky-preserve-re-launch-on-international-observe-the-moon-night/ LOCATION:Morgan Arboretum\, 150 chemin des Pins\, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue\, QC\, H9X 3V9\, Canada CATEGORIES:Book Club,Book Launch,Performance,Reading,Words and Music ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-qwfbanner-dsp1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251004T163000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250819T160000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T152141Z UID:10004530-1759573800-1759595400@qwf.org SUMMARY:Write a Book Series for Kids DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, Oct 4\, 10:30am-4:30pm       Open to allLimited to 12 participantsIn-Person Workshop* \n\n\n\nThinking about writing a kids’ book series but not sure where to start? In this fun\, hands-on workshop\, we’ll dive into what makes young readers fall in love with a story and come back for the next book. You’ll get tips on creating memorable characters\, building a world kids want to hang out in\, and coming up with plots that keep the pages turning. We’ll look at real examples\, do some creative exercises\, and talk through how to turn one great idea into a full series. Plus\, you’ll learn how to pitch your concept to agents or editors so they see the potential for a whole shelf’s worth of stories. Whether you’ve got a story brewing or just love the idea of writing for kids\, this day is for you. \n\n\n\nThe “Write a Book Series for Kids” workshop agenda includes: \n\n\n\n\nUnderstanding the Children’s Book Market\n\n\n\nDeveloping Your Series Concept\n\n\n\nPlotting for a Series\n\n\n\nInteractive Exercises\n\n\n\n\n*This workshop will take place exclusively in-person at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Westmount\, Quebec). \n\n\n\nMitali Banerjee Ruths was born in New York\, grew up in Texas\, and now lives in Canada. She is the award-winning author of the early chapter book series The Party Diaries\, the early reader series The Inside Scouts\, as well as picture books including Archie Celebrates Diwali. Mitali loves unexpected heroes\, funny sidekicks\, and happy endings. She writes characters who are courageous in finding joy and sharing it with others. A proud desi kid at heart\, Mitali also draws inspiration from her Bengali American upbringing to celebrate South Asian culture\, writing the books she wanted to read growing up. URL:https://qwf.org/event/write-a-book-series-for-kids/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/8.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251003T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251003T200000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250922T184206Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T184211Z UID:10004594-1759518000-1759521600@qwf.org SUMMARY:Book Launch DESCRIPTION:Celebrating & Book Launch\nLe lancement du livre\nHosted by\nRotary club Montreal west & NDG\nBook Title : “ Oh la la coaching +NLP”\n( Life coaching guides with psychological and reprogramming mind tech.)\n(Guides de coaching de vie avec technologie mentale psychologique et de reprogrammation.)\nBy : Zahra Yaghtin \, Naturopath N.D & Life coach\nFriday\, October 3rd\, 2025 at 6:00 pm with Warm Buffet and Vegetarian Options $40 and pen Bar\,\nGuests welcome to attend without Buffet\,\nVendredi 3 octobre 2025 à 18h00 : buffet chaud\, options végétariennes 40 $ et bar à stylos.\nLes invités sont invités à participer sans buffet.\n📍50 Westminster Ave. S.- Montreal West Town Hall – Music Room (!st Floor) URL:https://qwf.org/event/book-launch-4/ LOCATION:50 Westminter Av. south Montreal-west\, 50 Westminster Av.\, Montreal\, QC\, H4X1Y6\, Canada ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251003T123000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251003T150000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250905T163000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250826T154725Z UID:10004548-1759494600-1759503600@qwf.org SUMMARY:Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person) DESCRIPTION:Friday\, October 3\, 2025\, 12:30 pm–3:00 pmFree\, In PersonQWF Office (Room 3\, 1200 Atwater Ave.\, Westmount)\n\n\n\nRegister for the session by filling out the RSVP form below. \n\n\n\nLooking for some dedicated\, quiet writing space? \n\n\n\nJoin us for an in-person Shut Up & Write session at the QWF office! \n\n\n\nDo 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. \n\n\n\nThis event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.  \n\n\n\nPlease note that these sessions are designed for silent writing\, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work. \n\n\n\n12:30–12:55: 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 \n\n\n\nTo register\, RSVP below. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGetting to the QWF Office\n\n\n\nOur office is located on the top floor of the Atwater Library and Computer Centre\, in Room 3. \n\n\n\nAddress: 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3Westmount\, QC H3Z 1X4 \n\n\n\nClosest Metro: Atwater Station \n\n\n\nClosest Bus lines: 24\, 63\, 90\, 104\, 138\, 144\, 150 \n\n\n\nAccessibility:\n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nLearn more about the office location and accessibility. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIf you registered and can no longer attend\, please email john@qwf.org to notify us. URL:https://qwf.org/event/shut-up-write-with-qwf-in-person-46/ LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada CATEGORIES:Shut Up & Write! ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Shut-Up-Write.png GEO:45.4886431;-73.5864377 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=QWF Office 1200 Atwater Avenue Room 3 Westmount QC H3Z 1X4 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3:geo:-73.5864377,45.4886431 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250927T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250927T123000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250830T140000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250826T154319Z UID:10004546-1758967200-1758976200@qwf.org SUMMARY:Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual) DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, September 27\, 2025\, 10:00 am–12:30 pm ETOnline via Zoom—RSVP below to receive the Zoom link\n\n\n\nLooking for some dedicated\, quiet writing space? \n\n\n\nRegister 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. \n\n\n\nThis event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.  \n\n\n\nThe Zoom link will be sent out a day or two before the session. \n\n\n\nPlease note that these sessions are designed for silent writing\, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work. \n\n\n\n10:00–10:25: 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 \n\n\n\nTo receive the Zoom link\, RSVP below. You will receive the Zoom link a few days before the session. \n\n\n\nNote: RSVPs for virtual Shut Up & Write! sessions close 24 hours before the session begins. If there is no option to RSVP\, RSVPs are closed. URL:https://qwf.org/event/shut-up-write-with-qwf-virtual-44/ LOCATION:Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link CATEGORIES:Shut Up & Write! ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Shut-Up-Write.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250925T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250925T190000 DTSTAMP:20260403T162738 CREATED:20250910T160634Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T160638Z UID:10004575-1758819600-1758826800@qwf.org SUMMARY:Native Immigrant : A Personal Journey Into Our Home and Native Land DESCRIPTION:Book launch at Daphne Arts Centre –\n“Immigrants are the Last Nations; together\, we are the ongoing human flow of the displaced.” —Carolina Echeverría\nIn this powerful memoir\, Native Immigrant\, Carolina Echeverría traces her path from Chile to Canada\, from exile to belonging. Weaving personal memory with political history and profound cross-cultural friendships—especially with Mohawk War Chief Ateronhiatakon (Francis Boots)—she reimagines identity beyond borders and bloodlines. \nWith humor\, rage\, tenderness\, and clarity\, she explores what it means to be uprooted\, to listen deeply\, and to find kinship in unexpected places. A compelling narrative of resistance\, remembrance\, and radical hope. URL:https://qwf.org/event/native-immigrant-a-personal-journey-into-our-home-and-native-land/ LOCATION:Daphne Art Centre\, 5425 Casgrain Avenue\, Unit 103\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H2T 1X6\, Canada ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://qwf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/text_white-2-scaled.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR