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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260323T174500
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SUMMARY:Poetic Transformations: Revising as Re-Seeing
DESCRIPTION: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? \n\n\n\nThis 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. \n\n\n\nThrough 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. \n\n\n\nIf 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. \n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe workshop is open to practicing poets of all levels — with the following caveats: \n\n\n\n1) you must already be writing and revising poems; \n\n\n\n2) you must be willing to abandon the idea of single finished version of any given poem; and \n\n\n\n3) you must bring 3 to 5 of your own poems that you are willing to revise beyond recognition.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/poetic-transformations-revising-as-re-seeing/2026-03-23/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260323T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260327T140000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260217T174247Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260217T174253Z
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SUMMARY:Adaptation 101; From Inspiration to Action with Nick Carpenter
DESCRIPTION:Applications are now open for “Adaptation 101; From Inspiration to Action” with Nick Carpenter. \nHave you always been interested in adapting for the stage? In this Exploring Practice\, facilitator Nick Carpenter will take you through the steps of adapting a piece from its original source to a new theatrical shape. Running from March 23-27\, this workshop will be taking place in the PWM Studio and is free of cost. \nOpen to playwrights at all levels of experience. Participants are invited to unlock and explore the theatrical possibilities of a work not originally intended for the stage\, or find a new spin on an already existing play. \nEach session will be built around group discussion\, exercises\, sharing\, and feedback. \nApply by February 25\, 2026!
URL:https://qwf.org/event/adaptation-101-from-inspiration-to-action-with-nick-carpenter/
LOCATION:QC
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260321T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260321T143000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190725Z
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SUMMARY:Illuminated Grant-Writing
DESCRIPTION:This workshop will examine how writers with projects for print\, spoken word\, or storytelling can compose a strong literary arts grant application. From drafting a project description to balancing a budget\, we will also discuss artistic risk\, impact\, and cultural appropriation among many other topics. Focus will be on funding programs at the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec\, and an arts council program officer will join us to answer questions. This series is intended for Quebec-based writers at all stages of their practice: emerging\, mid-career\, or established. There will be tasks to complete between sessions\, and participants must arrive with an original literary arts project in mind. Three half-day workshops will be followed by a one-on-one 30-minute mentoring session for each participant. \n\n\n\nAccess to MS Word or similar writing software will be necessary as well as a willingness to share work and give and receive feedback in a workshop setting. \n\n\n\nImportant: Right after registering for the workshop\, participants must provide a short\, one-sentence description of their envisioned literary arts project. This sentence should be sent to Riley@qwf.org with “Illuminated Grant-Writing” in the subject line.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/illuminated-grant-writing-6/2026-03-21/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260320T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260320T150000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260220T175942Z
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SUMMARY:Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
DESCRIPTION:  \n\n\n\n\n\n\nFriday\, March 20\, 2026\, 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\nThis session is now full. To join the waitlist\, please email john@qwf.org.  \n\n\n\nIf you registered for the session but can no longer attend\, please email john@qwf.org.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/shut-up-write-with-qwf-in-person-57/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Shut Up & Write!
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
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SUMMARY:Slantwise: Writing the Prose Poem
DESCRIPTION:For poets\, prose writers\, and curious in-betweeners. All levels welcome. \n\n\n\nWhat 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. \n\n\n\nOur 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: \n\n\n\n\nRead and discuss a prose poem and/or short craft-focused text\n\n\n\nRespond to a generative writing prompt meant to inspire new writing\n\n\n\nWorkshop participants’ pieces in a supportive and inclusive environment\n\n\n\n\nWe’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. \n\n\n\nExpect 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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/slantwise-writing-the-prose-poem/2026-03-19/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T194500
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260107T182233Z
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SUMMARY:Crafting a Compelling Personal Essay (Thursdays)
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nEach 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? \n\n\n\nBy 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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). \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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). \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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). \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nBy the end\, students will have:\n\n\n\nA stronger sense of their essayistic voice and relationship to truth. \n\n\n\nA good command of how to craft a compelling personal essay. \n\n\n\nExperience with both traditional and experimental essay forms.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/crafting-a-compelling-personal-essay-thursdays/2026-03-19/
LOCATION:QC
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260319T194500
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190726Z
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SUMMARY:Creative Play for Writers (In Person)
DESCRIPTION:This workshop is designed for writers from any genre but artists from other mediums are welcome to join. \n\n\n\nYou can’t use up creativity. The more you use\, the more you have. \n\n\n\n~      Maya Angelou \n\n\n\nMany 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. \n\n\n\nCreative 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. \n\n\n\nYou’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. \n\n\n\nWe 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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/creative-play-for-writers-in-person/2026-03-19/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260107T181425Z
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SUMMARY:Sustaining Dramatic Tension in Long-form Fiction (Wednesdays)
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nStories 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? \n\n\n\nThis 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. \n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #4: Character and the importance of contrast of characters.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #5: Show Don’t Tell and the actor’s version of this famous writing rule: acting is visual first.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #6: Language\, Diction\, and Tone – Style choices\, syntax\, and the nitty gritty at the line level.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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. \n\n\n\n\nExcerpts (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
URL:https://qwf.org/event/sustaining-dramatic-tension-in-long-form-fiction-wednesdays/2026-03-18/
LOCATION:QC
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T190000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260306T193157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260306T193201Z
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SUMMARY:Book Launch: Loch Baillie's River Running
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, March 18\, 20267:00 pm ET\n\n\n\nJoin Loch Baillie for the launch of his first full-length collection of poetry\, River Running\, on Wednesday\, March 18th at 7PM! Loch will be joined by special guests Simina Banu\, Tara McGowan-Ross\, and Sally Cunningham. \n\n\n\nFree to attend! \n\n\n\nLoch Baillie (he/il) is a queer writer and editor based in Quebec City. He is the author of two poetry chapbooks\,ice\, dove\, parachute (Cactus Press) and Citronella (Anstruther Press)\, as well as the full-length collection River Running (Goose Lane Editions\, 2026). He is an associate poetry editor at Plenitude Magazine and a board director for the Quebec Writers’ Federation. An alumnus of Bishop’s University\, Loch is currently continuing his English literature studies at the graduate level at Université Laval. Find him everywhere @lochbaillie. \n\n\n\nSimina Banu’s interests are at the intersection of capitalism\, technology and mental health. In 2020\, she published her debut full-length collection\, POP (Coach House Books)\, which won the 2021 ReLit award for poetry. She has published several chapbooks: where art (words(on)pages)\, Tomorrow\, adagio (above/ground)\, harmony in beach foam (Anstruther press)\, and ERE—a collaboration with Amilcar John Nogueira (Collusion Books). In 2024\, she released her second full-length poetry collection\, I will get up off of (Coach House Books). \n\n\n\nTara McGowan-Ross is an urban Mi’kmaw multidisciplinary artist and writer. She’s the author of poetry collections GIRTH and SCORPION SEASON\, the Substack THEATRE OF CRUELTY\, and the memoir NOTHING WILL BE DIFFERENT\, which was a finalist for the Weston prize for nonfiction. She lives in Montreal. \n\n\n\nSally Cunningham (she/her) is a writer and an instructional designer based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. Originally from British Columbia\, she holds an MA in English from Memorial University of Newfoundland. She was shortlisted for the 2025 Montreal Fiction Prize\, and her writing has appeared in yolk\, Riddle Fence\, and Mud Season Review\, among others. Her play Pianoland was featured in the 19th Women’s Work Festival. She was a 2025 writer-in-residence at Sundress Academy for the Arts\, a 2026 writer-in-residence at Hundredth Hill\, and is a fiction editor at Ahoy Magazine. Find more of her work online at sallyjcunningham.weebly.com. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRSVP on Pulpbooks.ca
URL:https://qwf.org/event/book-launch-loch-baillies-river-running/
LOCATION:Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe\, 3952 Wellington Street\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H4G1V3\, Canada
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T194500
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190727Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190727Z
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SUMMARY:Translating Quebec Fiction
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nEach 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. \n\n\n\nThroughout 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. \n\n\n\nNo 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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/translating-quebec-fiction/2026-03-18/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260210T165316Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T153115Z
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SUMMARY:Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival 2026 Press Conference
DESCRIPTION:POSTPONED TO: Wednesday\, March 18\, 20264:30 pm ET\n\n\n\nMark your calendars! The Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival\, a landmark annual literary event in Montreal\, is returning for its 28th edition this coming spring\, from April 23–26\, 2026.  \n\n\n\nThis year\, as in past years\, the festival will be structured around a central socially engaged theme\, to be announced with our programming at our press conference at 4:30pm on March 11\, 2026.  \n\n\n\nAbout the Festival\n\n\n\nThe Blue Metropolis Festival is one of the largest multilingual literary events in North America. Each year\, writers from Quebec\, Canada and around the world converge on Montreal for an action-packed weekend. Festivalgoers are treated to live interviews\, roundtable discussions\, public readings\, debates\, master classes\, and performances. Every year\, the Festival is structured around several strong themes that testify to a deep social engagement and a passion for literature in all its richness. \n\n\n\nAbout the 2026 Edition\n\n\n\nAt the upcoming 28th edition of the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival\, expect readings\,roundtables\, debates\, workshops\, performances and interviews with prestigious authors fromCanada and abroad. Over 100 guests\, including authors\, musicians\, artists\, researchers and more! \n\n\n\nMultilingual Programming in Up to Nine Languages.\n\n\n\nThe Blue Metropolis Festival is one of the largest multilingual literary events in North America. Each year\,writers from Quebec\, Canada and around the world converge on Montreal for an action-packed weekend.Festivalgoers are treated to live interviews\, roundtable discussions\, public readings\, debates\, masterclasses\, and performances. Every year\, the Festival is structured around several strong themes that testifyto a deep social engagement and a passion for literature in all its richness. \n\n\n\nActivities for Children and Parents All Year Long\n\n\n\nThe TD-Blue Metropolis Children’s Festival now runs year-round\, with events in schools\, libraries andbookstores near you or online. \n\n\n\nDiscover our 2026 programming\, as well as our wide range of online content at: bluemetropolis.org/youth
URL:https://qwf.org/event/blue-metropolis-international-literary-festival-2026-press-conference/
LOCATION:Hotel 10\, 10 Sherbrooke Street West\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H2X 4C9\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Festival
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ORGANIZER;CN="Blue Metropolis":MAILTO:info@bluemetropolis.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190727Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190727Z
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SUMMARY:Creative Play for Writers (Online)
DESCRIPTION:This workshop is designed for writers from any genre but artists from other mediums are welcome to join. \n\n\n\nYou can’t use up creativity. The more you use\, the more you have.~ Maya Angelou \n\n\n\nMany 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. \n\n\n\nCreative 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. \n\n\n\nYou’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. \n\n\n\nWe 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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/creative-play-for-writers-online/2026-03-17/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260317T194500
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190728Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190728Z
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SUMMARY:Crafting a Compelling Personal Essay
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nEach 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? \n\n\n\nBy 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 1 — What Is a Personal Essay? \n\n\n\nTheme: Truth\, memory\, and the boundaries of nonfiction.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nSarah Manguso\, The Two Kinds of Decay (selections)\n\n\n\nJoan Didion\, “On Keeping a Notebook”\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nIntroductions & course goals\n\n\n\nDiscuss “truth” vs. “fact” in essay\n\n\n\nPrompt: Write a short scene from memory\, then annotate where memory fails\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Write a 600–800-word vignette about a formative memory. \n\n\n\nWeek 2 — Memory and Fragment \n\n\n\nTheme: Shaping nonlinear memory.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nSheila Heti\, Motherhood (fragmented passages)\n\n\n\nMaggie Nelson\, Bluets (selections)\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nDiscussion: how fragment builds resonance\n\n\n\nExercise: Write three fragmentary takes on the same memory\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Develop a mosaic-style essay (1\,000 words). \n\n\n\nWeek 3 — Intimacy and Confession \n\n\n\nTheme: The essayist’s voice and vulnerability.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nAlicia Elliott\, “A Mind Spread Out on the Ground” (title essay)\n\n\n\nLeslie Jamison\, The Empathy Exams (title essay excerpt)\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nConfessional vs. performative honesty\n\n\n\nPrompt: Write a letter to someone you cannot send it to\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Expand into a 1\,200-word letter-essay. \n\n\n\nWeek 4 — Deepening Voice\, Tone & Emotional Register \n\n\n\nTheme: How voice\, tone\, and emotional distance shape the personal essay.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nZadie Smith\, “Fail Better”\n\n\n\nKatherena Vermette\, selected interviews on writing community\, trauma\, and point of view\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nDiscuss tonal shifts: intimacy\, distance\, authority\, hesitance\n\n\n\nExercise: Rewrite a paragraph in three distinct tonal registers (tender\, analytical\, ironic)\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Revise your Week 3 letter-essay with purposeful tonal modulation. \n\n\n\nWeek 5 — Structure and Form \n\n\n\nTheme: Chronology\, braiding\, and experimentation.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nSarah Manguso replaced here to avoid repetition →NEW reading:\n\nJenny Offill\, Dept. of Speculation (fragmented passages on structure)\n\n\n\n\n\nEula Biss\, “Time and Distance Overcome”\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nDiscuss braiding personal + cultural history\n\n\n\nExercise: Write a short braided passage (memory + outside text/reference)\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Draft a braided essay (1\,200–1\,500 words). \n\n\n\nWeek 6 — The Self as Character \n\n\n\nTheme: Distance between narrator and narrated self.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nSheila Heti\, How Should a Person Be? (essayistic passages)\n\n\n\nJames Baldwin\, “Notes of a Native Son” (opening sections)\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nCompare Baldwin’s authority with Heti’s uncertainty\n\n\n\nPrompt: Write a scene twice — once from the past self’s POV\, once from the present self’s POV\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Develop one version into a polished essay draft. \n\n\n\nWeek 7 — Risk\, Ethics\, and Responsibility \n\n\n\nTheme: Writing what feels dangerous; truth vs. harm.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nKatherena Vermette\, interview excerpts on writing community\, family\, trauma\n\n\n\nAlexander Chee\, “The Autobiography of My Novel”\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nDebate: what’s “too much” to share?\n\n\n\nWorkshop 2–3 student essays\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Revise draft based on feedback. \n\n\n\nWeek 8 — Revision and Compression \n\n\n\nTheme: Re-seeing\, cutting\, deepening.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nJenny Offill\, Dept. of Speculation (compression and brevity passages)\n\n\n\nJoan Didion\, “Goodbye to All That”\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nRevision strategies (How to “write coldly”)\n\n\n\nPrompt: Take a draft and cut it to 70% length without losing essence\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Prepare a near-final essay draft (1\,500–2\,000 words). \n\n\n\nWeek 9 — Workshop Intensive & Thematic Excavation \n\n\n\nTheme: Deep structural and thematic revision.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nNone — focus on student manuscripts.\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nHalf-class workshop\n\n\n\nIdentifying the essay’s “governing question”\n\n\n\nDiscuss strategies for expansion vs. contraction\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Revise based on workshop + draft your artistic statement. \n\n\n\nWeek 10 — Final Workshop & Publication Paths \n\n\n\nTheme: Reflection and sharing.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nNone — focus on participant work.\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nFinal peer workshop\n\n\n\nDiscuss venues for publishing personal essays (journals\, anthologies\, online mags)\n\n\n\nClosing: Write a brief artistic statement on your personal essay practice\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Submit final essay + artistic statement. \n\n\n\nBy the end\, students will have:\n\n\n\nA stronger sense of their essayistic voice and relationship to truth. \n\n\n\nA good command of how to craft a compelling personal essay. \n\n\n\nExperience with both traditional and experimental essay forms.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/crafting-a-compelling-personal-essay/2026-03-17/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260316T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260316T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190729Z
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SUMMARY:Sustaining Dramatic Tension in Long-form Fiction
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nStories 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? \n\n\n\nThis 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. \n\n\n\n1.   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. \n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #4: Character and the importance of contrast of characters.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #5: Show Don’t Tell and the actor’s version of this famous writing rule: acting is visual first.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #6: Language\, Diction\, and Tone – Style choices\, syntax\, and the nitty gritty at the line level.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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. \n\n\n\n\nExcerpts (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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/sustaining-dramatic-tension-in-long-form-fiction/2026-03-16/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260316T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260316T194500
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190729Z
UID:10004689-1773683100-1773690300@qwf.org
SUMMARY:Poetic Transformations: Revising as Re-Seeing
DESCRIPTION: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? \n\n\n\nThis 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. \n\n\n\nThrough 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. \n\n\n\nIf 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. \n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe workshop is open to practicing poets of all levels — with the following caveats: \n\n\n\n1) you must already be writing and revising poems; \n\n\n\n2) you must be willing to abandon the idea of single finished version of any given poem; and \n\n\n\n3) you must bring 3 to 5 of your own poems that you are willing to revise beyond recognition.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/poetic-transformations-revising-as-re-seeing/2026-03-16/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260315T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260315T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260212T210122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260306T192601Z
UID:10004827-1773583200-1773590400@qwf.org
SUMMARY:Book Launch: Before We Forget by Mary Soderstrom
DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, March 15\, 20262:00–4:00 pm ET\n\n\n\nMary Soderstrom launches her new book\, Before We Forget: How Remembering Will Get Us Through the Next 75 Years\, published by Dundurn Press.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/book-launch-before-we-forget-by-mary-soderstrom/
LOCATION:Librairie Paragraphe Bookstore\, 2220 McGill College Ave\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H3A 3P9\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Book Launch
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260314T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260314T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260316T172619Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T172625Z
UID:10004865-1773496800-1773507600@qwf.org
SUMMARY:BOOK SIGNING & CONCERT FOR "Human Rights In The Rhythm Of Rock
DESCRIPTION:Join us at Librairie Phoenix for a book launch party for Human Rights in the Rhythm of Rock – Protest Music of the 1980s and 1990s. Hear some storytelling by the author G. Scott Macleod\, grab yourself a signed copy of the book\, see photography highlights and hear The Bedlam Boys (Celtic folk/rock/punk) live in concert! \nHuman Rights in the Rhythm of Rock: Protest Music of the 1980s and 1990s is an enlightening\, enriching\, and entertaining exploration of the rise of socially conscious music\, featuring never-before-seen photos and accompanying text by photojournalist G. Scott MacLeod. \nHuman Rights in the Rhythm of Rock is an enriching look at an important era in music. It seemed to be a moment when we went from “sex\, drugs & rock ‘n roll” to socially conscious lyrics that had deeper meaning. -Christine Long\, CTV Montreal Journalist \nThe book of photos and stories focuses on the Human Rights Now! concert in 1988\, a six-week tour that raised awareness for the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights & Amnesty International’s Work in Social Justice.  \nG. Scott MacLeod is an international award-winning artist\, photographer\, film director and author. \nMacLeod was a photojournalist with the Montreal Mirror from 1988 to 1990. Notably\, he photographed the late Leonard Cohen for the cover of the Montreal Mirror during Cohen’s I’m Your Man tour\, Sinéad O’Connor for her The Lion And The Cobra release and the Human Rights Now! world tour\, which featured celebrated musicians Peter Gabriel\, Bruce Springsteen\, Sting and Tracy Chapman. \nIn 1991\, he represented Canada in Dublin\, Ireland\, for the European City of Culture Festival at the Guinness Hop Store Gallery. He has directed and produced 11 films in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada. His feature film\, The Water of Life (2015)\, was on Amazon Prime Video in 2018. \nHe has worked as a freelance photographer for such notable jazz acts as three-time Juno winner Christine Jensen and Sub Pop acts Jale and Hartship Post\, and celebrities such as actor Gabriel Byrne and musician Chris Spedding. \nMacLeod is a member of The Quebec Writers’ Federation and wrote a chapter based on his Berlin Cold War documentary\, After the War with Hannelore in\, A Heart of Wisdom: Life Writing as Empathetic Inquiry\, Peter Lang Publishing\, New York. \nHe attended 18 international creative residencies over the last 40 years. In 2019\, during his Iceland residency\, he published a travel journal accompanied by his photos\, 29 Days on the Reykjanes Peninsula – Iceland\, one of the world’s last natural wonders. \nHis artwork and photography have been presented internationally and are in many permanent collections\, including the National Gallery of Canada\, Dr. Jane Goodall Institute and TV personality Rick Mercer. \nHe currently lives in Montreal\, Canada.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/book-signing-concert-for-human-rights-in-the-rhythm-of-rock/
LOCATION:Phoenix Books\, 5928 Sherbrooke Street West\, 5928 Sherbrooke St W\, Montreal\, QC\, H4A 1X7\, Canada
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260314T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260314T143000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190725Z
UID:10004751-1773484200-1773498600@qwf.org
SUMMARY:Illuminated Grant-Writing
DESCRIPTION:This workshop will examine how writers with projects for print\, spoken word\, or storytelling can compose a strong literary arts grant application. From drafting a project description to balancing a budget\, we will also discuss artistic risk\, impact\, and cultural appropriation among many other topics. Focus will be on funding programs at the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec\, and an arts council program officer will join us to answer questions. This series is intended for Quebec-based writers at all stages of their practice: emerging\, mid-career\, or established. There will be tasks to complete between sessions\, and participants must arrive with an original literary arts project in mind. Three half-day workshops will be followed by a one-on-one 30-minute mentoring session for each participant. \n\n\n\nAccess to MS Word or similar writing software will be necessary as well as a willingness to share work and give and receive feedback in a workshop setting. \n\n\n\nImportant: Right after registering for the workshop\, participants must provide a short\, one-sentence description of their envisioned literary arts project. This sentence should be sent to Riley@qwf.org with “Illuminated Grant-Writing” in the subject line.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/illuminated-grant-writing-6/2026-03-14/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260314T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260314T123000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260214T171255Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260214T171300Z
UID:10004828-1773482400-1773491400@qwf.org
SUMMARY:Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, March 14\, 2026\, 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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIf you are registered but can no longer attend\, please email john@qwf.org.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/shut-up-write-with-qwf-virtual-55/
LOCATION:Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
CATEGORIES:Shut Up & Write!
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190726Z
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SUMMARY:Slantwise: Writing the Prose Poem
DESCRIPTION:For poets\, prose writers\, and curious in-betweeners. All levels welcome. \n\n\n\nWhat 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. \n\n\n\nOur 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: \n\n\n\n\nRead and discuss a prose poem and/or short craft-focused text\n\n\n\nRespond to a generative writing prompt meant to inspire new writing\n\n\n\nWorkshop participants’ pieces in a supportive and inclusive environment\n\n\n\n\nWe’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. \n\n\n\nExpect 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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/slantwise-writing-the-prose-poem/2026-03-12/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T194500
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260107T182233Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T182237Z
UID:10004780-1773337500-1773344700@qwf.org
SUMMARY:Crafting a Compelling Personal Essay (Thursdays)
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nEach 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? \n\n\n\nBy 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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). \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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). \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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). \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 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. \n\n\n\nBy the end\, students will have:\n\n\n\nA stronger sense of their essayistic voice and relationship to truth. \n\n\n\nA good command of how to craft a compelling personal essay. \n\n\n\nExperience with both traditional and experimental essay forms.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/crafting-a-compelling-personal-essay-thursdays/2026-03-12/
LOCATION:QC
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260312T194500
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190726Z
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SUMMARY:Creative Play for Writers (In Person)
DESCRIPTION:This workshop is designed for writers from any genre but artists from other mediums are welcome to join. \n\n\n\nYou can’t use up creativity. The more you use\, the more you have. \n\n\n\n~      Maya Angelou \n\n\n\nMany 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. \n\n\n\nCreative 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. \n\n\n\nYou’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. \n\n\n\nWe 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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/creative-play-for-writers-in-person/2026-03-12/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260107T181425Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T181429Z
UID:10004772-1773259200-1773266400@qwf.org
SUMMARY:Sustaining Dramatic Tension in Long-form Fiction (Wednesdays)
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nStories 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? \n\n\n\nThis 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. \n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #4: Character and the importance of contrast of characters.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #5: Show Don’t Tell and the actor’s version of this famous writing rule: acting is visual first.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #6: Language\, Diction\, and Tone – Style choices\, syntax\, and the nitty gritty at the line level.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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. \n\n\n\n\nExcerpts (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
URL:https://qwf.org/event/sustaining-dramatic-tension-in-long-form-fiction-wednesdays/2026-03-11/
LOCATION:QC
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T194500
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190727Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190727Z
UID:10004726-1773251100-1773258300@qwf.org
SUMMARY:Translating Quebec Fiction
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nEach 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. \n\n\n\nThroughout 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. \n\n\n\nNo 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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/translating-quebec-fiction/2026-03-11/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190727Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190727Z
UID:10004718-1773172800-1773180000@qwf.org
SUMMARY:Creative Play for Writers (Online)
DESCRIPTION:This workshop is designed for writers from any genre but artists from other mediums are welcome to join. \n\n\n\nYou can’t use up creativity. The more you use\, the more you have.~ Maya Angelou \n\n\n\nMany 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. \n\n\n\nCreative 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. \n\n\n\nYou’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. \n\n\n\nWe 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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/creative-play-for-writers-online/2026-03-10/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T194500
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190728Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190728Z
UID:10004708-1773164700-1773171900@qwf.org
SUMMARY:Crafting a Compelling Personal Essay
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nEach 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? \n\n\n\nBy 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. \n\n\n\nWeek 1 — What Is a Personal Essay? \n\n\n\nTheme: Truth\, memory\, and the boundaries of nonfiction.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nSarah Manguso\, The Two Kinds of Decay (selections)\n\n\n\nJoan Didion\, “On Keeping a Notebook”\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nIntroductions & course goals\n\n\n\nDiscuss “truth” vs. “fact” in essay\n\n\n\nPrompt: Write a short scene from memory\, then annotate where memory fails\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Write a 600–800-word vignette about a formative memory. \n\n\n\nWeek 2 — Memory and Fragment \n\n\n\nTheme: Shaping nonlinear memory.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nSheila Heti\, Motherhood (fragmented passages)\n\n\n\nMaggie Nelson\, Bluets (selections)\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nDiscussion: how fragment builds resonance\n\n\n\nExercise: Write three fragmentary takes on the same memory\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Develop a mosaic-style essay (1\,000 words). \n\n\n\nWeek 3 — Intimacy and Confession \n\n\n\nTheme: The essayist’s voice and vulnerability.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nAlicia Elliott\, “A Mind Spread Out on the Ground” (title essay)\n\n\n\nLeslie Jamison\, The Empathy Exams (title essay excerpt)\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nConfessional vs. performative honesty\n\n\n\nPrompt: Write a letter to someone you cannot send it to\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Expand into a 1\,200-word letter-essay. \n\n\n\nWeek 4 — Deepening Voice\, Tone & Emotional Register \n\n\n\nTheme: How voice\, tone\, and emotional distance shape the personal essay.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nZadie Smith\, “Fail Better”\n\n\n\nKatherena Vermette\, selected interviews on writing community\, trauma\, and point of view\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nDiscuss tonal shifts: intimacy\, distance\, authority\, hesitance\n\n\n\nExercise: Rewrite a paragraph in three distinct tonal registers (tender\, analytical\, ironic)\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Revise your Week 3 letter-essay with purposeful tonal modulation. \n\n\n\nWeek 5 — Structure and Form \n\n\n\nTheme: Chronology\, braiding\, and experimentation.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nSarah Manguso replaced here to avoid repetition →NEW reading:\n\nJenny Offill\, Dept. of Speculation (fragmented passages on structure)\n\n\n\n\n\nEula Biss\, “Time and Distance Overcome”\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nDiscuss braiding personal + cultural history\n\n\n\nExercise: Write a short braided passage (memory + outside text/reference)\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Draft a braided essay (1\,200–1\,500 words). \n\n\n\nWeek 6 — The Self as Character \n\n\n\nTheme: Distance between narrator and narrated self.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nSheila Heti\, How Should a Person Be? (essayistic passages)\n\n\n\nJames Baldwin\, “Notes of a Native Son” (opening sections)\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nCompare Baldwin’s authority with Heti’s uncertainty\n\n\n\nPrompt: Write a scene twice — once from the past self’s POV\, once from the present self’s POV\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Develop one version into a polished essay draft. \n\n\n\nWeek 7 — Risk\, Ethics\, and Responsibility \n\n\n\nTheme: Writing what feels dangerous; truth vs. harm.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nKatherena Vermette\, interview excerpts on writing community\, family\, trauma\n\n\n\nAlexander Chee\, “The Autobiography of My Novel”\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nDebate: what’s “too much” to share?\n\n\n\nWorkshop 2–3 student essays\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Revise draft based on feedback. \n\n\n\nWeek 8 — Revision and Compression \n\n\n\nTheme: Re-seeing\, cutting\, deepening.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nJenny Offill\, Dept. of Speculation (compression and brevity passages)\n\n\n\nJoan Didion\, “Goodbye to All That”\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nRevision strategies (How to “write coldly”)\n\n\n\nPrompt: Take a draft and cut it to 70% length without losing essence\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Prepare a near-final essay draft (1\,500–2\,000 words). \n\n\n\nWeek 9 — Workshop Intensive & Thematic Excavation \n\n\n\nTheme: Deep structural and thematic revision.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nNone — focus on student manuscripts.\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nHalf-class workshop\n\n\n\nIdentifying the essay’s “governing question”\n\n\n\nDiscuss strategies for expansion vs. contraction\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Revise based on workshop + draft your artistic statement. \n\n\n\nWeek 10 — Final Workshop & Publication Paths \n\n\n\nTheme: Reflection and sharing.Readings: \n\n\n\n\nNone — focus on participant work.\n\n\n\n\nIn-Class: \n\n\n\n\nFinal peer workshop\n\n\n\nDiscuss venues for publishing personal essays (journals\, anthologies\, online mags)\n\n\n\nClosing: Write a brief artistic statement on your personal essay practice\n\n\n\n\nHomework: Submit final essay + artistic statement. \n\n\n\nBy the end\, students will have:\n\n\n\nA stronger sense of their essayistic voice and relationship to truth. \n\n\n\nA good command of how to craft a compelling personal essay. \n\n\n\nExperience with both traditional and experimental essay forms.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/crafting-a-compelling-personal-essay/2026-03-10/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260309T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260309T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
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SUMMARY:Sustaining Dramatic Tension in Long-form Fiction
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nStories 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? \n\n\n\nThis 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. \n\n\n\n1.   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. \n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #4: Character and the importance of contrast of characters.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #5: Show Don’t Tell and the actor’s version of this famous writing rule: acting is visual first.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #6: Language\, Diction\, and Tone – Style choices\, syntax\, and the nitty gritty at the line level.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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.\n\n\n\n\n\nWeek #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. \n\n\n\n\nExcerpts (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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/sustaining-dramatic-tension-in-long-form-fiction/2026-03-09/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260309T174500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260309T194500
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20251211T190729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T190729Z
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SUMMARY:Poetic Transformations: Revising as Re-Seeing
DESCRIPTION: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? \n\n\n\nThis 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. \n\n\n\nThrough 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. \n\n\n\nIf 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. \n\n\n\nThe 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. \n\n\n\nThe workshop is open to practicing poets of all levels — with the following caveats: \n\n\n\n1) you must already be writing and revising poems; \n\n\n\n2) you must be willing to abandon the idea of single finished version of any given poem; and \n\n\n\n3) you must bring 3 to 5 of your own poems that you are willing to revise beyond recognition.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/poetic-transformations-revising-as-re-seeing/2026-03-09/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops,Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260308T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260308T183000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260309T165843Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T165848Z
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SUMMARY:International Women's Day Reading Event § Journée internationale des femmes Lecture
DESCRIPTION:EN:  An afternoon of poetry\, fiction and literature readings for and by women\, for International women’s day!  \nSign 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. \nFR: Un après-midi de lectures de poésie\, de fiction et de littérature pour et par les femmes ! \nInscrivez-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.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/international-womens-day-reading-event-%c2%a7-journee-internationale-des-femmes-lecture/
LOCATION:Phoenix Books\, 5928 Sherbrooke Street West\, 5928 Sherbrooke St W\, Montreal\, QC\, H4A 1X7\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Reading
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260308T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260308T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133702
CREATED:20260309T165829Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T165833Z
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SUMMARY:Soliloquies x Pixie OPEN MIC + Music & Raffle
DESCRIPTION:Marginalia: Scribbles\, Scraps and Notes Apps \nRSVP HERE: https://soliloquies.org/events-2/ \nFor the first time\, Pixie Literary Magazine and Soliloquies Anthology are collaborating on an Open Mic!\nIt’s your last chance to read with us this year! \nThis 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. \nIf 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. \nWhen: Friday\, March 13th 2026 at 7pm \nWhere: Bedroc Collective @bedrocmtl (Near Rosemont metro\, RSVP for address!) \nCost of Entry: PWYC Donation\, suggested $5 \nFeaturing Raffle Prizes from Concordia’s Queer Print Club and more\, along with musical performances from Bedroc’s band! \nEvents \n \nFollow us on Instagram @soliloquies.concordia
URL:https://qwf.org/event/soliloquies-x-pixie-open-mic-music-raffle/
LOCATION:Bedroc Collective\, Near Rosemont Station\, Montreal\, QC\, H2S 1Z3\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Open Mic
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