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“Bless thee, Bottom … Thou Art translated!”: A Workshop on Poetry Across the Disciplines with poet Amanda Jernigan and singer Daniel Cabena
Robert Frost famously defined poetry as that which is lost in translation. But what happens when poetry is translated not between languages but from the page to the voice? Or from one voice to another? What is lost? What is gained? In this workshop we will experiment with these sorts of translation, passing our poems from one form into another, from one voice to another. (How do you hear your poem differently when you read it aloud? When someone else reads it aloud? When you imagine it’s in the voice of a queen, or a fool, or a tow-truck driver, or a unicorn …) We will talk about and experiment with contrafactum — the practice of devising new words for old tunes. Participants should come prepared with a poem by someone else that they would like to experiment with; they should also expect to do some writing of their own. Introduced by Barb Carter
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All-Access Pass to the 2018 Wild Writers Festival
Your All-Access Pass includes:
Friday, November 2
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Opening Showcase with Sharon Bala and Rawi Hage. Moderated by Jael Richardson.
Saturday, November 3
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3 Writer's Craft Classes OR 1 Masterclass + 1 Writer's Craft Class
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Gourmet Boxed Lunch from EVO Kitchen
Sunday, November 4
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The Literary Brunch with Katherine Ashenburg, Claire Cameron, and Michael Redhill. Moderated by Sharron Smith.
+ One Year Subscription to The New Quarterly!
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Autofictions: Pushing our Truths to Tell Better Stories with Brent van Staalduinen
Our lives are full of great fictions and great truths, and the lines between them are hazy. Some people fear this uncertainty, but the writer should not: every memory and experience is valuable, and can seed great writing. In this workshop, participants will discover how the elements of great fiction are synonymous with the best ways to use and tell their own truths, and explore new ways to craft them to make their stories better. Bring pen, paper, and some of your own truths to explore.
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Book signing
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Childhood and Intuition as Literary Inspiration with Kathleen Winter
The participatory lecture, titled Childhood and Intuition as Literary Inspiration, will use anecdotes and illustrations from Kathleen’s own experiences. She will talk about the role of childhood memory, walking, and intuitive use of a small daily notebook. Kathleen will invite participants to write a short piece (about 500 words) that can stand alone or go on to become the seed for a longer piece to be completed independently after your time together.
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Crafting the Poem with Evelyn Lau
introduced by Barb Carter
In this workshop, renowned poet Evelyn Lau will help students appreciate the editing process required to craft a polished poem. Evelyn will workshop six poems supplied by workshop attendees. With the help of the participants, Evelyn will give an editorial assessment of the poems and make suggestions for how the poems can move forward. All attendees of the workshop will benefit from the discussion and will come away form the workshop with a keener understanding of the editorial process.
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Creative Nonfiction with Jael Richardson
This nonfiction workshop explores the creative side of creative nonfiction and will help writers, both established and emerging, turn the story they know into a story everyone will love reading. The workshop will include short writing exercises that will help nonfiction writers think not only about the story they’re telling but the way it needs to be told. Introduced by Susan Scott
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Displacement Narratives with Kyle Edwards, Beth Gebreyohannes, Zainab Mahdi, and Maša Torbica. Moderated by Lamees Al Ethari
From immigrant and refugee narratives to suppressed voices from Indigenous communities, the concept of displacement has incited discussions on migrations, lost homelands, and new ideas of belonging and identity. Meet writers who are finding a language to express their experiences, and who are leading the way, showing how to engage in conversation.
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Editing Bootcamp with Katia Grubisic
Bring your sorry syntax, your lousy line breaks, your dopey dialogue or pathetic pace, and we’ll boot them into shape. In this short, intensive literary editing workshop, participants will learn tricks and tips to make substantive improvements to their work and fine-tune their close reading and critiquing skills. All genres welcome; please email a short draft/work-in-progress of no more than one page (prose should be double spaced; poetry can be single spaced) by November 1, 2018, to info@newquarterly.net
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Finding Home: Stories My Father Never Told Me with Tamas Dobozy and Pasha Malla. Moderated by David Worsley
There are stories that are passed on through generations and there are those that are never told but must be elicited through observation, family lore, or imagination. In Stories my Father Never Told Me award winning authors Tamas Dobozy and Pasha Malla discuss the influence of family history on their work and explore the possibility that the stories they write stem from generations past.
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First Word, First Sentence, First Paragraph with Robert Rotenberg
This seminar focuses on the crucial first sentence and paragraph of a novel. Participants are invited to bring with them examples of their own writing (first page only) and examples of first paragraphs of one novel that they admire. Bring pen and paper and leave your defences at the door.
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Gift of Fire: What to Look for in a Mentor with Lamees Al Ethari, Anita Chong, Antonio Michael Downing, and Tasneem Jamal. Moderated by Leonarda Carranza.
The world of publishing can be taxing, exclusive, and intimidating. One model of engagement and support is a seeking mentorship. Our panel will advise us how to search for the right kind of mentor, and why the right mentor is key. Other issues for discussion include: power-sharing, knowledge-exchange, advocacy, transparency, and accountability. What is the true value of mentoring at different stages of one’s career? How do you know when the relationship is working, or failing, or if it’s simply time for both parties to move on?
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Gourmet Boxed Lunches from EVO Kitchen
Each Gourmet Boxed Lunch contains a main course, side, fresh cut fruit, dessert and a bottle of San Pellegrino.
If you have any dietary restrictions, please contact
admin [at] tnq.ca -
Interactive Possibilities of Creative Nonfiction with Betsy Warland
In 2007, I decided to write with a very different set of assumptions. I began my new manuscript without the goal of a print book. In 2012, I decided to create an online salon comprised of my work-in-progress excerpts, guest artists and writers’ works, readers’ comments, and images. Oscar’s Salon ran for nine years. Was liberating! I loved every minute of it. Attracting considerable readership, in 2016, a publisher sought me out and Oscar of Between – A Memoir of Identity and Ideas was published by Caitlin Press. This workshop will inspire you to think outside-the-box regarding new ways to: write; encourage readers to discover and interact with your work; and find new paths to publication.
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Lunch
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Main Character, Same Character? with Ian Hamilton in conversation with David Worsley
In his award-winning Ava Lee series, mystery novelist Ian Hamilton presents Ava Lee, a forensic accountant with a specialty in dangerous massive debt recovery. In Hamilton’s new upcoming series, one of Ava Lee’s contacts— Uncle—takes centre stage. Join Words Worth Books owner and thriller aficionado David Worsley for a discussion on how to introduce new locales and secondary characters while keeping existing characters fresh and compelling.
(Formerly “Writing Incognito” with Naben Ruthnum)
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On Character with Sharon Bala
In the domain of fiction, character is king. Long after we’ve forgotten the plot twists and turns, the particulars of settings, and even the narrative styles, of our favourite books, it is the characters we remember. In this workshop we will investigate the difference between what Forster called flat and rounded characters, talk about arcs and epiphanies, and learn how to create imaginary humans who feel true enough to be real. Introduced by Pamela Mulloy
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On Character with Alison Pick
Good character development is a critical part of writing both fiction and nonfiction (and can also be surprisingly relevant to poetry!). This workshop will help you get to know the characters you are writing about in new and fun ways. Come prepared to brainstorm, to play games, to write hard, and to learn how understanding your characters deeply can take your writing project to a whole new level.
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Opening Showcase
Opening Showcase with Sharon Bala and Rawi Hage. Moderated by Jael Richardson.
+Winners of The New Quarterly’s contests: to be announced August 31st!
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Opening Showcase with Alison Pick and Kathleen Winter. Moderated by Craig Norris
+Winners of the The New Quarterly‘s contests: Shannon Blake (Peter Hinchcliffe Short Fiction Award for “The Mataram Miracle”), Susan Olding (Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest for “A Different River”), Fiona Tinwei Lam (Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest for “Test”)
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Poetry in Communication with Daniel Cabena, Cori Martin, Richard Sanger, and Karen Schindler. Moderated by Amanda Jernigan.
A panel discussion about the many and various ways that poetry can reach an audience, communicate, across the usual boundaries of the art—through participation in music and performance, in the hand-crafted form of a beautiful book, through performance in the theatre… In all of these ways, poetry enters into community—and it makes community, dissolving our solitudes, asking us to enter into relation with one another in new ways.
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Recklessness and Revision in Poetry with Chris Banks
introduced by Tristanne Connolly
In this master’s class workshop, Chris Banks will be talking about the twin forces of recklessness and revision, how they pull in opposite directions, and how to silence one’s inner editor so a poem can move in surprising, unexpected ways. With examples and sharp insights pulled from contemporary poetry, Banks will lead workshop participants through a variety of exercises meant to help them “unleash” their writing potential.
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Test Comp
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The Art of the Shelfie: Marketing Yourself as a Writer with Amanda Leduc
Once upon a time, marketing and publicity rested solely in the hands of the publisher. Today, self-promotion is a necessary survival skill—something that can often strike fear into the heart of a writer who is used to disappearing behind their computer screen. But marketing yourself as a writer needn’t be terrifying! Join writer and Twitter devotee Amanda Leduc for a candid information session as she takes you through some of the dos, the don’ts, and the dares of making a name for yourself online and IRL.
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The Fiction Panel with Trevor Corkum, Alicia Elliott, Lori McNulty, and Rebecca Rosenblum. Moderated by Claire Tacon
Tough Choices. Literary fiction by its nature tends to seek out topics that make us feel uncomfortable, make us think, allow us to explore emotional territory that we might want to stray from, and yet this is the very territory that makes us feel more human. Join us for readings and discussions with authors who have each considered difficult subjects and written thought-provoking, elegant pieces as a result.
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The Literary Brunch with Katherine Ashenburg, Claire Cameron, and Michael Redhill. Moderated by Sharron Smith.
Coffee will be served at 9:30 followed by breakfast fare. The writers will discuss their latest work, the writing process, and life as a writer. Intimate, casual, engaging – an ideal way to spend a Sunday morning. Mimosas served at 11:00 am.
Brunch is your choice between Rhapsody Benedict, Cinnamon Crunch French Toast, and Mixed Berry Parfait
Dessert will be an assortment of pies.
If you have any dietary restrictions, please contact
admin [at] tnq.ca -
The Literary Brunch with Karen Connelly, Helen Humphreys and Wayne Johnston. Moderated by Sharron Smith
Coffee with the authors begins at 9:30 followed by breakfast fare. The writers will discuss their latest work, the writing process, and life as a writer. Intimate, casual, engaging — an ideal way to spend a Sunday morning. Mimosas served at 11:00am. Doors open at 9:00.
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The Nonfiction Panel: Risk, Rejection, and the Personal Essay with Kyle Edwards, Alicia Elliott, Susan Olding, and Betsy Warland. Moderated by Tasneem Jamal
The New Yorker has declared the personal essay in “decline.” TNQ says it is alive and well, thanks to risk-takers who are willing to weather rejection, controversy, and critique. Meet emerging and established essayists who can help us understand why writing that is powerful for the reader can also be so dangerous for the writer. (Psst: of special interest to fans of the Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest.)
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The Publishing Panel: The Joy of Litmags with Emily Donaldson (Canadian Notes and Queries), Laurie D. Graham (Brick), Anna Ling Kaye (Ricepaper and PRISM international), and Pamela Mulloy (The New Quarterly). Moderated by Susan Scott
Join our lively panel of editors in celebrating the unsung role that literary magazines play, introducing writers and poets to the world. What do magazine editors do and what are they looking for when they open your submissions? What role do lit mags play in securing the interest of book publishers and agents in your work? Sip your morning java while our panelists muse, opine, advise—and encourage our decoding the mysteries of the masthead.
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The Shape-Shifters: Writing in Multiple Genres with Evelyn Lau, Amanda Leduc, Pasha Malla, and Fiona Tinwei Lam. Moderated by Anna Ling Kaye.
Society loves to pigeonhole: by genre, by culture, by past work. Many authors, however, defy definition. Join acclaimed authors Evelyn Lau, Amanda Leduc, Pasha Malla, and Fiona Tinwei Lam in a discussion with TNQ Guest Editor Anna Ling Kaye on the joys and challenges of writing across fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and everything in between.
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What You Know: How Research Shapes a Story With Liz Harmer, David Huebert, Pamela Mulloy, and Claire Tacon. Moderated by Brent van Staalduinen.
The adage, “write what you know” serves many writers, but it’s only one way to tell a story. Another is to write what you want to know. In a world where autofiction is trending in literature, these writers share how they used research to shape the narrative in their novels. They will share research tips and discuss how to integrate the research so that it’s not begging for attention.
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Whose Voice Is It Anyway: The Translation Panel with Leonarda Carranza, Morteza Deghani, and Katia Grubisic. Moderated by Lamees Al Ethari.
Focusing on French, Farsi, Spanish and one from an Indigenous group, this panel will look at the translator’s role in preserving and interpreting the language, content, and intent of written texts while keeping in mind the response of the audience and their perspective. Some of the topics that we will discuss address the influence of the translator’s voice on the construction of the text, difficulties of cultural interpretations and concepts of trust on the side of the writer who might never ever fully know how their work has been presented.
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Wreckage, Remix, and Recycling: Writing New Poems from the Rubble of the Old with Paul Vermeersch
This masterclass will concentrate on several forms, both ancient and modern, that scavenge and recombine existing texts in order to construct new poems from the fragments of the past. These forms include centos, erasures, glosas, text collages, and more. We will investigate the history of these practices, and examine their contemporary resurgence. Time will also be devoted to writing and work-shopping new poems using these techniques. Participants are asked to bring along three or four favourite books of poetry (of any genre or vintage) as well as some unfinished poems of their own. Introduced by Chris Banks
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Writing Raw: How to Explore Personal Material That Is Touchy, Dark, Intimate, Tangled, Problematic, Risky, Taboo or Downright Radioactive with Mike Barnes
Having written about mental illness and, now, about dementia caregiving, I’m well-acquainted with the rewards and perils of exploring raw personal material. “Raw” in any of its many senses: intimate; painful; exposed; unprocessed; undiluted….
It’s easy to get swamped by the dilemmas: Why am I writing this? What do I write (which parts)? How—what genre? structure? language? What are the costs—to me, to others? Should I share it—with whom, and how? This workshop will use a collaborative approach to explore some of the ways this tricky, transformative work can be done.
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Young Creators Masterclass with Carrie Snyder
Join Carrie Snyder for a writing adventure, a workshop that invites you to write fiction using a variety of imaginative techniques, loosely based on the teachings of Lynda Barry, who asks us to consider “the perishable images about the day you didn’t notice you’d noticed at all.” All you need is a notebook and a black pen. Come prepared to write and sketch by hand. For writers aged 13 to 17.
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Young Creators Masterclass with Erin Bow. For 13- to 17-year-olds.
Some details will win your readers’ hearts forever—and some will make them skim and sigh impatiently. Which ones are which, and how do you know? Award-winning author Erin Bow will walk you through it, using lots of examples from current teen books.
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Contests and Honours and Prizes, Oh My! With Anita Chong (M&S; The Journey Prize), Pamela Mulloy (TNQ), Emily Urquhart (WLU Edna Staebler-in-Residence), Janice Zawerbny (Biblioasis). Moderated by Susan Scott.
The phrase “award-winning” might roll right off the tongue, but what does it mean—who benefits from accolades and laurels, and why should writers care? Is it worth submitting to a raft of contests and applying for residencies? What does a healthy/unhealthy adjudication process look like, and how transparent should that process be? What are the politics of who is asked to judge? Pitch your questions to our Wild Writers panelists, and we’ll all leave this morning’s session better informed about what’s at stake with competitions in the CanLit world.