Quebec Writers' Federation Workshops

Spring Session 2012

Develop your writing with the mentorship of an acclaimed professional writer and feedback from your peers.

Unless otherwise indicated, all workshops take place at the QWF office, Suite 3, Atwater Library, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Montreal.

SOME LIKE IT HOT: YOUNG ADULT FICTION

MONDAYS, 6 to 8 p.m., March 5 to April 30, 2012. No meeting April 9.

Led by Monique Polak, author of 12 YA novels, including 4 selected for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s “Our Choice” list; winner of the 2009 QWF Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, and Lori Weber, author of 5 YA novels, 3 on the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s “Our Choice” list, and one on the American Library Association’s best books list.

BUILDING A MYSTERY: CRIME FICTION WORKSHOP

MONDAYS, 8 to 10 p.m., March 5 to April 30, 2012. No meeting April 9.

Led by Nadine Doolittle, author of Iced Under, shortlisted for the 2009Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel, and The Grey Lady, to be released this spring by McArthur and Co..

DEMYSTIFYING AND STREAMLINING BOOK WRITING PROCESSES FROM FIRST APPROACH TO PUBLISHER TO POST-PUBLICATION PROMOTION

TUESDAYS, 6 to 8 p.m. – March 6 to April 24, 2012.

Led by Terry Rigelhof, author of ten books, longtime Contributing Reviewer to The Globe and Mail, veteran juror of both non-fiction and fiction prizes and grants to writers, and freelance editor.

SENSE OF WONDER: WRITING FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION STORIES

TUESDAYS, 8 to 10 p.m. – April 3 to May 22, 2012.

Led by Claude Lalumière, author of the story collection Objects of Worship and the mosaic novella The Door to Lost Pages; Fantastic Fiction columnist for the Montreal Gazette; co-creator of lostmyths.net.

WRITING FOR THE SMALL SCREEN

WEDNESDAYS, 6 to 8 p.m. – March 7 to April 25, 2012.

Led by Leila Basen, writer, Street Legal, Road to Avonlea, Max Glick; Supervising producer/writer of Emily of New Moon, Blackfly, Tales of the Neverending Story; winner, Grand Prize for Best Program, All Categories (2003 Awards of Excellence, Alliance for Children & Television); co-writer of Bon Cop/Bad Cop.

TECHNIQUE/TECHNOLOGY/TEXT: A POETIC LAB

WEDNESDAYS, 8 to 10 p.m. – March 7 to April 25, 2012.

Led by Oana Avasilichioaei, poet, feria: a poempark, We, Beasts, Expeditions of a Chimæra (with Erín Moure); translator, The Islands (from the Quebecois French of Louise Cotnoir). 2009 Writer-in-Residence at Green College, UBC, and 2010-2011 Writer-in-Residence at the University of Calgary.

SHORT STORY: THE WRITING PROCESS

THURSDAYS, 6 to 8 p.m. – March 8 to April 26, 2012.

Led by Mikhail Iossel, writer; associate professor of English at Concordia University; recipient of the NEA (1993) and the Guggenheim Foundation fellowships (1999); founder and Executive Director of the Summer Literary Seminars.

MEMOIR: THE ART OF PERSONAL WRITING

THURSDAYS, 8 to 10 p.m. – March 8 to April 26, 2012.

Led by Joel Yanofsky, author of four books, winner of the QWF's 2011 and 2004 Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-Fiction, and a Canadian Jewish Book Award. Columnist for the Montreal Gazette; reviews and articles in Canadian Geographic, Walrus, Village Voice, Chatelaine, The Globe and Mail.

RESEARCH AND RIGHTS CLEARANCE

SATURDAY, February 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Led by Elizabeth Klinck, producer, researcher and clearance specialist on numerous documentary films that have garnered Emmy, Gemini, Peabody, and Academy awards. Recipient of a FOCAL International Lifetime Achievement Award.

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM: MASTERING THE TOUGH INTERVIEW AND TELLING YOUR STORY VIVIDLY
Full description to come soon!

SATURDAY, April 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Led by Julian Sher, award-winning investigative journalist in print, TV, radio and on the Web; writer for The Globe and Mail; author of six books; veteran TV documentary writer and director; newsroom trainer.

HOW TO GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEED FROM AN INTERVIEW
Full description to come soon!

SATURDAY, April 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Led by Anne Lagacé Dowson, researcher, producer, director, reporter, and host at the CBC for 20 years; now a commentator and writer for CJAD and panelist on Radio-Canada television.

WEEKEND WRITING RETREAT

FRIDAY May 18 to SUNDAY May 20
(deadline to register March 30)

Led by Shelley Leedahl, author of 8 books and multi-media works incorporating poetry, song, still photography and video.