Quebec Writers' Federation Workshops

Spring Session 2010

Workshops take place at the QWF office, Suite 3, Atwater Library unless otherwise indicated.

Click on Workshop Title for Description

EIGHT-WEEK EVENING WORKSHOPS

STARLING VOICE / LYRIC EAR – A POETRY WORKSHOP

MONDAYS, 6 to 8 p.m. — March 1 to April 19

Led by Peter Richardson, author of 3 poetry books with Véhicule Press; shortlisted for the Gerald Lampert Award, the Acorn-Plantos Award, winner of the QWF's 2007 A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry. Poems published in prestigious journals Poetry (Chicago), Sonora Review, Poetry Ireland Review and The Malahat Review.

FICTION FROM START TO FINISH

MONDAYS, 8 to 10 p.m. — March 1 to April 19

Led by Saleema Nawaz, author of Mother Superior, finalist for the QWF's 2008 McAuslan First Book Prize. Winner of the 2008 Writers’ Trust of Canada / McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize. Stories published in Prairie Fire, PRISM international, Grain, and The New Quarterly.

WRITING FOR THE SMALL SCREEN

TUESDAYS, 6 to 8 p.m. — March 2 to April 20

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.

TALES FOR TEENS: WRITING YA FICTION

TUESDAYS, 8 to 10 p.m. — March 2 to April 20

Led by Monique Polak, author of 11 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 on one the American Library Association’s best books list.

THE ART AND CRAFT OF BLOGGING

ON-SITE FOUR WEDNESDAYS, 6 to 8 p.m. — March 3, March 10, April 7 and April 21

Led by Dana Bath, author of the novel Plenty of Harm in God and two collections of short stories, What Might Have Been Rain and Universal Recipients. First prize Grain Magazine’s Short Postcard Story Contest 1999, Shortlisted for 2004 ReLit Awards; Honourable mention “Best Local Author,” Montreal Mirror Poll 2002.

HAVE I GOT A STORY FOR YOU: THE CRAFT OF WRITING SHORT FICTION

WEDNESDAYS, 8 to 10 p.m. — March 3 to April 21

Led by Neale McDevitt, winner of the QWF's 2004 McAuslan First Book Award and the CBC/QWF Quebec Short Story Competition (2001); co-editor of Rising to Attention, a collection of cutting-edge new fiction. Editor, McGill Reporter.

DRAWING FROM LIFE: MEMOIR AND PERSONAL ESSAYS

THURSDAYS, 6 to 8 p.m. — March 11 to April 29

Led by Robyn Sarah, author of 8 poetry collections including Pause for Breath, 2 short story collections and a book of essays about poetry; poems anthologized in The Norton Anthology of Poetry, The Bedford Introduction to Literature and Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems for Hard Times. Poetry editor for Cormorant Books.

CREATIVE NON-FICTION: THE ART OF FACT

THURSDAYS, 8 to 10 p.m. — March 4 to April 22

Led by Elaine Kalman Naves, two-time winner of the QWF's Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-Fiction, winner of two Canadian Jewish Book Awards and a Canadian Literary Award for Personal Essay. Frequent contributor to CBC Radio’s "Ideas".

SPECIAL INTENSIVE WORKSHOPS

NON-LINEAR NARRATIVES & MULTI-MEDIA POETICS: AN INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONIC LITERATURE ($140)

TWO SATURDAYS, March 6 and March 13, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Atwater Library Computer Lab, second floor

Led by J. R. Carpenter, winner of the 2008 QWF carte blanche Quebec prize, the CBC/QWF Quebec Short Story Competition (2003, 2005) and the Expozine Alternative Press Award for Best English Book.

PROJECTING ON THE AUDIENCE’S IMAGINATION – A SPOKEN WORD WORKSHOP ($140)

TWO SATURDAYS, April 10, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and April 17, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and an evening show

Maximum 10 participants

Led by Ian Ferrier, poet, performer and musician. He has performed his work in over 400 shows on three continents.

WRITING FOR NEW MEDIA ($75)

SATURDAY, April 24, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Led by Sam Wendel, veteran TV writer/producer and screenwriter with 25 years of experience working in Los Angeles. President of E2m Communications, which produces original content for the internet and cell phones.

INTERVIEWING WITH ELEANOR WACHTEL ($75)

SATURDAY, May 29, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Maximum 10 participants

Led by Eleanor Wachtel, host of CBC Radio's "Writers & Company," winner CBC Award for Programming Excellence; published interview collections Writers & Company, More Writers & Company, Original Minds; contributor to the best-seller, Dropped Thread, co-edited by Carol Shields, and Lost Classics, co-edited by Michael Ondaatje et al.; author of Random Illuminations: Conversations With Carol Shields; winner of the Jack Award for the promotion of Canadian books and authors. Member of the Order of Canada.