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JANUARY * |
2015 Annual General Meeting January 7th Why not start the year with a reading at the Open Mic Night at the central Library? Listeners supplied. Arrive early to sign up to read your fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry. January is also our Annual General Meeting (AGM). Members will (quickly) elect the new executive. Why not nominate your friend? Why not join the executive yourself? Renew your membership – or join up – and have your say. |
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| February
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4 Monique Gray Smith. Tilly, a Story of Hope and Resilience.  Monique Gray Smith’s Tilly, a Story of Hope and Resilience (Sono Nis Press) received first prize in the 2014 Burt Literary Awards. Monique uses her traditional knowledge and wisdom to portray her message of hope and empowerment for First Nations people. Every year, the Burt Award provides thousands of First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth across Canada with access to culturally-relevant, engaging books.Monique Gray Smith is a mixed heritage woman of Cree, Lakota, and Scottish descent and the proud Mom of eleven-year-old twins. She is an award winning author, international speaker and sought after consultant. Her career has focused on strengthening the understanding of historical trauma on Indigenous Children and families and fostering paradigm shifts that focus on the strength and resiliency of the First Peoples in Canada. She is well known for her warmth, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience.One of the things I’ve come to believe most powerfully over the last few years is that words can be medicine. I know that what flows off my tongue has the power to either heal or harm and while at times I fail miserably, I have become more and more mindful of the words I use.Monique is “inspired by people who listen to the whisperings of their soul. Those who follow their dreams, even when at first they have no idea how or what to do….It was beyond my wildest dream to even be shortlisted with authors like Thomas King, Bev Sellars and Cherie Dimaline. But to actually win, well that I had to surrender to. I know it might sound odd, but I had to surrender to the joy, the bliss, the acknowledgement, the praise…all of it. I used to think of surrender in a different context, like having to surrender to a situation that I didn’t like or didn’t want, but I’ve come to realize that surrendering has so many connotations, including letting yourself be blanketed by joy and acknowledgement. This is a form of surrendering that I’m still getting used to and don’t always do it gracefully, but I’m working on it.” www.littledrum.com Monique Gray Smith has her first Children’s Board Book coming out with Orca Books in Spring 2016.
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| March |  4 George Opacic. Tax Information for Writers. George Opacic has had a business career as a specialist in human resources and organizational effectiveness which took him on consulting contracts around the world. He co-founded a magazine Recreational Flyer, acting as editor and writer of technical and narrative articles. He has taught at Capilano and Langara Colleges, and lectured at UBC. Currently, he is instructing the course “Operating Your Small Business.” One of his current projects is an ambitious novel called The Antichrist of Stanley Park, which takes place in Nunavut and Vancouver. His other main project is a murder mystery set in the weird world of the deep internet: Rendezvous Point.George Opacic is a Past President of the Federation of BC Writers. |
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| April | 1 Troy Wilson. Life as a Children’s Author  Troy Wilson will speak about all aspects of life as a kids’ author. He has written three picture books for kids, as well as numerous stories for Chickadee, Chirp, and Highlights for Children.Though Troy has given many successful talks for kids of all ages, this one will be geared for grown-ups.  In this talk he will be paying particular attention to his new picture book, The Duck Says, which has been recommended by the National Post and City Parent (Canada’s largest regional parenting publication).Here is a 14-page comics story by Troy Wilson and Vancouver artist Caleb Hystad that you can read for free on the School Library Journal blog, Good Comics for Kids.His website is troystory.ca. |
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MAY 1st # |
Submissions – WRITING CONTEST – DEADLINE |
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| MAY * |
6 Book Marketing: Nicola Furlong, Bruce Batchelor & Matthew Ashdown  Nicola FurlongNovelist, Interactive Storyteller & Chocoholic Artist Nicola pens mystery and inspirational novels, creates interactive books for the iPad, podcasts about genre writing (The Novel Experience), and teaches electronic publishing, when she’s not playing Old-Timer’s hockey, growing blossoms and bamboo or eating chocolate fudge.Her first contemporary women’s series, the Sisterhood of Shepherds, debuted with HEARTSONG in May 2014 (MantleRockPublishing). Nicola’s swinging whodunit, TEED OFF! (republished in February 2014 by OakTreePress), features professional golfer and coroner Riley Quinn.In addition, she has published three ebooks, YOUDUNIT WHODUNIT! HOW TO WRITE MYSTERIES, SELF-PUBLISH YOUR E-BOOK IN MINUTES! and TOP TEN GARDENING TIPS, as well as her first musical interactive children’s book for the iPad, SAVING GRAPE-JELLY CHEEKS. www.nicolafurlong.com Available at Amazon: Coroner sleuth Riley Quinn is back: TEED OFF! – and – HEARTSONG, Book 1- Sisterhood of Shepherds
 Bruce BatchelorEditor and publisher at Agio Publishing House. Bruce is a best-selling author, including “Book Marketing DeMystified: Self-Publishing Success” and (most recently) “Dog Team to Dawson: A Quest for the Cosmic Bannock and Other Yukon Stories.” At Agio Publishing House in Victoria, Bruce collaborates with authors on marketing plans for their books, ebooks, audiobooks, apps and writing careers. — Agio Publishing House / Trelawny Consulting Group Ltd. www.agiopublishing.com bruce.batchelor@gmail.com Matthew Ashdown Author Coach & Frelance Writer  Matthew has observed the traits of those who have succeeded compared to those who have fallen from the path and will share his findings with those committed to success with their book, however that may look. “Regardless of whether you are persuading people of the power of your book or information, or whether you are persuading someone to go out on a date with you, you are selling yourself. Selling has become what people resist the most, but whether you go through traditional publishing channels or self-publishing, you have to sell yourself. The trick is becoming the kind of person that people trust and want to buy from, versus the person that people cross the street to avoid.” www.MatthewAshdown.com http://ww21.grailquestcoaching.com/
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| JUNE |
3 Island Writer 13/1 Magazine Launch Come celebrate the launch of the latest Island Writer with readings and goodies! Contributing authors will read from their works of fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry. The readings begin at 7 o’clock promptly.The evening includes refreshments, mingling and distribution of Island Writer magazine vol. 12 issue 2. Our twice-yearly collection has gone digital for members. Hard copies will be at the meeting for those who ordered in advance. |
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| JULY * | X | ||
| AUGUST * | X | ||
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SEPT. 1st # |
Submissions – Island Writer 12/2 – DEADLINE |
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| September | 2 Contest Awards Come join us as we announce the winners in the Victoria Writers’ Society 13th Annual Writing Contest. Contest judges will present prizes to the top three entries in each of the three categories – poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction – and the winners will read from their work. In addition, all contest winners will be invited to have their story or poem published in the upcoming issue of Island Writer magazine. |
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| October | 7 
Toni Graeme, Travel Writer An ardent reader since early childhood, Toni took journalism in high school and was thrilled to get her first job on the Vancouver Province newspaper. Toni single-parented seven daughters before starting to writing on her own. She led a self-published authors’ group from 2000 to 2005, and is currently researching for her first novel. Toni has published three non-fiction books: |
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| November | 4 Yvonne Blomer on Writing: the merging of public and personal and why it is important to write In her short talk, Yvonne will speak to the intrinsic value of writing. The idea being that primarily we are solving small puzzles, moving their pieces around when we think, and even better when we write. We are, yes, conversing with ourselves, but more we are listening, we are shaping how we converse into narrative, image, story, and poem. The narrative images communicate the world we live in and sets those images on paper, outside ourselves, and that is important. Let’s explore why.
Spend the day with yourself Yvonne Blomer is Victoria‘s Poet Laureate from 2014-2018. As poet laureate Yvonne hopes to draw attention to the need to protect the environment, specifically the oceans. Her most recent book of poetry is As if a Raven (Palimpsest Press, 2014). |
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| DECEMBER * | 2 Island Writer 13/2 Magazine Launch Come celebrate the launch of the latest Island Writer with readings and goodies! Contributing authors will read from their works of fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry. Family, friends, and the general public are welcome. The readings begin at 7 o’clock promptly.The evening includes refreshments, mingling and distribution of Island Writer magazine vol. 13 issue 2. Our twice-yearly collection has gone digital for members. Hard copies will be at the meeting for those who ordered in advance. A limited number of extra copies will be available for purchase. |
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