Shortlist readings; Gala; snow again

The Calgary Shortlist readings event at 100 Wines turned out to be a lot of fun. Good readings, good wine, good food and a nice turnout for the event. And here I am, eating the mike and standing in front of more Dom Perignon than I ever dreamed of. Thanks to my intrepid photographer, Jan Markley.

It already seems so long ago, maybe because it actually wasn't snowing that day. But it wouldn't be the month of May in Calgary if we didn't have some wet snow. And having it we are. That is all I'm going to say about it.

So next up is the Writers Guild of Alberta's Literary Awards Gala, May 14th in Edmonton. Looking forward to that very much. There are going to be a lot of Calgarians in the crowd -- hell, there'll be a lot of Calgarians at my table -- and we intend to rock it. Should be a blast!

Alberta Literary Awards Calgary Shortlist Readings This Friday!

THE WRITERS GUILD OF ALBERTA & 100 WINES PRESENT: 

THE 2010 ALBERTA LITERARY AWARDS SHORTLIST CELEBRATION—WINE & LITERARY PAIRINGS, SLAM READINGS AND MORE! 

Friday, April 30, 2010

100 Wines

1109 Olympic Way SE, Calgary

7PM

Free admission & open to the public

As a prelude to this year's Alberta Literary Awards Gala—come out and raise your glasses to the 2010 nominated authors at Calgary's exquisite 100 Wines.  The celebration will feature a complimentary wine tasting and tapas (tasty!), wine & literary pairings (fun!), a series of slam readings (entertainment!), book sales courtesy of Owl’s Nest Books (shopping!), and an opportunity to relax and socialize with friends.  Many of the shortlisted authors will be available for signings.  Nominated readers include Will Ferguson, Lori Hahnel and Lee Kvern among others—check out the full shortlist here:http://www.writersguild.ab.ca/pdf/2010AlbertaLiteraryAwardsShortlist.pdf.

For catering purposes, please RSVP to swarwick@writersguild.ab.ca

Venue, map & parking info: www.davidwalkerwines.com

(or call the store at 403 452 8820)

Calgary shortlist readings Friday April 30th

Calgary shortlistees for this year's Alberta Literary Awards are reading this Friday night, April 30th, at 7PM. The venue is 100 Wines, 1109 Olympic Way SE, the same place the Wine and Literary Pairings event was last winter. Looks like Calgarians are dominating the awards this year (hee hee), with fifteen of us reading on Friday, including Bob Stallworthy, Betty Jane Hegerat, Will Ferguson, Cecelia Frey, Lee Kvern and me. Plus wine and tapas! Sounds like a great party to me. Then we'll all be heading up to Edmonton May 14th for the WGA's Awards Gala. More fun!

In the meantime, I enjoyed the Alexandra Writers' Shining Stars Event on the 16th and am in the thick of preparing notes for my weekend intensive, Life Into Story, which is set to run May 28 - 30th. No rest for the wicked, eh? So I guess I'd better get back to work.

Love Minus Zero review; AWCS events; W-i-R wrap up

Dave Williamson reviews Love Minus Zero in Prairie Fire Review of Books. Thanks again to Prairie Fire  -- it's great the book is still getting reviews.

Instructor reading at the Alexandra Writers Centre on Friday night was a fun time, as was a Kilkenny at The Hose and Hound afterward. Next Friday it's the Alexandra Writers Shining Stars event, 7 PM at the Alexandra Centre, 922 - 9 Ave. SE. Looks like a great lineup of readers!

Getting ready for my last batch of residency-related writer meetings at the library this afternoon. I have one more manuscript to read and then the job is officially wrapped up. I hope the writers I consulted with got as much out of the experience as I did. I think everybody involved benefitted. Now I can concentrate on preparing for my AWCS workshop at the end of May. And after that, maybe I'll write something. That would be cool.

Seattle, Shortlist

Just back from a spring break trip to Seattle with the family. We had a fabulous time. It was our first time there; so many cool things to see and do. But we were unanimous in our choice for best Seattle attraction: The Experience Music Project, an interactive museum dedicated to rock music. Wow, unbelievably cool stuff like a whole gallery devoted to Jimi Hendrix's guitars, for instance (or the remaining pieces of them, in some cases). Could have spent days there. Spent a few bucks in the shop, though we really held back. Kinda sorry I didn't buy the Axis: Bold as Love lunchbox, but I guess I can live without it.

Anyway, now it's April 1 and I can finally announce that Nothing Sacred is on the shortlist for one of this year's Alberta Literary Awards, the Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction. The complete list of shortlistees is here. The competition is pretty stiff, but it's a great honour just to be on the shortlist. Lots of excitement until the winner is announced at the Literary Awards Gala in Edmonton on May 14. Shortlistees will be reading in Calgary at 7 PM, April 30th, at 100 Wines, 1109 Olympic Way SE. Come on down and buy some fine books by some fine Calgary writers!

That's three readings for me this month, along with the events I'm doing with the Alexandra Writers on April 9 and 16th. Crazy stuff.

Program a success; AWCS events; Last call

So last week's Canadian Authors Association and Calgary Public Library spring writing program with my friend  and colleague Rona Altrows went over quite well. We were pleased with the response and I think the participants were quite happy with the presentations. And they were the first events put on in Calgary by Canadian Authors Association in over thirty years, how about that?

I will be reading at the Alexandra Writers Centre Society spring instructor reading and registration night at 7:30 on Friday, April 9th and again the following Friday, April 16th, 7:00, at the Alexandra Writers Shining Stars event. Both events take place in the Rose Room, main level, 922 - 9 Ave. SE. And speaking of AWCS, their spring course schedule is now up, including my weekend intensive workshop, Life Into Story, which goes May 28 - 30.

And, last call. Once again, March 31 is my submission deadline for manuscripts if you'd like to have a free writer-in-residence consultation with me (details on the right-hand side of this page). I encourage you to send your submissions now, since slots are filling up, my hours are limited, and it's possible I may have to start turning people away before the end of the month.

Rona Altrows Writing Program March 9th & 13th; Residency begins to wind down

Gearing up for Canadian Authors Association and Calgary Public Library's spring writing program with Calgary author Rona Altrows. Part I, The Self-Reliant Writer, is Tuesday, March 9th, 6 - 7:30 PM (free admission) and Part II, Getting Your Work Out There, is a full-day workshop on Saturday March 13th, 10:30 - 4:30; $40 for CAA members, $70 for nonmembers (lunch included). Both run at Memorial Park Library, lower level 1221 - 2 St. SW. To register, email registrar@canauthorsalberta.ca


In other news, March 31 is my submission deadline for manuscripts if you'd like to have a free writer-in-residence consultation with me. If you do have something, I encourage you to send it now, since slots are filling up and my hours are limited. Don't want to have to turn anyone away!