VWC Newsletter – February 2022

It's February 2022, and we have lots to get you through the deep of winter.

Take special note of the Free February Workshops running on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 PM all month long (poster attached). We have some great workshop leaders taking up some great topics. And did we mention that they're free?

Also, we're once again partnering with the Guelph Public Library to run its annual Teen Writing Contest and to publish the winners in the ETCH anthology. Submission are now open, and info sessions will be running soon (poster attached). So get the teens in your life writing!

As always, you can find more information about upcoming events on our Calendar – https://vocamus.net/community/calendar.

Events

• Writing Room is still on hiatus, but hopefully not for much longer. Depending on covid restrictions, we're hoping to restart our Monday morning writing sessions at Guelph Little Theatre in March. Stay posted for updates.

• Local author Tara McKenna of The Zero Waste Collective is launching her first book, Don't Be Trashy: A Practical Guide to Living With Less Waste and More Joy, on Tuesday February 1. Buy a signed copy from the Bookshelf to receive a link to the event!

• The Guelph Guild of Storytellers is holding its regular meeting online, at 7:00 PM, on the first Wednesday of every month. The event includes an open-mic and scheduled tellers from Guelph along with guests. Email Brian for the Zoom link – briahols@yahoo.com.

• Our Genre Fiction Group will meet online via Zoom on Sunday February 6, at 2:00 PM. This month the group will be sharing writing resources. Bring your best writers' resources to share with the group. Email vocamusgenregroup@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link.

• Free February Writing Workshop – Local author Chris Sanagan leads an online workshop on Writing Comic Books on Sunday February 6 at 2:00 PM. Information and registration here – https://guelphpl.libnet.info/event/5987885.

• Information Sessions for the Teen Writing Contest are on Wednesday February 9 at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. Information and registration here – https://guelphpl.libnet.info/event/5987774.

• Free February Writing Workshop – Local author Deepa Rajagopalan leads an online workshop on Writing Short Stories on Sunday February 13 at 2:00 PM. Information and registration here – https://guelphpl.libnet.info/event/5987935.

• Free February Writing Workshop – Local author James Gordon leads an online workshop on Writing Song Lyrics on Sunday February 20 at 2:00 PM. Information and registration here – https://guelphpl.libnet.info/event/5988329.

• The Eden Mills Writers' Festival Book of the Month event is on Wednesday February 23 at 7:00 PM, featuring award-winning author Rosemary Sullivan in conversation about her new book, The Betrayal of Anne Frank. Information and registration here  – https://edenmillswritersfestival.ca/the-betrayal-of-anne-frank/.

• Our Poetry Group is Back! Ever a lengthy covid hiatus, Nikki Everts has volunteered to restart our poetry group. It will meet online on Saturday February 26, from 2:30 to 3:30 PM. Email vocamuswriterscommunity@gmail.com for the zoom link.

• Free February Writing Workshop – Local author Laura Lush leads an online workshop on Poetry: The Elements of Craft on Sunday February 27 at 2:00 PM. Information and registration here – https://guelphpl.libnet.info/event/5988359.

• Our regular Last Sunday Writers' Hang-Out is cancelled this month to make space for the Free February workshop. See you again in March!

News

• We posted writing from Valerie Senyk and Trish Heyes this month. You can check it out here – https://vocamus.net/community/writings. If you'd like your work posted on our site and published in our Rhapsody anthology, submission guidelines are here – https://vocamus.net/community/blog/rhapsody-revamp-and-submissions-are-open.

• Submissions for the GPL Teen Writing Contest are now open until  5:00 PM on Saturday March 19. You can find all the details here – https://www.guelphpl.ca/en/kids-and-teens/teen-etch-.aspx.

• The City of Guelph invites Guelph-based artists or artist collectives to submit Expressions of Interest to be selected for the 2022 City of Guelph Artist in Residence program. Details and application here – https://guelph.ca/living/arts-and-culture/special-projects/airprogram/. Today is the last day to express interest!

• Lawrence Hill has released his first children's book, Beatrice and Croc Harry.

• Local writers and writers of books relevant to Wellington County are invited to apply to the first annual Wellington County Writers' Festival, to be held on April 23. Details and application here – https://vocamus.net/community/blog/writers-apply-now-participation-april-23-writers-festival. Today is the last day to apply!

• J. E. Hewitt has released her debut novel, Skeleton. You can get your copy here – https://www.amazon.ca/Skeleton-J-Hewitt/dp/B09MYQ2YBQ/ref=sr_1_1.

• Marian Thorpe is releasing an omnibus of her Oraiáphon and Empire's Reckoning novels under one title: Empire's Bard in February. Keep turned for details.

• One Thousand Trees is publishing two Sharing anthologies this spring, the first of stories about gratitude and inspiration, and the second of stories about triumph over sexual abuse and addiction. For information or ti submit, email lisa@onethousandtrees.com.
   

Let us know if we’ve missed anything, and we’ll post it through our media and in our calendar. If you’re planning something for next month, let us know that too, and we’ll include it in the next newsletter.

As always, you can support the work of Vocamus Writers Community through our FundRazr site.