VWC Newsletter – January 2023

Happy New Year! Here's the January 2023 Vocamus Writers Community Newsletter, to help you fulfill all your writerly resolutions.

There are a few special notes –

  1. The ArtsEverywhere Festival is running January 26 - 29, with lots of bookish content. You can find out more here – https://festival.artseverywhere.ca/.
  2. We've launched our annual fundraising drive! If you can spare a few dollars to help us keep supporting the literary community in Wellington County, we'd really appreciate it. You can do so at this link – https://fundrazr.com/e26h7e?ref=ab_f7kb27. We'll send you some great local ebooks as a token of our appreciation!
  3. Our Spring Writers' Retreat is on this year! We need to firm up numbers, so check out the details, and let us know if you'd like to join us for a weekend of writing at beautiful Crief Hills Retreat Centre, just 20 minutes from Guelph – https://vocamus.net/community/events/2023/06/vocamus-spring-writing-retreat-2023.

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

Events

  • The University of Guelph OpenEd Creative Writing Certificate is offering an in-person course, All Writers are Good Readers, taught by Jedediah Mugarura, on Tuesdays, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM, beginning January 4 – https://courses.opened.uoguelph.ca/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=18124.

  • The Children's Reading Room is running Lost & Found: Pandemic Stories of Discovery as Told by Kids in Canada as 4 online sessions from 4-5:15 pm on January 10, 12, 17, & 19. Email info@childrensreadingroom.org.

  • The Guelph Guild of Storytellers is at the Guelph Civic Museum on Wednesday January 12, at 7:00 PM with featured stories and a short open mic.

  • Vocamus Writers Community's Second Saturday Writers' Hang-out is on January 14, 7:00 PM at Atmosphere Cafe on Carden Street. It's a casual chance to meet with other writers. All are welcome.

  • The Vocamus Writers Community Genre Fiction Group will meet by zoom on Sunday January 15, 2:00 PM, with Terry Thomas speaking on A.I. and its future in the writing world. Email vocamusgenregroup@gmail.com for the link.

  • The University of Guelph OpenEd Creative Writing Certificate is offering an online synchronous course, Write, Edit, and Repeat: Taking Your Writing to the Next Level, taught by Christine Ottoni, on Wednesdays, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM, beginning January 25 – https://courses.opened.uoguelph.ca/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=18120.

  • Local author Melinda Burns is offering an online Winter Writers' Group on Wednesdays from January 25 to February 28, 2023.The cost is $60 +HST. To register, e-mail Melinda Burns at mbeburns@sympatico.ca.

  • The 2023 Guelph Lecture—On Being marks its 20th edition on Friday, January 27, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at The River Run Centre, with literary guest – Liz Howard; musical guest – Sarah Harmer; and keynote speaker – Dr. Will Valley – https://festival.artseverywhere.ca/event/guelph-lecture-2023/.

  • ArtsEverywhere presents its first Rock/Paper/Scissors Book and Print Fair on Saturday January 28, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM, at The River Run Centre – https://festival.artseverywhere.ca/event/2023-book-fair/.

  • The VWC Poetry Group will be taking a field trip! During its regular time on Saturday January 28, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM, members are encouraged to meet up at the ArtsEverywhere book fair and literary panels. Find more here – https://festival.artseverywhere.ca/event/2023-book-fair/.

  • Author Simon(e) van Saarloos will be in conversation with Ricky Varghese on Saturday January 28, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, at The River Run Centre – https://festival.artseverywhere.ca/event/simone-van-saarloos-with-ricky-varghese/.

  • Join panelists from Publication Studios in São Paulo, Montevideo, Hudson, and Glasgow for a discussion about community in print on Saturday January 28, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, at The River Run Centre – https://festival.artseverywhere.ca/event/print-community/.

  • Join us in person for our Last Sunday Writers' Hang-Out for an informal chance to meet and chat with other authors at Planet Bean on Sunday January 29, at 1:00 PM. All are welcome. See you there!

News

  • Vocamus Writers Community is pleased to welcome Kali Pearson. You can find her Vocamus Writers Community author profile here – https://vocamus.net/community/authors/kali-pearson.

  • Guelph author and publisher, Marion Thorpe, has released Empress and Soldier, the newest book in her historical fantasy series. Get your copy here – https://books2read.com/marianlthorpe.

  • The Grade 3/2 class at Guelph Community Christian School, and has written a book about vulnerable people, C is for CARING. Get your copy at the school for $20. All proceeds go to Hope House.

  • Remember that our members have organizational benefits at 10C, including half price on space rentals. They also have insurance for VWC supported events. Details here – https://vocamus.net/community/blog/our-members-now-have-10c-benefits.

  • Also remember to send us details about any launches, releases, events, or other bookish news. We love to help promote local book culture!

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.