Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers

My Book News & Advocate for the Writing Community ©

Wordsmith Collective Thursday – Writing Group Back Out in the World

March 31, 2022
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Last Saturday, was the first time my writing group, the Writers Foundation of Strathcona County attended an in-person event since the pandemic started. In conjunction with Recreation, Parks & Culture the event gave residents the opportunity to try sports and discover the multiple cultural organizations within the county.

As a writing group, we always encourage all ages to delve into the delights of the written word and explore their imaginations. We promoted our annual children’s writing contest, which has a deadline of 30th April, 2022. It is a great opportunity for young people to enter their stories and have it published in a ‘real’ book.

We had many visitors to our table and several took the contest details home with them to begin their story entries. I’m looking forward to reading all the entries and the expressions of imagination from the clues.

I also attended the AGM for the Arts and Culture Council last night. Meeting with other people passionate about the creative arts and exchanging ideas and views is always a treat.

The next big event on my calendar is a Spring writers conference (virtual) on 23rd April. Registration is required via the website: http://www.wfscsherwoodpark.com Details so far are:

What is on your writing calendar?

Upcoming Writing Events- Add Yours for your Location…

April 10, 2017
mandyevebarnett


events

This week I have several events to attend, firstly my writers foundation Board meeting on Tuesday evening. Our main discussion will the final details for our writers conference later this month on 22nd. It is our eighth conference and we have made this one Canadian themed in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday!  http://www.wfscsherwoodpark.com/node/3090

Conference logo 2017

My second meeting of the week is the Arts & Culture Council’s AGM on Wednesday evening. As President I have to chair the meeting and give an annual review. This will be my first AGM as President so wish me luck!

accsc logo

Finally I will be reading on Saturday at a local coffeehouse, I will probably read from Ockleberries to the Rescue if there are children present otherwise from The Rython Kingdom. Just need to decide on the sections I will read. I also wrote several little stories for this event as we are giving out ‘story eggs’ to the audience.

sgc reading 15 April

Please share your local events in the comments. Whether near or far.

The Bosun Chair.jpeg

Audrey’s Books, Jasper Avenue, Edmonton

https://www.facebook.com/events/279415175825554/

Register for our conference if you are in the Edmonton area.

Conference logo 2017

Upcoming Writing Events- Add Yours for your Location…

March 27, 2017
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events

This week most of my time will be dealing with the planning of future events, for instance I have a meeting with the local transit director tonight. This is to discuss shuttle buses to the Heritage Day event hosted by the Arts & Culture Council of Strathcona County in June. I also have to create a schedule for performances for the event too. One of the disadvantages of all this pre-planning is how quickly the year goes by! With an AGM and conference in April, a writing retreat in May, the Heritage Day in June and the upcoming Words in the Park event, which is part of Alberta Culture Days in September – poof the year has almost gone!

I have to take a step back sometimes and look at what month I am actually in. The years pass quickly enough as it is.

How about you? Do the seasons come and go at an alarming rate?

time-flies

Other local events:

March 30, 2017  7:00 pm  Whitemud Crossing Library (Whitemud Crossing Shopping Centre, 4211 – 106 Street)
The WGA and EPL present an evening of new work from six multicultural, multilingual writers in celebration of the completion of the 2016 Borderlines Writers Circle. Join Nermeen Youssef, Tazeen Hasan, Mohamed Abdi, Kate Rittner-Werkman, Asma Sayed, and Aksam Alyousef for poetry, short story, historical fiction, memoir and nonfiction.
To learn more about the writers and the Borderlines Writers Circle, please visit writersguild.ca/programs-services/borderlines-writers-circle/
 Refreshments will be served.

LitFest NewWest celebrates readers, writers, and community March 31–April 2 in New Westminster, BC.

Please feel free to add your events in the comments for your area.

A Busy Weekend of Event Planning …

September 15, 2014
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This week has my writing group hosting their AGM and my publishing company attending a book fair. This entails my time in planning for both.

As secretary of the Writers Foundation of Strathcona County, I am responsible for the minutes at the meeting but also to ensure notification and reminders have been sent to the membership, that we have copies of last year’s AGM minutes and an agenda. As well as ensuring the Bylaws and Policies binder is up to date and present for viewing. On Saturday, I spent time with the Treasurer, Linda J Pedley, creating the agenda and a President’s report. This was after I had driven to Leduc to record the inventory of Dream Write books in the Leduc Artisan Market and to pick up a Ockleberries to the Rescue promotional item. (See below). We will hold the AGM on Tuesday 16th September and begin another year – our 10th anniversary – with new vigor and plans for a writing conference on 2nd May 2015.

WFSC banner

Sprite door 4

Sprite door 3

Once the writer’s group business was completed, we began planning for the upcoming weekend’s book fair. This event – Words on the Street – is Canada wide and well worth visiting in your location. You have the opportunity to meet authors and hear them read from their current book, purchase and have books signed, receive advice from publishers and find a writing group in your area.Dream Write Publishing will be in stall #17 – opposite the library entrance – so come along and say Hi and also meet the members of the Lethbridge writing group, The River Bottom Writers, who will be next to us.

All of Dream Write’s books will be available for sale and some for pre-order, such as my Ockleberries to the Rescue children’s chapter book. Immerse yourself in literary endeavors for the day. Hope to see you there.

Book cover

wots banner

Another year…another AGM…

September 16, 2012
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This Saturday marked another year for my Writers Foundation and as I attended the AGM, I thought of our past year. Our foundation is very involved in its members and the local community and at times we are spread quite thin. However, the camaraderie at each event makes for a wonderful time for all those involved and brings us closer to each other. I usually volunteer for most of the events – not because I’m trying to be a ‘goodie too shoes’ but because they are so much fun.  It isn’t until the annual review at the AGM is read through do I realize actually how many events. There are the annual events like our Conference, Culture Days, Words in the Park and Arts Expo as well as author readings, meetings for our board and other organizations we are members of. Newer events like our Night Writers, which is mini workshops, have been successful as we endeavor to give our membership every opportunity to participate and share. Obviously not everyone can commit to so many events and that is absolutely fine – if they can attend for a few hours at one or two events that helps tremendously.

As we go into our next year with new board members, we are excited at our growth as a writer’s resource and community. We welcome local and virtual members and hope to expand our presence whether it is in our community or globally through the web site. www.wfscsherwoodpark.com

Do you participate in a group that makes life joyful?

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