Biblioasis publishes fiction, nonfiction and poetry; Biblioasis author wins Amazon 1st Novel Award

Biblioasis

1520 Wyandotte Street East
Windsor, ON  N9A 3L2

http://www.biblioasis.com/

Biblioasis is an independent literary press based in Southwest, Ontario. It published about 12 titles per year of poetry, fiction and nonfiction in beautifully crafted editions. See their submission guidelines here.

This year, Biblioasis author Anakan Schofield won the Amazon First Novel Award for Malarky. Here’s the media release…

TORONTO, April 24, 2013 /CNW/ - This evening, Amazon.ca presented the 2012 Amazon.ca First Novel Award and a cheque for $7,500 to Anakana Schofield, author of Malarky (Biblioasis), at a ceremony hosted by award-winning broadcaster, writer, musician, producer and best-selling author, Jian Ghomeshi, at The Four Seasons in Toronto. Schofield was selected to receive the award from a shortlist of five authors, all of whom had their first novels published in 2012.

Anakana Schofield is an Irish-Canadian writer of fiction, essays and literary criticism.  Her first novel, Malarky, is the story of an Irish mother forced to look grief in the eye and of a wife who comes face-to-face with the mad agony of longing. Anakana Schofield has also contributed to the London Review of Books, The Globe and Mail and TheVancouver Sun. She has lived in London and Dublin and now resides in Vancouver.

Anakana Schofield lives in Vancouver 

Along with Schofield, the 2012 Amazon.ca First Novel Award finalists are Marjorie Celona for Y (Hamish Hamilton, Canada), Scott Fotheringham for The Rest Is Silence (Goose Lane Editions), Pasha Malla for People Park (House of Anansi Press), and Kim Thúy for Ru (Random House Canada).  Each finalist took home a $750 gift card to Amazon.ca.

Brian Henry will lead a "How to Get Published” workshop on Saturday, May 4, in Barrie, with guest literary agent Olga Filina of The Rights Factory (see here). 

Also, Brian will host “From the Horse’s Mouth: Getting published or self-published” at Ryerson University on June 15 with Stacey Donaghy of the Corvisiero Literary Agency, Greg Ioannou of Iguana Books, and Patrick Crean of HarperCollins Canada (details here). 

To register, mail brianhenry@sympatico.ca

However, before you submit, though, the best way to get your manuscript into shape is with a weekly course. This summer, Brian will be leading Intensive Creative Writing courses on Tuesday afternoons in Burlington (details here) and on Thursday evenings in Mississauga (details here). 

To register, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

"How to Get Published," with literary agent Olga Filina, this Saturday, May 4 and "How to Make Yourself Write," Saturday, May 11

Guest speaker Olga Filina

"How to Get Published"

An editor & a literary agent tell all 
This Saturday, May 4, 2013
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
Grace United Church, 350 Grove Street East, Barrie (Map here.)

If you've ever dreamed of becoming a published author, this workshop is for you. We’ll cover everything from getting started to getting an agent, from getting your short pieces published to finding a book publisher, from writing a query letter to writing what the publishers want. Bring your questions. Come and get ready to be published!

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing teacher for more than 25 years. He has helped many of his students get their first book published and launch their careers as authors.

Guest speaker Olga Filina is an associate agent at The Rights Factory. While Olga will read anything that may set her book clubs on fire, she gravitates towards commercial and historical fiction, great genre fiction in the area of romance and mystery, nonfiction in the field of business, wellness, lifestyle and memoir and young adult and middle grade novels with memorable characters. Besides Olga, The Rights Factory has six other literary agents, all looking for authors. More on The Rights Factory here and here.

Special Option: Participants are invited to bring a draft of a query letter you might use to interest an agent or publisher in your book. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you do, 3 copies could be helpful.

Fee:  $44 paid in advance by mail or Interac or $48 if you wait to pay at the door
To reserve your spot, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

“How to Make Yourself Write”
A creativity workout
Saturday, May 11. 2013
10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Appleby United Church,  4407 Spruce Ave, Burlington, Ontario (Map here.)

Let's get motivated! This workshop is designed to help you find the time and the inspiration to write. No more staring at a blank screen. Come to this workshop and give yourself a kick-start, and then learn how to keep going. This creativity workout will get your words flowing and help you make the breakthrough into the next level of writing.

Fee:  $44 paid in advance by mail or Interac or $48 if you wait to pay at the door
To reserve your spot, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Reviews wanted: of plays, movies, restaurants and especially books

Right now, I’d especially love a review of 

Blood by Lawrence Hill
A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay, 

The Headmaster’s Wager by Vincent Lamb

or any of the books on the short list for a 
Governor General’s award.

Quick Brown Fox welcomes book reviews and other book related pieces. I also welcome reviews of plays, movies, restaurants and anything else that catches your fancy.

Reviews may be straight up or tongue in cheek. You might review restaurants you can’t afford, based on what you see peering through the window. Or you might review the patrons of some event, rather than the event itself. Or you might otherwise use your imagination to get up to some literary mischief.

Please keep reviews short – under 700 words preferred – and as free of long paragraphs, clumsy prose and grammatical mistakes as possible.

Email your review to Brian Henry at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarke, Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

“The Irish Charm” by Nancy O’Brien

“For each petal on the shamrock this brings a wish your way – good health, good luck and happiness for today and every day.” – old Irish saying

We all know what show and tell is, but for my writing course assignment, besides showing an item, I have to tell my story on paper and read it to the class.

Seems simple enough – right brain meets left brain and have your pen ready.

The other writers in the class have molded beautiful stories from their items .They must have a muse that has not found me.

I pass around the sterling silver necklace with a tiny cauldron and a wee filament of chain to hold the lid. There are hallmarks and a three leaf clover, probably agate on the tiny pot...

This old charm was stashed in the corner of a jewel box. It must have rested there for years attached to knotted clumps of a fine silver chain secure in the fact it could not be untied. Tarnished did not begin to describe its blackened state.

Mom peered at it and said, “This was Nana’s charm – she brought it from Ireland but I don’t know anything more about it. I must have put it aside to keep when we were cleaning out the house.”

 “Can I have it?” I asked.

“Yours for the taking,” Mom replied.

And so I became the next custodian of the wee cauldron – taking it home and giving it a bath in silver cleaner.

I put the polished charm on a choker chain, with the feet pricking my neck and the cauldron hanging askew, a wearable piece of art to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day – and then put away for another year.

Or so I thought….

My mom, Doris Rebecca Foster, was born in Ireland in the town of Moville in County Donegal in 1911.

She was almost two when she left Ireland with her family. They sailed on the passenger ship Teutonic, arriving in Portsmouth, Maine, March 24, 1913. And from there on to Weyburn, Saskatchewan.

If this cauldron could talk what history would it share?

I wonder, Did Nana wear the wee charm as the ship tossed in the Atlantic?

Did she hold it for good luck as they travelled west?

Did she hope there would be pots of gold at the end of rainbows in the new land?

What frivolous thoughts – I’ll share my research on the pot instead.

The upright anchor signifies silver and the city mark for Birmingham, England, where it was made by JC Cook and Son.

The alphabet letter marks the year the piece was identified by the assay office – 1850.

The lion verifies the sterling content.

People who believe in stones say that the moss agate stone in the shamrock helps to balance emotional energy.   The agate enhances concentration, persistence, endurance and success in one's endeavors. It is an abundance stone, bringing the wearer health, friends and riches.

Just the qualities needed to complete a writing assignment

Mom would always tell me, “You are so lucky.”

I am. Lucky to wear this charm and to have a story to share.

Nancy O'Brien has always loved to tell stories, and has just recently begun to write them down. As a retired nurse, former therapeutic clown, mother of two, grandmother of one, she has always been a keen observer to life's nuances. Her observations and experiences are where she finds the inspiration for her stories. She has participated in many writing workshops, and has published works in the poetry anthology, A Woman's Write.

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Calls for writing about food & taxes & for speculative fiction & poetry

New print and online journal Himalayan Walking Shoe (Elgin, Ontario) is accepting poetry and fiction for our their next issue. Theme: Food & Taxes. Also seeking original artwork and interviews with Canadian poets and musicians.

Deadline: May 31, 2013.

Submission guidelines here. 

The CZP/Rannu Fund (Canada) offers two awards per year of $500 each: fiction (7,000 words max.) and poetry (5 poems, 10 pages max). Granted to two writers of speculative literature (i.e., science fiction, fantasy, horror, magic realism, surrealism, etc.), of any nationality or place of residence, at any stage of their career.

Deadline: May 31, 2013.

Entry fee: $10 ($15 for US entrants).

Submission guidelines here.

The 2013 Canadian Writers' Contest Calendar is available now. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced writer, if you’re looking for places to send your work, you should put contests on your list. The Canadian Writers’ Contest Calendar gives a full listing of contests in Canada arranged by deadline date. It lists contests for short stories, poetry, children’s writing, novels, and non-fiction – contests for just about everyone. The Calendar costs just $20 at one of Brian Henry's workshops or classes or $23.50 by mail (all taxes and shipping included).
To order, email brianhenry@sympatico

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Jody Klein of Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents seeks literary and commercial fiction, memoirs, and narrative nonfiction

Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.

1501 Broadway

Suite 2310

New York, NY 10036
No web page

Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. is a powerhouse literary agency, which represents Scott Turow, Michael Cunningham, Julia Glass, Bob Shacochis, and Nancy Zafris, and  many others.

Jody Klein of Brandt & Hochman is actively adding to her list of clients right now, so if you’re looking for an established agent to represent your book, this is a good time to query Jody. 

Jody began her publishing career in 2008 as an assistant to Gail Hochman at Brandt & Hochman, where she now has her own clients and handles first-serial rights for the agency.  Jody is an artist and an athlete, who runs, swims and practices yoga in her free time.  She also loves cooking and getting lost in unique neighborhoods of New York City.

Jody is actively acquiring literary and commercial fiction, crime/suspense, historical fiction, graphic novels/memoirs, and magical realism, as well as narrative nonfiction, especially related to sports, science, or history, and prescriptive nonfiction.

Query Jody at: jklein@bromasite.com

Include your writing credentials and a description of your book.

You can also query Gail Hochman herself - by mail only, and who knows. Scott Turow's not writing much these days, maybe Gail needs some new clients, too.

Brian Henry will lead a "How to Get Published” workshop on Saturday, May 4, in Barrie, with guest literary agent Olga Filina of The Rights Factory (see here). 

Also, Brian will host “From the Horse’s Mouth: Getting published or self-published” at Ryerson University on June 15 with Stacey Donaghy of the Corvisiero Literary Agency, Greg Ioannou of Iguana Books, and Patrick Crean of HarperCollins Canada (details here). 

To register, mail brianhenry@sympatico.ca

However, before you submit, though, the best way to get your manuscript into shape is with a weekly course. This summer, Brian will be leading Intensive Creative Writing courses on Tuesday afternoons in Burlington (details here) and on Thursday evenings in Mississauga (details here). 

To register, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

This spring, Brian still has space in his “Welcome to Creative Writing” on Tuesday afternoons in Burlington (see here). 

To register, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Vocamus Press – networking for Guelph area writers, readers & publishers

Vocamus Press is a co-operative organization whose mandate is to build a strong public of readers, writers, and publishers in Guelph and its surrounding area.

We provide writers at all stages with opportunities to meet and talk about their work in area pubs and cafes; to read their work at our public events; and to keep informed about local workshops, awards, contests, and other development opportunities.

We provide already published authors with free Guelph-centric web-presence; sales table space at area festivals; and publicity for their book launches, readings, and other events.

We provide authors looking to publish independently with co-editing, ISBNs, typesetting, and any other creative or technical support they need to publish better books.

We provide local publishers, literary festivals, events, and organizations with publicity for their events.

We provide interested members of the public with updates about local literary events through our monthly newsletter (subscribe at vocamuspress@gmail.com), our blog here, our Facebook page, and our Twitter feed.

Those interested to know more should email us at vocamuspress@gmail.com

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.