Almonte Readers & Writers Bulletin

ARW Bulletin

Hello, all you readers and writers!

First off, Happy International Women’s Day! We hope you are enjoying this special day and celebrating the women in your life, and honouring those that have made a profound impact on our world, collective history and, of course, literature!

Thanks to everyone who participated in our January and February programs: Write-ins, book swaps, and 4-week writing courses. We hope you’re ready for more, because we have a lot of exciting activities coming up in March and April!

Coming up this Sunday, March 10, we have a Write-in from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Almonte Public Library. Later in the month, we’ll also host another session at Carriageway Studios, and we’re excited to announce we have teamed up with Almonte Writers Guild to share in their ongoing write-ins, which happen at Equator Coffee. The more writers writing together, the better! Dates and details below!

Pay-what-you-can tickets are now available for our first delve – in close conversations with writers event of the year, scheduled for April 11. Registration is also open for our first writing workshop coming up April 20, called Make ‘Em Laugh. Scroll down for full descriptions and links!

On April 21, ARW is partnering with Mill Street Books who is presenting an interview with Terry Fallis by Rod Carley  Tickets are pay what you can: available here.

ARW will also be participating in the Community Open House event, coming up March 28th at the John Levi Community Centre. We hope you’ll drop by our table and have a chat!

And don’t forget about our monthly Book swaps at OVC, happening the last Wednesday of the month from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. for March and April.

So, with so much happening, we hope to see you soon! As always, please reach out with questions, ideas, or to introduce yourself. We’re hoping to connect with as many local writers as possible for all kinds of opportunities, so drop us a line today!

– Jenn & Jessie

If you’re craving some uninterrupted time in a quiet space to work on your writing project, look no further. Featuring free coffee/tea and wifi, and a group of your peers!

Drop in for 1, 2 or all 3 of the community Write-in dates happening in March!

Hosted by Almonte Readers & Writers

Sunday March 10th, at the Almonte Public Library from 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Wednesday March 20th, at Carriageway Studios from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Hosted by Almonte Writers Guild
Sunday March 24th, at Equator Coffee from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

delve – In close conversation with writers

Featuring two award-winning Ottawa-based poets:

Jean Van Loon & Conyer Clayton

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April 11, 2024 — 6:30 p.m.

Equator Coffee — 451 Ottawa Street

Tickets: Pay what you can

April is National Poetry Month, therefore it is fitting that for our first delve ~ in close conversation with writers event of the year, we have invited two award-winning Ottawa-based poets to Almonte, Jean Van Loon and Conyer Clayton.

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for this event, hosted at Equator Coffee, on April 11, 6:30 p.m. You will have the opportunity to enjoy their conversation, ask questions, and experience delight as they share their poetry with us. Tickets are available via Tickets Please, by donation/Pay-what-you-can.

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Jean Van Loon has published short prose, poetry, and reviews in Canadian literary magazines across the country. Her second poetry book, Nuclear Family, was published April 2022 by McGill-Queen’s University Press and won the 2023 Ottawa Book Award. Her first collection, Building on River (Cormorant Books, 2018) was a finalist for the Ottawa Book Award.

Conyer Clayton is an award-winning writer and editor whose multi-genre work often explores grief, disability, climate crisis, and gender-based violence through a surrealist lens. They are the author of But the sun, and the ships, and the fish, and the waves. (Winner of The Archibald Lampman Award, and Finalist for the Pat Lowther,  Raymond Souster, and ReLit Awards, A Feed Dog Book, Anvil Press) and We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite (Winner of the 2021 Ottawa Book Award, Guernica Editions), and many solo and collaborative chapbooks.

This event is presented with the community support of Equator Coffee, and in partnership with Mill Street Books, funded in part by the Municipality of Mississippi Mills.

Art of Writing Workshop

Make ‘Em Laugh

A workshop on humour and how to write it, with Rod Carley & Terry Fallis

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April 20, 2024, from 1:00- 3:30 p.m.

Almonte Public Library – 155 High St, Almonte

Registration Fee: $50.00

As the first in its 2024 series of Art of Writing workshops, ARW is excited to present Make ‘Em Laugh, a workshop on humour and how to write it, led by award-winning authors Rod Carley and Terry Fallis.

In this 2.5-hour workshop, Rod and Terry will share short excerpts from their works and lead a discussion on humour writing covering a range of topics, including why humour writing is hard, how to transfer humour to the page, humour writing techniques, accepting that not every reader will “get you,” and who to read if you want to learn and laugh. Speaking of laughs, you’ll have a few along the way. Registration via Tickets Please!

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Rod Carley is the award-winning author of four works of literary fiction: RUFF (coming September 2024), GRIN REAPING (long listed for the 2023 Leacock Medal for Humour and 2022 Bronze Winner for Humour from Foreword Review INDIES); KINMOUNT (long listed for the 2021 Leacock Medal for Humour and Winner of the 2021 Silver Medal for Best Regional Fiction from the Independent Publishers BookAwards); A Matter of Will (Finalist for the 2018 Northern Lit Award for Fiction). His short stories and creative non-fiction have appeared in a variety of Canadian literary magazines. Rod is a popular author and moderator with literary festivals and book clubs. Recent credits include the 1000 Islands Writers Festival, Jabbawong Storytelling Festival, Burlington Literary Festival, The Literary Press Group of Canada, and Wordstock Sudbury. For more on Rod, visit: www.rodcarley.ca

Terry Fallis is a two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, and is the award-winning author of nine national bestsellers, among them six #1 bestsellers, including his latest, A New Season. His debut novel, The Best Laid Plans, won the 2011 edition of CBC Canada Reads, was adapted as a six-part television miniseries, and a stage musical. He teaches in the creative writing program at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. Subscribe to his newsletter here: terryfallis.substack.com. For more on Terry, visit: www.terryfallis.com

This workshop is presented in partnership with Mill Street Books and the Mississippi Mills Public Library, and partially funded by the Municipality of Mississippi Mills.

Have a book? Need a book? Lets swap!

No charge to participate. Just show up and bring a book if you’ve got one that you can trade for another. Books for all ages and reading levels welcome! See you there! Bring a friend!

Mar 27th, from 4:00-5:00 p.m. at Ottawa Valley Coffee

April 24th, from 4:00-5:00 p.m. at Ottawa Valley Coffee

Almonte Readers & Writers is a non-profit organization presenting literary events and programs to audiences in beautiful Mississippi Mills.

Almonte Readers & Writers, PO Box 205, Almonte, Ontario, Canada

Almonte Readers & Writers gratefully acknowledges the funding support of the Municipality of Mississippi Mills, and is thankful for the support of the following community patrons, partners, and supporters