Pointe-Claire Columnist and Author to Give Writer’s Workshop
Co-sponsored by the Atwater Writers Exhibition and the Quebec Writers' Federation, “Word after Word” is a series of workshops intended to encourage burgeoning writers. On Friday, November 11th and Friday, November 18th, Grove Hall will host a free writing workshop as a part of “Word after Word”.
Made possible in part by the Community Cultural Action Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage, this local event will feature author Mark Abley. With a number of published books under his belt, the writer, who is a bi-weekly contributor to the Montreal Gazette (“Watchwords”), will be on hand to guide both new and established writers through a number of exercises.
Pointe-Claire resident Mark Abley wears many hats—poet, journalist, non-fiction writer, children's author and book editor. His work has appeared in major Canadian magazines such as The Walrus and Canadian Geographic. His book Spoken Here: Travels among Threatened Languages was released in 2003, making the shortlist for both the Writers' Trust Non-Fiction Award and the Grand Prix du Livre de Montréal. Mark's most recent book is The Tongues of Earth: New and Selected Poems (2015).
Local author Iris Delagrange will be attending the workshop. “Having recently finished writing a memoir of my own, I plan to describe what held me back in the writing, and also what pushed me forward. Participants will be encouraged to tell a small part of their own stories. People of all ages are welcome, and some on-the-spot writing will be done,” shared Delagrange, who recently published her first book. “We all have a story to tell. Yet of all the forms of writing, a memoir may be the one that presents the greatest number of psychological and ethical blocks. Do we have a right to tell our full truths, even at the risk of hurting others? How do we get around, or over, whatever holds us back?”
Workshop participants can look forward to a special treat come Friday, November 25th: Writers will be invited to Montreal to attend the Holiday Pop-Up Book Fair—an event which will feature English-Quebecois writers and publishers, not to mention offer up an impressive selection of books to peruse. The fair will also serve as the third workshop session for writers.
To register, please contact Iris Delagrange at 514-232-7871 or send an email to irisdelagrange@gmail.com. Advanced registration is necessary.