People First Group Writes for Change

An Invitation from P.E.I. People First!!

People First Group Writes for Change

You are invited to the release of a collection of stories, called “Writing for Change”, on Thursday, December 3rd, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, at the offices of the P.E.I. Council for People with Disabilities, 5 Lower Malpeque Road in Charlottetown.  The stories are a result of a project, sponsored by the Charlottetown Rotary Club Literacy Foundation, that brought together a group of People First members with writer Vian Emery for a day-long workshop in November.

Telling stories is a big part of People First, a group that is all about empowering people with intellectual disabilities to speak for themselves, and to make their own choices.  Over the years the group has produced newsletters, plays, films and made countless presentations based on their personal stories.  By sharing their experiences, their hopes and their dreams, they aim to change attitudes and dispel some common myths that have kept people with intellectual disabilities on the margins of society.

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is meant to create awareness of the issues and policies that stop men and women with disabilities from enjoying their basic human rights.  Far too many people with disabilities, in Prince Edward Island and around the world, are isolated from their communities, living in institutions, or don’t have access to community supports and jobs.  At the same time there is a growing recognition of the diverse contributions that men and women with disabilities have made and continue to make in their communities, especially if they are provided with appropriate support.  Projects such as “Writing for Change” make us thing about the common threads in all of our lives, and recognize that people with intellectual disabilities  are people with the same rights as everyone else; to have a job, to have a good place to live and to do more things in life.

Writing for Change will be launched at 10:00 a.m. at the offices of the P.E.I. Council for People with Disabilities, 5 Lower Malpeque Road, Unit 2 in the Landmark Plaza.  Please call 892-8989 for more information.

Please call Barb Fanning or Ann Wheatley at 892-8989 for more information.

Premier Screenwriting Competition 2009

Premier Screenwriting Competition 2009
‘From page to screen’
Writers International Premier Screen Talent:

ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT!

There’s just one week to go to send in your entry for the WIPST competition (Writer’s International Premier Screen Talent). So if your script is still sitting on the computer, it’s time to put the finishing touches and mail it to us without delay. We will accept entries via email or post.  Our eminent panel; Simon Harries (writer/Director), Alan Cook (Producer/Director), Hazel Walford Davies (Professor of English and Drama) and John Rhys Thomas (Actor/Director) are waiting to read your entry, and the winner will have a ten minute pilot filmed of their work, as well as receiving some invaluable advice on scriptwriting.  Wipst has been created to seek undiscovered raw talent in the film and television industry, giving hope to young professionals in the field. With just a week to go until the closing date, it’s important that you send your entries in now. It is so difficult to break into the business, to get seen or heard, but with a short film/television programme to show, you can enter film festivals or send to directors and producers – the people that make things happen.

The closing date is November 30th 2009, and the overall winner will be announced on January 18, 2010.  A pilot (10 minutes of your work) will be commissioned to promote the screenplay which will be filmed in March/April 2010 at an appropriate location for the film/television screenplay.   Contact editor@vibetv.tv for more information, or visit our website at www.vibetv.tv/competition.aspx and click on the Wipstcompetition icon.

 

 

New Memoir: My Mi’kmaq Mother

Nov. 19, Charlottetown, PEI: Julie Pellissier-Lush, the author of a memoir, My Mi’kmaq Mother, was greeted today with a standing room only crowd of well wishers at the launch of this her first book.

The event took place in Studio 1 of the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown. Dennis King, Director of Communications for the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI, hosted the launch. Elder Judy Clark presided over a service and traditional smudging ceremony, where most of the estimated crowd of 150 came forward to be part of the ceremony.

Chief Darlene Bernard of Lennox Island First Nation, sister of the author, gave an emotional tribute to her younger sister’s fine work. Larry Resnitzky of Retromedia Publishing was greeted by a round of applause when he announced that my Mi’kmaq Mother is now available at all Indigo, Chapters and Coles bookstores across Canada.

The author read interesting and inspiring excerpts from My Mi’kmaq Mother to a most appreciative audience. The book and author were very well received by those in attendance.

My Mi’kmaq Mother is also available at www.retromedia.ca and www.chapters.indigo.ca .

red earth women presents

 

arms of the wind nudge
the last oak leaves toward you

read them, she says

red earth women presents
guest-artist-from-away & disobedient poet catherine owen
reading and touring her latest book Frenzy
AND OPEN MIC FOR YOU
sign up @7:30

read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them

tuesday, november 24, doors @7

main faculty lounge, main building
upei
read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them read them

http://redearthwomenpresents.wordpress.com

WINTER’S TALES — CANCELLATION

Anne Michael’s reading, scheduled for Thursday, November 27 at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, has been canceled  because of a illness in her family. She sends her regrets, and hopes to visit her in the not-too-distant future.

CANADIAN STORIES

We publish a literary folk magazine called CANADIAN STORIES. Examples can be purchased at the Bookmark in Charlottetown .

 

One of the regular features is the fact that we publish contributions from every province in every issue. CANADIAN STORIES comes out 6 times a year.

 

Although we have an abundance of material from most provinces, contributions from PEI and New Brunswick are few and far between. Thus we invite submissions if interested.

 

Our web site gives authors’ guidelines and mentions the fact that we do not / can not pay for contributions.

 

Submissions can be sent by E mail or by Canada Post.

 

CANADIAN STORIES                    ejanzen345@sympatico.ca

Box 232                                              www.canadianstories.net

Fergus, ON  N1M 2W8

Ed Janzen

Editor and Publisher

Book Launch: House of Bears by Orysia Dawydiak

Everyone is invited to the launch of House of Bears, a new novel by Orysia Dawydiak.

WHEN: Thursday, December 3, 2009, 7-9 p.m.
WHERE: Haviland Club, 2 Haviland Street, Charlottetown

House of Bears is Orysia Dawydiak’s first novel.  When Luba Kassim reluctantly returns home to Northern Ontario, the strained relationship with her traditional Ukrainian mother only heightens her feelings of alienation and isolation. A family crisis reunites her extended family and reignites old rivalries and the pain of long-held family secrets. Slowly, Luba begins piecing together her family’s unspoken past, starting in the 1930s in Ukraine, followed by emigration to England and settlement in Canada. In the process, she uncovers some startling truths about her own identity, and learns that she and her mother have much more in common than she thinks.

Orysia works at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, and lives on a small farm on Prince Edward Island’s north shore where she raises sheep and dogs. She writes books on livestock protection dogs, and has also written award-winning fiction for children and young adults.

Author reading and signing – Music – Refreshments
Everyone welcome!

For more information, call (902) 892-8151
Published by Acorn Press, Charlottetown
acornpresscanada.com
ISBN 978-1-894838-34-4 / 6 x 9 / 320 pp / 2009 / pb  / $22.95

Lion Lounge Press accepting submissions for Anthology

Lion Lounge Press is an independent publishing company based in Oxford and London, that specialises in creative writing, both short creative fiction and non-fiction, as well as poetry.  They are currently accepting submissions for their 2010 publications.

 

In August of this year, Lion Lounge Press published its first anthology of creative writing, ‘The Lounge Companion,’ in which they managed to include

previously unpublished authors from various creative writing courses around the world, alongside established and critically acclaimed writers.

Though they do not offer pecuniary compensation for shortlisted submissions, they realise that publication is in itself a form of remuneration, especially

for those that are looking to make a name for themselves as writers, and they would also like to stress that in no way do they intend to seize hold of the

writers’ copyright. In fact, contracts will be drafted with shortlisted authors in order to protect their interests.

‘The Lounge Companion Vol. 2′ is scheduled for publication in March 2010, and they will continue to accept submissions for it until December 31,2009.

They also welcome submissions for their other 2010 publications, including travel writing and other genre fiction. Please have a look at

www.thelionlounge.com for more details.

For those interested in this, or If you have any queries regarding the above-mentioned, please do not hesitate to contact:

Leon Terner, Founding Editor of Lion Lounge Press

leon@thelionlounge.com

Factory Atlantic

Factory Atlantic -a space for theatre inquiry – invites you to attend Excerpt from a Work in Progress.  The 45 minute presentation will be given Monday, the 30th of November at the yLofts, 252 Prince, in Charlottetown at 7:00pm.

Please use the side entrance to Loft Three adjacent to the inn parking lot.  Adults only and please be prompt as late comers will be unable to attend given the space’s configuration.  A five dollar donation is suggested.  A gathering will be held immediately following the work in Loft One.  Modest food will be served and the long awaited 50/50 draw will occur.  Please bring what you would like to drink.

We very much look forward to seeing you and drop us a note if you think you can make it: factoryatlantic@gmail.com.  Thanks.

Malahat lite: Virtual Newsletter of The Malahat Review, Fall 2009 edition