Kootenay Literary Competition Celebrating Emerging Writers

Workshop instructor
Angie Abdou
www.abdou.ca

Write on! We are very pleased to announce that all available spots have been taken for the May 24-26 Spring Scribble.

Twenty young Kootenay writers between grades 7 and 12 will be enjoying an exciting opportunity to have hands-on instruction and mentoring from award-winning novelist Angie Abdou and a handful of special guests from the publishing industry.

If you’ve already registered, we will be mailing out information packages shortly. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Sign up for the KLC newsletter (in the right-hand sidebar) to be notified of future workshops and events.

The Spring Scribble is sponsored by:
Kootenay Co-op
The Columbia Basin Trust
Osprey Community Foundation
Hume Hotel
Capitol Theatre
Cowan Office Supplies

Registrations have been coming in quickly, and we’re down to just two one spots remaining in our upcoming three-day intensive youth writing workshop with award-winning novelist Angie Abdou.

The workshop takes place from May 24 to 26 at the Hume Hotel in Nelson and is open to students between the grades of 7 and 12.

The Nelson Star recently featured an inspiring interview with Angie, in which she shared how self-consciousness made her a late bloomer when it comes to creative writing, but how she ultimately triumphed:

“After I hit the teenage years, self consciousness set in, and I wasn’t in the group of creative kids who wrote. So I just stopped and didn’t take creative writing. When I went to university, since I hadn’t taken creative writing, I didn’t have a portfolio and I felt too intimidated to apply.”

At university Abdou studied academics and wrote about about the books she was reading, graduating with a Ph.D in English Literature. It wasn’t until 1999 at the age of 30, when a head-on car collision which broke her back, that she actually got down to the business of writing. Abdou published her first book, Anything Boys Can Do, a collection of short stories in 2006. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

In addition to writing, Angie is an English and Creative Writing instructor at College of the Rockies, so we feel extremely privileged that she’s bringing all of her talents to Nelson. If you know a young writer who would enjoy three days of hands-on instruction, register here for the workshop.

The Spring Scribble is sponsored by:
Kootenay Co-op
The Columbia Basin Trust
Osprey Community Foundation
Hume Hotel
Capitol Theatre
Cowan Office Supplies

This Friday, April 19th, join in an evening of poetry, short fiction, and dramatic readings as Selkirk College students celebrate the launch of their creative writing anthology, Mouths of Many.

The gala event, which is open to members of the public, will take place upstairs at the Kootenay School of the Arts building (606 Victoria St, Nelson), from 7 till 10 pm. Wine and cheese will be served while Selkirk creative writing students read highlights of their work.

In addition to promoting Mouths of Many, the event is intended to raise awareness of the Creative Writing program at Selkirk. Students are split between the Castlegar and Nelson campuses, but come together to workshop their writing with support and suggestions from fellow group members. Published authors and Creative Writing instructors Adrian Barnes and Almeda Glenn Miller will be on hand to share how the program works.

Admission is free to the public, with an optional $10 donation, which includes a free copy of the anthology.

For more information, contact Roz Nay at roz.nay@gmail.com.

We’re very excited to announce our Spring Scribble Workshop with Angie Abdou.

One of Canada’s top contemporary authors, Abdou will be in Nelson for a three-day intensive youth writing workshop May 24 to 26. The workshop is open to students between the grades of 7 and 12.

What makes Angie Abdou so great?

Well, she’s written two full-length novels and a book of short stories. The Bone Cage, her first full-length novel, has been called an “extraordinary literary debut” and CBC’s Book Club voted it the number one sport book in July 2010. The Bone Cage was also selected as a contender for CBC’s Canada Reads. Her second novel, Canterbury Trails, was a finalist for Banff Mountain Book of the Year for 2011.

Armed with a Ph.D in literature, Angie is a full-time instructor at College of the Rockies, but she still finds time to offer workshops and mentor new and emerging writers. You can find out more about Angie at her website.

For youth between the grades of 7 and 12 who are serious about writing or are curious to learn more about writing, this is an amazing opportunity. Click here to register for the workshop or email kootenaylitcomp@gmail.com for more information.

The Spring Scribble is sponsored by:
Kootenay Co-op
The Columbia Basin Trust
Osprey Community Foundation
Hume Hotel
Capitol Theatre
Cowan Office Supplies

CBC’s Canada Writes has released its finalists for the CBC Short Story Prize. More than 2400 submissions have been whittled down to the top five. Until March 21, you can read the shortlisted stories online and vote for your favourite. The winner will be announced on March 26, 2013.

To read the  shortlisted stories, visit the CBC Canada Writes website. After you’ve read the stories, feel free to add your comments back here at the bottom of this page. We’d love to hear your feedback and comments.

We hate to honk our own horn, but in this case we’re going to make an exception.

2012 was the third annual Kootenay Literary Competition and by far our best to date. We had the most entries, the most attendees at our awards night (along with a few celebs), and we published Revolution, an anthology of the winners’ work.

Revolution, in addition to having great cover art, has great inner art. The stories and poems presented are written by youth (grades 7 to 12) and adults, and represent some of the best contemporary writing that we’ve seen in the Kootenays to date.

If you’re at all curious about what’s happening in the literary arts in the Kootenays, the anthology is a great place to dive in and experience the broad talent that is emerging in the region. What’s more exciting is that we only expect to see the number and quality of writers in our area grow.

Where to buy the print book ($6.95):

• Otter Books in Nelson
• Order right here on our site

Where to buy the ebook ($2.95):

• Through Kobo