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CALL TO ACTION: ALBERTA BUDGET 2021 CONSULTATION

November 28, 2020

The Government of Alberta is hosting a public consultation in advance of the 2021 provincial budget. We encourage you to participate by visiting https://www.alberta.ca/budget-2021-consultation.aspx. You have until December 4, 2020 to make your voice heard. To aid in your response, Alberta Partners for Arts and Culture (APAC) is sharing their response to the budget consultation and a helpful document (see below) for you to make use of and share widely. On November 17, 2020, APAC submitted their official response to the budget consultation to Hon. Travis Toews, President of

WGA Alberta Write Nights – Setting Intention

November 8, 2020

Do you have good intentions to write, but allow other things to get in the way? Now is your chance to begin forming a regular writing practice. Set the intention — and follow through. Join WGA’s Dorothy Bentley and Sadie MacGillivray as they host a series of Write Nights open to WGA members throughout Alberta. Meet-ups will be on Tuesday evenings throughout November, 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Check the WGA website on the evening of the event to find the

WGA Game Week

November 8, 2020

What’s better than a good old fashioned game night? Three game nights! We have all been working hard writing our novels and stories in the early morning or late night hours. We’ve been getting kids ready for virtual school while virtual grocery shopping for very real antacids, so we deserve some time to just have fun. We have three nights worth of games and you can sign up for one, two, or even all three. There will be prizes and

WGA Online Reading Series

November 7, 2020

Thanks to the generosity of the Rozsa Foundation, we have received funding to host a series of online readings and author interviews. So, we’re thrilled to launch the WGA Online Reading series for WGA members who had their events cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or any has a 2020 book release looking for an opportunity to present their work. All the Online Reading Series events were streamed through our YouTube channel. If you missed any of the readings, or

CLC / WGA MASTERCLASS WITH CANISIA LUBRIN

October 20, 2020

November 6, 12pm-1:30pm, Online Register by November 4 The Canadian Literature Centre is partnering with the WGA again this year to offer an Online Masterclass with Canisia Lubrin on November 6 from 12-1:30 pm MST. Lubrin’s Masterclass is free, but spaces are limited: to register, please email [email protected] and let Austen know if you are a WGA member or U of A WRITE student (we have spaces reserved for each). The CLC will be offering 2 more masterclasses in the winter term:

Employment Opportunity Writers’ Guild of Alberta (WGA)

October 14, 2020

The Writers’ Guild of Alberta is looking for an individual with strong organizational and writing skills for the position of Operations and Grants Officer. Location: Edmonton or Calgary WGA office, at home during times of COVID restrictions This is a 21 hour per week maternity leave position with an expected term length running until August 2021. Reports To: Executive Director of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta. General Responsibilities Oversee financial and administrative systems, financial and donor databases, and revenue development

Reimagining Alberta’s Literary Community – A Survey by Writers’ Guild of Alberta

October 12, 2020

The WGA is releasing a survey that will help us look into the future as programs and services for writers will increasingly be delivered online, and as the livelihoods of writers are rapidly evolving in the midst of a great upheaval across all sectors. As such, this survey is for anyone that is currently or aspires to be a writer in Alberta. If you are wondering if we want to hear from you, we probably do. The findings from this

2021 WGA Mentorship Program

October 11, 2020

Now open for applications! The Mentorship Program is an initiative of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta designed to help promising emerging writers make the transition to the next stage of their careers. The program will take place from January through April 2021. We will accept up to six apprentices to work with mentors this year. The program is intended to meet the needs of emerging Alberta writers for guidance, collaboration and encouragement. This is not an introductory creative writing course; it is a one-on-one

The 2020 (Virtual) Giller Light Bash in Support of Frontier College Literacy Programs

October 8, 2020

THE EVENT IS FREE, ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED Monday, November 9, 2020 at 6:30 MDT (30 minutes before the live broadcast of the Scotiabank Giller Prize Awards begins) REGISTER HERE The Writers’ Guild of Alberta, Freehand Books and Shelf Life Books are long standing promoters of the literacy education that Frontier College delivers across the province to inner city schools, public housing sites, community centres, women’s shelters and indigenous reading camps. Representing Alberta on the national Giller Light Bash planning committee is author Samantha Warwick with managing editor at Freehand Books, Kelsey Attard. While the

Call for Jurors: 2021 Alberta Literary Awards

October 6, 2020

The Writers’ Guild of Alberta is calling all avid readers, writers, teachers, students, or people who just straight up love literature to join our awards jury this season. This is an opportunity to be “in the room” when the 2021 finalists and winners are chosen. Every year the WGA presents awards in eight categories, plus the Calgary and Edmonton book prizes, and we could not do this without the hard work and deliberation of our juries. You would make a

WGA STAFF ANNOUNCEMENT: WELCOME TO DOROTHY (DEE) BENTLEY AS OUR NEW PROGRAM & CONFERENCE COORDINATOR (SOUTHERN ALBERTA / CALGARY OFFICE)

October 5, 2020

Taking over from Samantha Warwick, we would like to welcome Dorothy (Dee) Bentley to the position of Program & Conference Coordinator (Southern Alberta/Calgary Office), effective October 1. Dorothy has published short fiction, non-fiction, interviews, humour, columns, poetry, and a children’s book, Summer North Coming. Her writing and media practice continues to expand as she explores novel writing, screenwriting, as well as poetry. Dorothy was our WGA Regional Facilitator in Fort McMurray earlier this year before moving to the Calgary area. Please feel welcome

WGA 2020 Fall Kick-Off Video Available

October 1, 2020

If you were unable to join us for the 2020 Fall Kick-Off event, the video is now available! Every September the WGA hosts an event intended to help writers organize their literary agendas for the rest of the year. There are festivals, workshops, seminars, webinars, author talks, readings and book launches happening across the province—and because so many events have moved online this year—we have a chance to attend more programs than ever! Join us live on our YouTube channel for

In Memoriam – William Morrow

September 22, 2020

With sadness, we share news of the passing of Calgary WGA member William (Will) Morrow on September 6, 2020 at the age of 71. The following is taken from Will’s Obituary on the Calgary Herald website: “Will was born in Edmonton and remained there until he attended the University of Calgary where he received a BA in English in 1970. He had a passion for writing and spent a number of his younger years as a newspaper reporter in Nanaimo, Peace River, Edmonton

In Memoriam – Lyn Thompson

September 15, 2020

With great sadness we share news of the passing of long-time WGA member Lyn Thompson on September 6, 2020 at the age of 90. Lyn served on the WGA Board of Directors from 1993-95 and was one of 17 people to have been awarded a lifetime membership with the WGA. She organized and hosted a writing group in Calgary for many years and was active in securing funds for the WGA’s WordsWorth youth writing camp. Lyn was also the Chair

Literary/AI Workshop – Call for Expressions of Interest

September 14, 2020

In collaboration with Margaret Lam (BeMusedNetwork.com, DigitalASO.ca), the Writers’ Guild of Alberta is developing a hands-on workshop to help writers explore the inner-workings of artificial intelligence, and its implications on how we read and write in a digital context. Designed to be held over a 3-month period, 6 participating writers will engage in workshops on artificial intelligence and human-centered design practices, and work with peers to re-imagine the reader’s experience of literary text in a digital context. As part of

Anti-Racism Collaboration

September 13, 2020

Please see the statement from The Writers’ Union of Canada, condemning racism. Recent events have been a stark reminder of the inequality and injustice that exists against the Black community in our society. These tragedies have led many of us to reflect on how we can be more informed active contributors toward positive change in our communities. We may not have all the answers, but we believe this change begins with listening and facilitating dialogue to ensure diverse voices are amplified

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