Copyright and You, A Crash Course by D.G. Valdron
Thursday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Intellectual Property (IP) is the bread and butter of writers and artists. It is at the core of every contract, fundamental to getting paid and key to being respected. But it’s also mysterious and poorly understood for many of us. Where does it come from, and how do you get it? Is a secret handshake required? How does it operate across borders? How can you sell it and still keep it? What to look for, and what to watch out for?
D.G. Valdron, actual lawyer and alleged human, will guide you through the history and basic concepts of American and international copyright law, highlighting their differences and giving you the tools and tricks to understand this mysterious intangible concept. He will speak on how to appreciate, apply, and navigate its use in your work, career, and any contracts you might run across. All this plus singing and dancing. This will be either the most useful or most traumatic workshop you’ll receive. Possibly both. Remember to keep your arms inside at all times, and lost children will be sold for spare parts.
About D.G. Valdron
D.G. Valdron is a practising aboriginal rights lawyer, carrying on a secret life as a prolific writer of speculative fiction, including fantasy, horror, science fiction, and alternate history. Titles include The Mermaid’s Tale, Axis of Andes, and Giant Monsters Sing Sad Songs. Nonfiction works include books about LEXX and Doctor Who, as well as a multitude of essays on esoteric topics. Valdron has given numerous workshops and panels on various subjects, including copyright and intellectual property, contracts and publishing, and many other subjects. Bites are not contagious.
This event is held in partnership with Strong Women – Strange Worlds.
Creating Underrepresented Stories
Thursday, February 29, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Diverse books with underrepresented characters are an important way to celebrate everyone’s unique experiences, cultures, and identities. It allows people to see themselves reflected in books, and conveys the message that they count and their experiences matter.
Celebrated Canadian writer Morgan Christie and American writer Idris Grey reflect on their journeys from amateur writers to prize winning authors. They recount the difficulties they faced when fighting for representation in the publishing world, and share tips on how to create stories with feelings that touch readers.
Guest biographies:
Morgan Christie
Morgan Christie’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in Callaloo, Room, Prairie Fire, Aethlon, The Hawai’i Review, Sports Literate, Prism International, Obsidian, as well as other publications. Her writing has been anthologized in such presses as BLF Press’s Black to the Future and the Resonance Network’s Black Freedom Beyond Borders: Re- imagining Gender in Marvel’s Wakanda. Morgan is the recent recipient of the 2022 Arc Poetry Poem of the Year Prize, 2023 Prairie Fire Fiction Prize, 2023 Digging Chapbook Series Prize (2024), 2023 Howling Bird Book Prize (2023), and a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in fiction nomination. She has been featured in such media outlets as Buzzfeed News, LA Weekly, NBC News, Poets & Writers, Yahoo News, the Forward Arts Foundation’s National Poetry Day exhibit, and others.
Idris Grey
Idris Grey is a Black writer, book reviewer, and sensitivity reader specializing in queer, multicultural stories. They have been a reviewer for Publishers Weekly since 2018. Idris was in Wattpad’s Stars program for three years until its dissolution and has been a member of Wattpad’s Creator Program since its inception in 2022. Idris is represented by Claire Friedman from Inkwell Management.
Questions can be directed to JF Garrard, President of the CAA Toronto branch, hello at jfgarrard.com.
New Year, New Works! Open Mic
Thursday, February 1, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
ONLINE (Zoom)
All are welcome to this free event, but pre-registration is required.
About this Event:
A new year has begun and authors/poets are welcomed to share their work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry on Zoom. Whether you choose to share a published piece or a work-in-progress, we’re excited to hear your words!
There are reading spots for 10 Canadian Authors–Toronto members and two non-members. Each person will read for four minutes.
To reserve your spot as a reader, please email CAA–Toronto branch President JF Garrard with subject line “Feb open mic and name”.
We are looking forward to hearing your words!
All are welcome to attend, and we hope you’ll invite friends and family to join the audience.
Note: We are requesting readers to present works that do not have any mentions of extreme violence, rape, incest and other uncomfortable sit