Opportunities

Room Magazine is Calling all BIPOC Artists and Youth!

The BIPOC Art Ecosystem is a Black and Indigenous led artistic project that prioritizes BI+POC artists and youth. This project has been funded by the BC Multiculturalism grant, in partnership with Indigenous Brilliance, Room Magazine and Part of studio to offer a creative, culturally sensitive and COVID safe workshop series.

The five part workshop series will be facilitated by Black and Indigenous artists and movement organizers, and prioritizes BI+POC attendees. Most of the workshops are open to the broader community, while some will be intended for specific cultural groups.

Workshops will take place both online and in person (if safe to do so) on the last Saturday of each month from July – November 2021.

Follow @bipocartecosystem on instagram for more information and updates on workshops schedule and registration.

Call for Applications Elgin Writers Guild Writer in Virtual Residence Program 2021

Applications for a part-time three-month fall virtual residency, commencing September 8^th and ending November 30^th, 2021 will be accepted as of July 1. The deadline for applications is July 30. The salary is $3,600 paid in two installments, for the requirements listed below.

Scope of Duties:
Read and Critique Submissions (approx. 70% of their time)
Read and critique approximately eight pieces of writing each month (8 X 1-hour X 3 months). Critique services would focus on style and structure rather than line or copy editing.
Convene “Work with a Writing Coach” sessions (approx. 20% of their time)
Host one 3-hour “Work with a Writing Coach” session, holding virtual office hours for a three-hour period for users of the St. Thomas Public Library (3 hours in 15–30-minute increments); and
Host one 3-hour “Work with a Writing Coach” session open to Elgin County Library system users
(3 hours in 15–30-minute increments)
Attend and Present to Elgin Writers Guild monthly meetings
Attend and make a presentation at three monthly meetings held for the EWG general membership during the period the writer holds the contract. Meetings would be open to the general public (3 x 1.0 hours plus 2.0 hours prep time);
Attend and participate in three successive monthly EWG fiction critique group meetings (3 x 1.5 hours plus author prep time of 3 x 1.5 hours)

Who Should Apply:
All Canadian writers of established literary reputation in fiction or creative nonfiction are encouraged to apply. Essential criteria for initial review include:

• Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
• Established literary reputation with critically well-received work
• Experience using online tools for meeting and engagement (Zoom, MS teams, etc)
• Willing to engage in one-on-one and in group coaching sessions

Characteristics considered assets include:

• Writing experience in more than one genre
• Experience working with youth
• Experience working with beginning and unpublished writers

Application Process:
The application for the Writer-in-Virtual-Residence program must include:

• A cover letter confirming interest, availability, and fit with the above criteria.
• A literary CV including complete details of all works published, writing awards, prizes etc; related volunteer or work experience highlighting teaching, mentoring, coaching etc
• A letter of reference describing your ability to coach other writers
• Applications must be received by Friday July 30^th, 2021 at 5pm.
• Send applications to James Todd (getjamestodd@hotmail.com).
• Please use the subject line “Writer-in-Virtual-Residence Search”.
• All applications should be sent as a single PDF document.
• Applications will be reviewed promptly: please provide the best method(s) for contacting you.
• Services will be confirmed in a contract letter.

Call for Submissions: Room Magazine Ancestors Issue 45.1

No matter who we are or which lands we come from, we all have ancestors. Their stories are interwoven throughout time and space, and their futures live on in us and all we do.

With the theme of ancestors in mind, Room Magazine invites unpublished writing for Issue 45.1, edited by Serena Lukas Bhandar, alongside Shadow Editors Holly Lam and Jane Shi and assisted by Jessica Johns.

You are invited to interpret the theme in the way that resonates most for you, whether that includes connecting with your ancestors, honouring the legacies you are a part of, setting out on a different path from those who came before you, or something entirely different.

Read the interview with the editors of this issue to hear about what the theme of ancestors means to them and what kind of writing they’re looking for.

Deadline: July 31, 2021

The Indexing Society of Canada (ISC) is pleased to announce its Diversity in Canadian Publishing Bursary

This bursary is part of the ISC’s special program to contribute to filling a proven lack of diverse voices and the demand for them in the Canadian publishing industry to help achieve equality of opportunity for aspiring indexers belonging to underrepresented and/or marginalized groups.

Indexing is a specialized field, involving close reading, analysis, and organization. Beyond writing back-of-book indexes, indexers use their skills in areas as diverse as embedded (digital) indexing, metadata and database maintenance, cataloguing, glossary writing, thesaurus construction, and project management, to name only a few! Indexing provides endless opportunities for learning, professional exploration, and growth, aided by offerings of the Indexing Society of Canada and other societies worldwide, welcoming individuals from a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds.

The application deadline for the 2021/22 bursary is August 31st, 2021. It will be granted to one person and will cover fees for an approved indexing program, two years of ISC membership with listing, and entry into the Mentorship program. Please refer to the bursary application for more information, including eligibility requirements.

The ISC and the TIDE (The Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) committee look forward to fostering connections within and outside of the publishing industry while working toward diversification, cultural education, and inclusion.

LEARN MORE: https://indexers.ca/volunteer/tide/

APPLY HERE: https://indexers.ca/tide-application/

CONTACT ISC: tide@indexers.ca

A writing workshop with Kim Echlin – The Woman’s Quest: Inanna

Dates: September 15 ,22, 29, and October 6; 7:00 -9:00 pm; via Zoom platform

The stories of Inanna from ancient Mesopotamia are the oldest written poetry and song in the world. They tell about Inanna’s journey from a young goddess in a storm to all-powerful Inanna, goddess of justice, about her quest for wisdom and love and immortality and, finally, to care for her people. This ancient story resonates with contemporary women.

In this four-week workshop, writers will read and discuss the stories of Inanna. We will look at different parts of a quest story. Students can work on their own characters as we look at the themes and archetypes in Inanna’s stories. The instructor will provide each student with the stories in a Workbook. The course will take place on a zoom platform and will be live.

The cost of the course is $200.00

Register for this workshop by emailing Kim Echlin at kim.echlin@gmail.com.

Inanna Workshop Schedule

Week One: Beginnings
Inanna appears in a storm, creates her sacred throne and bed, and quests for first experience and early wisdom. Creating your characters’ backstories and beginnings, setting up where your character begins and where they are going.

Week Two: Love
Inanna explores love, chooses between two lovers, has a love affair, marries, releases herself and her husband from marriage. Creating your characters’ most significant emotional relationships.

Week Three: Sacrifice and Powers
Inanna descends to the Underworld, meets its goddess, and she must sacrifice something to be reborn. She reaches a fresh maturity through this journey. Creating your characters’ growth into their own potential and aspirations, or their inability to do so.

Week Four: End of the Quest
Inanna is now a goddess in full possession of her powers. She faces resistance and must assert herself. She will represent justice for the ‘widows and orphans and prostitutes,’ the marginalized. She is revered by her people. Completing your characters’ story. Is your character able to fully realize their potential? What do they do with it? What may stop them? What is your story about?

Kim Echlin Bio:
Kim Echlin’s novels include Elephant Winter, Dagmar’s Daughter, Under the Visible Life and The Disappeared, which was translated into 20 languages, won the Barnes and Noble award and was short-listed for the Giller Prize. Her new novel is Speak, Silence. Inanna: A New English Version is her translation with detailed notes of the Inanna stories and explanations of the Sumerian myths. She has taught and told the Inanna stories in writers’ workshops internationally. She welcomes exploration of these stories with students as a fresh way of looking at the quest story.

Share your story of cultural resilience

There is no doubt that the pandemic has been very difficult for many artists and cultural workers. Abundant evidence of this has come from surveys (such as the National Arts and Culture Impact Survey) and broad employment and economic indicators (analyzed by CAPACOA).

However, in the midst of these harsh realities, there have been powerful stories of innovation and resilience from artists and cultural organizations.

A new research-action initiative aims to discover dynamic examples of cultural innovation and to amplify these success stories. Cultural Resilience: Using Innovation to Stabilize in Times of Crisis is a multi-year project of The Creative City Network of Canada in partnership with the Cultural Human Resources Council and Les Arts et la Ville.

Hill Strategies is leading the research for the first phase of this project, while its second phase involves professional development to transmit key learnings to other cultural organizations and artists, with the goal of building resilience within the arts and heritage sector.

The research team is seeking stories of innovation (whether digital or analog) that are expected to have a lasting impact on the organization or artist. Of particular interest are stories from which other organizations or artists could learn.

Do you have a compelling story of cultural resilience to share? Stories submitted at www.culturalresilience.ca will be listed and amplified for at least one year (from August 2021 to August 2022). Some stories will be investigated further, profiled online, and featured in subsequent training programs, all of which will help create a community of learning. Submit your story today!

Thanks go out to the funders who have made this important work possible: Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

Call for Submissions to The Moderate Review

Newly established online journal The Moderate Review, showcasing both established and emerging literary talents, invites your words and voices to the ongoing creative discussion.

The Moderate Review accepts short stories, poems, nonfiction, paintings, sculptures, 280 character stories (they will be tweeted if selected), music, spoken word. The divisions between these art forms are arbitrary. Blur them.

Currently accepting submissions on a rolling basis with no deadlines or publishing dates.

Submissions should be sent as a word attachment to moderatereview@gmail.com. There are no word limits, guidelines, or restrictions. However, all submissions must be original work and not previously published.

www.themoderatereview.org

Atmosphere Press Call for Submissions!

Deadline: Ongoing

Atmosphere Press currently seeks great manuscripts from diverse (feminist!) voices. This year Atmosphere authors have sold thousands of books across five continents, received featured reviews with Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist, and have even appeared on a giant billboard in Times Square. And they’d love to see what you’ve written!

Call for Pitches to Rebel Women Lit (RWL)

Deadline: Ongoing

Rebel Women Lit (RWL) publishes discussions on contemporary literary culture, interviews with writers, reviews of publications (creative and scholarly) related to the Caribbean, the African diaspora, and Black Feminism, as well as short fiction and poetry by emerging and established Caribbean writers.

RWL invites submissions of:

• • • • • discussion essays on contemporary literary culture (700-1,500 words)
        • discussion essays on contemporary Caribbean social justice issues (700-1,500 words)
        • critical reviews of scholarly or creative literary works (1,000-1,200 words)
        • interviews with Caribbean & African authors and/or literary scholars (2,000-2,500 words)
        • poems and short fiction (maximum 4,000 words) from emerging and established Caribbean and African writers

RWL publishes one post per week and accepts submissions on a rolling basis. You are kindly asked that you do not write a piece before pitching it to the RWL editors, unless you are submitting a short story or poem for consideration in the Arts section. Please review the style requirements below and adhere to the word limits for all submissions.

Permissions:
Contributors are responsible for obtaining written permission to reprint and reproduce any material. Similarly, it is the responsibility of contributors to supply the source of all previously published material. Accepted writers will be compensated a small stipend of $20 – $30 USD for each piece.

Reviews:
Reviews should be preceded by the full name of the author, the title, city, press, and year of publication.

Interviews:
Interviews must begin with a short paragraph that includes information about the interviewee, the date and general purpose of the interview. The first question must be preceded by the full name of the interviewer and a colon, in bold. The first response should be preceded by the full name of the interviewee and a colon, in bold. Subsequent questions and responses should be preceded by initials and colons, in bold.

Pitches:
Pitches should be summarized in four to eight sentences. All pitches must include the subject of your writing or review, the main topics and/or themes to be critically explored, and the relevance to the RWL community.

https://www.rebelwomenlit.com/pitch

Call for Creative Professionals at book development company Creative Connex

Creative Connex is a new book development company that assists aspiring and experienced authors to bring their story to life by delivering a print ready book. Experienced creative professionals are needed to join and complement an exceptional team, specifically freelance writers, editors, illustrators, translators, layout designers and cover designers. Experience in the publishing industry would be a huge bonus! If you or someone you know are interested, please either email Steve at info@creativeconnex.ca or call 888-470-4873.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6780528022454980609/

Creative Connex was founded on a simple vision: Provide the opportunity for an individual who has a story or an idea of a story to connect with a team of publishing professionals. Working together, they create a published book. There are a million stories out there. Let Creative Connex help you tell yours.

Grants as Additional Investment for the Arts

As announced in the Economic Statement released in fall 2020, the federal government is investing $181.5 million in the Supporting Arts and Live Events Workers in Response to COVID-19 Initiative to stimulate employment in the arts and culture sector, support ongoing operations during the pandemic, and prepare for the sustainable recovery of the sector.

Canadian Heritage will be distributing $65 million, and the Canada Council for the Arts will invest the remaining $116.5 million.

Explore and Create: Additional Funding

The Council is investing a portion of the additional one-time funding in the Research and Creation and Concept to Realization components of its Explore and Create program. Program guidelines and eligibility remain unchanged.

The Professional Development for Artists component of Explore and Create supports the career growth of Canadian artists and artistic groups by encouraging participation in a wide range of development opportunities. Grants fund activities that contribute to the professional advancement of Canadian artists working in all artistic disciplines. Support for professional development activities and career advancement, including but not limited to mentorships, internships, apprenticeships, specialized training, and workshops.

The Research and Creation component of Explore and Create supports the initial stages of the creative process. Canadian artists, artistic groups and arts organizations can apply to develop and make creative works. Grants of up to $25,000 provide support for creative research, creation and project development.

Projects involving production and/or post-production of a final work must apply to Concept to Realization.

See https://canadacouncil.ca/funding/grants/deadlines for the cut-off dates and notification times.

Call for Submissions James Lorimer & Company

James Lorimer & Company, an independent book publisher located in Toronto, is looking for writers to contribute to their children’s and teens publishing program.

James Lorimer & Company is seeking fiction, non-fiction and graphic novel manuscripts by Canadian creators for its children’s and teens’ imprint. The goal of this publishing program is to provide engaging, accessible books for young people that address social-justice and human-rights issues as they uniquely affect Canadian society or individual Canadians. The aim is to reflect a diverse range of cultural, regional, and socio-economic experiences and issues in the books they publish. Recent publishing success include their collection of LGBTQ+ romances for teens (Real Love series), a non-fiction series on young people who have been wrongfully convicted (Real Justice series), and Indigenous titles, such as the graphic novel If I Go Missing and the young adult novel The Missing. Submissions can be emailed to submissions@lorimer.ca and should include a cover letter, a short biography outlining your past writing experience and qualifications, a plot summary or outline, a chapter-by-chapter outline and 3–4 sample chapters or a complete manuscript.

Call for Submissions to Canadian Writers Abroad Website

Canadian Writers Abroad is looking for book reviews, interviews, or pieces from writers who have lived at least six months abroad, or who have travelled to research their book. The website was founded and is still run by Canadian Authors Association member Debra Martens, and began as a volunteer project to promote the work of Canadian authors who live, or lived, outside of Canada. Debra Martens writes much of the content and openly invites others to contribute. Submitting to the site provides self-promotion opportunities but does not provide monetary payment at this time. Canadian Writers Abroad will be celebrating it’s tenth anniversary in 2021.

F(r)iction: Call for Submissions

Submission Guidelines

• • • • • Short fiction: 1,001 – 7,500 words
        • Creative nonfiction: up to 6,500 words
        • Poetry: three pages or less per poem, up to five poems per submission
        • Flash fiction: 1,000 words or less

• • • • • All genres are welcome, but especially those that celebrate the weird, take risks with form and content, and are driven by a strong, unique voice.
        • All work must be previously unpublished. This means if your work has appeared in any print or online source (this includes personal blogs, websites, and social media pages), we cannot accept it.
        • Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us immediately by choosing “withdraw” in Submittable if your work is selected for publication elsewhere.
        • Submit as many pieces as you’d like.

The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia Establishes Greg Younging Undergraduate Award in Publishing Studies

The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia (ABPBC), in partnership with the Publishing Program at Simon Fraser University, is pleased to announce the launch of the Greg Younging Undergraduate Award in Publishing Studies, which will help support the training of emerging Indigenous publishers in Canada.

The award was established in memory of Dr. Gregory Younging (1961–2019), publisher at Theytus Books and a member of the ABPBC board of directors at the time of his death. Greg graduated from the SFU Master of Publishing Program in 2000 and later taught as adjunct faculty. A member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, Greg was Assistant Director of Research for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and led the Canadian publishing industry in responding to their calls to action, advocating for Indigenous editorial agency and serving as a trusted resource for publishers of Indigenous texts. He was the author of The Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing by and about Indigenous Peoples (2018), now considered an indispensable resource for North American publishers. The ABPBC honoured him in 2018 with the Gray Campbell Award Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of his work as an advocate for Indigenizing Canadian publishing.

At least one award, valued at a minimum of $1,000, will be granted annually in any term to an undergraduate student who meets the following criteria:

• • • • • is enrolled full-time during the term of eligibility;
        • has declared a minor in Print and Digital Publishing;
        • is in good academic standing;
        • is Indigenous; and
        • has been actively involved in community service.

“We appreciate the support of Greg’s family for this initiative, in particular his parents, George Ing and his mother, the late Dr. Rosalyn Ing,” said Heidi Waechtler, executive director of the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia. “We are proud to be able to recognize Greg’s life and legacy in this way, and to help carry on the work he did to support emerging publishing professionals.” Suzanne Norman, lecturer and industry liaison for the Publishing Program at SFU, commented, “Greg’s contribution to publishing education and his work around Indigenous editorial protocols, have been pivotal in establishing a larger space for Indigenous writers, designers, publishers, and editors in Canada. He would be so proud of this new scholarship. His work with SFU may have begun in 1997, but his contributions continue and his work will always play a large role in the future of the SFU Publishing Program.”

Additional donations to the Greg Younging Undergraduate Award in Publishing at SFU can be made through Simon Fraser University’s Advancement Department.

Submissions to Voyage Magazine