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Canadian Authors Association - National Capital Region (CAA-NCR)
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About Us

We are the local branch of a national organization. We support and encourage writers in Ottawa, Gatineau, and the surrounding area.

Membership is coordinated through our head office in Toronto, Ontario.

CAA National

The National Capital Region Branch is led by a volunteer committee.

Arlene Smith, President

Sherrill Wark, Treasurer

Christine Beelen, Membership Coordinator

Adrienne Stevenson, Program Coordinator

Gill Foss, Branch Historian

Robynne Eagan, Member

Beverly Boutilier, Member

Want to help?

Whether you have only 15 minutes each month or huge blocks of free time, we have plenty for you to do—from bits-and-pieces to mega-projects. Take a look at our tasks and choose any one according to your availability.

  • Take digital photographs at meetings and workshops.
  • Help us maintain Facebook and Twitter.
  • Distribute our email information.
  • Lead a writing circle in your area.
  • Help us with publicity through libraries, bookstores, learning institutions and media
Contact CAA-NCR
  • Local book stores
Canadian Authors Association Lobo
Join the Canadian Authors Association

Find a Poem, with JC Sulzenko

Tuesday April 11, 2023
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
via Zoom
Free to members of Canadian Authors. Non-members $10.00

Register by email

Facing the Page Together

Drop-in sessions | Members only

We meet via Zoom to discuss an aspect of writing to focus on for that session. Perhaps it's adding specific detail, or improving dialogue, or working with voice or point of view. We then write "together" (with our without cameras on). We can respond to a prompt or apply the concept to our works in progress. It could be fiction, non-fiction or poetry. We then gather again as a group to discuss the experience.

Mondays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom

October 17: Adding specific, concrete details
November 21: Working with dialogue
January 30: Serving the story
February 27: Filtering, adverbs and goal setting
March 27: Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing
May 1: Voice
May 29: A microfiction challenge

Find out more

Our Anthologies


Merging Waters is an anthology of works by the members of the Poetry Circle of the Canadian Authors Association - National Capital Region. Enjoy poetry by Blaine Marchand, Tsippi Guttmann-Nahir, Kati Lyon-Villiger, Christine Beelen, Adrienne Stevenson and Arlene Somerton Smith.

Cover featuring the Rideau Falls, Ottawa. Title Merging Waters
Buy Merging Waters

Building Community features the top stories and poems from the 2021 National Capital Writing Contest.

Building Community Anthology
Buy Building Community

20/20 Vision features the top stories and poems from the 2020 National Capital Writing Contest.

Front cover of the 20/20 Vision antholoty
Buy 20/20 Vision

The National Capital Writing Contest's 30th Anniversary Anthology features the top stories and poems from the 2017 NCWC.

Front cover of the 30th NCWC anthology
Buy the 30th Anniversary Anthology
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