Festival News
February 17th, 2010
Open Mic Night with Mags Storey
When: Thursday, February 18, 2010
Books/Cafe and Things
208 Main Street South, Newmarket
(Just north of Fairy Lake in downtown Newmarket)
For directions, call 905-868-9497 or view this map
Join writer, editor and journalist Mags Storey as she reads from new, as yet unpublished work. Mags was featured at the 2009 Words Alive Literary Festival where she read from her novel If Only You Knew. Please see www.magsstorey.com for her blog, links to her journalism and more!
As usual, everyone is welcome to read their works of poetry or prose before an appreciative audience. For more information, email info@wordsalive.ca or call 905-895-3767
Beverages and snacks available for sale at the café.
February 17th, 2010
Words Alive Literary Festival welcomes Nino Ricci and votes in a new committee chair
Newmarket, ON (17 February 2010) - At a recent meeting of the Words Alive Executive Committee, James Bolton stood for nomination and was voted in unanimously by the board. Vali Stone, festival founder and chair since the Words Alive’s inception in 2007 stepped down to pursue her own writing and work as a college instructor. “It’s been so much fun to do this festival, but I know it will live on and that Jim and the team will do a great job going forward,” said Stone. “I love doing Words Alive but I also love writing and I need to do more of that.” Jim Bolton concurs, “Vali is a fabulous person and a lovely writer. She has done so much for this community in creating Words Alive. It’s quite amazing, really. Here we have a first-rate festival at an incomparable site in the Sharon Temple and we are attracting top talents from the worlds of Canadian literature and poetry. Words Alive will live on and Vali will always have a seat at the table. It’s her baby, after all.”
Bookings for the 2010 festival are under way. “We are pleased to announce that two-time Governor General’s Award winning author Nino Ricci will be with us on September 18th which is our first Saturday festival,” states Words Alive publicist and talent wrangler Edward Fenner. “We listened to our fans and our guest who found competing with Eden Mills frustrating because everybody wants to attend both. So we moved to Saturday and folks can still enjoy Eden Mills the next day. Everybody wins.”
Words Alive has attracted many top writers and poets, rising stars, and a bevvy of local and region favourites and first-timers. “All are welcome,” says Fenner. “Part of the festival’s mission is to provide opportunities for local authors to get some exposure and to gain an audience. It is also an opportunity for local CanLit fans to see major talents come to the area to read for them, to chat, and to buy some books and get them autographed.”
Words Alive had current Griffin Poetry Prize winner A.F. Mortiz here in 2009 along with 2007 nominee Priscila Uppal. Other guests have included poets such as Governor General’s Award nominee Barry Dempster and Molly Peacock who, among other things, was the president of the Poetry Society of America from 1989 to 1994. In previous years, guest poets have included bill bissett and four-time Governor General’s award nominee Christopher Dewdney. Famous novelists have also graced the festival. 2009 saw broadcaster Ted Barris present and was joined by Lee Gowan, Natale Ghent, and mystery writer Andrew Pyper. Maureen Jennings, author of the Murdoch Mysteries novels was a guest in 2008 as was GG winner Karolyn Smardz Frost, and two Scotiabank Giller Prize nominees that year: Mary Swan and Anthony De Sa. “We have been very fortunate to have such wonderful and talented guests,” says Fenner who also edits Existere – Journal of Arts and Literature at York University. “We ask and they come. They want to promote their works, of course, but they really enjoy the live connection with readers and fans. It gives them great energy and feedback. You cannot put a price on that.”
January 19th, 2010
Open Mic Night with Bruce Hunter
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Books/Cafe and Things
208 Main Street South, Newmarket
(Just north of Fairy Lake in downtown Newmarket)
For directions, call 905-868-9497 or view this map
Join Bruce Hunter as he reads from In the Bear’s House. Part fictional memoir, part social history his book details the lives of two Scottish immigrant families in Calgary as they raise a deaf child. In the Bear’s House was selected out of over 100 books from 10 countries as the 2009 Canadian Rockies Prize winner at the Banff Mountain Book Festival.
As usual, everyone is welcome to read their works of poetry or prose before an appreciative audience. For more information, email info@wordsalive.ca or call 905-895-3767
Beverages and snacks available for sale at the café.
December 10th, 2009
Open Mic Night with Domenico Capilongo
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Books/Cafe and Things
208 Main Street South, Newmarket
(Just north of Fairy Lake in downtown Newmarket)
For directions, call 905-868-9497 or view this map
Join Toronto author Domenico Capilongo (and former Karate champion) as he reads from his debut collection I thought elvis was italian (Wolsak & Wynn) - a very cool collection of contemporary poetry.
As usual, everyone is welcome to read their works of poetry or prose before an appreciative audience. For more information, email info@wordsalive.ca or call 905-895-9988
Beverages and snacks available for sale at the café.
November 7th, 2009
Bruce Hunter wins for In the Bear’s House
Words Alive congratulates Bruce Hunter on his winning the Banff Mountain Book Festival’s 2009 Canadian Rockies Prize for his novel In the Bear’s House.
In other news, Bruce has agreed to join the Words Alive organizing committee starting in November.
November 4th, 2009
Words Alive Open Mic Night with Roy McConnell
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @7pm
Books/Cafe and Things
208 Main Street South, Newmarket
(Just north of Fairy Lake in downtown Newmarket)
For directions, call 905-868-9497 or view this map
Join Newmarket author Roy McConnell as he reads from his debut novel Mind Walker, a fast-paced adventure about the powerful Ostermann family. Five centuries of secret powers, mystery, suspense, and action in exotic locales from BC to the Caribbean to NYC. Mind Walker is available now at Books/Cafe and Roy will be happy to sign at the event.
As usual, everyone is welcome to read their works of poetry or prose before an appreciative audience. For more information, email info@wordsalive.ca or call 905-895-9988
Beverages and snacks available for sale at the café.
Find more info on Mind Walker at Barnes & Noble and on Facebook
September 17th, 2009
Workshops at Words Alive
In addition to an exciting lineup of authors, poets and storytellers, the 3rd Annual Words Alive Literary Festival features 9 workshops to broaden the horizons of amateur and experienced writers alike. Learn just how much fun learning can be!
“Story Graphics” with Shane Kirshenblatt
In this workshop hosted by author and illustrator Shane Kirshenblatt, participants will gain an insight into how graphic novel pages are laid out as well as different types of “Camera Angles”. There will also be some discussion as to the proper use of popular “comic” devices such as dialogue balloons, sound effects and captions. More »
“A Writer in the World” with Barry Dempster
For writers in any genre, this will be a poet’s walk through the everyday, learning how to see beyond the surface of things, to find the right language and focus to put it on the page. Bring your five senses and a willingness to open up to experience. More »
“Words, Pictures and Pitches” with Kurt Lehner and Shane Kirshenblatt
Join Shane Kirshenblatt (Creator, Author and Illustrator of Dorothy Gale Journey to Oz) and Kurt Lehner (Animation artist for Disney, Warner Bros. and Nelvana) as they share their inspirations and methods for developing projects aimed at bridging the gap between the literary world and the entertainment industry. More »
“What You Need to Know About Literary Agents” with Marie Campbell
What does an agent do? What can an agent do for you? Do you need an agent? How do you find one? And what should you be asking an agent when you do hook one interested in your work? Literary Agent Marie Campbell gives an overview of the role agents play in the publishing world, how to find an agent, and how to make the author-agent relationship work for you. More »
“The Innovative Writer’s Toolkit” with Timothy Quinn
Twenty-first century authors are able to leverage a variety of increasingly sophisticated technologies, both in the planning and writing stages of a manuscript as well as in the editorial and reader outreach stages. Timothy Quinn, consultant for award-winning press Guernica Editions and former Director of Site Operations for the Toronto Star, provides an overview of current technologies for planning, researching, writing, editing, publishing and marketing your book. More »
“Memoir Writing: Unlocking Your Memory Trove” with Allyson Latta
You don’t have a perfect memory - no one does - but don’t let this stop you from writing compelling stories from your life. A trove of details about significant people, places and experiences is hiding just below the surface of your mind, and these simple and effective tips, offered by writer and editor Allyson Latta, will help you to unlock it. More »
“Sound Shamans: For cultural creatives who want to re-charge” with Dulcimerhead
Join facilitators Dave Rankine, Fernando Villalobos and Daniela Godina as they guide you into the world of spontaneously created group soundscapes. This is creativity at its purest without expectation and judgement. Revisit that place of pure self expression though music. We are all musicians, but many of us have forgotten how to get there. Fernando, Daniela and Dave will lead participants from all backgrounds and ages in various group exercises to create uplifting musical pieces that are fresh and new. More »
“Getting your work through the slush pile” with Edward Fenner
Publisher Edward Fenner exposes the good, the bad, and the ugly truths of publishing. More »
“Diving head-first into non-fiction” with Marina Cohen
How do you go about writing non-fiction? What’s the process? Where does creativity factor in? Join author and teacher Marina Cohen and gain amazing insight into the fascinating and lucrative world of non-fiction writing. More »
Find these workshops and more events on our Schedule
September 17th, 2009
Dulcimerhead: Western Voyage, Eastern Shore
Arathusa Records, 2009
By Alison Brownlee
Written and produced for the 2009 Wainfleet Viking Market and Summer Solstice Celebration, Western Voyage, Eastern Shore was created to represent the Norse experience in the 11th century, and it doesn’t disappoint.
Although the instrumentation is minimal - mountain dulcimer, vocals, percussion and the occasional bird chirp - the mood and tone of the 12 pieces create a vivid mental image of the Norse during their time of global exploration.
In an interview, dulcimer player David Rankine said, “There’s no way of knowing what Norse music sounded like one thousand years ago,” but Dulcimerhead’s interpretation, which was developed through a group effort by Rankine, percussionist Fernando Villalobos and vocalist Daniela Godina, encapsulates the lived experience of the Norse by incorporating the musical traditions of the peoples with which Viking explorers came into contact.
For example, Cultivate sounds slightly Persian because of the minor mode, the pitch progressions on the dulcimer and the lyrical movement of Godina’s vocals. The song is a perfect example of the group’s emphasis on cultural integration, because it’s believably Norse, yet Middle Eastern at the same time.
Moving further east, Revelation has Godina switch to a more chant-poet vocal style with meditative chimes in the background. While these aspects invoke the Far East, the dulcimer sounds almost lute-like, giving the piece a Celtic Britain tone as well.
Although Dulcimerhead is described as a psychedelic progressive rock band, what makes it unique is the mountain dulcimer, which is an extremely versatile instrument. Rankine is able to use it to its full advantage on tunes like Sunstone, which is an instrumental piece by Rankine and Villalobos. The tune has a faster tempo, and an expertly used jambé that gives a tribal feel to the music. The versatility of the dulcimer takes the foreground, though, through the use of harmonics and drones, while layering the melodic and accompanying lines to create a depth of sound. Near the end of the piece electronics are incorporated to highlight the psychedelic aspect - the sound is faintly reminiscent of Jim Morrison and The Doors.
The two best songs on the album, however, were saved for last. Solstice Dance is an obvious nod to the occasion for which the album was produced, but it’s an energetic, Celtic-inspired instrumental piece in 2/4 time that starts toes tapping the moment the percussion comes in. The hand drumming gives a rustic feel while the simple major mode melody invokes people dancing around the Summer Solstice bonfire with vine wreaths on their heads. It certainly pulls listeners into the celebration.
To close off the album, Godina is welcomed back to sing Cup of Plenty. It’s a great song to end with because it has a quick, almost hurried tempo and frantic strumming on the dulcimer, which eventually slows to give the piece texture. Godina’s midrange vocals are somewhere between chant and lyrical, summarizing her range on the album wonderfully. It’s a simply song, but probably the catchiest - the lyrics “Ideas flow from the cup of plenty” will be stuck in one’s head hours after the song is over because of the phrase’s melodic beauty.
Overall, Dulcimerhead’s fourth album is fantastic. Its pieces vary in tempo, mode, key, style, regional influence, lyrical content and percussive technique, all of which keeps the listener interested. Most impressive, though, is how pieces like Sunstone and At the Edge can showcase the intricacies of the mountain dulcimer - the instrument isn’t exhibited as a one-trick pony relied on as a novelty. Instead, it’s very much used to its full advantage to enhance the sound and concept of the album, which is the voyage and cultural exchange experienced by the Norse people the world over.
Dulcimerhead hit its theme very well and Western Voyage, Eastern Shore is definitely worth investing 47 minutes in, if not for the fantastic musicianship and artistry, then at least for the lesson in anthropological history.
September 10th, 2009
Words Alive Open Mic Prose Night with Existere
Join us for an inspiring night of open mic prose featuring works from the new issue of Existere - Journal of Arts and Literature and a special sneak preview from Halifax author Binnie Brennan’s Harbour View (Quattro Books). Both will be read from by publisher and MC Edward Fenner. Then take the mic yourself to read aloud some of your own fiction or non-fiction. Words come alive at this summer evening event in historic downtown Newmarket open to amateur writers, semi-pros, and veterans of all ages. MC: Edward Fenner, publisher of Existere Journal of Arts and Literature.
Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 7:00 pm - admission is FREE
Books/Café and Things
208 Main Street South, Newmarket
(Just north of Fairy Lake in downtown Newmarket)
For directions, call 905-868-9497 or view this map »
For more information, email info@wordsalive.ca or call 905-895-9988
Beverages and snacks available for sale at the café.
September 10th, 2009
Words Alive Literary Festival is Back - and Bigger!
Mark Your Calendar for the Festival on Sunday, September 20th
The Words Alive Literary Festival is back at the Sharon Temple on Sunday, September 20th from 10am-6pm. This family-friendly event is a celebration of Canada’s rich literary heritage and provides a showcase for authors, poets, storytellers, and musicians. The all-day event is only $5 for those age 16 and up. Children admitted free.
“The Festival has something for everyone,” says Words Alive Founder, Vali Stone. “For aspiring authors and poets, there are workshops, contests and the chance to participate in public readings. For readers and book club members our diverse author line-up ranges from the non-fiction of broadcaster Ted Barris writing about the experiences of soldiers from the past 100 years. Sisters Kristen Den Hartog and Tracey Kasaboski reflect on their families experiences in wartime Holland For fiction fans we have the splendid and tender writings of Priscila Uppal, Lauren Kirshner, Lee Gowan, Diana Fitzgerald Bryden, and Bruce Hunter. I hope everyone will also be inspired by wandering the Temple grounds listening to storytellers and musicians such as Red Slam Collective who will open this year’s fest.”
Award-winning and nominated writers of mystery fiction will be reading. Andrew Pyper, Jeffrey Round and Timothy Quinn will be reading from their latest books. First-time novelists with fabulous reviews include Andrea Gunraj and Lauren Kirshner (who is being mentored by Margaret Atwood), and humourist David Mckee.
“Poetry is an integral part of the Words Alive Festival,” says Stone, with readings from this year’s Griffin Poetry Prize winner A.F. Moritz. Other poets appearing range from award winners and nominees to new talents. GG nominee Barry Dempster will be there as will Molly Peacock, David Clink, Domenico Capilongo, Richard Grove, and Phoebe Tsang. As a special treat sonic poet Penn Kemp will perform at the Temple accompanied by musician Brenda McMorrow. Aspiring poets can also participate in the On-the-Spot Poetry Contest for the chance to win great prizes.
“Teens, tweens, and children have plenty to enjoy as well,” says Stone. We have Natalie Ghent, Tish Cohen, Mags Storey, and Rich Meyrick as well as five storytellers performing.
Two new features are also on the slate. Graphic novelist and artist Shane Rosenblatt together with illustrator and animator Kurt Lehner will hold workshops and be autographing their artworks. Two short plays by newcomer and Existere publisher Edward Fenner will also be read at the fest who will also hold a workshop for new writers on “Getting through the slush pile.”
The jam-packed schedule also includes workshops by Barry Dempster, Marie Campbell, Allyson Latta, Timothy Quinn, Marina Cohen, and Dulcimerhead. Storytellers Janice Turner, Lena Recollett, Bruce Lord, and Bruce Carmody will be weaving their tales throughout the day.
Words Alive is a literary festival like no other. The beautiful and historic Sharon Temple National Historic Site is located just 40 minutes north of Toronto. Admission is $5, though children under 16 are free, as is parking - your best all-day entertainment value. The local Lions Club will sell food and drink or you can bring a picnic lunch. For more on the festival, visit http://www.wordsalive.ca.
Prior to the festival will be the second of our new series of readings. Join us September 17th at 7pm at Cafe/Books and Things, 208 Main St.S., Newmarket for our Words Alive Open Mic Prose Night with Existere. Last month’s poetry event had over 40 attendees defying tornadoes to hear and speak some fine poetry!
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