News
Mags Storey’s debut novel, If Only You Knew, wins awards
Mags Storey’s debut novel, If Only You Knew, won Best Romance Novel, Best Youth Novel and the prestigious Grace Irwin Award for Best Book of 2009 from the Word Guild’s Canadian Christian Writing Awards.
Find out more at her web site ›
Mags was a guest speaker at the 2009 Words Alive festival and a featured author at our February, 2010, Open Mic Night.
Edward Fenner receives Murray G. Ross Award for contribution and academics
In recognition of his founding of the York University Mature Students Organization, his reviving of Existere: Journal of Arts and Literature and his academic achievements, Edward Fenner was awarded the prestigious Murray G. Ross Award at York University’s spring convocation ceremony in June. Please join his fellow Words Alive committee members in congratulating Edward on this great achievement.
York Region Author Finalist for Premier’s Arts Award
York Region author and poet Barry Dempster has been selected as one of six finalists for the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. The Premier’s Award recognizes outstanding achievement and contribution to arts and culture in Ontario during a significant period of time. Six finalists are chosen from various arts disciplines and each is given $2,000 with one finalist selected who will receive $35,000 and will name an emerging artist in their field to receive a prize of $15,000.
Barry Dempster was born in Toronto and educated in child psychology. He is the author 15 books including a novel, a children’s book, two volumes of short stories and eleven collections of poetry. He has been nominated for the Governor General’s Award for literature twice, for his first book*, Fables for Isolated Men* (Guernica) and for The Burning Alphabet (Brick Books) which won the Canadian Authors Association Chalmers Award for poetry. From 1990 to 1997, he was Poetry and Reviews Editor for Poetry Canada Review which quickly became one of Canada’s most esteemed literary magazines. During this time, Dempster became known for his helpful, supportive letters to budding writers, his astute book reviews and his “New Voice” discoveries of some of Canada’s finest poets . He is currently the senior acquisitions editor with Brick Books where he has discovered and edited many of Canada’s best emerging poets. He has been on the faculty at The Banff Centre as mentor for the Writing Studio twice, the Wired Writing program and the Writing with Style program in fall 2010. He has read across Canada and Ontario many times, in England and the U.S. and is in constant demand at author reading series and festivals.
Dempster lives in York Region where he runs a very popular film series “Southlake Cinemania” which has raised over $100,000 to support literacy in the community. He presents an annual Poetry Gala to a packed house at the Richmond Hill Public Library where he presents 5 important new and established writers. He served on the East Gwillimbury Library Board for 12 years and was the chair for 5 during which time a new library was built in Mount Albert. He has been the Writer-in-Residence at the Richmond Hill Public Library twice where he has mentored over 150 writers and attracted large attendance to his inspiring writing workshops. He runs two book discussion groups and regularly conducts writing courses in short fiction and poetry. In 2009, the Barry Dempster Young Writers Award was created to acknowledge his role in inspiring young students to value their writing ability and recognize the power of words. He has presented writing workshops in many schools and universities in Ontario and conducts master classes in writing in Santiago Chile.
The award ceremony will be given by the Ontario Government and will take place Thursday June 10, 2010 in Toronto and will be hosted by CBC’s Jian Ghomeshi. For more information contact: www.barrydempster.com and www.ontario.ca
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.”
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.
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.
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!
2009 Words Alive Short Story Contest
We invite you to submit your most creative piece of prose to the Third Annual Words Alive Short Story Contest presented by The Words Alive Literary Festival. The Contest deadline is 6 p.m., September 10th, 2009.
Winners will be published on the Words Alive Website and will have the chance to read their work to an audience at the Festival on Sunday, September 20th, 2009.
Volunteers Wanted
The 3rd Annual Words Alive Literary Festival – which takes place September 20, 2009, at the beautiful Sharon Temple – seeks dedicated volunteers to introduce guest authors, poets and storytellers. If you have a passion for the literary arts, feel comfortable speaking in front of large groups and wish to be part of one of the largest literary festivals in Ontario, please contact Vali Stone by email at vstone@wordsalive.ca or call 905-895-9988. Volunteers will receive a complimentary Words Alive t-shirt, lunch and refreshments.
2009 Griffin Poetry Prize winner to speak at Words Alive
Words Alive congratulates A.F. Moritz on his winning the 2009 Griffin Poetry Prize and is thrilled to have him as our guest in September.
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