Dear Members:
There’s a lot happening in the PEI writing world, and we’re excited to bring you all the latest! Whether you’re looking to share your work at our Monthly Open Mic, connect with fellow writers at our annual fundraiser, or take part in an insightful playwriting workshop, there’s plenty to dig into in this edition of our monthly newsletter.
Also in this issue, some of the things you'll find:
- a panel discussion on DUCKS: Two Years in the Oilsands, in collaboration with the PEIACSW
- a celebration of Deirdre Kessler’s contributions to Island literature presented by Bookmark
- a session on working with writers on gender-based violence through the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women
Plus, we’ve got updates on the Island Literary Awards, new submission calls, and opportunities for poets, playwrights, and nonfiction writers.
As always, we’re here to support and celebrate your writing journey, whatever that may look like. Thank you for being part of this community, and we hope to see you at an event soon!
Events
A Night at The Gallery - Open Mic!
Join us for our next PEIWG Open Mic on Thursday, February 27th, at The Gallery Coffee House & Bistro! This welcoming and supportive evening invites writers of all levels and genres to share their work in a casual, encouraging atmosphere.
Each month, we offer a writing prompt for inspiration, and this time, it’s "animals/pets." Whether you choose to write about a beloved pet, a wild encounter, or a metaphorical beast, we’d love to hear what you create! Of course, you’re also welcome to share any writing of your choice—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, spoken word, or something entirely unique.
Want to read? To get on the reading list, please email openmic@peiwritersguild.com. We also have a couple of spots available for the spontaneous brave souls who decide to sign up on the spot!
We encourage all ages, experience levels, and writing styles to participate, as we strive to curate a diverse lineup of voices for this growing event.
This event is free and open to all, but priority for the readers’ list is given to PEIWG members. If you’d like to be one of the featured readers, email OPENMIC@PEIWRITERSGUILD.COM, and we’ll confirm readers leading up to the event.
SAVE THE DATE - PEIWG Fundraiser and Writers' Social
Join us on March 21st at 6:30 PM at The Guild for a special fundraising event in support of the PEI Writers’ Guild! Sip on writing-themed cocktails crafted by special guest mixologist Evelyn Bradley, enjoy readings from emerging writers and special guests, and take part in a silent auction featuring items any writer would cherish!
Want to read at the event? We’re offering a select number of reading spots to PEIWG members! Fill out our super short survey to be considered by clicking HERE!
Following the main event we're excited to be hosting our first writers' social of 2025 that will be free to attend to all! A chance for writers to connect, share ideas, and celebrate this art form that we all love and appreciate so much. The social will also be taking place at The Guild directly following the reading/main event and is scheduled to start @ 8pm.
DUCKS: Two Years in the Oilsands - Panel discussion
DUCKS: Two Years in the Oilsands
The PEI Writers Guild and the Advisory Council on the Status of Women present a conversation delving into themes of gender-based violence, migratory labour, and the environment in Kate Beaton's stunning graphic novel. A panel of women thinkers and writers will offer their perspectives on DUCKS, winner of Canada Reads 2023.
The novel has been described by Beaton's publisher, Drawn & Quarterly as "...an untold story of Canada: a country that prides itself on egalitarian ethos and natural beauty while simultaneously exploiting both the riches of its land and the humanity of its people."
The panel will be held March 20, from 2:00-4:00 at The Guild on Queen Street. The event is free of charge but please register in advance HERE.
For more information contact: info@peistatusofwomen.ca
A Celebration of the Literary Achievements of Deirdre Kessler
Bookmark, Charlottetown’s locally owned, independent bookstore, and UPEI’s English Department’s Winter Tales are thrilled to be hosting a celebration of Deirdre Kessler’s contributions to the PEI literary community on Thursday, March 20th at 7 pm in the Schurman Market Square in the Don & Marion MacDougall Hall at the University of Prince Edward Island. The evening, which will be co-hosted by Richard Lemm and Laurie Brinklow, will include short readings of Deirdre’s work by other Island writers, students and friends. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Deirdre Kessler has had a pronounced influence on our Island’s culture and literary scene as an author, educator, and advocate for Lucy Maud Montgomery’s writing. She is a former Poet Laureate of Prince Edward Island, a novelist, children’s author, non-fiction writer, and occasional radio broadcaster. For many years, Deirdre has been a sessional professor of children’s literature, creative writing, and the course on L.M. Montgomery with the Department of English at the University of Prince Edward Island. She has supported other writers as a workshop facilitator, book editor, and teacher. She has been involved in the L.M. Montgomery Institute from its early days, and is on the editorial board of the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies.
As the author of more than two dozen books, Deirdre offers readers a diverse range of worlds to immerse themselves in. In her latest book, Darwin’s Hornpipe, a sailor accused of mutiny is thrown overboard near the Galapagos and must not only survive but go on to seek justice for his friend. Her brilliant memoir, Mother Country, examines what is home and family. In the Maritime classic children’s book Lobster In My Pocket, a lonely girl meets a talking lobster. A cat sets out to see the whole wide world in Adventures of an Island Cat named Brupp. Her poetry collection Afternoon Horses is filled with a sense of wonder, the beauty of nature, and the joys and sorrows of family life. With such a deep range of work to celebrate, the evening’s festivities will have something for new and old fans alike.
For more information, please contact Heather Doran at heather@bookmarkreads.ca or 902-566-4888.
Workshops
PEIWG Members Only: Monthly Poetry Club!
PLEASE NOTE: This program is for members of the PEI Writers’ Guild. To become a member click HERE!
This club is for folks who LOVE poetry! We meet on the 1st Saturday of every month at 10am at Bar1911 (113 Longworth Ave, Charlottetown) to discuss poetry that we love.
The Poetry Club has two goals: 1) discuss poetry written by other poets that we love and 2) share and discuss one piece of poetry you have written, if you feel like sharing.
We start with a sharing of a poem that we love by other poets and discussing those poems. Then, once everyone has shared poetry they love, if anyone would like to share one of their poems and receive feedback, we will move into that. Please bring a book of poetry, a print out from a website, or any piece of poetry that you love to share with the group! Sharing your own work is optional.
If you have any work to share at the meeting, please email 1 - 2 poems to Vanessa by the Wednesday before the meeting.
Questions? Email admin@peiwritersguild.com.
PLAYWRITING WORKSHOP - Ask A Dramaturge (Or The Dramaturge Will Ask You)
Participants will work with award-winning playwright & dramaturge, Santiago Guzmán, to further develop their new plays. Participants will talk about their script, the story, and their characters, and Santiago will provide dramaturgical questions, provocations, and prompts to unlock storytelling possibilities in their writing. No completed draft is needed to participate - an idea, a couple of pages, or some scenes could work! This workshop will focus on process, as opposed to a completed product.
About the Instructor:
Santiago Guzmán (he/they) is an award-winning playwright, dramaturge, performer, & director originally from Metepec, Mexico, now based in St. John’s, NL. Artistic Director of TODOS Productions & Artistic Director of Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre.
Santiago’s work aims to put local, under-represented narratives and characters on the frontlines, whilst inviting audiences to appreciate the vibrancy of Newfoundland and Labrador from a diverse perspective.
In 2019, Santiago was listed as an innovator in Atlantic Business Magazine’s edition of 30 under 30: Newfoundland and Labrador. He was awarded the inaugural John Palmer Award in 2022 through the PGC for being a change-maker in the theatre industry with their advocacy in the arts regarding equity, diversity, and anti-racism. In 2023, he was inducted into the YWCA’s St. John’s Circle of Distinction with the Inspired Innovation Award for the same values.
To register, contact Catherine: catherine@yahtheatre.com
Date: March 9, 2025, 1:30 - 4pm
Location: Beaconsfield Carriage House, Charlottetown PE
Cost: Free for PARC members
Non PARC members - $10 or PWYC
Contests, Prizes, Residencies, & More!
Accenti Fest 2025 Call for Proposals – Accenti Magazine
Call for Submissions
Building on the legacy of Accenti Magazine as a thriving laboratory for the arts, the festival organizers invite proposals for academic papers or panels, creative works, artistic performances, and audio and visual presentations that celebrate the diverse expressions of the Italian cultural heritage in Canada and beyond. Writers, artists, performers, academics, researchers, cultural organizers, collectives, ad hoc groups, arts organizations and others from all disciplines are invited to submit proposals in English or Italian. Emerging artists and students are welcome.
Topics may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Cinema, theatre and photography
- Literature and (new) literary genres
- Performance art
- Social media and digital communication
- Language, translation and cultural diversity
- Race, gender, and sexuality
- Disability and inclusivity
- Migration and mobility
- Diasporic and transnational communities
- Transculturalism, citizenship and identity
- Environment and the arts
- Food culture
- Fashion and design
- Living spaces and urban architecture
- Sports
- Travel and tourism
NOTE: All presentations are limited to 20 minutes. Please submit a 200-word proposal, a 50-word bio-blurb, and contact information by the submission deadline (see below).
For panels or presentations with two or more participants, please submit a 200-word proposal together with a 50-word bio and contact information for each participant. For artistic performances, and audio and visual presentations, please submit a 200-word summary of the presentation or performance, as well as a 50-word bio-blurb and contact information for each participant. If applicable, please include any pertinent images (maximum two).
The organizers may request additional details after a proposal has been submitted. Preference will be given to proposals that present new works.
A Call to Island Poets - Culture Summerside
April is National Poetry Month in Canada, and Culture Summerside has a special tradition of celebrating it each year. For 2025, we’re doing things a little differently—and we want you to be part of it!
We’re inviting poets of all ages and backgrounds to submit an original poem inspired by the 2025 national theme: Family.
A community committee will review submissions anonymously and select one standout poem. The chosen poet will be invited to present their work at the April meeting of Summerside City Council, and will receive a $300 honorarium.
But that’s not all! A selection of other submitted poems will be featured on Culture Summerside’s Facebook page throughout April, offering a small slice of fame to even more talented voices.
Here’s how to participate:
Write a creative poem about family that can be read aloud in 2–4 minutes.
Email your submission to wyatt.programs@summerside.ca with a cover page including: * Your name * Phone number * Address * Whether you are a youth, adult, or senior
🗓️ The final date for submissions is Friday, March 28, 2025 by 4PM.
Don’t be shy - let your creativity shine! We are excited to see your submissions and celebrate the power of poetry together.
Tidewater Press - Call for submissions
Tidewater Press is inviting submissions for a new short story fiction anthology!
We're still looking for great stories! Not travelogue, not memoir, we want original, creative tales, in any genre or style, with the linking theme of place:
- the waterways
- trails
- roads and communities along the Trans Canada Trail.
Not the Same Road Out will include stories from each province and territory and all authors will receive a standard contributor’s fee for first publication rights. Deadline for submissions is March 15, 2025. Stories (3,000—7,000 words) may be sent via the Tidewater Press website, or to info@tidewaterpress.ca
2025 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant
The Whiting Foundation is pleased to announce that the application window is open for the 2025 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant, and we are actively seeking applications from writers with books under contract in Canada, the UK, or the US. Recognizing that works of deeply researched and imaginatively composed nonfiction require significant time and resources, the Foundation will award up to ten $40,000 grants to eligible writers for book-length works-in-progress. Applications are due through this online portal by Wednesday, April 23rd. For more information about eligibility, selection criteria, and the application process, see below and refer to the guidelines, available at whiting.org/cng.
The grant is intended for multiyear book projects requiring large amounts of deep and focused research, thinking, and writing at a crucial point mid-process, after significant work has been accomplished but when an extra infusion of support can make a difference in the ultimate shape and quality of the work. The program's chief objective is to foster original, ambitious projects brought to the highest possible standard.
The Foundation welcomes applications for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, science, philosophy, criticism, food or travel writing, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays, among other categories. Proposed projects should be written for a general, rather than an academic, adult readership. Self-help titles, books for young readers, and textbooks are not eligible. We invite you to explore previous years’ winners here.
Projects must be under contract with a publisher in Canada, the UK, or the US by April 23 to be eligible, and the fully executed contract signed by all parties must be uploaded as part of the application. Contracts with self-publishing companies are not eligible.
The Whiting Foundation will host free, optional Zoom information sessions to answer questions about the application process on Weds, February 19 and Thurs, March 6 at 1pm Eastern Time. Anyone considering applying is welcome to attend, as are agents and editors who work with nonfiction authors; register by clicking one of the dates above.
We are delighted to embark on the tenth cycle of this grant and hope you will forward this call for proposals to your colleagues and any eligible authors who might be interested. Knowing that writers of colour often face additional structural hurdles to securing institutional resources to support such projects, we particularly encourage applications from them.
Updates
Island Literary Awards - update!
Our Island Literary Awards strategic planning committee has been hard at work over the past year, reimagining the awards to better reflect and celebrate PEI’s writing community. Over months of careful discussions and planning, we’ve been heavily focused on laying the groundwork for some exciting changes that we believe will strengthen the awards for the long term, strengthening this essential platform to support emerging and established writers on PEI.
As part of this process, the PEI Writers' Guild organization has made the rather difficult decision to defer the ILA awards for one additional year to provide us with the necessary time to implement these key updates and to align the relaunch with the next PEI Book Awards in 2026.
Here are a few of the key things that we're continuing to work on:
- A new submission platform
Each year, writers from across our province submit their writing online, and for a long time, we used the Submittable platform, one of the most widely used platforms for literary awards like ours. It made managing submissions and reviewing entries super efficient and manageable, but in recent years, steep price increases have made it financially unsustainable for a small nonprofit like ours.
Instead of continuing to support expensive U.S. based services, we’ve made the decision to support Canadian businesses wherever possible. We’re currently working with Locarius ticketing platform, a PEI-based company (support local!!!), to build a custom submission system that will meet our needs while investing in our local community. This particular hurdle has taken longer than expected, but we’re confident that this new platform will be more accessible, cost-effective, and sustainable for future awards and may even benefit other awards programs around the country who may be experiencing the same financial stresses. In the long run, we're working to develop a system that works for us, not the other way around, while reinforcing our commitment to investing in local and Canadian-based businesses.
- Refining award categories
We’re continuing to take a close look at our award categories to make sure that they reflect and celebrate the full range of talent within PEI’s writing community. Our goal is to continue to make the awards more accessible and representative, encouraging participation from a wider range of voices and perspectives.
- Branding refresh
With the generous in-kind support of a Maritime-based design firm, we’ve also been working on giving the awards a fresh new look. This update will help with our visibility, better connect with audiences, and make the awards feel more engaging and accessible to writers and readers alike.
THANK YOU - A huge thank you to everyone who’s been part of the Island Literary Awards - past, present and as we continue to work towards the future. Whether you or a part of your family have submitted writing, served as a juror, supported the awards, or just cheered on Island writers, we truly appreciate it. Our volunteers are working hard behind the scenes to bring the awards back stronger than ever, and we’re excited for what’s ahead!
Working with Writers On Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
Do you work with writers as a publisher or editor? A dramaturge or curator? An open-mic host or moderator at reading Q&As? As a mentor, teacher, or workshop leader?
The PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women is working with the PEI Writers' Guild on a project to contribute to Canada's National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. As part of the project, the Advisory Council on the Status of Women is developing a tip-sheet resource on working with writers whose topics include gender-based violence.
We are looking for good practices and good ideas from members of the PEI writing community who work with writers whose work touches on issues of gender-based violence.
We are creating a list of potential contributors to the tip-sheet resource. If you are interested in participating in this project, please complete a short survey to indicate your interest. Contributors will be offered an honorarium to respond to a more detailed survey with their best practices for working with writers and will be featured by name in the final resource.
Show your interest by completing this survey found HERE.
If you have any questions, either include them in the survey response or email ***jane@peistatusofwomen.ca.*
Innovation PEI wants to hear from YOU!
Innovation PEI wants to hear from you - a chance to make your voice heard!
With the potential of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, the Province is seeking input from PEI businesses to help them continue their work in assisting Island exporters to enhance and diversify their export markets.
Visit HERE to fill out a short survey and have your voice included in the conversation!
Donate
Support Island Writers: Donate Today
The PEI Writers’ Guild is a charitable non-profit dedicated to supporting and celebrating writers across the Island. With just one staff member, we rely on the passion of our volunteers and the generosity of our community to keep our programs running.
If you’re in a position to give, your donation, big or small, helps us continue to offer workshops, events, and opportunities that empower Island writers at all stages of their journey. Every contribution makes a difference.
👉 Donate through Canada Helps today
Thank you for helping us build a thriving literary community!