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Writers Studio | 
Ticketed Event
Summer Sips and Scribes: PEC Wine Tour 2019
Grandview, Delta Hotel 1 Johnson St, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaJoin sommelier Ian Nicholls of County Sips and Ian Hamilton, best-selling author of the acclaimed Ava Lee mystery series, for a curated day-long trip through Prince Edward County with wine and cider tastings, lunch, and a literary reading and book signing. Cost is $200. Don't forget you will receive an instant $50 charitable tax receipt from CanadaHelps for each ticket you purchase. […]
Writing Outside the Box: Experiments in Form *SOLD OUT*
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada***SOLD OUT*** Molson Award-winning experimental fiction writer Diane Schoemperlen shares techniques for opening yourself to experimentation with literary form by using the page in unique ways, re-imagining the arrangement of text on the page or incorporating visual elements. For the non-adventurous or stuck writer, this is a gentle way to bust out of the rut […]
Visual Literacy: Using Images to Enrich Your Writing *SOLD OUT*
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada*SOLD OUT* Award-winning novelist Alan Cumyn guides you through image-based exercises to unlock your creativity while exploring fundamentals of strong, visually rich writing. Whether we write fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or memoir, we’ve all heard the advice to “show, not tell.” Using evocative paintings, photographs and texts as jumping-off points, students craft new work paying particular […]
Writing 101 *SOLD OUT*
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada*SOLD OUT* In this master class, Lawrence Scanlan – the author or co-author of 24 books (non-fiction, memoir, and young adult fiction) – details what he has learned in his forty-year-long writing life about the fundamentals of good prose. About rhythm and flow, clarity and pacing, the use of imagery and dialogue, how to critique […]
International Marquee
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaCommonwealth Writer’s Prize-winning author Marina Endicott and Giller-award-winner Johanna Skibsrud join veteran broadcaster Eric Friesen in a free-ranging discussion of both their bodies of work, and their explorations of complex moral issues of prejudice, class, cultural difference, the imperial mindset, and our responsibility toward other humans, sentient beings, and the natural world. Marina’s astonishingly beautiful The Difference takes us […]
Top 20 Writing Gaffes You Can Catch Yourself *SOLD OUT*
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada*SOLD OUT* Susan Scott, the non-fiction editor of The New Quarterly, shines a light on the typical mistakes that writers make, and shows you how to fix them to avoid being panned by social media, the grammar police, or others. Using examples from her work with books and magazines, national contests, retreats, and award-winning collaborations, Susan combines […]
Power of the Pitch: Find Your Story’s Narrative Hooks *SOLD OUT*
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada*SOLD OUT* A book pitch is usually a blunt summary and crude sales vehicle, a disposable by-product of the real work. But pitching carries liberating potential to challenge what your story is “about.” In this master class, bestselling author Andrew Pyper gives you a series of exercises to discover your story’s most powerful expression. By […]
What We Talk About When We Talk About Dialogue *SOLD OUT*
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada*SOLD OUT* We talk all the time, so nothing should be easier than writing dialogue. Yet, most writers find it hard to do convincingly. The ones who can do it are said to have an “ear”. Showing examples from other writers and from his own work, award-winning novelist and screenwriter, David Bezmozgis, invites you to investigate together […]
Identity Through Poetry: Who is Bruce Kauffman Screening
Screening Room Kingston 120 Princess Street, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaWho Is Bruce Kauffman? is an anthology film that explores and celebrates Kingston’s vibrant literary and spoken-word community through the eyes of a poet impresario who manages to be both ubiquitous and elusive. This is a thoughtful ode to a life devoted to the fusion of poetry and community, and an invitation for us to […]
Robertson Davies Dinner
Grandview, Delta Hotel 1 Johnson St, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaTo celebrate the gift of storytelling in honour of Robertson Davies, beloved Canadian man of letters, we present writers whose work is of lasting impact. In 2019, we honour Emma Donoghue, internationally lauded author of unique works such as Slammerkin, Room, The Wonder, and her newest novel, Akin. After dinner, Emma delivers brief keynote comments […]
Choosing Your Words *SOLD OUT*
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada*SOLD OUT* “Poems, novels, stories are built word by word,” says poet Lorna Crozier. That sounds simple, but what goes into our choosing which word we’ll use? Why “dolor” over “sadness”? “mutt” over “canine”? Lorna examines writers’ choices and then lets you write something, with this passage from Lewis Carroll in mind: “Must a name mean […]
Chop Suey Nation: The Exceptional Fusion of Canada, China, and Food *SOLD OUT*
Silver Wok 373 King Street East, Kingston, On, Canada***SOLD OUT*** Don’t miss this exceptional lunch event! Globe and Mail national food reporter Ann Hui travelled across Canada for 18 days to report on why every small town has a Chinese restaurant. Her report eventually became Chop Suey Nation, which chronicles not just the history of Chinese-Canadian food (and the invention of dishes like […]
Meaning Schmeaning: Writing as a Journey *85% SOLD*
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaIn this unpredictable, enjoyable workshop, award-winning poet/fictioneer Stuart Ross encourages you to forget about “meaning” and “intention” and instead approach writing as a journey into a laboratory filled with a mysterious mist, and crazy burbling and popping noises you don’t quite recognize. Stuart leads you through four or five lively and fun poetry and prose […]
Writing Character and Voice *SOLD OUT*
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaAuthor Erika Behrisch Elce explains techniques to develop richly-imagined and believable characters. Whether your character is fully fictional, based on an historical figure, or the poetic voice, good groundwork and thoughtful choices give your characters depth. Learn how research can be a great tool that delivers unexpected and surprising details that make characters spring off […]
Literary pub (s)crawl *SOLD OUT*
Dox Patio, Holiday Inn 2 Princess Street, Kingston, On, Canada*SOLD OUT* Gather your friends and hit the town for this original and entertaining night of literature and libations. Join a group of intrepid bibliophiles and a half-dozen authors of poetry, comedic memoir, and prose on a trek to some of Kingston’s finest watering holes. The evening is designed with ample time to settle in, […]
To Be Here: Writing Place
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaPoet Tanis Macdonald explores the questions: what is the action of being here now? How does the past inform the present? where “here” is subject to your own definition, and “history,” is your lived experience of place. Using sample pieces of writing as a model, you write a piece about place to share with the […]
The Long Table
Grandview, Delta Hotel 1 Johnson St, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaWhat happens when you gather people around at a long table for a delicious meal served family-style? Storytelling, of course, and lots of it. And connection. Break bread with professor of nutrition, chef, and food blogger (ameliaeats.com) Amy Symington for a delectable spread of “I-can’t-believe-it’s-veggie” dishes, served at a long table, family style, After the […]
Beyond the First Draft: Polishing Your Work *93% SOLD*
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaAward-winning author Rabindranath Maharaj helps you get your work ready for publication, as he takes you through various subjects, including understanding your audience, matching length and style to genre and topic, and checking for continuity of description, timeline, language, and theme. Robin explains the critical refining decisions that lead to a viable final draft, encourages group discussion, and allows thirty […]
And the Journey Continues
Garden, Holiday Inn 2 Princess St, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaA hit every year! Come celebrate emerging local talent with a set of energizing, provocative, and powerful spoken-word performances. Headlined by Kingston’s own verbal powerhouse Allison Chisholm, Toronto spoken-word poet Abena Beloved Green, and Poetry in Voice artist Cyrena Fiel, this event promises to make you see the world in a different way – maybe more […]
Yoga and the Art of Relaxed Writing
St. Lawrence Ballroom, Residence Inn by Marriott Kingston Water's Edge 7 Earl Street, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaAuthor/ yoga teacher Kirsteen MacLeod helps you harness yoga’s power, free up your writing, and feed your creative flame. Gentle yoga poses, suitable for almost everyone, provide a jumping-off point for writing exercises. The body-centred process teaches you to work with less effort, generate new material intuitively, and apply new skills to advance your writing […]
WS11. How to Get Published
Lakeview, Delta Hotel 1 Johnson St, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaYou’ve written the manuscript, polished your poems, and you’re ready to share it with the world. Now what? Join Kwame Fraser, president of Dundurn Press, as well as several of Dundurn’s star authors, Sifton Anipare, Jowita Bydlowska, Jerry Fontaine, Don McCaskill and J.J. Martin, to find out best practices, how to find your niche, and […]
27. The Last Chapter Brunch *SALES CLOSED*
Harbourview Room, Delta Hotel 1 Johnson St, Kingston, Ontatio, CanadaRaise a glass of mimosa (or a cup of coffee) as we celebrate the final event of our 14th annual festival with literary legend David Adams Richards and Wayne Grady. David has followed up his acclaimed Miramichi Trilogy with The Tragedy of Eva Mott - a powerful standalone novel brimming with his signature blend of […]
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