ANNUAL REPORT

June 11, 2017

Table of Contents

Writers’ Guild of Overview ...... 1 Membership ...... 2 Board of Directors...... 3 Staff...... 3 Committees...... 3 President’s Report ...... 4 Executive Director’s Report ...... 5 Treasurer’s Report...... 7 Youth Committee Report ...... 8 Fund Development Committee Report ...... 9 Report on Activities ...... 10 WGA Events...... 18 Liaisons ...... 22 WGA Literary Awards...... 23 Important Acknowledgements ...... 25 Donors ...... 26 Volunteers...... 27

Financial Statements are found at the end of this report. Writers’ Guild of Alberta Overview

The Writers’ Guild of Alberta (WGA) was formed in October 1980 on SAIT campus to provide a meeting ground and collective voice for all the writers of the province. Our members write in every genre and at every level of expertise.

The WGA helps give Alberta writers a sense of unity and community, and is the largest provincial writers’ organization in .

WGA Vision Statement An Alberta where past, present, and future contributions of writers are supported, acknowledged, and valued.

WGA Mission Statement The Writers’ Guild of Alberta’s mission is to inspire, connect, support, encourage, and promote writers and writing, to safeguard the freedom to write and to read, and to advocate for the well- being of writers.

WGA Values and Guiding Beliefs The WGA believes that: I. The literary arts are essential to the well-being of all individuals, communities, and the economy of Alberta; II. Working in partnership with other organizations contributes to the quality of life in Alberta; III. Networking and collaboration are beneficial to innovation and the creative process; IV. A free and safe environment is essential for writers to pursue their craft; V. Knowledge and ongoing development are fundamental to creative growth.

1 Membership

WGA membership is open to all writers resident or formerly resident of Alberta. Annual membership is $70, or $40 for senior and low income members. Memberships are for one year from the date of purchase and must be renewed annually. Post-secondary students may receive free memberships for the duration of their studies. WGA members who are also members of The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) may receive a reciprocal 10% membership discount on both memberships.

WGA members receive the following benefits:

Free or discounted entrance to monthly events in and . Members-only programs and events such as retreats. Reduced rates for workshops, conferences, and other literary events. Subscription to the weekly email newsletter WriteClick. Subscription to the quarterly magazine WestWord. Access to the Manuscript Reading Service. Opportunity to apply for the Mentorship Program. Support for starting critiquing groups. Support for planning WGA events in rural communities. Access to the members-only section of the WGA website. Discounted subscription rates for select Alberta literary magazines.

The WGA currently has 987 active members in communities all across Alberta. Of this total, 427 are Regular members, 240 are Senior members, 212 are Student members, 48 are Low Income members, 46 are TWUC joint members, and 14 are Lifetime members. Approximately one third of our membership resides in Edmonton and area, one third in Calgary and area, and one third in other Alberta locations.

2 Board of Directors

2016/2017 Executive 2016/2017 Members at Large President Anne Logan Vice Marc Colbourne President Dustin Archibald Rachel Lee (Youth Member-at-Large) Treasurer Falon Reed Kim McCullough Secretary Fran Kimmel Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane Past President Barb Howard Teresa Wouters

Staff

WGA Staff Executive Director Carol Holmes Program Coordinator Natalie Cook Program Coordinator Julie Robinson Program Director, Southern Region (Calgary) Office Samantha Warwick Communications and Partnerships Coordinator Ellen Kartz Member Services Coordinator Giorgia Severini Summer Program Assistant Michael Maguire WGA Contractors WestWord Editor Nora Abercrombie WordsWorth Director Colin Matty Writers Hub for Youth (WHY) Program Coordinator Shawn Tse

Committees

Fund Development Youth Committee WestWord Task Force Committee Akosua Dufie Adasi Tracey Anderson Terry Cho Tyler Gajda Lori Hahnel Carol Holmes Carol Holmes Carol Holmes Barb Howard Kim McCullough (Chair) Tyler Gajda Anne Logan Barbori G. Streibl Leslie Greentree Falon Reed (Chair) Shawn Tse Ellen Kartz Teresa Wouters Erin Vance Fran Kimmel (Chair) George Melnyk Blaine Newton Heather von Stackelberg Kathy Seifert

3

President’s Report

The 2016/2017 year was a period of hard work and steady gain for the Writers’ Guild of Alberta and its Board of Directors. As always, the WGA staff worked tirelessly to execute our strategic goals, demonstrating a series of successes that we should all be proud of.

Many of you will be familiar with the WestWord Task Force that surveyed our membership’s response to the existing magazine and created a series of recommendations to ensure the publication continues to serve its purpose well into the future. There was an overwhelming response from our members that the hard copy is preferred to an online version, so WestWord will continue to come in both formats. Furthermore, we will have an editorial advisory group to help guide the content creation, so we have much to look forward to in future issues. Big thank you to Fran Kimmel for her efforts in spearheading this initiative.

The Youth committee was at the forefront of our marketing and social media efforts this year; Young Writers’ Week was once again a success, and our under 30 membership continues to grow. Thank you to Kim McCullough for her leadership as chair of this committee, her upbeat attitude will be sorely missed as she moves on to other projects next year.

The Fund Development committee continues to make great strides in building and maintaining an engaged donor base, led by the ever-dependable Falon Reed. Barb Howard was once again a fundraising machine—her efforts have paid off in building up our endowment fund, which is now over the $25,000 mark! The Thank-a-Thon was held again this year, and the silent auction promises to bring in some much-needed cash as well. With Carol’s sound guidance and experience, the board made every effort to limit spending to keep the budget balanced, while ensuring operations had all necessary resources. I’m happy to say our financial situation is stable and slowly improving, all with the goal of the WGA becoming less dependent on government assistance.

As the reach of the WGA widens, efforts have been made to ensure the behind-the-scenes framework remains strong. Inclusion of working committees in the board structure has put increased pressure on the directors and staff; therefore a thorough editing and revision of the board manual and policies was necessary. In addition, a document outlining time and financial requirements, as well as a self-evaluation for board members was created to help ease the transition into these ever-evolving positions. Succession planning is a crucial step for any organization, which is why the board began mapping out these processes for both its directors and staff this past year.

The 2017/2018 year will see many new faces on the board, but I wanted to send a special thank you to the executive for working so tirelessly on our projects this past year. In honour of all the dedicated efforts of the past and present the entire board focused on continuing to lay the groundwork for another successful 30 years of supporting Alberta writers, and I think we succeeded in doing just that. Of course, we owe our biggest thanks to Carol Holmes and her wonderful staff for their inspiring work, day in and day out. It’s been an absolute pleasure to serve as the president this year, and I look forward to serving the membership as past president for the next 12 months.

Anne Logan, President

4 Executive Director’s Report

Welcome all to the WGA 2017 AGM.

I would like to thank the Board for their support and guidance this past year, the staff for delivering and building on the WGA’s programs and services, the volunteers mentioned in this report who generously gave their time, and Nora Abercrombie for her many years as WestWord editor. I would also like to acknowledge the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Edmonton Arts Council, and Calgary Arts Development for the operating funds provided.

The year has been a productive time for the WGA and I encourage you to review the annual report to see what activities and issues the WGA has been active in this year. If you have questions or comments, please be in touch. We welcome your feedback. A few points to highlight include:

The WGA remained active this year on advocacy issues, maintained membership or provided support to a number of writing organizations, and acted as a voice for writers on a number of boards and committee. These include the Calgary Distinguished Authors committee, the Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton, PEN Canada, the Alberta Partners or Arts and Culture, WordFest Calgary Reader’s Festival, LitFest Edmonton’s Nonfiction festival, the Edmonton Poetry Festival, When Words Collide, and Access Copyright.

I attended the Access Copyright AGM in Toronto on April. Access has a number of court cases and advocacy initiatives in process to counter the effects of the “fair dealing” clause in the Copyright Act. The impact of the inclusion of education in the “fair dealing” exemption has meant a decline in distributions from Access to creators from 6.8 million in 2013 to 3.75 million in 2015. In the fall of 2017 the Copyright Act will be reviewed and writers have the opportunity to make their opinion known. The WGA will be part of a discussion on copyright on June 28 in Edmonton and will be posting information regularly in the lead up to the review. For information on the “fair dealing” clause and actions writers can take now please see the Advocacy Tool Kit on the Access Copyright website under the Creator link.

Finances and financial security have again been a focus in this year. We ended the 2016/2017 fiscal year with a positive balance of roughly $1000. This was achieved, in part, by reducing the conference length, changing the Gala from a dinner to a reception format, and moving WestWord from bimonthly to quarterly publication. At the same time, we assigned funds to develop a range of cost-effective online programs including videos, webinars, podcasts, blog posts, and increased our online presence with regular posts on social media channels

The 2017/2018 budget was approved with these factors in mind. Additional funds are required to return to previous levels of program and support, and to build on those provided. The WGA has been approved under the new guidelines of the Canada Council for the Arts to apply for core operating grant for a three-year period beginning with the 2017/2018 fiscal year, as well as to make application for specific projects. Notification of results will be received in September and December of 2017. We are submitting applications for cost towards the conference, Mentorship Program, Read Alberta Books travelling book display and reading series, event programming, and the expansion of the Borderlines program to Calgary. The latter, as well as the Mentorship Program and the Read Alberta Books rural reading series are on hold pending funding.

5 The endowment fund is an additional source of revenue. Established at the Edmonton Community Foundation in July 2016 the fund has topped its first-year goal of $25,000. The fund has been set up to ensure the long- term stability of the WGA as a regular source of income, and we thank all who contributed to the fund in its first years. Donations can be made in a variety of ways including individual donations, corporate gifts, and legacy funds. The larger the fund, the great return. If you have questions, I would be happy to talk further.

In closing, for those who live in Edmonton or are visiting the area we are happy to announce that a regular venue for Edmonton events is secured. Beginning in September, The Almanac (10351 82 Avenue) will be the venue to hold monthly events on the first Thursday of every month. The Almanac is a charming little bistro in Old Strathcona; behind the restaurant there is a separate room with a little raised stage that will serve us well for open mic nights, readings, or even guest speakers. We'll have no rental cost for the venue. People can order their own drinks or food. Watch for notices and we hope to see you there.

Finally, the WGA board will see new faces this year, and I would like say thanks to all who have served, and to recognize those that will be leaving. Kim McCullough, for her great energy and masterful lead on the youth committee; Karen Pheasant for her invaluable input and perspective; to Fran Kimmel and Barb Howard who have generously offered their ideas, energy and wisdom over the last five years. You have made an outstanding contribution to build on and secure the future of the WGA.

One more item before closing. Our casino will take place in Edmonton on August 13 – 14. This provides a substantial amount the bottom line of the WGA, and volunteers are need to fill shifts. If you can, please be in touch.

Warm regards to all, I wish you all the best with your writing.

Carol Holmes, Executive Director

6 Treasurer’s Report

The second year of my first term as treasurer has ended, and I have enjoyed working with my fellow board members and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta (WGA) staff. I think it has been a successful year in which we have focused on ways to maintain and/or increase our services to our membership and manage our bottom line. I have reviewed the financial position of the WGA for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017. The WGA staff has done a commendable job in keeping our expenses in line with or under budget, as well as seeking out potential grant and funding opportunities. Financial statements are available for review.

Our casino revenue has been spent over the course of the last two years to offset eligible expenses. In the financial statements there is a prior period adjustment in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets from a decrease in the amount of casino funds transferred to revenue in the 2015/2016 fiscal year. This is due to a portion of expenses being disallowed by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission; these funds have been deferred to revenue in the current 2016/2017 fiscal year and represent part of this year’s surplus. Our next casino is August 13 – 14, 2017. Please volunteer for available positions if you are able.

Last year the WGA introduced our endowment fund through collaboration with the Edmonton Community Foundation, and we have been aggressive in our efforts to grow the fund. At the end of the fiscal year the fund was $22,500. Considering that it was established only a year ago, this is a great success. We would like to thank and applaud our membership for their support and any donations you have made over the last year. We hope to continue to grow the endowment fund in order to support the initiative towards diversifying revenue streams.

Similar to last year, and likely a concern of many nonprofit organizations, our main challenge has been seeking increased and diversified revenue sources and managing our budget and expenses. Our executive director and staff have been indispensable in this regard; please join me in thanking them for their dedication, diligence, and hard work throughout the year. In the coming year we hope to continue our efforts towards fund development, expanding our membership, and building collaborative partnerships with sponsors and donors.

As per the guidelines of our granting partners, 10% of our operating budget is set aside in reserve. These funds are held in short term deposits and can be accessed easily if emergency need arises. The board operates in the best interests of the membership and focuses on our strategic plan. In my opinion the WGA is in a healthy overall financial position. Thank you for the opportunity to have served as treasurer for my first term, and good luck in all your writing endeavours.

Falon Reed, Treasurer

7

Youth Committee Report

This year the WGA Youth committee challenged ourselves to not only meet the achievements of 2016, but to push forward and continue to build on them.

Akosua spearheaded the team’s execution of another successful Ask an Author Event during Young Writers’ Week. For the second year in a row, Alberta authors stepped up to interact with the young writing community. Rusty Knight, Natasha Deen, Shima Robinson, Roxanne Felix-Mah, and Brnesh Berhe shared advice and tips, as well as personal experiences with youth from across Alberta. Barbori brought forward a plan to include a writer-in-residence retreat to be held at the same time as Young Writers’ Week. While scheduling did not allow for it this year, the team will add it to the plan for next year’s Young Writers’ Week.

The Youth committee set a goal to expand the social media presence of the group beyond Facebook. Erin took on this project by setting up Writers Hub for Youth (WHY) Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter accounts. Pre-scheduled daily posts allowed the committee to have a consistent presence on social media. The committee is pleased with the outreach, and the number of followers gained in the first months of the project.

The largest challenge by far was the set up and execution of a Writers’ Vlog, a series of video posts on every aspect of writing imaginable. Tyler took the lion’s share of this project from conception to execution. He worked hard on writing and filming episodes, as well as working with Erin on promoting them through the WHY social media accounts. Tyler created a separate Writers’ Vlog post for each day of Young Writers’ Week to be posted and shared in order to gain viewership.

Shawn Tse was the committee’s resident expert in all things digital. His knowledge and engagement were critical to the success of all the above projects. The committee is grateful for his guidance and encouragement. He bought into the vision of the committee and his enthusiasm and knowledge helped the committee attain our goals.

A lot of hard work went into setting up sustainable projects. The committee feels our mandate is to not only work on producing timely and relevant content, but to set up a platform that can be expanded and refined as more youth members are attracted to the resources and supports provided by the WGA.

The committee is pleased with the achievement of our goals for the year, and looks forward to continuing to build on this year’s successes in 2017/2018.

Kim McCullough, Chair

8 Fund Development Committee Report

The Fund Development committee has had a successful year. Shortly after the AGM last year, the committee prepared and presented a strategic plan to the board, which was approved. Having a plan and focus strengthened our initiatives and activities throughout the year.

Our first objective was to increase the Writers’ Guild of Alberta’s membership, and in support of this we organized a membership booth at Wordfest and partnered with the festival to place new member advertisement within their program. Staff supported this objective by following up with expired memberships.

Our second objective was to fundraise for the endowment fund. The committee coordinated email campaigns, notices in WriteClick, and a special Christmas-themed email campaign in order to raise funds or gift a membership. Our endowment fund brought in $22,500 in the 2016/2017 fiscal year. We owe a great thank you to our membership for answering the call to donate and to all the supporters of the WGA, as well as to the board of directors and staff for their support. A special thank you goes to our past president Barb Howard as she really made it her mission this year to reach the WGA’s goals in regards to the endowment fund.

Our third objective was to diversify our revenue base. In support of this activity we began to develop our Prospect Pipeline, a growing list of partnership opportunities with potential donators and sponsors. This pipeline will remain a work-in-progress in the coming year and the committee is excited about its continued development.

In November the committee held our annual Thank-a-Thon, reaching out to our past sponsors and donors with a personal thank-you call. The committee is grateful to everyone who has contributed towards our shared interest, “to inspire, connect, support, encourage and promote writers and writing, to safeguard the freedom to write and to read, and to advocate for the well- being of writers.”

Following the success of last year’s silent auction, which brought in almost $2000 for our endowment fund, we have organized another silent auction for this year’s conference. Please take a moment to browse the items; each item has been sourced by a board director.

The committee also put out a call to our membership for anyone interested in joining the fund development committee and helping to expand our idea base. We have welcomed two new members since the call came out in WriteClick, and welcome anyone else who would be interested in joining.

In the upcoming year, the Fund Development committee hopes to continue its efforts towards diversifying revenue, growing our Prospect Pipeline, and establishing a fund development network and culture within the WGA and board of directors.

Falon Reed, Treasurer

9 Report on Activities

Annual General Meeting and Conference We hosted our 2016 conference, Creativity and Happiness, at the SAIT campus in Calgary, June 3 – 4, 2016. Lack of funding meant Creativity and Happiness was smaller than our previous conferences, but our conferences continue to offer valuable professional development, creative reflection, networking opportunities, and camaraderie with the Alberta writing community. We had 112 writers join us, and hired nine professional writers as presenters. Highlights of the conference program include:

A literary pub night featuring an ice breaker trivia game, led by Alberta Foundation for the Arts’ Paul Matwychuk. Keynote by , The Other Kind of Happiness, about how literary artists continue to engage during a time when it is said only laws, justice, and technology can save the world; and about the kind of happiness that writers know. The WGA’s AGM, including election of new board members. Keynote by Giller Prize winner Will Ferguson, Creativity & Happiness, featuring anecdotes about his literary career, writing life, and happiness. Intensive workshops including Respect for Character with Marina Endicott; Shaping the Story with Naomi K. Lewis; Gorgeous Obsessions: The creative potential of nonfiction with Julie Sedivy; Prologue—The Building Blocks of Dramatic Writing with Trevor Rueger; and My Words are in the World, Now What? with Richard Harrison. and Gala The WGA’s Alberta Literary Awards currently presents $9600 in prizes in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature, short fiction, short story, and unpublished essay. In addition, this year introduced a Youth/Emerging Writing Award to award a $500 prize to an Alberta writer aged 18 – 30. The awards continue to be valuable in recognizing and promoting excellence in the Alberta literary arts.

The WGA hosted the Alberta Literary Awards Wine and Cheese Gala on June 4, 2016 in conjunction with the Creativity and Happiness conference. The gala featured performances by Edmonton singer-songwriter Chloe Albert and renowned Calgary spoken word artist Sheri-D Wilson. Over 130 people attended the 2016 Gala. In addition to the Alberta Literary Awards Gala, shortlisted authors are also recognized at well attended annual reading events in Edmonton and Calgary.

The 2017 awards received a total of 213 entries. Please see page 23 for the 2017 shortlist. Borderlines Writers Circle The Borderlines Writers Circle aims to serve immigrant and multilingual writers who live in Edmonton and are beginning to find their way around the Canadian literary community. The program specifically addresses multiculturalism in the context of the literary arts, and actively combats linguistic and cultural barriers to becoming part of the Canadian literary scene. It has created opportunities for widening the writing community in Edmonton and for the WGA to partner with other organizations that cultivate diversity. Participating writers have the opportunity to share their personal stories and their creative work with Edmonton audiences.

10 Participants are paired with an established professional Edmonton writer who serves as a mentor during the program, which has proven to be an extremely valuable component of the program. It allows the participants to receive feedback on translation of their works at no cost to them. At the conclusion of the program, participants share their work in a public reading. Other activities that have grown out of the program include podcasts on topics relating to cultural diversity and barriers in the literary arts, workshops on topics such as translation, and collaborations between participants on new projects.

The 2016 Borderlines Writers Circle ran September 2016 – May 2017 and consisted of the following authors:

• Mohamed Abdi, a Somali-Canadian writer, documentary filmmaker, and essayist in advocacy journalism. He worked on a historical fiction manuscript under the mentorship of Tololwa Mollel. • Aksam Alyousef, Syrian playwright and screenwriter. He worked on a new play under the mentorship of Katherine Koller. • Tazeen Hasan, a journalist who works in English and Urdu as well as several other lanugages. She worked on the creation of journalistic pieces under the mentorship of Anna Marie Sewell. • Kate Rittner-Werkman, a journalist and creative nonfiction writer originally from Germany. She worked on a memoir/creative nonfiction book under the mentorship of Shirley Serviss. • Asma Sayed, a writer, translator, and academic originally from India. She worked on a memoir under the mentorship of Myrna Kostash. • Nermeen Youssef, an Egyptian poet. She worked on a collection of poems under the mentorship of Kathy Fisher.

"The program was great. It provided lots of great opportunities, valuable insight and lots of useful information. I particularly enjoyed the mentorship part as I feel I gained a lot from it, and it exceeded my (quite high) expectations. Frequency of the meetings was perfect; podcasts were a lot of fun. Speaking at the U of A class was also a fun experience. Overall—I'm very happy I got to be part of this program. I really appreciate everything I got from it and really hope to give something back to the community from the knowledge and experienced that I gained.” — Borderlines Participant “I have had the amazing honour of lengthy conversations and literary discussion with new Canadians from India, Egypt, Syria, Somalia, and other countries from which these writers felt they had to leave for what they hoped would be a better life in Canada. I've had the most stimulating, intelligent, gentle and affectionate interactions with these new Canadians and I feel deeply honoured that they shared their time, words and stories with me. We need to listen to what they have to say. We need to help them get heard and published. We have to hear their stories, believe them, and honour them.” —Kimmy Beach, Writer, Editor, Mentor

Due to the overwhelming success of this program, we are working to secure funding to launch a Borderlines Writers Circle in Calgary. Manuscript Reading Service Our Manuscript Reading Service allows WGA members to easily receive professional feedback on their writing. Members submit their manuscripts along with a small fee, the manuscripts are matched with a reader who specializes in the genre, and evaluations are returned to the writers

11 within six to eight weeks. The service has been a great benefit to authors in helping to improve their manuscripts and preparing to submit their work to publishers. Since manuscripts are submitted via email or postal mail and the service is blind, the service has the added benefit of being accessible to writers in every location in the province. WGA subsidizes 50% of the service fee to keep it affordable to writers. Comparisons with other services have shown that it is one of the least expensive manuscript review services in North America.

The Manuscript Reading Service continues to be popular, with 21 manuscripts submitted and read during the 2016/2017 year. Feedback from writers who used the service has been almost universally positive. Mentorship Program Our Mentorship Program, established in 2012, matches emerging writers with established professional writers for a four-month mentorship, typically running January to April, in which the apprentice works on a writing project (manuscript, play, works of poetry, etc.) under the guidance of their mentor. Mentors read and respond to their apprentice’s work and provide guidance and feedback as needed. Apprentices are expected to spend 20 – 25 hours per month on the program work, and mentors are expected to put in 15 – 20 hours per month. At the conclusion of the program, the apprentices share their work in a public reading event. The focus of the mentorship is the development of the apprentices’ writing craft, plus additional guidance and instruction on the business side of writing. The program provides emerging writers with guidance, collaboration, and encouragement, and provides established writers with short- term employment and the opportunity to develop their teaching and mentoring skills and contribute to the development of the next generation of writers. There is no cost to the apprentices other than arranging travel and accommodation for their first in-person meeting with their mentor.

The program matches five mentors with five apprentices. There is no cost to the apprentices other than arranging travel and accommodation for their first in-person meeting with their mentor. The 2016 apprentices were Kim Mannix, Bruce Cinnamon, Shannon Cleary, Susan Carpenter, and Katherine Koller, whose mentors were Sue Sinclair, Kimmy Beach, Lee Kvern, Cathy Ostlere, and Myrl Coulter, respectively. For 2017, we had to reduce the number of mentors and apprentices matched from five to three, due to the loss of Canada Council funding.

The Mentorship Program has proven to have immense benefit to the writing community. It provides encouragement and networking opportunities to emerging writers and work for established writers. Apprentices report that their writing has improved immensely under the guidance of their mentors, and mentors are glad to be able to give back to the literary community by helping emerging writers. In addition, we have seen apprentices publish the work they had been working on during the mentorship, secure literary agents, and find work as writing instructors.

“I came into the 2016 WGA Mentorship program with a meandering, shapeless second draft of a novel. I finished the program with a tighter, cleaner, better third draft. My outstanding mentor, Kimmy Beach, helped me identify areas of strength and weakness and figure out how to cut 50,000 superfluous words. More importantly, she reignited my passion for my own project. I can honestly say that without Kimmy, I would not have finished this book. I ended the mentorship program in a far better place than I started it; not only do I now have a manuscript that I'm

12 proud of, I also have a new, lifelong friend—a mentor in the craft of writing, the business of publishing, and the art of living a life full of love.” –Bruce Cinnamon Online Community Social Media We aim to make at least two to three posts daily on social media channels. Posts aim to promote WGA activities, advocacy related news, and events that serve the writing community as a whole. As of the time of this reporting, our Facebook page has over 1600 Likes and our Twitter feed has over 4000 followers. New this year is our Instagram account, which we use to make visually interesting posts to put a personal touch on our events and activities. The Instagram account currently has over 200 followers. The Youth committee has also started up Facebook and Twitter accounts specifically to share and promote writing activities of interest to emerging writers under 30.

The WGA utilizes the following social media channels:

• Facebook Page: facebook.com/WritersGuildofAlberta (Official WGA page for WGA activities and news within the writing community) • Facebook Group Forum: facebook.com/groups/writersguildofalberta/ (Community user-based group for sharing discussions, questions on writing, writing news, etc.) • Instagram: instagram.com/writersguildab • Twitter: twitter.com/WritersGuildAB Writers’ Hub for Youth Facebook Page: facebook.com/wgayouthhub Writers’ Hub for Youth Twitter: twitter.com/WGA_Youth_Hub

Website Our current website allows members to use their online accounts to display a profile in the online member directory, manage their membership and subscription preferences, register for programs, comment on posts, and share content on social media. The member section of the website currently features access to WestWord and WriteClick archives. Public website content includes FAQs about getting published, intellectual property, and self-publishing; podcasts on topics including cultural diversity and the business of writing; and a blog with features such as author profiles, event recaps, and reflections on the writing life.

Webinars The Get Publishing Webinar Series was launched in 2016 after the Get Publishing Communications Society dissolved and gifted its brand to the WGA. In 2016, we offered three webinars:

• Making Readers and Characters Squirm with Beth Hill Creative Nonfiction—Hooking Your Reader with Angie Abdou • Pitch Your Story to a Film Producer with Michael Jorgensen

The webinars allow more accessibility to presentations about the writing craft and business for members who are unable to attend our regular events in Edmonton and Calgary. They also allow us to more easily bring in presenters from outside Alberta, thus increasing the diversity of voices in our programs.

13 Partnerships The WGA continued the following major ongoing partnerships in 2016/2017: The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize, The City of Edmonton Book Prize, and administration for the Edmonton Stroll of Poets. Both The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and The Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize continue to be successful. The Edmonton prize broke its record total for the second year in a row with 45 submissions, while the Calgary prize received 23 submissions. The WGA hired three successful and prominent jurors for each prize, oversaw the jury’s group deliberations, and collected the final jury results and declarations. Close communication and collaboration with the two cities were very successful in the execution of both city prizes. The Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize was presented to Lauralyn Chow for Paper Teeth on May 1, 2017 as part of the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts. The winner of The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize will be announced as part of The Calgary Awards on June 28, 2017. Please see page 24 for the complete shortlist for The Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize.

The Edmonton Stroll of Poets Society has been in partnership with the WGA for many years. The WGA continues to provide administrative support to run a very successful organization. The Edmonton Stroll of Poets has over 100 active members, holds over 20 readings in a year and publishes a yearly anthology.

The WGA has been successfully partnering on events with Wordfest, Calgary’s Reader’s Festival, for 12 consecutive years; and Litfest, Edmonton’s Nonfiction Festival, for over nine years. In recent years we have also regularly partnered with the Edmonton Poetry Festival for annual events.

The WGA is currently working toward another highly valued partnership, the eighth annual partnership with Frontier College to present the 2017 Scotiabank Giller Light Bash in Calgary. We take a leadership role on the planning committee as this event creates an opportunity for book lovers and writers to gather and celebrate Canadian literature and raise funds for literacy. The Giller Light Bash is a well-known cultural event and highlight of the Canadian literary scene that started in Toronto 16 years ago, and has grown to include satellite events in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina, Thunder Bay, and Halifax. These events have raised more than $600,000 for literacy programs delivered to high-needs communities. Frontier College is Canada’s original literacy organization and has been working on the front lines to improve Canada’s literacy rates since 1899. Priority is given to inner city schools, public housing sites, community centres, women’s shelters, the workplace, and prisons. We know that people with low literacy are more likely to be unemployed, have poor health, and live in poverty. Read Alberta Books The Read Alberta Books travelling library display aims to raise the profile of Alberta-made content throughout the province. Books shortlisted for the Alberta Literary Awards and the Book Publishers Association of Alberta Book Awards and a catalogue containing ordering information are sent to regional libraries for distribution to their participating member libraries. The program started in 2013 as a joint project between the WGA, the Book Publishers Association of Alberta, and the Parkland Regional Library System. In 2016, all seven regional library systems in Alberta participated. The project received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts to include a series of readings, which brought author visits

14 to regional libraries in locales that may not often have literary events. The 2016 author readings included sustainability author Chris Turner at the Medicine Hat Public Library and Vera Bracken Library at Medicine Hat College; poet Joan Shillington visiting the Stettler Public Library; children’s author Leanne Shirtliffe at the Penhold and District Public Library; and fiction, nonfiction, and poetry writer Wendy McGrath at the Provost Municipal Library. Retreats The WGA continues to host a winter retreat at the Banff Centre and a spring retreat at Strawberry Creek Lodge, which continue to be popular. Our ten-day Banff Retreat, held Feburary 3 – 12, 2017 at the Banff Centre, sold out with 23 participants. Kimmy Beach, acclaimed poet and fiction writer and experienced writing mentor, was the retreat’s writer in residence. Our Spring Strawberry Creek Retreat, May 10 – 14, 2017, also sold out with 11 participants. Participants consistently report that they love having the time to focus on their writing and connect with other writers at our retreats. WestWord Our magazine, WestWord, continues to be distributed to over 1200 members and stakeholders. Due to high production costs, the frequency has changed this year from bimonthly to quarterly. The magazine runs an average of 36 pages per issue, complete with fresh photo illustrations and a new full-colour cover format. Regular features include a calendar of literary events, WGA event listings, and market/competition listings. Articles of interest to writers on the rewards, the craft, the business, the life, and the issues are included in every issue, along with community and member news. Members have the choice of receiving a paper or an electronic edition of WestWord, or both if they wish to receive both editions. At the time of this reporting, over 400 subscribers receive the electronic WestWord, but over 600 receive the paper edition.

Our Communications and Partnerships Coordinator, Ellen Kartz, is in charge of coordinating the production of WestWord. Longtime Editor Nora Abercrombie will be leaving at the end of 2017 and we are currently looking to fill the position. WriteClick WriteClick, our email newsletter, continues to be distributed to members who opt in to receive it—over 90% of members. It includes current WGA news, event listings, member book launches and readings, upcoming workshops and classes, employment and volunteer opportunities for writers, and up-to-date market and contest listings that come in after WestWord deadlines. WriteClick is sent weekly (with the exception of a slightly reduced frequency during the summer months) so members receive information in a timely fashion. WGA special bulletins are also distributed via WriteClick when required. In order to improve the newsletter’s readability and format, as well as to take precautions towards spam prevention, the WGA distributes WriteClick through a third-party email service, which has changed to MailChimp this year after the service we previously used, Campaigner, proved no longer satisfactory. MailChimp allows us to create our newsletters through the use of their templates, streamline our list management, and measure our newsletter traffic to determine its effectiveness.

15 Youth Programs Tent Peg Reading Series The Tent Peg Reading Series for Young Writers is an interactive series providing young writers an opportunity to develop their writing voice and community through the dynamic mentorship of relevant Canadian writers. Each session in this series is designed to expose, excite, and explore writing through dynamic Canadian writing and writers. Former WordsWorth Director Lisa Murphy-Lamb is the facilitator of this program and hosts it at the community arts space Loft 112.

This is collaborative project evolved from the WGA’s former Calgary Teen Writing Group. The Tent Peg Reading Series is currently supported by Loft 112, the WGA, and , and community partners: Rob Omura, Aritha van Herk, Lisa Murphy-Lamb, 8 Ounce Coffee, Company of Rogues, Juleta Severson Baker, and Bow Valley College.

Drink the Wild Air The 2017 Drink The Wild Air winter youth writing retreat was held March 10 – 12, 2017 at Kamp Kiwanis. The program is growing in popularity, attracting 31 young writers this year who view it as a chance to reconnect with their friends from WordsWorth. They spent the weekend with Colin Matty, Bevin Dooley, and Tim Mikula. Activities included creative writing classes, hiking, an open mic, a book swap, and campfires.

Edmonton Youth Programs Under the guidance of Shawn Tse, our Writers Hub for Youth (WHY) Program Coordinator, we launched the Be a Video Poem Maker! course for Edmonton youth ages 12 – 18. During this course, participants learn to write poetry and create a visual representative video for their poem. An attempt to launch the course through the YMCA did not attract enough participants, but we tried again by partnering with YEP! Youth Edmonton Poets and offered the course May 11 and 25, 2017, at the Strathcona Public Library. Although participation has been slow, the interest has been growing, and we are hoping this course will help to re-establish a teen writing community in Edmonton. Spoken word poet Brandon Wint teaches the course along with Shawn Tse.

WordsWorth WordsWorth Summer Youth Writing Residency, held at Kamp Kiwanis in Bragg Creek, continues to be immensely popular and an invaluable experience for teen writers. Young participants experience not only improvement in their writing, but also personal growth, connections with like-minded young writers, and mentorship from experienced and enthusiastic artists. The first week (July 10 – 15, 2016) was for participants ages 12 – 14, the second (July 17 – 22, 2016) for ages 15 – 19, and the third (July 24 – 29, 2016) for ages 14 – 19. We also offered a two-week program option, in which participants could attend both week two and three at a discount. WordsWorth attracted a total of 82 participants in 2016. Participants eagerly return to WordsWorth for multiple years, but we have had difficulty in attracting new participants, particularly in the younger age group. As older participants age out of WordsWorth, we have to focus our marketing efforts to bring in higher numbers of new participants.

Course topics for 2016 included experimental writing, spoken word, speculative fiction, creative nonfiction, magazine creation, and more. Activities also included Blue Pencil Café manuscript evaluation sessions, jam sessions, free writing time, performances from guest artists, and outdoor camp activities. The WordsWorth 2016 courses and staff were as follows:

16 Week One (ages 12 – 14): July 10 – 15, 2016

Word Magic with Kim Firmston Studies in Conflict with Sam Jeffery Adventures in Poetry Land with Johnny MacRae Impulse by Tim Mikula Fractured Fairytales with Cathy Ostlere You Do Not Live in This World Alone with Mary Pinkoski (how other art forms influence literary arts) Constraint Based Writing with Paul Zits

Week Two (ages 15 – 19): July 17 – 22, 2016

Poetry on the Edges of Meaning with The One Week Magazine with Lyndsie Bourgon Word Magic with Kim Firmston Studies in Conflict with Sam Jeffery Creative Nonfiction with Richard Kemick Word Play and Authenticity in Spoken Word with Ahmed Knowmadic Impulse with Tim Mikula Creative Flow and The Writer’s Voice with David Wilson Constraint Based Writing with Paul Zits

Week Three (ages 14 – 19): July 24 – 29, 2016

Spoken Word Poetry with Isaac Bond A Sense of the World with Marcello Di Cintio The Short Form with Jani Krulc What if DRAGONS? with Colin Martin (speculative fiction) On the Road – The Imaginary Road Trip with Cathy Ostlere Time Travel Tales with Simon Rose Podcast Playground with Emily Ursuliak Creative Flow and The Writer’s Voice with David Wilson

The Creative Team (supervisors)

Jamie Lewis Marc Herman Lynch Sebastien Ringuette Julia Seymour Jessie Tollestrup

Colin Matty continues to serve as the WordsWorth Director. WordsWorth will again offer three weeks this summer, July 9 – 28, 2017.

17 WGA Events

The following events were presented by the WGA from June 2016 through May 2017.

Calgary The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize Finalists Reading and Celebration: August 16, 2016, Shelf Life Books The WGA, The City of Calgary, and 17th Ave Retail & Entertainment District hosted the three finalists for The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize 2015: Sharon Butala, Will Ferguson, and Eugene Stickland. Shortlisted authors read from or spoke about their nominated books and answered audience questions. A social and celebration followed the formal program. Transitions: A Yoga, Writing & Mindfulness Workshop: September 18, 2016, Yoga Santosha The WGA and Yoga Santosha offered a mindfulness, yoga, and writing workshop led by instructor Amber Rotar exploring the themes of Transition (seasonal, creative, personal, and physical). This popular workshop featured restorative yin and mindfulness-based practice with writing prompts, timed free writes, short meditations, slow yoga poses, and selected reading throughout. Beer & Literary Pairing: September 27, 2016, Shelf Life Books In celebration of Alberta Beer Week, the WGA partnered with The Alberta Small Breweries Association for an evening of local authors paired with local Alberta beer. Featured Alberta authors included Todd Babiak, Weyman Chan, Dymphny Dronyk, Lori Hahnel, and Chris Turner. How to Keep Going—Jowita Bydlowska in Conversation with Samantha Warwick: October 14, 2016, Arts Commons—Big Secret Theatre The WGA and Wordfest presented a one-on-one interview with author Jowita Bydlowska discussing her new novel, Guy, her memoir, Drunk Mom, and her column in the Toronto Star that covers topics of mental health. Bydlowska and Warwick discussed the differences and similarities between memoir and novel writing. Calgary’s 7th Annual Scotiabank Giller Light Bash: November 7, 2016, WURST Beer Hall & Restaurant With the support of Shelf Life Books, Wordfest, Freehand Books, and Frontier College, we hosted Calgary’s 7th annual celebration of the Scotiabank Giller Prize. This event brings readers, writers, and supporters of the arts together in a vibrant and entertaining atmosphere to celebrate books and reading, and to raise money for literacy. Local book blogger and WGA President Anne Logan hosted the evening, and local authors defended each of the five nominated titles. Defenders included Micheline Maylor, Glenn Dixon, Bradley Somer, Clea Young, and Sheri-D Wilson. How to Pitch Seminar with Kim Pittaway and Pitchfest: November 18 and 25, 2016, Kahanoff Conference Centre In partnership with the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, the WGA presented a two-part professional development series that gave freelance writers a chance to hone their pitching skills and meet for one-on-one consultations with top local magazine editors.

18 Annual Holiday Writers’ Party: December 14, 2016, Rose & Crown Pub & Restaurant The WGA community celebrated holiday cheer with readings by local authors Arun Lakra, Susan Ouriou, and Rea Tarvydas. WGA Book Club: The Right to Write & The Path of Most Resistance: February 28, 2017, Shelf Life Books In acknowledgement of Freedom to Read Week and in celebration of our Freedom to Write, Samantha Warwick hosted a discussion of Julia Cameron’s The Right to Write and Russell Wangersky’s The Path of Most Resistance. The Business of Writing with Teresa de Grosbois: March 29, 2017, Shelf Life Books Four-time bestselling author Teresa de Grosbois gave an inspiring evening of advice on the business of writing, including how authors achieve bestselling status, best publishing options, book endorsements, and more. The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize Finalists Reading and Celebration: April 19, 2017, Shelf Life Books The WGA, The City of Calgary, and 17th Ave Retail & Entertainment District hosted the three finalists for The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize 2016: Joan Crate, Beth Everest, and Richard Harrison. The shortlisted authors read from or spoke about their nominated books and answered audience questions. A social and celebration followed the formal program. Making & Unmaking Metaphor with Lorna Crozier: April 22, 2017, Hotel Arts In partnership with the Calgary Spoken Word Festival, we presented a workshop on using metaphor in poetry by acclaimed Victoria-based poet Lorna Crozier. Alberta Literary Awards Shortlist Reading and Celebration: May 24, 2017, Shelf Life Books Our annual celebration of the Alberta Literary Award shortlist featured complimentary wine and food from Aida’s Bistro, time to visit with friends, and lively readings from shortlisted authors including: Lee Kvern, Paige Feureu, Lauralyn Chow, Gisèle Villeneuve, Mary Graham, , Helen Hajnoczky, Georgia Graham, Braden Griffiths, Richard Harrison, Shelley Youngblut, and Sydney Sharpe with Don Braid.

Edmonton WGA Fall Kickoff: September 15, 2016, The Kasbar We kicked off the season by bringing together representatives from writing organizations to share what literary events they have planned in Edmonton for the coming months. Organizations and individuals represented included the Metro Writer in Residence, Edmonton’s Poet Laureate, LitFest, The Writers’ Union of Canada, Stroll of Poets Society, Third Verb, the Edmonton Public Library, the Edmonton Poetry Festival, and the Limitless Literacy Society. A Place Called Home—Immigrant Writers and Their Stories: October 16, 2016, Massawa Café and Bistro The WGA and LitFest presented six internationally published writers exploring the impact immigration and adaptation to a new culture have on creative writing. The event featured readings by members of the Borderlines Writers Circle and a moderated, open discussion. The featured authors were Yasser Abdel-Latif, Susana Chalut, Fahim Hassan, Marina Ivanova, Alma Maniclla, and Anamol Mani.

19 How to Pitch Seminar with Kim Pittaway and Pitchfest: November 19 and 26, 2016, Percy Page Centre In partnership with the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, the WGA presented a two-part professional development series that gave freelance writers a chance to hone their pitching skills and meet for one-on-one consultations with top local magazine editors. WGA Holiday Party Featuring Rapid Fire Theatre: December 2, 2016, The Kasbar Rapid Fire Theatre improv performers provided comedic literary entertainment, then hosted an open mic for members. We enjoyed a light buffet and lots of time for visiting. Gen Next & Z Edmonton Writers Meet-Up: January 19, 2017, Devaney’s Irish Pub We hosted an open mic and mingling evening especially for young and emerging writers. Noir at the Kasbar!: February 16, 2017, The Kasbar Local writers Greg Bechtel, Wayne Arthurson, and S.G. Wong gave readings during this evening of twists, double-takes, and intrigue. Borderlines Writers Circle Readings: March 30, 2017, Whitemud Crossing Library The 2016 Borderlines participants read from their work as a conclusion to their program. The reading featured Nermeen Youssef, Tazeen Hasan, Mohamed Abdi, Kate Rittner- Werkman, Asma Sayed, and Aksam Alyousef, sharing works of poetry, short fiction, historical fiction, memoir, and nonfiction. F.O.O.L.: fiction and other lit(erature): April 1, 2017, Cha Island Café & Lounge This social event, organized by MacEwan University Arts and Cultural Management students, featured Todd Babiak in conversation with Bolo Tie Collective’s Shawn Hamm, with Colin Matty as the opening act. Clouds on the Horizon—Query?: April 22, 2017, Latitude 53 In partnership with the Edmonton Poetry Festival, we hosted poets Ben Ladouceur, Gregory Scofield, Marina Reid Hale, and David Oberholtzer, as they explored how the LGTBQ community can use poetry to respond to current events while continuing to celebrate the beauty of their community. 2017 Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize Shortlist Reading: April 26, 2017, Audreys Books This event featured readings from the 2017 Robert Kroestch City of Edmonton Book Prize shortlisted authors: Lauralyn Chow, Katherine Koller, and Trent Portigal. Three New Alberta Voices: May 6, 2017, Tiramisu Bistro We concluded the 2017 Mentorship Program with a public reading of work from apprentices Jacqueline Kwan, Marco Melfi, and Sherryl Melnyk. Claire Kelly of NeWest Press also spoke about seeing your work transition from manuscript to published book. An Afternoon with the Authors: May 28, 2017, Audreys Books Our annual celebration of the Alberta Literary Awards shortlist featured readings from the following authors: , Omar Mouallem, Rona Altrows, Sydney Sharpe and Don Braid, Laurie MacFayden, Lisa J. Lawrence, Mary Graham, Nora Gould, Austen Lee, Vern Thiessen, Alison Hughes, Katie Bickell. This event always packs the lower level of Audreys Books, and refreshments are served.

20 More Alberta Locations Read Alberta Books Author Reading—Chris Turner: September 29, 2016, Medicine Hat Public Library As part of Read Alberta Books author visit series to libraries around the province, leading sustainability author Chris Turner provided a reading and presentation at the Medicine Hat Public Library. Read Alberta Books Author Reading—Chris Turner: September 30, 2016, Medicine Hat College Vera Bracken Library Chris Turner provided a second Read Alberta Books reading and presentation to Medicine Hat with over 100 in attendance. Writing the Earth—Autumn Reflections at the Devonian Botanic Garden: October 1, 2016, Devonian Botanic Garden, Devon Critically acclaimed author Jenna Butler led a writing workshop in the beautiful setting of the Devonian Botanic Garden. Participants took in the sights, sounds, scents, and light during an outdoor walk, the headed inside for inspired writing. Read Alberta Books Author Reading—Wendy McGrath: October 5, 2016, Provost Municipal Library Wendy McGrath led a writing workshop and reading from her most recent novel, North East. Read Alberta Books Author Reading—Joan Shillington: October 15, 2016, Stettler Public Library Joan Shillington visited Stettler Public Library to talk about her book Folding the Wilderness. Read Alberta Books Author Reading—Leanne Shirtliffe: October 21, 2016, Penhold and District Public Library Children’s author Leanne Shirtliffe gave a reading at Penhold and District Public Library.

21 Liaisons

Boards and Committees The WGA is represented on the board of the Alberta Partners in Arts & Culture Coalition; LitFest, Edmonton’s Nonfiction Festival; When Words Collide; ’s Calgary Distinguished Writers Program; and the Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton; and is an organizational member of Access Copyright and PEN Canada.

Liaisons The WGA maintains arm’s-length relationships with a number of arts organizations for mutual benefit. These organizations include (but are not limited to): Alberta Playwrights’ Network Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society Book Publishers Association of Alberta Calgary Distinguished Writers Program Canadian Authors Association Canadian Literature Centre Editors’ Association of Canada Edmonton Poetry Festival Edmonton Public Library Frontier College Get Publishing Communications Society Glenbow Museum Library Association of Alberta LitFest Loft 112 Parkland Regional Library Parmly Billings Library Poets’ Ink Shelf Life Books Stroll of Poets University of Calgary English Department The Writers’ Union of Canada Wordfest Young Alberta Book Society

22 WGA Literary Awards

2017 Alberta Literary Awards Shortlist

R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature (Sponsored by the Under the Arch Youth Foundation at the Calgary Foundation) Paige Feurer (Calgary) – And Then It Rained on Malcolm, Sky Pony Press Georgia Graham (Lacombe) – Cub’s Journey Home, Red Deer Press Alison Hughes (Edmonton) – What Matters, Orca Book Publishers James H. Gray Award for Short Nonfiction (Supported by Tony Johnson) Austen Lee (Edmonton) – “Among Cougars and Men,” Glass Buffalo Omar Mouallem (Edmonton) – “Welcoming Omar Khadr,” University Affairs Shelley Youngblut (Calgary) – “House of Cards,” The Walrus

Howard O’Hagan Award for Short Story (Supported by Vanna Tessier and Guy Tessier) Laurie MacFayden (Edmonton) – “Haircut,” Alberta Views Gisèle Villeneuve (Calgary) – “Nuit Blanche with Gendarme,” Press Thomas Wharton (Edmonton) – “Bestiary,” Hingston & Olsen

Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry (Sponsored by Stephan V. Benediktson) Nora Gould (Consort/Edmonton) – Selah, Brick Books Helen Hajnoczky (Calgary) – Magyarázni, Coach House Books Richard Harrison (Calgary) – On Not Losing My Father’s Ashes in the Flood, Wolsak and Wynn

Jon Whyte Memorial Essay Award (Supported by the Writers’ Guild of Alberta Board of Directors) Rona Altrows (Calgary) – “Letter of Intent” Mary Graham (Calgary) – “The Plight, and the Power, of the Stoney Nakoda” Lee Kvern (Okotoks) – “Heavy Weight for Silence” Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award for Drama (Sponsored by Alberta Views) Ellen Close & Braden Griffiths (Calgary) – My Family & Other Endangered Species Mieko Ouchi (Edmonton) – I Am For You Vern Thiessen (Edmonton) – Of Human Bondage

Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction Marty Klinkenberg (Edmonton) – The McDavid Effect: Connor McDavid and the New Hope for Hockey, Simon & Schuster Canada Myrna Kostash (Edmonton) – The Seven Oaks Reader, NeWest Press Sydney Sharpe & Don Braid (Calgary) – Notley Nation, Dundurn Press

Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction (Sponsored by the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity) Lauralyn Chow (Calgary) – Paper Teeth, NeWest Press Lisa J. Lawrence (Edmonton) – Rodent, Orca Gisèle Villeneuve (Calgary) – Rising Abruptly, University of Alberta Press Youth/Emerging Writing Contest (Supported by Nicole Duley) This year’s recipient is Katie Bickell for her short story “Angels in the Snow.”

23 Golden Pen Lifetime Achievement Award (Supported by Aritha van Herk) The WGA is happy to present this award to Candas Jane Dorsey.

The Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize (2017) Lauralyn Chow, Paper Teeth, NeWest Press (WINNER) Katherine Koller, Art Lessons, Enfield & Wizenty Trent Portigal, A Floating Phrase, Roundfire Books

The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize (2016) Joan Crate, Black Apple, Simon & Schuster Beth Everest, silent sister: the mastectomy poems, Frontenac House Richard Harrison, On Not Losing My Father’s Ashes in the Flood, Wolsak and Wynn

24 Important Acknowledgements

Grantors The Writers’ Guild of Alberta gratefully acknowledges the funding support of the following granting agencies in 2016/2017: Alberta Culture Edmonton Community Foundation Alberta Foundation for the Arts Calgary Arts Development Edmonton Arts Council Canada Council for the Arts

Sponsors Alberta Association for Multicultural Education (Borderlines Writers Circle) Alberta Views (Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award for Drama) Amber Webb-Bowerman Memorial Foundation (WordsWorth) Audreys Books (The Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize) Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction) Edmonton Poetry Festival (Conference) Stephan V. Benediktson (Stephan G. Stephannson Award for Poetry) Canadian Authors Association (Conference) Canadian Literature Centre (Conference) Canadian Multicultural Education Foundation (Conference) The City of Calgary (The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize) The City of Edmonton (The Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize) ExxonMobil Canada (WordsWorth) Fitneff (Conference) Priority Printing (WordsWorth and Conference) Reality is Optional Kids’ Writing Club (WordsWorth) TELUS Community Affairs (Youth Programs) Young Alberta Book Society (Conference)

Supporters

Tony Johnson (James H. Gray Award for Short Nonfiction) Jane Stevens (Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction) Vanna Tessier and Guy Tessier (Howard O’Hagan Award for Short Story) Under the Arch Youth Foundation at The Calgary Foundation (R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature) Aritha van Herk (Golden Pen Award) The WGA Board of Directors (Alberta Literary Awards)

25 Donors

Alley Kat Brewing Rebecca Garber Peter Midgley Company Mike Gardner Elizabeth Millham Rona Altrows Raymond Gariepy Sonny Milne Diane Armstrong Susan Glasier mission of care™ Patricia Atchison Debbie Godkin Elaine Morin Nancy Bedard Nora Gould Lisa Murphy-Lamb John Betton Leslie Greentree Leanne Myggland-Carter Shirley Black Rosemary Griebel Blaine Newton Eva Blaskovic Trudy Grienauer Laura Nicol Kate Boorman Lori Hahnel Charles Noble Carrie Bouvette-Mason Carolyn Hall William O'Callaghan Marion Brooker Amber Hayward David Orr Sigmund Brouwer Betty Jane Hegerat Cathy Ostlere Eric Bryer Brian Hitchon Rick Overwater Eleanor Byers Carol Holmes Valerie Palmer Susan Calder Bethany Horne David Peyto Curtis Calkins Barbara Howard Doug Pilkey Judith Campbell John Howard Joy Pritchard Miji Campbell Bruce Hunter Darlene Quaife Heather Campbell Hazel Hutchins Falon Reed Carbert Waite LLP Sadru Jetha Faye Reineberg Holt Lorraine Cathro Abdul Kamal Jeannette Richter Jacqueline Chartier Fran Kimmel Lori D. Roadhouse Leslie Chivers Warren Knetsch Hermaine Robinson Pamela Clark Gregory Koop Bonnie Ryan-Fisher Pam Clark Lee Kvern Elizabeth Sanders Graham Clews Allison Kydd Ramma Sawhney Myrl Coulter Mansoor Ladha Colleen Schalm Corinne Cowan Konn Lavery Cheryl Schenk Joan Crate Julie Lockhart Eileen Schuh Karen Crowdis Anne Logan Julie Sedivy Jean Crozier Glenna and Derek Logan Kathy Seifert Elaine Cust Janice Lore Margaret Semple Samantha Davidson Joy Magnusson Shirley Serviss Dolly Dennis Alice Major Leda Shamchuk Joan Dixon Kim Mannix Vermette Leanne Shirtliffe Joan Dyrholm Janet Markley D. Lynn Skillen Wynne Edwards Dianna Martin Steven Smith Jannie Edwards Meghan Masterson Paul Sonsteby Beth Elhard William Masuak Karen Spafford-Fitz Beth Everest Lise Mayne Bob Stallworthy Kathy Fisher Jane Stevens Wanda Fodchuk Maggie McCourt Barbori Streibl M. Jennie Frost Colleen McNaught Merna Summers Sandra Gangel Don Meredith Rea Tarvydas

26 Robert Tatz Aritha van Herk Linda White Vanna Tessier and Guy Tom Wayman Hector Williamson Tessier Judy Weir Christopher Wiseman Nhung Tran-Davies Edna Wellman Madelaine Wong Jane Trotter Laura Wershler Teresa Wouters Inge Trueman Thomas Wharton Shelley Youngblut

Volunteers

Thank you to all volunteers who have donated their time to the WGA during the 2016/2017 year. Their contributions and enthusiasm are greatly appreciated—we could not have done it without them!

Akosua Adasi Dufie Roxanne Felix-Mah Falon Reed Rona Altrows Tyler Gajda Shima Robinson Tracey Anderson Leslie Greentree Kathy Seifert Kelsey Attard Lori Hahnel Bradley Somer Brnesh Berhe Barb Howard Barbori Streibl Susan Calder Fran Kimmel Lyn Thompson Terry Cho Will Lawrence Emily Ursuliak David de Vlieger Kevin Lee Erin Vance Dana Deathe Anne Logan Heather von Stackelberg Natasha Deen Katherine Main Toby Welch Finola Desousa Micheline Maylor Everett Wilson Glenn Dixon Kim McCullough Sheri-D Wilson Candas Dorsey Georges Melnyk Teresa Wouters Caterina Edwards Blaine Newton Clea Young

27

11759 Groat Road NW Edmonton, AB T5M 3K6 780.422.8174 writersguild.ca [email protected]

Cover photo credits (clockwise from left): Marina Reid Hale at Clouds on the Horizon—Query? Photo by Julie Robinson Lulu promotes Freedom to Read Week. Photo by Samantha Warwick WordsWorth 2016. Photo by Jamie Lewis

The WGA is supported by: