CNFCProgram.qxp_Layout 1 2014-04-24 2:40 PM Page 1 CNFCProgram.qxp_Layout 1 2014-04-24 2:40 PM Page 2 tion Collective. Every writer present was bowled over by the read- ings: the personal stories, excerpts from family memoirs, travel experiences, subjective reportage, and stories that employed a new journalism form. Myrna recalls that everyone was thrilled at the breadth and depth of what nonfiction could be. Dear Members, Welcome to the 10th The weekend also included a lot of griping about how fiction Anniversary Conference of had all the prizes, all the media attention, and all the readers. A the Creative Nonfiction powerful and determined informal manifesto was written by this Collective Society. In prepa- early group of writers on what an organization of nonfiction writ- ration for this weekend I ers could do to get Canadians to pay attention to nonfiction. asked Founder and Past But first things first, the group needed a name. Two choices President, Myna Kostash, were voted on: The Nonfiction Collective of Canada and the to tell me how it all began. Creative Nonfiction Collective. We know which one garnered In 2002, Myrna was on the the most votes. jury for the Governor Over the next ten years, creative nonfiction as a genre grew. New General’s Literary Award for literary practices developed. CNF courses were added to writing Nonfiction with Andreas programs. Literary journals called for nonfiction essays. Prizes Schroeder and Jack Cook. and contests for essays and nonfiction were added and cele- They gave the prize to brated as part of the literary season. Suddenly, it seemed like Andrew Nikiforuk for his creative nonfiction writers had arrived! The ecology of the genre book Saboteurs: Wiebo Ludwig’s War Against Big Oil. The dis- had changed, cnf was relevant, and our membership tripled. cussion around the table was that Andrew’s book was extremely Ten years ago, the sense of urgency that made a group of writers well written, a readable narrative, and an important story that come together to create this organization was not just about the should ignite public discussion and interest. When Saboteur’s pub- underdog nature of the genre – these writers collectively articu- lisher, Macfarlane, Walter & Ross, went out of business it became lated the social and political importance of creative nonfiction. apparent that there was a lack of structural support in the industry This weekend as we gather together in Calgary as memoirists, and the media for nonfiction. Seeing this crisis in nonfiction in travel writers, essayists, and journalists, let’s thank our founders Canada Myrna Kostash contacted Betsy Warland and the two and early members who had the vision and enthusiasm for sent out a call to professional nonfiction writers to gather together Canada’s best literary organization: the Creative Nonfiction in Banff to discuss the state of nonfiction particularly in compari- Collective Society. son to the overwhelming support for fiction. I hope you enjoy this very special weekend in Calgary! About fifteen writers came to the pay-your-own-way gathering. Most came from Alberta and B.C. as Banff was relatively close by Sincerely, and at that time the Banff Centre offered the writers artists’ rates. Cathy Ostlere At that first meeting, Myrna had an idea that all the writers should President read excerpts from their work. What happened that night gener- ated a spark that resulted in the creation of the Creative Nonfic- CNFCProgram.qxp_Layout 1 2014-04-24 2:40 PM Page 4 Friday, 1:30 – 4:00 pm Friday, 7:30 pm Turner Valley Room RONALD WRIGHT LORRI NEILSEN GLENN “A SHORT HISTORY OF A WRITER’S LIFE” “Text, Time, and Memory: The Art and Craft of Bricolage” will explore the innovative ways creative nonfiction (CNF) can Historian, novelist, and essayist Ronald Wright is the award-win- fashion text to create insight and spark connection. ning author of nine books of nonfiction and fiction published in (*Friday afternoon for pre-registered participants only) 16 languages and more than 40 countries. Much of his work explores the relationships between past and present, peoples Lorri Neilsen Glenn’s prose, poetry and edited collections include and power, other cultures and our own. Untying the Apron: Daughters Remember Mothers of the 1950s A Short History of Progress, in which he examines humankind’s (Guernica Editions, 2013, in its 3rd printing); Threading Light: increasingly precarious “experiment” with civilization, was the Explorations in Loss and Poetry (Hagios Press, 2011), and Lost best-selling book in the 50-year history of the prestigious CBC Gospels (Brick Books, 2010). Lorri has taught writing across Massey Lecture Series, winning the Libris Award for nonfiction Canada, as well as in Ireland, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, book of the year (2005) and serving as the basis for Martin and Greece. Lorri was Halifax Poet Laureate from 2005 to 2009, Scorsese’s documentary film Surviving Progress (2011). Wright’s and a recipient of a 2009 Halifax Women of Excellence award. What Is America? was also a bestseller and finalist for the B.C. Book Prize in 2009. Born in England to Canadian and British parents, Wright read archaeology and anthropology at Cambridge University and spent many years travelling for his books, taking part in anthropo- logical research, and recording indigenous music. He lives on Canada’s west coast. sponsored by Friends of CNFC CNFCProgram.qxp_Layout 1 2014-04-24 2:40 PM Page 6 Denise Chong is an internationally published, award-winning writer and a two-time finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Awards. Her memoir, The Concubine’s Children, has become a modern classic. In addition to an anthology of short stories, Denise followed her memoir with three more books: The Girl in the Picture, about the famous napalm victim of the Vietnam War; Egg on Mao, and most recently, Lives of the Family, a book of linked stories exploring the emotional experience of the immigrant in small-town Canada. Early in her career, Denise worked as an economist and as a senior advisor to then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In 2013, she was named as an Officer of the Order of Canada for her contri- butions “as a writer, and for her civic engagement in social causes, notably in support of human rights and the arts.” Born in Vancouver and raised in Prince George, she now lives in Ottawa. sponsored by Little Mountain Holdings Co. Limited Saturday, 9:00 am Marquis Room DENISE CHONG Criss-crossing oceans, Denise Chong’s nonfiction narratives often play out in Canada and abroad. She will discuss the ability and privilege of the writer and of the reader to transcend boundaries —cultural, geographical, class, gender or religious, generational, even culinary. Denise will discuss the interplay between imagination and first- hand research. She will speak to the practicalities of using transla- tors and interpreters, and of pursuing stories that may pose risks to writers or their sources. In the decisions writers make about how to tell their stories, Denise will ask, “Do you choose to put yourself in the narrative or leave yourself out?” She will discuss the value of narratives that are as much personal as social history, share her approach to bringing a sense of place into the reader’s imagination, and welcome questions regarding special considerations, such as the use of foreign words, glossaries, maps, indexes, introductions, and authors’ notes. CNFCProgram.qxp_Layout 1 2014-04-24 2:40 PM Page 8 ence genre. Her memoir excerpts, lyric essays, travel writing, poems, and translations have appeared in journals and her first book manuscript is a collection of essays drawing on her experi- ence as a Greek-Cypriot-American. Lauren Fath is a Ph.D. candidate in English at the University of Missouri, where she holds the Creative Writing Program Fellow- ship, following a bachelor's degree in journalism and an M.F.A. in creative nonfiction. Her essay “By Being Written, They Would Disappear” was nominated for the 2011 Pushcart Prize. Her first collection of essays focuses on fine art and discusses fine art and how handmade objects allow us access to the past. As a scholar of nonfiction, she is most interested in the intersection of genres, particularly hybrid forms such as the lyric essay and autobio- graphical fiction. Lauren’s next book project combines several of Saturday, 10:30 am Turner Valley Room her favorite pastimes: writing nonfiction, knitting lace shawls, and studying Russian JOANNA ELEFTHERIOU & LAUREN FATH The hardest part of writing a poem is starting one—especially when you’re a prose writer! The lyric essay—a hybrid of the poem and the essay—is a perfect starting point for writers looking to move from sentences to stanzas. Using lyric essays by well- known writers as examples, this workshop’s leaders will introduce the genre’s formal properties and examine how those properties align with, and differ from, those of lyric poetry. Both Joanna and Lauren are nonfiction writers with experience using the lyric essay to bridge the gap between prose and poetry, and will share prac- tical advice for working “forward” from poem to lyric essay and “backward” from lyric essay to poem. Finally, they will discuss the logistics of publishing hybrid forms, helping participants to iden- tify journals that are receptive to such work. The close study of form and handy tips for publication will benefit all, from the expe- rienced poet to the aspiring one. Joanna Eleftheriou grew up in New York and Cyprus, and is com- pleting doctoral work on the essay at the University of Missouri. She has worked as a teacher of ESL, literature, and creative writ- ing, and her interests include bicultural identities, nationalism, places of conflict and trauma, and how traumatic histories influ- CNFCProgram.qxp_Layout 1 2014-04-24 2:40 PM Page 10 Saturday, 1:30 pm Turner Valley Room Saturday, 10:30 am Marquis Room MARJORIE DOYLE BEV SELLARS This workshop will be general and specific, philosophical and In the first full-length memoir published out of St.