Calling all readers, writers, speakers and listeners – the Shuswap Association of Writers presents the 10th annual Word on the Lake event beginning Friday, May 24 through Sunday, May 26.
To promote this year’s edition, the association is holding a “Get Caught Reading” photo contest open to all residents of the Shuswap.
Get out your camera and enter to win a prize for the most interesting or bizarre place someone is reading. Send a high-resolution photo of an individual, or group, to caughtreading2013@gmail.com.
Participants can also enter by posting a photo on the Word on the Lake Facebook page.
Be sure to include the name or names of the people caught reading.
The deadline for entries is April 15. Winners will be announced at the festival’s “Saturday Night Loose” event on May 25.
The Sixth Annual Kidswrite Young Writers’ contest is now open as well.
The 2012 contest drew more than 200 entries. Twenty-four talented writers received awards at the Shuswap Festival of Writers and presented their poems and stories.
The new festival name this year is: “Word on the Lake” a festival for readers and writers.
There are no fees to enter the contest or to attend awards day; however organizers believe parents and teachers would be inspired by the full weekend festival of presentations by accomplished authors.
Students are asked not to re-submit entries from previous years, and to keep a copy of their work.
The names of all students who have entered will be posted at the festival, along with school names.
Each year judges give hours of their time carefully reading the entries, their work is crucial.
Winning students will be advised prior to awards day and are encouraged to take their poems and stories to the festival in order to read them.
Awards will be presented at 3:45 p.m. Saturday, May 25 at the Prestige Harbourfront Resort and Convention Centre.
Winners and their families are asked to arrive by 3:30 p.m.
Guidelines have changes somewhat from last year. Obtain and follow the contest entry guidelines posted at www.saow.ca. A cover page for each entry is required, with a sample page available on the website.
Awards aside, this year’s festival features several interesting workshops:
• Poet laureate George Bowering – poetry, fiction, humour.
• Lucas Myers – theatre
• Anthony Dalton – adventure
• Mike McCardell – humour
• Shelagh Jamieson – editor
• Blu & Kelly Hopkins – lyrics, music
• Garry Gottfriedson – poetry
• Jacqueline Guest – young adult
• Andreas Schroeder – short story
Daniel Wood – freelance writer, Scott Fitzgerald Gray – fantasy
• Eileen Cook – romance
• Mona Fertig – publisher.
The festival features a Friday evening coffee house and a full day of presentations and workshops Saturday, including a networking luncheon and evening “extravaganza.”
A Sunday morning breakfast is followed by more workshops at Okanagan College’s Salmon Arm campus.
Online registration is available until May 19.
Ten bursaries of $100 are available. For details, call 250-832-3028 or visit www.saow.ca.
