Sharpen your pencils, ready your pens or dust off your keyboard – whatever it takes to sit down and write.
The Shuswap Association of Writers has announced the opening of the 2016 Askew’s Foods Word on the Lake Writing Contest.
Contestants may submit original unpublished works in the following categories: fiction, non fiction and poetry.
First-place winners will receive a cash prize of $150 plus a 2016 conference package including banquet ticket ($230 value) and will be published in the Askew’s’ Foods Word on the Lake Anthology, which will be available at the festival.
The contest closes at midnight on April 11.
Winners will be contacted prior to the festival, which takes place May 20 to 22 at the Prestige Harbourfront Resort and Okanagan College.
Winners will be recognized at the Saturday night banquet.
For more details concerning the writing contest, including submission guidelines, visit www.shuswapassociationofwriters.ca.
Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival is the major annual event of the Shuswap Association of Writers which is a B.C. registered Society.
“Our mandate is to organize events to enrich the cultural life in our community and British Columbia, with a focus on the written arts,” says president Kay Johnston of the three-day event that is in its 13th year and attracts participants from B.C. and Alberta. “We are fortunate to have bestselling and award-winning authors Robert Sawyer, Michael Slade and Ted Bishop to name a few to lead our workshops, master classes, and panel discussions this year.”
Word on the Lake sessions include both skill development workshops and open forums with authors based on questions and answers in an intimate setting.
Many of the authors bring a selection of their books, which are available during the festival and may be signed during a session on Saturday afternoon.
A young writers’ workshop takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, May 20, with a popular coffee house getting underway at 7 that evening.
Aspiring writers can register to get valuable feedback on their work in a Blue Pencil Café.
The always popular and entertaining banquet takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Sunday’s schedule begins at 8:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast and a social time at Okanagan College.
A keynote speaker and workshops round out the morning and the festival.
For more festival information, visit www.wordonthelakewritersfestival.com.
