BC Book and Magazine Week 2009 (April 18-25)

To celebrate BC Book & Magazine Week, enter to win a prize back of BC books and magazines, brought to you by The Georgia Straight.

Prizing:

• A selection of new BC books from BC publishers
• A one-year subscription to a BC magazine
• A selection of BC magazines

Deadline: April 15

Go to http://www.straight.com/contest/wordsconnect-bc-books-magazines for full contest details and to enter.

Three BC Book Prize-nominated poets–George Stanley, Nilofar Shidmehr, and Daphne Marlatt–have accepted an invitation from writer-in-residence John Asfour to read at Historic Joy Kogawa House on Monday, April 20, as part of BC Book and Magazine Week.

Details of the event are as follows:

Time: 7:30 p.m.
Date: Monday, April 20
Place: Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 West 64th Avenue, Vancouver
Cost: By donation
Space is limited. To secure a seat, please RSVP kogawahouse@yahoo.ca

April 24, 2009 - 7:00PM
Pulpfiction Books
Address: 2422 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

Bruce’s partner Sharon Esson will accept the award on Bruce’s behalf at an event co-hosted by New Star Books and Wilfrid Laurier University, who administers the prize. As always, refreshments will be served. Free admission.

On Thursday, April 23, author Carla Gunn will launch her debut novel, Amphibian, at the Rhizome Cafe. You’ll want to be there as we welcome a very funny and engaging new voice in Canadian fiction. I know it will be a busy time — BC Book and Magazine Week — but please see media release and attached image below:

April 23 – Carla Gunn launches Amphibian at Rhizome Cafe
Fredericton writer explores a child’s ecological worries

Author Carla Gunn will launch her first novel at the Rhizome Cafe, and it couldn’t come at a better time. With sensitivity, humour and insight, Amphibian tackles the growing phenomenon of eco-anxiety through the nine-year-old character of Phineas Walsh, whose encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world leads him to question the dubious actions of the human beings around him.

Gunn reads with BC authors Sachiko Murakami (The Invisibility Exhibit), Chris Ewart (Miss Lamp) and Mary Tilberg (Oonagh). So you can celebrate BC Book and Magazine Week by hearing three BC authors read from their latest books (as well as one New Brunswickan author).

Vancouver launch for Amphibian
with author Carla Gunn, Sachiko Murakami, Chris Ewart and Mary Tilberg
Thursday, April 23, 7:00 PM
Rhizome Cafe, 317 East Broadway
Free

Meals and refreshments available. Come early for dinner!

The deadline of EVENT magazine’s annual non-fiction contest is approaching: April 15, just before the BCBMW festivities kick off. The contest, now in its 22nd year is, we believe, Canada’s longest running annual non-fiction contest. Three winners will each receive $500 (plus publication payment). Publication in EVENT 38/3 (December 2009). Other manuscripts may be published. Preliminary judging by the editors of EVENT.

Final judge: John Burns is executive editor of Vancouver magazine. Previously, he was managing editor and books editor of The Georgia Straight. He has worked as an editor, reporter, and freelance reviewer and broadcaster, and is currently working on this third book, a novel for teens. He teaches Writing for Magazines at Capilano and Kwantlen universities.

Myrna Kostash, Andreas Schroeder, Sharon Butala, Tom Wayman, Di Brandt, Terry Glavin, Karen Connelly, Charles Montgomery and Timothy Taylor are some of our past judges.

Writers are invited to submit manuscripts exploring the creative non-fiction form. Check your library for back issues of EVENT with previous winning entries and judges’ comments. Contest back issues are available from EVENT for $9 (includes GST and postage; US$9 for American residents; CAN$13 for overseas residents).

Note: Previously published material, or material accepted elsewhere for publication, cannot be considered. Maximum entry length is 5000 words, typed, double-spaced. The writer should not be identified on the entry. Include a separate cover sheet with the writer’s name, address, phone number / email, and the title(s) of the story (stories) enclosed. Include a SASE (Canadian postage / IRCs /US$1). Douglas College employees are not eligible to enter.

Entry fee: Multiple entries are allowed, however, each entry must be accompanied by a $29.95 entry fee (includes GST and a one-year subscription; make cheque or international money order payable to EVENT). Those already subscribing will receive a one-year extension. American and overseas entrants please pay in US dollars.

Deadline for entries: Postmarked April 15, 2009

Send entries to:
EVENT
Creative Non-Fiction Contest
P.O. Box 2503
New Westminster, BC
Canada   V3L 5B2

Tel.: (604) 527-5293
Email: event@douglas.bc.ca
http://event.douglas.bc.ca

It’s hard to believe it’s already April (wasn’t it just Christmas?). Three BC magazines are gearing up for BC Book & Magazine week by doing some spring cleaning, of sorts .

The Canadian Horse Journal and Pacific & Prairie Horse Journal, Canada’s favourite national magazines for horse lovers of all ages, have new looks, unique to each magazine.

See more at www.horsejournals.com.

Award-winning Watershed Sentinel, now in its 19th year of publication, has just relaunched its website, which features a streamlined interface and subscription page. Take a peek at www.watershedsentinel.ca.

To mark BCBMW and their makeovers, Canadian Horse Journal, Pacific & Prairie Horse Journal and Watershed Sentinel, along with your other favourite BC magazines have generously donated free subscriptions and other literary loot for our BC Book & Magazine Week contests and events. Stay tuned for details on how to win!

The complete 2009 BCBMW program guide is now available for download as a PDF. Click “Events” at the top of the page to be taken to the download link.