October 15, 2023 Events & new issue
Greetings Dear Readers,
This month’s issue features poems of memories: lavender, pears and memory, mothers and daughters, pirates and imagination, a visit to a museum, an urban scene of sprinklers and mist. I hope you enjoy the issue.
On the day the October issue goes online, I turn sixty. I am very grateful to be here. My heart is filled with gratitude for the part that Bywords.ca has played in my life for the last twenty years: introducing me to the poetry of current and former Ottawans, being able to learn about and participate in a thriving and caring literary community and witnessing the resilience of small press publishers and bookstores through challenging times, seeing them thrive. Thank you to all of you for your contributions to this rich and engaging community. We need connection through creative work more than ever.
One of the ways that we celebrate and thank the Bywords.ca team and the local literary community is through our annual John Newlove Poetry Award. This year it takes place on Friday, October 27, 2023, at 5:30pm, once more generously hosted by the Ottawa International Writers Festival. As always, we will have the pleasure of opening and closing the celebration with music. Our musician this year is Audrey Saparno, who I first encountered at an Art House Café Open Mic last spring. When I heard her beautiful voice, I knew right away that I wanted to invite her to be part of the Newlove Poetry Award celebration this year. Rachel Small, last year’s Newlove Award recipient will launch her chapbook, Joan of Media. Our editors have spent the last year working with Rachel on her manuscript. It is always a pleasure to be part of this collaborative and creative process. Finally, I will announce the winning poem and the honourable mentions for this year’s award, a well-kept secret for many months. Our judge this year was Manitoba poet and mudlarker, Ariel Gordon.
Please attend in person if you can or watch on the OIWF site. I will also share a link to the recording once it is online. If you are attending, please be advised that there’s a lot of construction going on near Christ Church Cathedral, and you’d be advised to park at the Supreme Court and walk over, making sure you give yourself a lot of time. There’s another event at 6:30pm, so we’re going to be on a tight schedule.
Thanks to our selection committee this month:
Jesse Aubin
Dan Boland
Chris Johnson
Sarah Kabamba
Andrew Lafleche
Margo Lapierre
Stephanie Mason
Kemisha Newman
Jade Riordan
Jagjeet Sharma
Marjorie Silverman
If you have comments, suggestions, questions or just want to say hello, please e-mail me at amanda@bywords.ca.
Amanda Earl
Managing Editor
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Authors Unbound
Web: authorsunbound.ca/
signings and readings at Octopus Books and the Spaniel's Tale
October 15 - Author event and storytime - The Cranky Chicken by Katherine Battersby 10-11 am The Spaniel's Tale, 1131 Wellington Street West
October 24 - Dean Beeby, 7pm Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave.
November 1 - ERIC A. STANLEY & TOSHIO MERONEK, 7pm Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave.
November 5 - Mary Fairhurst Bree, 10am The Spaniel's Tale, 1131 Wellington Street West
November 9 - MICHAEL R. DEVILLAER, 7pm Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave
November 10 - MANAHIL BANDUKWALA, 7pm The Spaniel's Tale Bookstore, 1131 Wellington St. W.
November 16 - Lesley Choyce, 7pm Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave
November 23 - JESSICA WESTHEAD JENNIFER FALKNER ANN DOUGLAS, 7pm Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave
Bywords.ca - Submissions
Web: www.bywords.ca
Current and former Ottawa residents, students and workers are invited to send poetry for the November issue by October 15 at midnight est. Please read the guidelines on the site.
Perfect Books
Time and Place: 258A Elgin
Web: perfectbooks.ca/
readings, signings; accessibility note: 1 stair up to store; Additional accessibility via walkway from Somerset Street
October 15 - Brandon Crilly and Gregory A. Wilson, 12pm
October 18 - Chris Olivero, 7pm
October 20 - Jason Bell, 7pm
November 2 - Queers Like Me by Michael V. Smith, Anecdotes by Kathryn Mockler, and Vixen by Sandra Ridley, 6:30pm
November 12 - Tika the Iggy, Lessons in Life, Love and Fashion. Visit Perfect Books site to purchase and reserve your ticket- 2pm
CKCU FM: An Indian Morning
Time and Place: Every Sunday at 10:00 am.
Web: cod.ckcufm.com/programs/30/info.html
celebrating and seeking the spirit of India thru sounds, stories, music & songs.