November is the perfect month for writers to get motivated. New writers will be trying their hand at writing their first books during the now world-wide National Novel Writing Month competition (NaNoWriMo). CanLit aficionados will be waiting to hear who wins Canada's Giller Prize and in Quebec the Hugh MacLennan Prize. It will also be a hectic time for me. I have four writing/publishing workshops to give at different branches of the Ottawa Public Library (see details below). Apparently, the first is already sold out and there is a waitlist.
November 17 is the Montreal launch of The Marginal Ride Anthology, which I co-edited and contributed two stories to. I am expecting to hear back from the authors of two novels I have just translated (one from Spanish and one from French), and then wrap up the final edits of them for the publishers (Mapalé and Guernica Editions).
Two new projects are emerging. One will be the co-translation of a Catalan novel for the Frankfurt 2021 Book Fair. My co-translator, Elisabet Ràfois, is reviewing three possible novels for translation. Elisabet will do the first draft from Catalan to English, I will take it from there to polish it up. It will be an excellent exercise in practising my reading of Catalan, something I will need this winter when I will review the draft Catalan translation of my novel Quill of the Dove. The second big project on the horizon is a new Deux Voiliers Publishing anthology of short stories written originally in English and Spanish by Canadians. The anthology will be in English although we may convince a Spanish publisher to release it simultaneously in Spanish. The working title is The Spanish Steps Anthology. Wait, you say, the Spanish Steps are in Rome not in Spain. You are absolutely right, and the title is a metaphor for cultural miscommunication, one of the themes of the anthology. It should be fun pulling this together!
Listed below are my events scheduled for November.
Enjoy the fading days of autumn.
Cheers,
Ian Thomas Shaw
www.ianthomasshaw.com
Nov 27, 2019
6:45 - 8:15 pm
The Elements of Fiction Workshop
Will be offering a writers workshop on the elements of publishable fiction writing for the Carp branch of the Ottawa Public Library. It will be a good mini-course for first-time writers and self-published authors who want to better understand how their writing is evaluated by prospective publishers and literary agents. Free admission and everyone is welcome. Click here to register.
Date and Time: November 27, 2019, 6:45 pm to 8:15 pm
Venue: Ottawa Public Library Carp Branch, 3911 Carp Road
Nov 17, 2019
2 pm to 4 pm
Montreal Book Launch for the Marginal Ride Anthology
November 17 is a unique opportunity to meet five of the eight Canadian and American contributors to The Marginal Ride Anthology. Present at the Montreal book launch will be Sang Kim (Toronto), Ursula Pflug (Peterborough, Ontario), Tim Niederman (Bethany, Connecticut), Ian Thomas Shaw (Aylmer, Quebec) and Caroline Vu (Montreal). And in spirit, we will be joined by contributors Michael Mirolla (Hamilton), Jerry Levy (Toronto) and Geza Tatrallyay (Barnard, Vermont) :) Eclectic in style, unflinching to the art of short fiction, the anthology writers present a brilliant array of bold themes. I am proud to have contributed to this anthology and edited it with Tim Niedermann.
Venue: Paragraphe Bookstore, 2220 McGill College Avenue, Montreal
Date and Time: November 17, 2019, 2 pm to 4 pm
Nov 14, 2019
6:30 pm to 8 pm
The Elements of Fiction Workshop
Will be offering a writers workshop on the elements of publishable fiction writing for the Ruth E. Dickinson branch of the Ottawa Public Library. It will be a good mini-course for first-time writers and self-published authors who want to better understand how their writing is evaluated by prospective publishers and literary agents. Free admission and everyone is welcome. Click here to register.
Date and Time: November 14, 2019, 6:30 pm to 8 pm
Venue: Ottawa Public Library Ruth E. Dickinson Branch, 110 Malvern Street
Nov 13, 2019
6:30 pm to 8 pm
I Want to Publish My Writing Workshop
Pleased to be presenting a workshop on putting a professional shine on your writing. You will learn the editing stages; alternative approaches to traditional publishing; layout and cover design; printing and distribution options; and book promotion techniques. Click here to register.
Venue: Ottawa Public Library Blackburn Hamlet Branch 199 Glen Park
Date and Time: November 13, 6:30 pm to 8 pm
Nov 06, 2019
6:30 pm to 8 pm
I Want to Publish My Writing Workshop
Pleased to be presenting a workshop on putting a professional shine on your writing. You will learn the editing stages; alternative approaches to traditional publishing; layout and cover design; printing and distribution options; and book promotion techniques. Click here to register.
Venue: Ottawa Public Library Main Branch, 120 Metcalfe, Room B125
Date and Time: November 6, 6:30 pm to 8 pm-