Saturday, October 5, 2024
10 am to 5 pm
Vancouver Public Library Central Branch
350 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1
Alice Mackay Room
Join us at SpotLit, a mini literary magazine festival that brings Vancouver's vibrant literary scene to life! Immerse yourself in a day that will inspire and empower writers, readers and lovers of Canadian lit. Explore the magazine market, participate in one of our hands-on writing workshops, hear from a panel of local writers and publishing professionals and be there for the exclusive launch of new issues from Room, Geist and subTerrain magazines. Whether you're looking to connect with fellow writers, learn from industry experts, or take the next step in your writing career, this dynamic mini-festival will shine a spotlight on the power of literary magazines and their impact on our culture.
SpotLit is a collaboration between the Vancouver Public Library, ROOM, Geist and subTerrain, with support from the Government of BC (thank you!).
Featuring The Capilano Review, EVENT, PRISM international, SAD Mag, ROOM, Geist and subTerrain
Register for Writing the Distance here
Travel time and great (and small) distances alike on the page. Join Dayna Mahannah, Editor-in-Chief of Geist, for a writing workshop that explores the possibilities and challenges that various time zones can present in a story.
The workshop will open with a visual and verbal introduction to the time zone conundrum and a brief dive into stories and art that exemplify the phenomenon. Prompts will be provided, and attendees will compose short pieces of fiction or non-fiction during the writing session.
Paper and pens will be provided, or feel free to bring your own.
Attendees are encouraged to submit their flash stories / essays to Geist’s 2024 Short Long-Distance Writing Contest (submit by November 12, 2024).
Register for How to Craft Memorable Metaphors here
From poetry, short stories, essays to novels, the art of a well-placed metaphor has the power to draw readers in and create an unforgettable text. In this workshop, participants will work on crafting memorable metaphors through guided writing exercises and a craft conversation.
This workshop is designed for anyone looking to strengthen their poetic skills and delve deeper into the possibilities of metaphor.
Presenter Bio: Selina Boan is a white settler-nehiyaw (Cree) writer and educator living on the traditional, unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-waututh), and sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) peoples.
Her debut poetry collection, Undoing Hours, won the 2022 Pat Lowther Memorial Award and the Indigenous Voices Award for Published Poetry in English. Her work has been published widely, including The Best Canadian Poetry 2018 and 2020. She is a poetry editor for CV2.
Hear text-based artist, publisher, and educator Leanne Johnson’s thoughts on the lit mag publishing landscape, leading into a panel of literary professionals moderated by Room publisher Katie Stobbart, exploring the impact that literary magazines have on the writer’s publishing journey.
Panelists:
More info on Literary MAGnitude here.
Register for A Triple Launch here
Launching not one, not two, but three lit mags’ most recent issues: 47.3 “Bodies” by Room, issue 98 of subTerrain, and Geist 127. Enjoy readings by authors featured in all three issues, and a special performance.
Readers: Bibi B, Jackie Bateman, Minelle Mahtani, Hana Mason, Jim Oaten, Kaija Pepper, Jessica Poon, Adrian Rain, Hsien Chong Tan
(Author bios below!)
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Saturday, October 5
5:30 pm - late
Join Room, Geist and subTerrain for an evening of good food and good company post-lit fest. After SpotLit, head over to Cielito Lindo to unwind and celebrate our vibrant literary community!
19+ only. No fee to enter, but please consider ordering something from the menu.
Registration is free, but helps us give the restaurant an more accurate number of guests to expect :)
LOCATION: Cielito Lindo / 122 W Hastings St. Vancouver, V6B 1G9
Website: https://www.cielitolindocanada.com/contact
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Jackie Bateman is the author of a dark and genre-bending trilogy that ventures deep into the mind of a serial killer in Scotland. The first volume, Nondescript Rambunctious, won a national first-book contest. It was followed by the sequels Savour and Straight Circles. Her YA novel Beauty and the Freak (Evernight Teen) was shortlisted for the International Yeovil Literary Prize and a finalist with Screencraft Cinematic Book.
Minelle Mahtani is a Muslim Iranian/Indian/Canadian writer, former TV producer and radio host who teaches at UBC. Her work has been nominated for two national magazine awards and her piece in the Walrus won a gold medal for best personal essay in the Digital Publishing Awards. She is the author of the book Mixed Race Amnesia: Resisting the Romanticization of Multiraciality. Her work has appeared in Geist and Maisonneuve, and her memoir, May It Have a Happy Ending is out October 1 with Penguin Random House.
The inaugural winner of subTerrain’s Creative Non-Fiction award, Jim Oaten has been published in Vancouver Magazine, Vancouver Review, the Vancouver Sun, Pacific Rim, Where and the National Post. His first book, Accelerated Paces: Travels Across Borders and Other Imaginary Boundaries, was published by Anvil Press … many years ago.
Jessica Poon is a writer, picture taker and former line cook. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in the British Columbia Review, Joyland, The Offing, PRISM international, Rat’s Ass Review, Ricepaper, subTerrain and the Toronto Star. She is currently revising her first novel.
Adrian Rain was born in beautiful, unceded Secwépemc'ulucw. Adrian has written on the back of his hand, in the dirt with a pointy stick, and now in the pages of this wonderful magazine [Geist 127] with his first-ever published work. Find him on Twitter @byadrianrain.
Hsien was born in Singapore and lives in Vancouver with his wife, dog and two cats. His work can be found in Geist, PRISM international, The Journey Prize Stories and elsewhere.
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