The Grapevine - UBC Creative Writing News

Gloria Vanderbilt (!) and Exile Editions announce new literary prize for emerging Canadian writers
The American author, heiress, and mother of CNN’s Anderson Cooper has established an annual short fiction prize for Canadian writers in conjunction with Exile Editions. She’ll be in Toronto on March 13 to launch the prize at the Turf Lounge. From the release:
Ms. Vanderbilt, who has two short stories and a suite of paintings in a recent issue of Exile: The Literary Quarterly (33.3), will announce a prize of $2000 for short fiction, open to any and all emerging Canadian writers, a prize to be awarded for the first time in April of 2011 under the auspices of Exile in memory of her son, Carter V. Cooper. The winner of the prize – to be chosen from among a group of finalists by Ms. Vanderbilt – will be presented annually. Each year, the finalists’ stories are to be published in an anthology, by Exile Editions, and released the day of the prize announcement.
 
http://www.quillandquire.com/blog/index.php/2010/03/02/gloria-vanderbilt-and-exile-editions-announce-new-literary-prize-for-emerging-canadian-writers/

Octopus Books will hold an open reading period for full-length poetry manuscripts in April. Manuscripts must be submitted between by April 30, 2009. Full details: Octopus Books

Flying Guillotine Press, maker of handmade poetry chapbooks, is looking for submissions in April. Full Details: Flying Guillotine Press

The Antigonish Review announces two writing contests: the 9th Annual Great Blue Heron Poetry Contest, and the 5th Annual Sheldon Currie Fiction Prize.  May 31st deadline, $2400 in prizes. Full details: The Antigonish Review

The Fieldstone Review, an online literary journal based at the University of Saskatchewan, is currently accepting submissions for its Spring 2009 edition. Full Details: The Fieldstone Review

Telefilm Canada’s Western Region is once again in search of fresh, new talent.

They want to hear from filmmakers here in our own backyard with new projects ready for development, production and marketing support. If you haven’t worked with them in the past, and are curious about Telefilm’s Funds and Programs, please send them your pitch.

HERE’S HOW:

Telefilm Pitch Week in Vancouver takes place the week of April 13th, 2009.

Review the Funds and Programs on our website at http://telefilm.gc.ca.

Submit a one-page synopsis of your project via email to Julianne Lockhart at lockhaj@telefilm.gc.ca by Thursday, April 9th, 2009.

Please use Telefilm Pitch Week as the subject line of your email

A Telefilm representative will call you to confirm your meeting time. All meetings will be between 30 and 45 minutes in length.

All meetings will take place at the Telefilm Canada Vancouver office at 609 Granville, Suite 410 from 2pm to 5pm on April 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th.

Bankrupt Magazine — a newly launched Vancouver online literary magazine — has placed a call for submissions for short fiction and literary non-fiction:

Bankrupt Magazine is a place for up-and-coming Vancouver writers to share their work with the world.

Our stories are written for readers, not just other writers. We believe reading should be exciting; it should grab you and say: “Hold on tight, this is going to be wild.” It should be accessible, not elitist. Anyone should be able to pick up a piece of good writing and say: “You were right, that was one hell of a ride.”

We welcome submissions from residents of Metro Vancouver, Canada. We accept all genres of short fiction and all forms of literary non-fiction.

Visit their site for full details: http://bankruptmag.com

Mother Tongue Publishing has placed a call for submissions.  They’re in search of The Great BC Novel or Novella.

GOAL: To inspire and encourage the growth and appetite for regionally based literary fiction that arises from BC landscape, history, culture, language, vision and people. Open to all writers living in British Columbia.

Full details after the jump.

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BOMB Magazine announces its 4th Fiction Contest, judged by novelist and essayist Jonathan Lethem. $500 Prize & Publication in BOMB Magazine.

Deadline April 15.

Submission Guidelines:

- Winner receives $500 and publication in BOMB Magazine
- Final Judge: Jonathan Lethem (author of Fortress of Solitude and The Disappointment Artist)
- Deadline: April 15, 2009
- Reading Fee: $20 — includes a free one-year subscription to BOMB

Full details at Bomb Magazine’s website.

Please note: Calls for submissions, contests, events and miscellanea are not endorsed by the UBC Creative Writing Program or by the editor of this weblog. Please use your best judgement.

Today’s National Post has a profile of Melanie Little, a recent MFA graduate and former PRISM magazine editor.  From the profile:

Melanie Little is Freehand’s editor and sole employee. Though she’s only been on the job for 13 months, her editorial direction has already guided the press to acclaim: Besides the Giller nod for Endicott, another one of her authors, Saleema Nawaz, has been nominated for the $10,000 Journey Prize.

“We’re just waiting for the next one,” she laughs. “I’m not surprised at all. But it is really nice to have one’s taste vindicated.”

[...] Previously, she worked as an editor with lit mag PRISM International in Vancouver while completing her MFA in creative writing at the University of British Columbia. She’s also a published author, having penned a children’s book and a collection of short stories, which may make her a little bit more sympathetic to writers’ concerns.

“What Melanie has does with Freehand as a writer in an editorial position,” says Endicott, “[is] sought to right all the wrongs that have ever been done to writers. And she’s succeeded magnificently.”

Congratulations Melanie! Continue reading the full profile at the National Post.

The Ubyssey is looking for submissions for their annual literary supplement—the one issue per year they dedicate to fiction and creative non-fiction.  It’s run as a contest, but beyond that it’s a chance for writers to see their stories in print and to make the campus culture that much more stimulating.

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Lake: A Journal of Arts and Environment is a new journal out of UBC Okanagan. The Web site is www.lakejournal.ca. Lake is currently seeking submissions for their first creative non-fiction contest.

Topic: Pines
Eastern white pine, jack pine, ponderosa pine, lodge pole pine, red pine, shore pine, Western white pine, black pine, Limber pine, pitch pine, sand pine, Monterey pine, Austrian pine, Scotch pine, Western pine beetle, Mountain pine beetle, to pine for.
Prize: $250 and publication in Issue #3 of Lake
Deadline: June 1, 2008
Length: 2500 words maximum
Entry Fee: $20, includes a one year subscription to Lake starting with issue #2

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The Canadian Aboriginal Writing Challenge is a short story contest for young Aboriginal Canadians (ages 14-18 and 19-29). Participants can showcase their talent and creativity and win up to $2,000.

Participants must be of Aboriginal ancestry (Status, Non-Status, Inuit and Métis) and between the ages of 14-18 or 19-29.

Participants submit a short story that is previously unpublished, a 200-400 author’s statement, and a letter of support from a teacher, guidance counsellor, or community leader by March 31, 2008.

For additional submission guidelines and to download the Participant Submission Form, please visit the Contest Guidelines page of the Writing Challenge website: www.our-story.ca or call 1-866-701-1867 for more information.