A year of words and community

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Conversations between neighbours in dog parks can lead to great things…

Just over a year ago, Melanie Janisse, local poet, artist and Zoot’s Cafe owner, and I were standing around St. Veronika’s schoolyard, watching our dogs sniff the ground. We started talking about the need to create a literary space in the neighbourhood, a space that would be welcoming of all writers and readers. A couple of months later, we began the Brockton Writers Series. Melanie offered her space, and I organized the writers. At first, we highlighted those who lived and worked in the neighbourhood, but soon requests from writers living all over the city, and even from out of town, began to flood in. Our audience grew too, and soon Zoots became just a little too crowded for our series.

So, in the spring, we were invited in by the Jeremiah Community at St. Anne’s Church a marvellous, historic church on Gladstone, just north of Dundas.

Another change came in September, when a few writers spoke about the need to chat with one another about the writing life. We now have a writers’ networking time that begins a half hour before the event so that emerging and established writers can talk about publishing, craft, funding, and promotion.

Over the past year, BWS has hosted over 40 featured writers and about 20 open mic writers as well, including Anthony De Sa, Claudia Dey, Carey Toane, Vivek Shraya, Rose Cullis, Salimah Valiani, Nora Gold, White Noise Machine (aka Mike Smith) and Adebe D.A., to name just a few.

As a writer and Brocktonite, I’m honoured to curate this series. Writers bring their best work. The audiences are respectful and friendly. People talk with one another during the break. I leave each night feeling just a little more connected and inspired.

Join us!  Our next event will be on Tuesday November 2nd, 7-9pm (with writers’ networking at 6:30pm) at St. Anne’s Church, 270 Gladstone. The event is free, but donations for the writers are welcomed. Refreshments also by donation (to the Jeremiah Project) and books available for sale. November’s featured writers are: Nehal El-Hadi, Carole Giangrande, Jules Lewis and May Lui.

 

Farzana with Jasmine D'Costa, Sept 2010

 

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