To all the young writers whom I'd hoped to meet at a workshop this spring or summer (cancelled due to Covid-19)... If you're stuck at home with a pen handy, why not start a story or ten? Don't know how to begin? I'll take you through five easy entry points over the coming weeks. (Kind of… Continue reading Young Writers Workshop: Know your Character
It was a real pleasure to be the Guest Quizmaster at the Ottawa heat of the Kids' Lit Quiz this year. The contest was held at Elmwood School on Tuesday, January 21st. And even in the middle of a teachers' strike (Go teachers! Fight for your class size!), 22 teams came out to battle. The… Continue reading Kids’ Lit Quiz 2020
The Ottawa Public Library's annual Youth Writing Contest -- Awesome Authors -- is underway! If you're an Ottawa resident between the ages of 9 and 18, sharpen your pencils or boot up your computer because it's time to get writing and drawing. Awesome Authors honours the very best poems, stories, and comics in English and French… Continue reading Awesome Authors 2020
There's a new source of funding for author visits to English-language Quebec schools: ArtistsInspire. The program administers federal funding for minority language education. Through ArtistsInspire, schools receive full funding to invite authors, artists, or other culture creators to engage their students in the arts. All English-language schools in Quebec are entitled to $1500 per year… Continue reading Writing Workshops
Dozens of young writers in Ottawa will attend their book launch next week, as the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA) launches the latest volume of Pot-pourri. Pot-pourri 2019 features all the winners and honourable mentions from this year's Awesome Authors contest -- that's dozens of the best poems, short stories, and comics… Continue reading Book Launch of Pot-pourri 2019
Catherine Austen 