Sunday, May 10, 2009

News: Read my interviews in "The Writers Den: Conversations on Memoir" ... and get reminiscing to enter Words Alive's Memoir Writing Contest

Two bits of news ...


The Writers Den: Conversations on Memoir

I've had wonderful feedback so far on my blog's newest feature, an evolving section called "The Writers Den," which includes my interviews with a number of memoir writers (commercially published as well as self-published), and others with thoughts or advice on the genre. Read interviews with authors David Gilmour, Richard Scrimger, Howard Engel, Catherine Gildiner, Maggie de Vries, and Robert Ward, among others; literary agent Marie Campbell, author and self-publishing coach Stacey Lynn Newman, and American psychologist Dr. James Pennebaker (who studies the healing potential in writing about difficult life events); as well as thought-provoking essays by Blanche Howard and Tilya Gallay Helfield, and helpful tips on memoir writing from authors Lawrence Hill and Beth Powning ... and much more.

I'd be happy to hear your impressions of this new section, and also your input as to what other sorts of interviews you'd like to see here in future.


Words Alive Literary Festival Memoir Writing Contest 2009

The annual Words Alive Literary Festival, held in September in Sharon, Ontario, just north of Toronto, is hosting its first mid-year memoir writing contest. The deadline is June 5, 2009, and contest guidelines can be found at

Words Alive Memoir Writing Contest

(or go to www.wordsalive.ca and click on the icon for "Memoir Writing Contest")

I've been asked to join the team of judges, which includes Blanche Howard, Allison Howard, Beth Powning and Elizabeth Yeoman.

There's still time to polish up your gem of a story and submit it! Please read the guidelines carefully.

The 2009 Words Alive festival will take place September 20, so mark it on your calendar and watch the festival website for updates on the lineup of outstanding authors, poets and others who'll present there. It's a not-to-be-missed event for readers and writers of all ages!

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