Writers’ Federation to hold AGM, WordsSpring in Sussex, May 13-15

Beth Powing.

New books will be launched. Literary prizes will be awarded. Writing workshops will be presented and poetry readings will be given at the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick’s WordsSpring in Sussex, May 13-15, with Alexander MacLeod, Allan Lynch, Chad Pelley and Beth Powning among the featured authors at this annual gathering.

The three-day event is open to the public and gets underway Friday, May 13, at the Sussex Artists Co-op Tea Room, at 6 p.m., where a wine and cheese reception will be hosted by SLICE (Sussex Literary Initiatives and Cultural Events), followed by book launches, readings and musical entertainment, highlighting local youth talent as well as the talents of local writers, including Beth Powning, Vanessa Moeller and Kelly Cooper.

The Federation’s annual general meeting will lead off activities on May 14 at the Masonic Hall at 9 a.m. The AGM will precede a workshop on the business of writing, led by former Kings County Record publisher and author of four books, Allan Lynch, entitled “Monetize Me!”

Tammy Morris and the Sussex Corner schoolchildren will present a Readers’ Theatre during a noontime lunch buffet. The afternoon program opens with a workshop on fiction and publishing by Chad Pelley, a multi-award-winning writer from St. John’s, NL, starting at 1 p.m. His debut novel, Away from Everywhere, was a Coles’ bestseller and was shortlisted for several prestigious emerging writer awards.

Alexander MacLeod will follow Pelley to the stage to read excerpts from his book Light Lifting, a 2010 Giller Prize finalist. His first book was also named 2010 Book of the Year by editors of The Globe and Mail, Quill and Quire, The Chronicle Herald and Amazon.ca. MacLeod, who is the son of one of Canada’s literary greats, Alistair MacLeod, will open the floor for a Q&A with the audience after his reading. Pelley will return to the stage at 3:45 p.m. for a discussion with MacLeod, moderated by Powning.

WordsSpring moves to the Lions’ Den that evening for a spring-themed Literary Awards Soirée. This event will be highlighted by the presentation of prizes to the winners of the Federation’s annual literary competition, a reading by Pelley and entertainment by local performers including the Sussex Choral Society.

The 2011 edition of WordsSpring closes on Sunday, May 15, with an open mic brunch at the Lions Den.

A registration fee of $90 will reserve space at the Lynch and Pelley workshops and also covers lunch and soirée fees. Other events are free. For more information on the event, visit the Federation’s website at www.wfnb.ca where you will find a downloadable, printable registration form and payment instructions.