Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland & Labrador
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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT WANL

The Atlantic Book Awards Festival is in St. John's!

The 2012 Atlantic Book Awards ceremony will take place at the LSPU Hall in St. John's, on Thursday, May 17, marking the first time that the awards will be hosted outside of Nova Scotia. Veteran actress and comedian Amy House will host the evening, which will also feature a performance by Andy Jones and a welcome from City of St. John's Poet Laureate Tom Dawe. Celebrations get underway at 7:00 pm, visit the Resource Centre for the Arts box office to purchase tickets!

There will be authors and publishers from across Atlantic Canada participating in a myriad of events during the week of May 10-17. Further details about the Atlantic Book Awards Festival, including a full line-up of all the events taking place in St. John's and across the Atlantic provinces, can be found at atlanticbookawards.ca or join the 2012 Atlantic Book Awards Festival Facebook Page!

WANL stands with Music-NL in protesting cuts to CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

As a member of the Association of Cultural Industries of Newfoundland and Labrador, and as a representative of the literary arts sector in this province, the Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WANL) stands with Music Newfoundland and Labrador (Music NL) regarding the negative impact cuts to local CBC programming will have on the unique voice and culture of our province.

Culture is like water to a fish: we swim through it daily, often without even noticing. Yet take that water away, and we'll notice quickly enough. And to extend the metaphor, CBC is Canada's biggest pond. It is our foremost venue for public performance, and is one of the most important regional incubators of recorded culture.

The removal of the mobile recording unit and the closing of Studio F for live recording will effectively silence the voices of our culture in this province. Along with our musicians and theatre practitioners, our story-tellers, literary artists, and festivals will suffer a loss of both provincial and national exposure - and the general public that avails of these offerings through CBC live recording will lose a vital connection to our culture.

CBC provides us with both a record of our cultural endeavour in this province AND a place on the national and international stage, where our offerings help shape the public perception of not only Newfoundland and Labrador, but Canada as well.

Music NL is collecting signatures to protest these cuts, asking that the Government of Canada reinstate the funding necessary to support live music recording (which we take to also include live literary and festival recordings as well) at CBC-NL so that our regional voice will not be silenced, and our music, our culture, and our history will continue to be heard.

The petition will be presented to parliament by MP Ryan Cleary. If you would like to sign the petition, copies are available at the WANL office (223 Duckworth Street, Suite 202). If you would like to help collect signatures, please download a pdf copy of the petition here. Please note that signed petitions must be forwarded to Music NL (186 Duckworth Street, St. John's, NL, A1C 1G5) by May 28.

ACI Calls Funding Cut to Arts Council a Step Backward

The Association of Cultural Industries of Newfoundland and Labrador (ACI) is calling provincial budget cut to the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council (NLAC) "a step backward." The recent provincial budget contained a cut of $33,000 to the NLAC's budget. In the current fiscal year, the NLAC is trying to account for this through operational savings, but in subsequent years, this cut will affect granting programs to local cultural producers.

"The NLAC is already the third-lowest funded arts council in Canada," says ACI Chair Tina Dolter. "Like all sectors - whether mining, forestry, retail, or manufacturing - the business people of the arts and culture sector rely on government investment to keep them competitive. The NLAC is the primary direct investor in the careers of our creative class, so cuts to its already lean budget, however small or large, constitute a huge step backward."

It is estimated that the arts and culture sector in Canada is worth nearly 7% of the Gross Domestic Product, putting the sector on par with other major sectors as an economic generator. In this province alone, the arts and culture sector is estimated to bring in nearly $400,000,000 annually. $33,000 is less than a drop in the bucket, as far as saving to the budget go, yet it means so much to the several small business people who could have shared in that investment.

"Without our music, theatre, visual art, writing, dance, craft, and film, how effective would our tourism efforts be?" asks ACI Executive Director George Murray. "Our unique culture and heritage, along with our natural beauty, is what draws people here. The NLAC money that is disseminated to our artists and culture-makers is a kind of research and development investment in our cultural products, and therefore in the prosperity of the province as a whole."

"When artists receive investment from the arts council, that money is invested back into the community at large," says Murray. "It doesn't only pay for taxes, rent, and food, it also ripples out from the artist, who may buy supplies and equipment from local businesses, rent vehicles and buy gas, and lease space for creation. Arts Council money that is invested in Newfoundland and Labrador benefits Newfoundland and Labrador."

For more information, contact George Murray at 709.738.4333 or execdir@aci.nfld.net

Announcing the 2012 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards Shortlist!

From Viking settlers and Jack tales, to sci-fi and modern day romance, passion, humour and razor-sharp writing define the six works shortlisted for the 2012 Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards. Presented by the Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Literary Arts Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, this year the awards are honouring excellence in the categories of fiction and children's/young adult literature.

The finalists for the Ches Crosbie Barristers Fiction Award are:
  • Moonlight Sketches (Killick Press, 2011) by Gerard Collins;
  • New Under the Sun (Cormorant Books, 2010) by Kevin Major;
  • Double Talk (Breakwater Books, 2011) by Patrick Warner.
The finalists for the Bruneau Family Children?s/Young Adult Literature Award are:
  • Jack and the Manger (Running the Goat Books & Broadsides, 2010) by Andy Jones, with illustrations by Darka Erdelji;
  • Edge of Time (Breakwater Books, 2011) by Susan MacDonald;
  • Dragon Seer's Gift (HarperCollins, 2011) by Janet McNaughton.
The winners of the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards will be announced during the 2012 Atlantic Book Awards Festival, which will be held in St. John's, Newfoundland for the first time this year. The festival, which is organized by the Atlantic Book Awards Society, will take place from May 10-17, and will include two public readings featuring the authors shortlisted for the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards. The first event will spotlight the three authors shortlisted for the Bruneau Family Children's/Young Adult Literature Award, this reading will take place on Saturday, May 12, 2:00 pm, at the A.C. Hunter Children's Library. The second event will feature the three authors shortlisted for the Ches Crosbie Barristers Fiction Award, this reading will take place on Tuesday, May 15, 9:00 pm, at The Ship Pub. Both of these readings are free and open to the public. The Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards will be presented, along with seven other Atlantic Book Awards, at the festival awards ceremony on Thursday, May 17, at the LSPU Hall. Tickets for this event can be purchased at the Resource Centre for the ArtsBox Office.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards are presented under the distinguished patronage of the Honourable John C. Crosbie, PC, OC, ONL, QC, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. This is the 16th consecutive year for the provincial book awards, which consider works released during the two previous years (the 2012 nominees were published in 2010 or 2011). The Bruneau Family has sponsored the children's/young adult literature category of the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards since 2002; Ches Crosbie Barristers has come on board as the sponsor for the fiction category for the first time this year. The generous support of award sponsors helps the Writers' Alliance and the Literary Arts Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador pay tribute to the essential role our writers play in the vibrant culture of this province. Prize categories for the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards alternate every second year; in 2013 works of non-fiction and poetry will be recognized. The winner in each category receives a cash prize of $1,500, and runners-up each receive $500.

All finalists and winners are selected by an independent panel of judges. Below are excerpts from the judges' comments on the 2012 finalists:
Moonlight Sketches, by Gerard Collins:...this frequently hilarious, unassuming collection serves up a rare and unflinchingly honest portrayal of what it takes to persevere against the oftentimes extraordinary odds, hardships and uncertainties that have come to typify much of the daily life of the modern day rural Newfoundlander.

New Under the Sun, by Kevin Major:...an ambitious, provocative, relevant and timely spin on the historical novel that exemplifies, if anything, this seasoned author's undying passion for how the genesis of Newfoundland culture will no doubt influence our ultimate destination as a people.

Double Talk, by Patrick Warner: Sometimes it requires the keen eye of the ostensible outsider to truly capture the literary nuances of a society at once as heartbreakingly simple and soulfully complex as Newfoundland unquestionably is... Forged with the meticulous eye of the late night poet, Double Talk is a tight, shrewd and vital work of dark humour and redemption.

Jack and the Manger, by Andy Jones, illustrated by Darka Erdelji: This irreverent, buoyant version of the nativity story, as experienced by the legendary, down-to-earth figure of Jack, has all the charm of a good tale told by a master storyteller... Captivating and hilarious, with a transcendent story at its centre, Jack and the Manger is an outstanding children's book.

Edge of Time, by Susan MacDonald: Snappy dialogue, fast-paced action. One heart-stopping scene after another... A little bit Star Wars and a little bit Star Trek, in the end Edge of Time creates its own very distinct world.... MacDonald's writing is clear and her imagination vivid. Sci-fi enthusiasts now have a new writer to watch.

Dragon Seer's Gift by Janet McNaughton:...crisp and evocative, marked by snappy, believable dialogue and deftly drawn characters... another fine novel by one of Canada's most accomplished authors for young adults. Janet McNaughton has created a work that is both original and entertaining but also suggests much about the serious issues that affect us all.
For further details about the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards, please see WANL's Awards page or the Literary Arts Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. Further details about the Atlantic Book Awards Festival, including the awards ceremony at which the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards will be presented, can be found at atlanticbookawards.ca.

Ches Crosbie Barristers to Sponsor the Newfoundland and Labrador Fiction Award

Ches Crosbie Barristers has joined forces with the Literary Arts Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador to support fiction in this province. The Foundation is pleased to announce that Ches Crosbie Barristers is the new official corporate sponsor of the Newfoundland and Labrador Fiction Award.

Co-presented with the Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards are biennial: Fiction is paired with Children/Young Adult Fiction and awarded in even-numbered years and Non-Fiction and Poetry are awarded in odd-numbered years. Book Award winners receive $1,500; runners-up each receive $500.

The Foundation is honoured to work with Ches Crosbie Barristers in support of this amazing class of literature. "Fiction writers in Newfoundland and Labrador have a great champion," said Tamara Reynish, President of the Literary Arts Foundation. "Pairing with the Atlantic Book Awards Festival is a wonderful opportunity for the writers of this province - and their sponsors - to get well-deserved regional acclaim."

Chesley F. Crosbie, Q.C. of Ches Crosbie Barristers said: "As an author myself, I am especially pleased to help showcase the literary achievements of Newfoundland and Labrador authors and encourage the development of new work. All literature is a confrontation with truth. My books aim to tell consumers the truth about accident claims, but to confront truth through fiction requires real talent! Congratulations to this year's nominees and to all who write!"

The Literary Arts Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador was established in 2005 to raise support for programs that involve the community in the literary arts, and to foster awareness, understanding and appreciation for the literature of this province. For more information see literaryartsnl.com.


 16 May 2012

Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador

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Send submissions and inquiries concerning the WANL e-bulletin and newsletter to wanlassist@nf.aibn.com by Tuesday for inclusion in that Wednesday's bulletin.
The Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador gratefully acknowledges the financial support of
the Canada Council for the Arts, the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the City of St. John's.
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