(Fort McMurray, AB, October 8, 2018) Jane Jacques, Managing Editor, NorthWord, said it best. “It was cold. It was snowy. It was Thanksgiving weekend! Had we made a huge mistake in scheduling the launch of Issue 19 of NorthWord?”
“But as always, the friends of NorthWord were there. A full house packed into Points North Gallery to enjoy an evening of readings and to sample delicious treats from Blue Mountain Bistro. We had a beautiful time celebrating the new issue with our guest editor Liana Wheeldon and cover artist Caitlin Hare.”
Indeed, a full house with standing room only saw the latest issue launched on October 6, 2018. Powerful poetry recitations complemented this issue’s theme Say What You Mean. Poets and writers shared thoughts on feminism, patriarchy, racism, and injustice echoing many current events around the world. The event also saw our first ever youngest five-year-old reader in attendance, who read a favourite poem.
The apt theme was picked by Wheeldon, who is a local visual artist, and the Executive Director of Arts Council Wood Buffalo. She was delighted with guest editing, and the turnout.
“It was such an honour to be asked to guest edit Issue 19 of NorthWord. The breadth of talent and diverse artistic voices in our region is truly inspiring. I am so grateful to Caitlin Hare for graciously designing the cover. We had such a strong turnout for the issue’s unveiling that we were left with standing room only after scrambling to add as many chairs as Points North Gallery could hold,” enthused Wheeldon.
“This publication is so important to our community and just keeps growing in popularity. To all the writers and visual artists, who submitted to this issue, and those who read at the launch party: thank you for your bravery, heart, and contributions. The arts, and your voices truly create a remarkable quality of life in our region,” she added.
Published by the Northern Canada Collective Society for Writers (NCCSW), a non-profit, NorthWord is published twice a year. The group is now working on their next milestone Issue 20 marking 10 years in the community.
“We are excited. The next issue will be edited by the NorthWord board, and we're planning a special celebration for its launch in Spring 2019. We can't wait to share it with you,” noted Jacques.
The group has picked the theme of Celebration for the next issue. Deadline is October 30, 2018. Original poetry of no more than 50 lines, prose, fiction or non-fiction - 3000 words maximum, and art can be sent to northword@hushmail.com. All names will be removed, and only alignment with theme matters.
Dawn Booth, President, NorthWord shared, “thank you to Florence Weber for hosting us at Points North Gallery. It's because of community partners like her that we are able to bring local literary artists together to share and express our love for words."
“I would also like to remind the community that because the Northern Collective Society for Writers runs solely on volunteer involvement, we are always in need of support from advertisers to publish each issue of our NorthWord publication. Please contact us if you’d like to help us,” Booth said.
NorthWord is available free of charge at MacDonald Island, Chez Max - Jamaican Restaurant, Blue Mountain Bistro, Keyano College, Points North Gallery, and the Thickwood YMCA.
For real time updates, like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/northword and follow us on Twitter: @NorthWordYMM. Visit our website: www.northwordmagazine.com.
