7th Word Feast Program

The Word Feast Literary Society is excited to announce our 7th Word Feast Literary Festival taking place from Thursday, February 8 to Sunday, February 11! Join us for eleven events over four days of jam-packed literary celebration or share your own words at our Lunch Time Open Mics.

Accessibility information is included in event listings and all events are free to attend! To register for our online events or to reserve yourself a spot at one of our Lunch Time Open Mics, resigter by emailing chair.word.feast@gmail.com.

Word Feast is produced with support from the City of Fredericton.

Thursday, February 8

Poetry Bash, Sponsored by The Fiddlehead

7:00 PM, The Abbey Cafe, ASL Interpretation, Stairs at venue

Fawn Parker is a Giller-nominated author of five books including her debut poetry collection Soft Inheritance (Palimpsest, 2023) and the forthcoming auto-novel Hi, it’s me (M&S 2024). Work can be found in Maisonneuve, Hazlitt, and The Walrus. Fawn is a SSHRC-funded PhD student at the University of New Brunswick where she is writing a dissertation on Mad women.

Jamie Kitts is a transfeminine poet living on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Wolastoqiyik People. She is also the Managing Editor and Homerow Chapbook Series Editor of Qwerty Magazine, where you can find her joint chapbook All Things to Keep You Here by Egg Poets. Her poetry has appeared in Plenitude, new words {press}, The Malahat Review, and elsewhere. Her first solo chapbook, Girl Dinner, is forthcoming with Emergency Flash Mob Press.

Spencer Folkins (he/him) is thinking about writing a poem on the undersides of Oprah’s seats. He has served on the Editorial Board for The Fiddlehead and currently serves as a member of the AX: Arts & Culture Centre of Sussex Literary Committee. Writing has appeared in Arc Poetry Magazine, QWERTY, FreeFall, The League of Canadian Poets’ Poetry Pause series, the Newfoundland Quarterly, and elsewhere. Spencer is a member of The Egg Poets, a poetry collective—their debut collaborative chapbook “All Things to Keep You Here” was published by Homerow, an imprint of Qwerty. Spencer teaches in his hometown.

Friday, February 9

Online Poetry Bash

7:00 PM, Zoom, ASL Interpretation, Email chair.word.feast@gmail.com to register

Douglas Walbourne-Gough is a poet and mixed/adopted status member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation from Elmastukwek (the Bay of Islands), Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). His first collection, Crow Gulch, published with Goose Lane Editions in 2019, has been nominated for several awards, and won the 2021 EJ Pratt Poetry Award. His second collection, Island, centres around the Newfoundland Mi’kmaq experience in the wake of the Qalipu enrolment process and is forthcoming in Fall 2024, also from Goose Lane Editions. Colour Work, a chapbook of poetry, was published by Anstruther Press in January. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing (UBC Okanagan) and a PhD in English/Creative Writing (UNB Fredericton). Most recently, he served as Memorial University’s Fall 2024 Writer-in-Residence.

Danny McLaren is a neurodivergent, Jewish, queer, trans and non-binary writer and poet living in Katarokwi, what is colonially known as Kingston, Ontario. They have an MA in Gender Studies from Queen’s University, with research focusing on trans and queer world-making in independent video games. They write about living queerly, loving their friends, and their trans body. Their second chapbook of poetry and micro creative non-fiction, entitled The Enby Manifesto, is available from Porkbelly Press. Keep up with them on twitter @dannymclrn

Cara-Lyn Morgan comes from both Indigenous (Métis) and Immigrant (Trinidadian) roots in the place known as Turtle Island and Canada. She was born in Oskana, known now as Regina, Saskatchewan, and lives, works, and gardens, in the traditional territories of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat, and Mississaugas of the Credit peoples. What Became My Grieving Ceremony won the 2015 Fred Cogswell Award for Poetic Excellence.  Cartograph explores healing, cultural duality, and colonization. Her latest collection is Building a Nest from the Bones of My People (Invisible Publishing). Cara-Lyn lives in Bolton, ON.

Saturday, February 10

Reading: Mark Anthony Jarman reads from Burn Man

10:00 AM, Zoom, ASL Interpretation, Email chair.word.feast@gmail.com to register

Mark Anthony Jarman is the author of Touch Anywhere to Begin, Czech Techno, Knife Party at the Hotel Europa, My White Planet, 19 Knives, New Orleans Is Sinking, Dancing Nightly in the Tavern, and the travel book Ireland’s Eye. He was an acquisitions editor for Oberon Press, and introduced many new writers through the Coming Attractions series. He is also the editor of Best Canadian Stories 2023. His novel Salvage King Ya!, is on Amazon.ca’s list of 50 Essential Canadian Books and is the number one book on Amazon’s list of best hockey fiction. Widely published in Canada, the US, Europe, and Asia, Jarman is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, a Yaddo fellow, has taught at the University of Victoria, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and the University of New Brunswick, where he has been fiction editor of The Fiddlehead literary journal since 1999. He is also co-editor of literary journal CAMEL.

Workshop: Adrenaline and Alibis: A Two-Hour Guide to Writing Teen Crime Thrillers Workshop with Carlos Anthony

12:00 PM, Zoom, ASL Interpretation, Email chair.word.feast@gmail.com to register

Step into the thrilling world of crime and suspense in this exclusive two-hour workshop with Carlos Anthony, the national best-selling author of “Shades Of Black.” Designed specifically for teen crime enthusiasts, this session is a fast-paced dive into the art of crafting a gripping thriller.

Why This Workshop Is A Must:

– Key Focus Areas: In just two hours, delve into crucial elements such as creating suspense, developing intriguing characters, and constructing twisty plots that keep readers guessing.
– Interactive Q&A: Have burning questions about getting published, or getting grants, or making money as a Young Adult author? This is your chance to ask Carlos directly and gain personalized insights.
– Writing Challenge: Engage in a brief, stimulating writing exercise designed by Carlos. Test your creativity and get a taste of writing under the guidance of a seasoned author.
– Inspiration Boost: Whether you’re a budding writer or just love the thrill of a good crime story, this workshop will ignite your imagination and provide valuable tips for your writing journey.

Carlos Anthony is a filmmaker and author who writes about the experiences that Black men have historically avoided talking about. He has been recognized for his video web series, short story series, published essays, and short films that explore the themes of Black adolescence, fatherhood, fidelity, provision and work ethic, healthy relationships, sex and intimacy, overcoming addiction, and abuse. “Shades Of Black” is his first novel. With his wife and children, Carlos lives in Windsor, Ontario.

Reading: Katherine Melanie reads from Her

3:00 PM, Fredericton Public Library, ASL Interpretation

Katherine Melanie is an emerging New Brunswick author who has just released her first novel of historical fiction. Her is set during the haunting aftermath of the Second World War. A war correspondent embarks on a poignant quest to understand the woman he once loved and who spurned him. Amidst the backdrop of their passionate love story, he uncovers a harrowing narrative of brutality and the indomitable spirit to overcome such darkness. During her presentation, Katherine will discuss her writing journey, her unique literary choices, the weaving of fact and fiction, and themes of choice and women’s subjugation. She will also give introductory readings from the novel.

Sunday, February 11

Workshop: Demystifying the query letter with Vanessa C. Hawkins

2:00 PM, Zoom, ASL Interpretation, Email chair.word.feast@gmail.com to register

Crack the code to publishing success and dive into a concise, power-packed session to master the art of crafting attention-grabbing queries. Whether you’re a debut author or a seasoned scribe, let’s unleash the magic that gets your manuscript noticed! Together we will demystify query etiquette and structure while learning insider tips to stand out in submissions. Ready to embark on the next chapter of your authorial adventure? Join us and let your story shine!

A life-long lover of horror, Vanessa C. Hawkins wrote her first story when she was in grade five. It was entitled Mutilated and warranted a trip to the school guidance counsellor. With over a dozen publications under her belt, Vanessa has won numerous awards for her books, including receiving second place for her novel Dante’s Inferno in the NB Writing Competition, and honorable mentions for the David Adams Richards Prize. She’s conducted workshops all over New Brunswick, and in her spare time dabbles in acrylics and tabletop gaming. 

Reading at Westminster Bookmark:

Angel T. Dionne and thom vernon

4:00 PM, Westminster Bookmark, ASL Interpretation

About Sardines: In this, the author’s first collection, readers will find twelve tinned tales of a world both familiar and disquietingly austere. For all of her economy of expression, Dionne’s investigations into the scenes — hair salon, butcher’s, library, zoo, café — and occurrences of everyday life — a read-through of the paper, a conversation at the cash-out, an inquiry into the open job —are meticulously observed.

Angel T. Dionne (she/her) is an associate professor of English literature at the University of Moncton Edmundston campus. She holds a PhD in creative writing from the University of Pretoria, and she is the founding editor of Vroom Lit Magazine. Her writing has been featured in several journals and anthologies. She is the author of a full-length collection of short fiction, Sardines (ClarionLit, 2023) and two chapbooks, Inanimate Objects (Bottlecap Press, 2022) and Mormyridae (LJMcD Communications, forthcoming).

About I Met Death & Sex Through My Friend, Tom Mauley: In this dark comedy taking place over twenty-four hours, a blizzard pummels Toronto as a beloved high school teacher coerces his teenage student to assist in his violent suicide forcing the student, his best friend, the friend’s bulimic mom, and a down-low cop to outrun each other, the storm, and the ghosts haunting them. I Met Death & Sex Through My Friend, Tom Meuley is a breathtaking and hilarious novel about the lengths people will take to erase themselves in order to matter.

thom vernon is a writer, multi-media artist, and academic. A SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow in Cinema & Media Arts at York University and a former Vanier Doctoral Scholar, he has a newly minted Ph.D. from the University of New Brunswick. thom won the 2023 National Magazine Silver Award and the 2022 Edna Staebler Personal Essay Prize for his essay “The Plague Came with No Directions.” About his first novel, The Drifts (Coach House 2010), the Globe & Mail said that “Vernon has a masterful ability to develop and shape authentic characters…” and “This fine book is a distinct contribution to CanLit and a great contemporary twist on the Southern Gothic tradition.” His second novel, I Met Death & Sex Through My Friend, Tom Meuley, a darkly comic take on self-harm, will be published in May 2024.

Closing Night: These Are the People in Your Neighborhood,  keynote reading from Jordan Trethewey

7:00 PM, Gallery 78, ASL Interpretation, Stairs at venue

Join us for a night of celebrating the amazing writers in your neighborhood with a keynote reading from Fredericton poet laureate Jordan Trethewey and the awarding of the Community Impact Award.