Category: Program News

Writers Engage with a Difficult Subject

Open book with canddle in background

By Steve Oetting

Content Warning: Group discussion about memoir writing that includes childhood sexual abuse. This is a difficult topic of discussion, but one that some affected individuals choose to write about as a way to heal and move forward. MWG volunteers guided the conversation and made efforts to ensure everyone was both heard and comfortable.

Each Rants and Ramblings session is unique, with participants offering topics of interest for discussion. With a full slate of participants at the March 7 R&R, moderated by Susan Rocan, with Lori Gaudet and Katherine Westwood assisting, a serious topic dominated the steady flow of comments and perspectives.

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Shortlist – Dave Williamson Short Story Competition

Choosing the best among many good stories is not so straightforward a task as one might imagine. Our five lead judges, Raye Anderson, Lauren Carter, Trevor Greyeyes, Zilla Jones, and Lee Kvern engaged in energetic discussions focusing on the craft of writing and the elements of fiction, ultimately deciding on the following seven stories for our shortlist.

The finalists for “The Dave” 2024 are:

(in random order)

Homeward Bound by Rowan McCandless, Winnipeg, MB
Canadian Cougars by Elle Qunmei Taylor, Grande Pointe, MB
A Good Day for Clothes by Yvonne Kyle, Winnipeg, MB
Pies by Cheryl Parisien, Winnipeg, MB
Queen of the Railroad Bridge by Kathleen Vance, Gibson, BC
The Carnival of Bones by Margaret Spratt, Winnipeg, MB
The Promise by Lisa Pollock, Calgary, AB

By next week, we shall be able to announce our three winners and four honourable mentions from this short list.

The 2nd Annual Dave Williamson Short Story Competition Longlist

dave williamson

We are thrilled to announce the longlist for this year’s Dave Williamson National Short Story Competition (aka ‘The Dave”). We received 105 entries, an increase of 10% over last year, once again ranging from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. The judges have been busy reading this diverse range of stories and have made their selection.

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Robust Discussions at February Critique Circle

person writing in notebook

By Steve Oetting

Each Critique Circle is a unique opportunity to experience other members’ writing and respond to questions they have about their work. This Critique Circle session was no different. It provided a varied collection of material and a robust discussion of each piece that was presented.

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First Thursdays with MWG

white tile with the word Thursday on a dark knit blanket next to a small wooden board with a croissant and a cup of black coffee Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-bread-on-black-textile-3945214/

By barb janes

Winnipeg’s Exchange arts community may have First Fridays, but the MWG has First Thursdays – a time writers can virtually come together to rant and ramble about all things writing. 

The January 4 Zoom was a meetup of 12 (including the host), some new to the MWG, some long-time members (and one self-confessed lurker), some new writers and some with several publications under their belts, and an impressive range of genres – horror, fantasy, memoir, historical fiction, micro (the 50 word story!), novels, creative non-fiction, blogs, academic writing, even advertising. But no poets in attendance. 

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