Visiting Authors

The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies invites accomplished novelists, essayists, poets, screenwriters, and playwrights present their work through the public FCCS Reading Series at the Okanagan Regional Library and other venues around the Okanagan. The Writer-in-Residence program promotes Canadian writing and literature to Okanagan residents and provides emerging writers with the opportunity to get feedback on their creative work.

IWC Public Reading Series

This year’s reading series is a collaboration of UBCO’s Creative Writing Program, Inspired Word Café, and Cool Arts Society. The IWC Public Reading Series, organized by Inspired Word Café, brings together nationally celebrated writers and spoken word artists with local talent monthly, in a free, easily accessible venue in downtown Kelowna.

The readings will be from invited local authors and from across Canada.

All readings will be held in the Cool Arts studio, Rotary Centre for the Arts, #205, 421 Cawston Ave., starting at 7:00 p.m.

Schedule of events:

Date Event
Oct. 17 poet Margo Tamez and Ashleigh Giffen
Nov. 21 Amber Dawn and Justin Ducharme
Jan. 23 Ian Ferrier and Samuel Archibald

All events are free and open to the public. Visit the Inspired Word Cafe Facebook page for author bios and information.

The RCA is a wheelchair accessible venue. For more information, contact matthew.rader@ubc.ca

Thank you to this year’s sponsors: Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, Inspired Word Café, Cool Arts Society, City of Kelowna

Writer in Residence

John LentJohn Lent is the 2020 Writer-in-Residence and will be on campus from Monday, March 9 to 26 working with students, faculty and the community. He will present the winners of the Okanagan Short Story Contest; he will read and offer feedback on manuscripts from local writers; and will be giving the inaugural Sharon Thesen Lecture on Writing.

John Lent is a professional writer, editor and singer/song-writer who lives in Vernon, British Columbia. He has eleven books published: six volumes of poetry, one volume of short stories, two novels and a book of conversations about the writing life with the writer Robert Kroetsch. His latest book of poetry is A Matins Flywheel which came out in 2019 with Thistledown Press. He has also edited thirty-five volumes of poetry, fiction and non-fiction for publication. He taught Creative Writing and Literature courses at Okanagan College for over thirty years.

First Annual Sharon Thesen Lecture on Writing

Aspects of Poetics in Contemporary Fiction and Poetry: a practical logic of legacies, a working arc of continuance
Thursday March 19
7:00 p.m., University Theatre (ADM 026)
This lecture is free and open to the public. 

Okanagan Short Story Contest Winner Announcement

Thursday, March 25
7:00 p.m., Okanagan Regional Library, 1380 Ellis St, Kelowna
John Lent will announce the winners of this year’s short story contest, with a chance to hear readings by the winners.

Manuscript Submissions

Writers of fiction or poetry are invited to submit manuscripts for review and feedback. The Writer in Residence will meet with the first 7 general public authors whose manuscript submissions satisfy the requirements below and the first 7 UBC student authors whose manuscript submissions satisfy the requirement below. We regret that the Writer in Residence may not be able to meet with everyone who submits a manuscript. Meetings with the Writer in Residence are by appointment only and will occur between March 9 to March 26th 2020.  There is no fee for the appointment or to submit a manuscript.

  • For fiction, submit between 2500 to 3000 words or 10 – 12 typed pages, double-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman, single-sided.
  • For poetry, submit between 4 to 6 poems or 4 – 8 pages, 12 pt Times New Roman, single-sided.
  • Do not submit non-fiction, playscripts, screenplays, or other creative forms.
  • Be available for a meeting with the Writer in Residence during business hours on a Monday to Friday, between March 9 and 26th. (Meetings will be held at the UBC campus or the downtown public library)
  • Include a cover page with your name, address, email, and telephone number. Material submitted will not be returned.
  • If you are a UBC student include your student number.

How to SUBMIT:

Manuscripts must be received between Feb 3 and Feb 21, and can be dropped off in the Creative Studies Office, CCS 161, Monday to Friday between 9 am and 4 pm, or mailed to:

c/o Carla Whitten, CCS 161
Creative Studies, UBC Okanagan
1148 Research Road
Kelowna BC V1V 1V7

Past Visiting Authors

  • Milkcraters of the Moon Reading Series 2018-2019

    The MOM Reading series is a collaboration of UBCO’s Creative Writing Program, Inspired Word Café, and Milkcrate Records.

    The readings from invited local authors and from across Canada included:  Laisha Rosnau (Book Launch) & Erin Scott; Darren Bifford (Book Launch) & Cole Mash; Liz Howard (Summer Intensive Artists-in-Residence); Richard Van Camp (FCCS Writer-in-Residence); Michael Turner & dia kabunda; Sharon Thesen & Penn Kemp; Suzette Mayr  & Damien Rogers;  Catherine Leroux; Dania Tomlinson & Ashley Little; Kelly Shepherd & John La Greca

     

    MOM Reading Series

  • FCCS Reading Series 2017-2018

    The FCCS Reading Series featured writers from the Okanagan and beyond offering workshops, panels, and readings.

    Events included Shifting CanLit, a panel with Juliane Okot Bitek, Karen Hofmann, Karis Shearer, Rob Budde; Stories Between: A conversation about Narrative and Voice, a panel with Margo Greenwood, Pauline Terbasket, Teresa Marshall, and Sarah de Leeuw; readings by authors Heidi Garnett, Sarah de Leeuw, Rob Budde, Juliane Okot Bitek, Clifton Joseph;editing poetry and spoken word workshops.

  • Reading the Valley 2016-2017

    Reading the Valley welcomed a number of great writers and artists including:
    Jeannette Armstrong, Corinna Chong, Joan Crate, Dina Del Bucchia, Sean Johnston, Jake Kennedy, John Lent, Evan Munday, Cecily Nicholson, Matt Rader, Harold Rhenisch, Renee Sarojini Saklikar, Moheb Soliman, Margo Tamez, Sharon Thesen, Caitlin Voth, and Daniel Zomparelli.

    Various events were held on  campus and in the community from February 7th to 10th, offering the chance to meet with writers, attend panels, expand your social network, and more.

  • Visiting Authors 2015-2016

    The 2015-16 series included authors Kevin Chong,  author of five books; Joanne Arnott ,a Métis/mixed-blood writer & arts activist; Ashley Little, author of five young adult novels; Garry Gottfriedson, a self- employed rancher from the Secwepemc Nation; Karen Hofmann, who has published fiction and poetry in several national literary magazines; Sean Johnston, author, co-edior of Ryga: A Journal of Provocations, and teachrs at Okanagan College.