On February 21, 2008 aspiring writers will have a chance to connect with Vancouver's literary community at Vancouver Writes, the 2nd annual group writing contest on Granville Island. Participants will be put onto teams of ten, each with a well-known local writer acting as coach. The host of the evening, CBC Radio's Lisa Christiansen, will give the teams a word or phrase and they will have twenty minutes to write a piece together. There will be three sessions during the evening, and judges will select a winner for each. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of each session and to the evening's overall best collaborative literary creation.
Writers participating this year include Caroline Adderson, Kevin Chong, Steven Galloway, Anne Fleming, Lee Henderson, Nancy Lee and Timothy Taylor. Beer, wine and snacks will be available, and there will be plenty of opportunity to mingle with Vancouver's active literary community.
I think this is an innovative way to bring emerging and established writers together, in a way that breaks down the barrier between them and allows for fun and creativity to flourish. The twenty minute time limit lifts the pressure of perfection, and I'm sure the alcohol helps loosen things up too. If you're looking for a way to get connected with Vancouver's literary community and have fun with writing, this might be the place.
Here are the details:
Tickets: $21/$19 students and seniors (includes facility surcharge)
Thursday, February 21, 2008 at Performance Works Theatre on Granville Island, Vancouver, BC
For more info, check out the Vancouver Writes website.