40th Anniversary
Supporting writers in Ottawa since 1986
JUNE
In-Person event
Celebrating 40 years of OIW!
Sunday, June 7
Ottawa Independent Writers marked its 40th anniversary on June 7 with an afternoon of celebration, storytelling, and community at the Mill Street Brew Pub.
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The event featured poetry and prose readings from twelve OIW members, showcasing the remarkable breadth of talent within our writing community. Members and guests enjoyed delicious food, door prizes, and plenty of opportunities to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.
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A highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of a Lifetime Membership to Susan Jennings in recognition of her many years of extraordinary service, leadership, mentorship, and dedication to OIW.
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Leading up to the event, OIW was delighted to receive media coverage from Patricia Boal on Ottawa at Work (580 CFRA) and Alan Neal on CBC Radio's All in a Day, helping us share our story and celebrate this milestone with the wider Ottawa community.
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As we reflected on four decades of writers supporting writers, the celebration was a reminder that OIW's greatest strength has always been its people. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this anniversary such a memorable occasion. Here's to the next 40 years of creativity, friendship, and great writing.
Summer Short Story Competition
Keep Writing This Summer!
June to August
OIW’s summer short story competition is coming soon! While our regular events take a short seasonal pause, we invite writers to keep their creativity flowing, their pens moving, and their stories taking shape.
Themes, guidelines, and submission details will be announced shortly — so stay tuned, stay inspired, and get ready to write your summer story.
Details of all our events and presentations will be emailed to members.
Not a member yet?
Visit our Membership Page to learn all about the benefits of being an OIW member, including the opportunity to get published!
OUR MEETINGS
MONTHLY MEETINGS
OIW holds nine monthly program meetings from September to June each year on a wide variety of writing related topics, normally with a speaker and plenty of opportunity for questions.
CURRENT MEETINGS
OIW gathers every third Tuesday of the month with presentations starting at 7 pm, lasting until 8:30 pm. The meetings currently take place on the Zoom virtual platform.
Visit our membership page to sign-up now!
OUR BOARD
Meet some of the OIW Board Directors!
Bob Barclay
Member-at-Large
During my professional career I published a great many technical works, but on my retirement some 15 years ago I decided to turn my hand to fiction. With a nascent novel in hand, a quick search of resources led me to Ottawa Independent Writers, which proved to be a turning point. With the wide expertise available among the OIW membership, I was able to complete my novel, see to the formatting and cover design, and get it into print all in good order. I soon became a board member of the organization, and it is from that vantage point I can now help others who were in my situation 15 years ago. Board membership allows me to give back to the community, and I feel that many OIW members who have followed my path would find great satisfaction in membership on the board, sharing their expertise, and watching all aspects of the creative writing process from the first words on the screen to the completed published work.
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Lena Samson
Director of Communications
As an OIW board member, I engage with prolific writers and literary professionals whom I would never meet otherwise. My writing and editing have benefited greatly from their experience and expertise. The Board is a friendly, sage and collaborative group from which I've learned enormously and to to which I'm grateful to contribute. Every volunteer on the Board brings a new perspective, unique background and helps OIW continue to thrive.
Interested in joining the Board and giving your writing career a boost? Let us know!
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Email us at: members@ottawaindependentwriters.com