ANTHOLOGIES

OIW’s crowning glory is the annual anthology of short stories and poems written by our diverse and creative members.

Fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, humour, memoir, poetry, plays… we welcome all genres. We also look for opportunities to publish the works of our younger members when possible.

Full-time and senior OIW members are elligible to submit. All OIW members receive a free copy of the anthology as a membership perk.

Join now to receive your free copy once the anthology is released in Fall 2024, and to avail of all the benefits your membership gives you.

2024 ANTHOLOGY

This Land

Submissions are now closed.

Stay tuned for the book launch in Fall 2024

The theme for 2024 OIW anthology is 'This Land'.

We invite your stories and poems about the people, places and topography that make Canada special to you. This could include immigrant tales about coming to Canada; stories of your hometown, farms, prairies and coasts; memories of the Arctic, the West, or the friendly folks on the East Coast; musings on geography, mountains or lakes; cultural or historical narratives. For our science fiction writers, how do you see Canada in the future? The field is as wide as your imagination.

We will dedicate this book to the Indigenous peoples of Canada and issue a special invitation to all members with Indigenous connections to submit their stories. We will also seek an Indigenous artist to design the cover. The submission period extends from now until March 31, 2024. The Anthology Style Guide is posted on the OIW web site. We request that authors comply with the submission guidelines detailed in that document for their work to be accepted. Please send submissions and questions to: anthology@ottawaindependentwriters.com

Please read carefully

2023 ANTHOLOGY

In our 2023 Anthology, 49 authors of Ottawa Independent Writers explore the many ways we experience connection, a basic human need that is all the more appreciated in our post-pandemic world. Vivid stories and poems illustrate the love and pain of family, casual assignations that grow into friendships, connections to the earth, windows into the past, spiritual connections, attachments to robotic companions, and even otherworldly connections.

We invite you to feel the joy, humanity and humour expressed in this diverse collection of prose and poetry, and discover something meaningful to you.

Read Review

Connections is available at Westboro Books or by emailing OIW here.

OIW members are entitled to a free copy.

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2023 Anthology

ANTHOLOGIES FROM THE PAST

Ottawa Rising (2022)

Our theme for the 2022 anthology was Ottawa Rising, showcasing stories of hope, redemption, humour and rebirth. Ottawa Rising salutes our city and its people - from a moonlit skate on the Rideau Canal to a dystopian Experimental Fram, slushy downtown streets to glorious green spaces and much more. Meet an insightful robotic janitor, enter a portal to a mirrored world, admire artistic greats, journey to an idyllic Greek childhood or a musical Irish pub! Indigenous peoples, embattled Ukrainians and immigrants to Canada are all honoured here.

Authors: Eleanor Abra, Tanya Bailey, Robert Barclay, Alex Binkley, Anna Blauveldt, Martin Bueno-de-Mesquita, Scott Bury, L.D, Cross, Barbara Florio Graham, Angelo Fulco, Joe Italiano, Susan A. Jennings, Majid Kafai, Peggy Lehmann, Sylvia Melba McGee, Tamara Miller, Keith Newton, Molly O'Connor, Ian Prattis, Norm Rosolen, Philip Schubert, Jagjeet Sharma, Ralph Smith, Margaret Southall, Fika Taillon, Maggie Taylor, Susan Taylor Meehan, Rem Westland and Lisa Zanyk.

Short Stories for a Long Year (2020)

Stories and poems have a way of transporting our minds to another place, making us feel something we have never felt, while informing and entertaining. Ottawa Independent Writers selected twenty-nine member submissions for Short Stories for a Long Year, and created a diverse offering to suit every literary taste. As headline-grabbing events continue to unfold around us during this period of dynamic change, there has never been a better time to enjoy the power of words.

Authors: Eleanor Abra, Tanya Bailey, Robert Barclay, Alex Binkley, Anna Blauveldt, Martin Bueno-de-Mesquita, Scott Bury, L.D, Cross, Barbara Florio Graham, Angelo Fulco, Joe Italiano, Susan A. Jennings, Majid Kafai, Peggy Lehmann, Sylvia Melba McGee, Tamara Miller, Keith Newton, Molly O'Connor, Ian Prattis, Norm Rosolen, Philip Schubert, Jagjeet Sharma, Ralph Smith, Margaret Southall, Fika Taillon, Maggie Taylor, Susan Taylor Meehan, Rem Westland and Lisa Zanyk.

A 24 of Tales (2019)

Running the gamut of fiction and non-fiction, delving into speculation and introspection, and exploring the future, past and the present, A Two-four of Tales has something for all tastes. These stories provide a fine illustration of the diversity of talent among local writers. With wit, poignant moments and grand sweeps of imagination, these stories will offer an enjoyable escape into prose.

Authors: Eleanor Abra, Bob Barclay, Alex Binkley, Anna Blauveldt, Martin Bueno, Barbara Florio Graham, Angelo Fulco, Joe Italiano, Susan A. Jennings, Majid Kafai, Peggy Lehmann, Tamara Miller, Jill Morningstar-Janzen, Meghan Negrijn, Keith Newton, Ian Prattis, Kelly Raab, Norm Rosolen, Ralph Smith, Stevie Szabad, Maggie Taylor, Susan Taylor Meehan, and Rem Westland.

Twenty in Eighteen (2018)

With the theme of short fiction and carte blanche as to content, we threw out a challenge to OIW members for their 2018 anthology submissions. In response, our authors found twenty very different ways of answering the call: twenty stories to share in this eighteenth year of the new millennium. The tales here range from history to futuristic speculation, from personal memoir to wry comedy, and many other themes besides. Together, they provide ample testimony to the versatility and energy of their authors, and a deep appreciation of the talent that OIW boasts among its membership.

Authors: Ian Prattis, Norm Rosolen, Barbara Florio Graham, Martin Bueno, Eleanor Abra, Robert Barclay, Rick Prashaw, Gladys Galay, Majid KafaÏ, Susan Taylor Meehan, Keith Newton, Maggie Taylor, P. Andrew Power, Peggy Lehmann, Kelley Raab, Meghan Negrijn, David Huffman, Susan Jennings, Tanya Bailey, Benoit Chartier.

Ottawa One Five O (2017)

Introduction by the Mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson

Authors: Eleanor Abra, Bob Barclay, Martin Bueno, Benoit Chartier, Judith Cowan, Benardette Cox, Janet Fenwick, Barbara Florio Graham, Gladys Galay, Bill Horne, David Huffman, Darren Jerome, Hazel Johnson, Majid (Abdol) Kafai, Peggy Lehmann, Meghan Negrijn, Keith Newton, Molly O’Connor, Ian Prattis, Norm Rosolen, Maria Saba, Philip Schubert, Margaret Southall, Louise Szabo, Maggie Taylor, Susan Taylor Meehan, Alberte Villeneuve, Nix Wadden and Remmelt Westland

Thirty at Thirty: Thirty Stories, Thirty Years (2016)

Thirty years ago, a disparate group of Ottawa writers decided it was time to get together. The initiators of Ottawa Independent Writers represented the compete range of literature: novelists (in many genres), poets, speechwriters, historians, journalists, essayists and many more. There continues to be a great deal of talent in OIW; some writers are beginners, others have years of writing experience, and some are starting to write after long experience in other fields. Every story, essay and poem in this anthology demonstrates the members’ craft and skill..

Authors: Silvia Alfaro, Robert Barclay, Benoit Chartier, Jessica Clarke, Barbara Florio Graham, Gladys Galay, Qais Ghanem, Nevin Humphrey, Susan A. Jennings, HazelJohnson, Majid (Abdol) Kafai, Mary Ellen Kot, PeggyLehmann, Keith Newton, Molly O’Connor, Ian Prattis, Norm Rosolen, Raeanne G. Roy, Laurie Stewart, Maggie Taylor, Susan Taylor Meehan, Raymond Tremblay and Remmelt Westland.

Sprouts - The Trillium Anthology

Authors: Tom Shoebridge, Jennifer McClung, Laurel Douma, Brian Hughes, Gianmarco Biasone, Roxana Puia, Laura Greenberg, Alex Gheorghe, Gemma Villanueva, Paul Dwulit, Catherine Joyce, Joe Cousineau, Colleen Leminski, Kimberley Lorente, Jeremy English, Sarah Moffat, Sabine Platzer-Gibbins, Krista Ferraro, Stacey-Ann Morris, Amy McCulloch, Amanda Hutchins, Carissa Di Gangi, Siân Rochefort, Adam Lim, Owen Hewitt, Ruxandra Lungu, Barbara Jane Heath, Jon Pierce, Rosaleen Geraghty, Stephen Gower, Cristina S. Gheorghe, Lisa Wong, LM Rochefort.