Highlights
from past Seasons
2024-2025
Caitlin Jans
Breaking through Publishing Blocks
September 2024- Guest Speaker
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Caitlin Jans broke down the elements publishers and agents look for in aspiring writers and provided tips and ideas for writers to make themselves visible in this cluttered space.
Barbara Leimsner
10 Things I Learnt on My Memoir Journey
October 2024- Guest Speaker
Barbara Leimsner's memoir 'Quitting the Master Race: A Daughter's Journey to Break the Bonds of Hate', was six years in the making. She shared her experience about writing, editing, revision and publishing process, and about the advantages, drawbacks--and the joys!--of marketing an independently published book.
Hugh Stephens
Copyright for Writers
November 2024- Guest Speaker
Hugh Stephens, a Distinguished Fellow renowned for his expertise in Canadian copyright law, shared his invaluable insights on a variety of pressing copyright issues, including the evolving role of AI in copyright.
Neil Saravanmutto
Is It Time To Start a Substack?
September 2024- Workshop
For writers looking for an audience, Substack is probably the first platform that gets it. Neil Saravanamutto has figured out about finding an audience and engaging with them through Substack.
Tarek Mounib
Free Trip to Egypt
October 2024- Movie Night
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A feature length documentary film following one man's search for random Americans concerned about an Islamic threat and offering them a free trip to Egypt
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Afterwards, Tarek Mounib talked at length about the parallels between film-making and writing.
Tim Wynne-Jones
Scene and Summary
November 2024 - Workshop
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Award winning novelist Tim Wynne-Jones delved deep into the art of crafting scenes that bring characters to life in real time, allowing attendees to get up close and personal with the intricacies of character interaction.
2024 OIW Anthology Book Launch
"This Land"
November 2024- Member Event
A heartwarming collection of 57 stories written by members, about people, places and topography that make Canada so special.
The launch was sold out, attended by contribution authors, families and the Ottawa Citizen.
Helen Humphreys
Writing Fiction about Real People
January 2025- Guest Speaker
Helen Humphreys delivered an insightful and educational talk on the art of writing fiction inspired by real people. She shared six valuable tips to guide writers through the process, blending her expertise with illustrative examples from her latest book, "Followed by the Lark", as well as her other works.
WCC Writing Workshop
Turning Action into Emotion
February 2025- Workshop
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Writers Collective of Canada (WCC) presented a free workshop to members exploring how small actions placed in a story can develop a character and reveal the heart of the narrator.
Annual Holiday Party & Poetry Contest
Is It Time To Start a Substack?
December 2024- Member Event
A delightful celebration, marked by an array of creative and engaging activities. The highlight of the night was the POETRY CONTEST where 11 talented poets vied for the top three spots.
Congratulations to Angelo Fulco!
Annual General Meeting
followed by Readng Night
February 2025- Member Exclusive
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OIW’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) was an opportunity for the Board to share updates on the organization's activities over the past year.
Rounding out the AGM, several OIW members shared reading from their latest published works and projects.
Tamara Miller
Querying Agents: Tips and Tricks
March 2025 - Workshop
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Drawing from her experience landing representation and publishing her first novel Into the Fall, Tamara Miller demystified the querying process with practical tips, candid anecdotes, and a generous dose of humour.
Marie Bilodeau
Cozy Setting & Epic Worldbuilding
March 2025- Guest Speaker
Drawing on her extensive experience in speculative fiction, Marie Bilodeau explored the power of setting—not just as a backdrop, but as an active force that can heighten tension, engage the senses, and draw readers deep into the story.
National Poetry Month
OIW Poetry Page
April 2025- Member Exclusive
Inspired by the theme of Family, members contributed poems that captured an intimate facet of memory, love, loss, and connection.
For the first time, the poems were published on OIW website.​
Antonio Michael Downing
Let the Truth Ring its own Bell
April 2025- Guest Speaker
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In a powerful and deeply entertaining session, Antonio Michael Downing led OIW members through an exploration of memory, identity, and storytelling in creative nonfiction.
National Art Gallery & Louise Lemieux Bérubé,
Poetry Workshop
March 2025- Member Event
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OIW members were invited to contribute their poetry to the textile artwork installation of Louise Lemieux Bérubé, the 2024 Governor General Award Laureate for Fine Craft.
Silvia Fiorita-Smith
A Creative Poetry Wokshop for Everyone
April 2025- Workshop​
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Silvia Fiorita-Smith inspired writers to craft poems using prompts from quotes, acrostics, paint pantones, postcards and anecdotes.
Ben Ladouceur
Poetry versus Novels
May 2025 - Guest Speaker
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Ben Ladouceur explored the craft behind both poetry and prose. He shared his insights into the distinct and overlapping challenges of writing a poetry collection versus a novel, drawing from his acclaimed body of work.
Writers Retreat
Step Away & Write
June 2025- Member Exclusive Event
Our two-day retreat was an opportunity for members to focus on projects, surrounded by inspiring landscapes and a creative community.
Facilitaded by Barbara Leimsner and Kim Ennis, participants had plenty of ideas, discussions and prompts to get those creative juices flowing.​
Summer Short Story Contest
Exploring Humour
Summer 2025- Member Exclusive
Writers were invited to explore humour in all its forms. Guest judge Tim Wynne-Jones selected the final entries and you can read his short comment about each winning story.
Reading Night
A Celebration of Writing
June 2025- Member Event
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Thank you to everyone who joined us for our final social of the 2024/2025 season! It was a fantastic evening filled with laughter, meaningful conversations, and inspiring creative energy. it was a joy to hear about the projects you’ve been working on and the stories behind them.
Congratulations to the Winners!​​
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First Place: The Serious Business of Escape, by Elspeth Tory​​
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Second Place: Why Seniors Should Work for the CIA, by Mike Keenan​​
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Third Place: Pirate Queen of the Inner City, by Brian McCullough​​
2023-2024
Peter Carter
Why Writing is Righting
September 2023- Guest Speaker
Acclaimed journalist Peter Carter talked about breathing life, humour and mindfulness into the power of words especially when the timing is unexpected.
"Connections" Book Launch
OIW Members plus Friends & Family
October 2023- Event
OIW's second anthology print since the pandemic, was a 260-page book with contributions from 49 members. Well done everyone!
Sarah Everts
Weaving Fact into Fact
November 2023- Guest Speaker
Sarah Everts (she/her), science journalist and associate professor at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication shared some of the secrets and technique to writing engaging non-fiction.
Lawrence Scanlan
The Art of the Interview
October 2023- Workshop
During this half-day interactive workshop at veteran journalist Lawrence Scanlan worked with participants to hone their skills as interviewers.
Drew Hayden Taylor
Going Native
October 2023- Guest Speaker
Award-winning novelist, playwright, documentarian and host of APTN's Going Native, Drew Hayden Taylor led us through a fascinating discussion on the history of Indigenous literature in Canada.
Tim Wynne-Jones
A Man Walks into a Predicament
November 2023 - Workshop
Award winning novelist Tim Wynne-Jones looked at ways explored ways that writers can put characters in revealing situations, before unleashing them on to the reading public.
Annual Holiday Party
OIW Members and Friends & Family
December 2023- Event
We had a blast at the party with mountains of food, exceptional poetry, BINGO, and piles of prizes!
Annual General Meeting
OIW Members Exclusive
February 2024- Online Event
OIW members voted in the Board of Directors for 2024, and were presented with a rundown of the 2022 budget and highlights of the year.
Brett Popplewell
The Unreliable Narrator
March 2024- Guest Speaker
Bestselling author and associate professor of journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa, Brett Popplewell tackled the tricky world of negotiating an unreliable narrator to get to the story.
Kate Beaton
The Art of the Interview
January 2024- Guest Speaker
Canada Reads winner Kate Beaton spent a memorable evening discussing her career as a graphic artist and the jump to writing a memoir, Ducks.
Reading Night
OIW Members Exclusive
February 2024- Online Event
OIW members read excerpts from short stories, poems and novels in progress. It was a inspiring evening of poetry and prose. Well done to all the Readers!
Writers Collective of Canada
The Craft of Description
March 2024 - Workshop
This free workshop conducted by the Writers Collective of Canada was enthusiastically received by all attendees.
Silvia Fiorita-Smith
Poetry Workshop
April 2024- Workshop
Award-winning poet and author Silvia Fiorita-Smith, inspired OIW members to find poetry in the world around us.
Poetry Page
OIW Members Exclusive
April 2024- Online Showcase
In honour of Poetry Month, OIW showcased 255 lines of poetry from 15 members on our special Poetry Page.
Natalie Maclean
5 Mistakes that can Ruin Your Memoir
May 2024- Guest Speaker
Natalie MacLean, named the World's Best Drinks Journalist at the World Food Media Awards, led us through an informal tongue-in-cheek wine tasting reviewing all 5 senses that a good wine should perform before launching into her tips for writing a spell-binding memoir.
Sarah Hegger
Up Close & Personal
April 2024- Speaker
Best-selling romance novelist Sarah Hegger held nothing back when it came to discussing love between lovers in character driven stories.
2024 Writers Retreat
OIW Members Exclusive
May 2024- Event
The return of OIW's famous writer retreats had five presenters focused on the theme of Opening Up Your Creativity. This all-day retreat was an unrivalled success!
Annual Reading Night
OIW Members Exclusive
June 2024 - Event
Our annual June reading night was a chance for OIW members to connect with fellow writers, listen to some wonderful pieces of writing and toast the close of another dynamic and engaging program year.
2022-2023
Shyam Selvadurai
September 2022- Guest Speaker
Acclaimed author and novelist Shyam Selvadurai shared tips and techniques writers can use to create vivid detail and bring characters and settings to life.
"Ottawa Rising" Book Launch
October 2022- Event
OIW's first anthology print since the pandemic, was a 260-page book with contributions from 47 members. Well done everyone!
Kate Heartfield
November 2022- Guest Speaker
Historical fantasy author, Kate Heartfield, shared key techniques of incorporating speculative elements into fictional worlds.
FriesenPress
October 2022- Workshop
FriesenPress hosted a free information session for OIW members demystifying traditional and self-publishing landscape for writers.
Andrew Westoll
October 2022- Guest Speaker
Award-winning writer Andrew Westoll introduced a framework for transforming true happenings of in creative non-fiction, into true prose.
Tim Wynne-Jones
November 2022 - Workshop
OIW members spent an afternoon with Tim as he looked at ways in which setting can become more than simply back drop – can become the “music” of a scene.
Holiday Party
December 2022 - Event
Cocktails, games, and a Poetry Contest!
1st place - Angelo Fulco
2nd place - Peggy Lehman
3rd place - Brian McCullough
Annual General Meeting
February 2023 - Online Event
OIW board presented the challenges overcome with technology, the Covid pandemic, and achievements, Nine OIW writer's shared their latest and proudest work during the Reading.
Bob Barclay
April 2023 - Workshop
Bob Barclay gave a workshop that demystified document formatting elements such as: margins and fonts, headers and footers, paragraphs and indents, to assist writers with publisher's requests.
Charlotte Gray
January 2023- Guest Speaker
Renowned biographer and social historian, Charlotte Gray, discussed why it is so challenging to publish non-fiction in Canada, and what opportunities remain for a writer with a good ideas.
Phil Gurski
March 2023- Guest Speaker
Phil shared shared tips about writing non-fiction versus fiction and the sacrosanct relationship with sources, to ensure OIW crime and thriller writers get the inside scoop!
Cody Caetano
April 2023- Guest Speaker
Best-selling author and member of the Pinaymootang First Nations, Cody spoke to OIW about world-building in memoir-writing, and his unique perspective on being bith a writer and a literary agent.
Scott Bury
May 2023 - Guest Speaker
Author, blogger, and marketer, Scott shared his online methods for expanding readership and promoting book sales using self-marketing techniques of 7 Planks of Author Marketing, that included numerous tips on building a loyal audience of readers and the pitfalls of doing so.​
Reading Night
June 2023 - Event
Our last meeting of the 2022/2023 season was an in-person Reading Night at the Marconi Center. It was a chance to network, swap stories, and listen to short excerpts of current members' projects.
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Brian McCullough
June 2023-Workshop
Brian guided participants in the art of writing effective sponsored content for commercial clients.
