The early bird registration is now open for the 2011 Write on Bowen festival. It's not always guaranteed that the early bird gets the worm, but the bird that doesn't show up, doesn't get a chance at all... and there's a wide range of opportunities and experiences to be had at the writers' festival on Bowen Island.
Last year I signed up as an early bird and enjoyed having first choice of the workshops I was interested in: a blue line editing session and an in-person opportunity to have someone in the publishing business look at my work. By the end of the weekend I had pages and pages of notes from the workshops I participated in.
I was entertained by the author readings, impressed by the panels and greatly appreciated the size of the festival: it is just big enough that there were times when I found I wanted to be in more than one workshop at the same time, but small enough that participants had the chance to get to know each other a bit. The smaller venue and the casual atmosphere was conducive to a more personal feeling, something I appreciated after having attended some of the larger arts/writer festivals.
At Write on Bowen last year I noticed that occasionally authors or publishers would chat in small, informal groups with festival participants. At one point I was lucky enough to be standing in the dappled sunlight, under the trees in Artisan Square, talking to a publisher about my work as a writer and an artist. The publisher told me about a book project that was in the works that she thought might suit my work.After the workshops had ended for the day, I went home and put together a submission, and now I am happy to announce that an interview, and some of my most recent artwork, is featured in a book coming out in the fall!
If you're a writer, or any type of artist who wants to learn how to write better artist statements, proposals and grant pitches, I'd recommend the Write on Bowen workshops and events. Be an early bird, and sign up today, http://www.biac.ca/writersfestival/.
