The Writers' Collective

A POETRY WORKSHOP WITH BARRY DEMPSTER

The Manitoba Writers’ Guild Poetry Workshop is one of four MWG workshops for published writers in 2010-2011. Registrants must have one book publication of 48 pages or more by a recognized Canadian publisher.

The Barry Dempster Poetry Workshop will be held on Sunday March 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., MWG Burns Creative Classroom (218-100 Arthur Street). Deadline for applications, including the submission of work: March 1, 2011.

Cost: $100 for members, $130 for non-members (fee includes a MWG membership to the end of June 2011)

Selection Process: Anyone who has had a book professionally published by a reputable publisher will be accepted for the workshop on a first come first served basis until the maximum number of participants is registered.  Maximum number of participants: 8

Application Procedure:  All writers will electronically submit up to 8 pages of new work that they want discussed during the workshop, and two or three questions relating to the work submitted or to the writing process in general. These will be circulated by email to all participants a week before the workshop, and will be discussed during the workshop session. Submissions should be clearly marked, with names on every page (header/footers preferred). Submissions should also include a brief bio including a publishing history, which will also be circulated to other group members.

Registrations for this poetry workshop are now being accepted. All registrations and submissions should be made by email to . Fees are to be made payable to the Manitoba Writers’ Guild by cheque and mailed to 218-100 Arthur Street, Winnipeg, MB R3B 1H3.

Barry Dempster is the author of fifteen books, including a novel, The Ascension of Jesse Rapture, a children’s book, two volumes of short stories and eleven collections of poetry.   He has been nominated for the Governor General’s Award twice and has won a Petra Kenney Award, a Confederation Poets’ Prize, a Prairie Fire Poetry Contest and the Canadian Authors’ Association Jack Chalmers Award for Poetry for his 2005 collection, The Burning Alphabet.  In 2009, he published two new books of poetry: Love Outlandish, published by Brick Books, and Ivan’s Birches, with Pedlar Press. A new collection, Blue Wherever, will be published by Signature Editions in the spring of 2010.  He lives in Holland Landing, Ontario, where he runs a film series and two book discussion groups.