Showing posts with label prize. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prize. Show all posts

Friday, 30 March 2012

Anonymous gay sex, abortion, and GUNS for teenagers...another fine day on Facebook!

Yesterday was a really interesting day, in real life and on my Facebook page...

You can find me here, but I already have 5,000 followers (actually, I'm often over their limit. SHH!). 



But I'd love to "meet" you: please subscribe to my posts and/or follow my book page: http://www.facebook.com/TheMeaningofChildren.



But I--as I am so often wont to do that my friend Sandy Dubya (also on FB--SHH!) sometimes accuses me of having ADD. Oops: so distracted by the subordinate clause (or whatever), I forgot to add "digress."

Started off the day by accompanying hubby at 6:30 am (okay, 6:40, but who's keeping track?!) to the Concordia University PERFORM Centre, their absolutely gorgeous new athletic centre! I was sorely tempted to skim Facebook while I was on the eliptical...but to tell you the truth, it's damn hard to type while moving on those machines (I suppose they should look into that...no, not really!)

Here are a couple of photos of the place, courtesy the University (actually, I just lifted them, but I don't think they'll mind!):






I'm not sure this inside view does it justice...let's just say it reminded me of Montreal's new concert hall...something about the blond Formica. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. But it was 6:40 am--I can be forgiven for making strangish associations.

Then it was on to a couple of hours of mundane daily tasks until it was time for the day's notable event: an interview with Jeanette Kelly for CBC Radio's Cinq a six show.



Should air Saturday between, you guessed it, 5 and 6 pm. We talked about my ebook experiment, and I revealed how many copies I gave away in 24 hours last Saturday...bypass the middle man, I say. For

They are some of my most fun--sorry, funnest--posts today:

"Very grateful to the CBC Cinq a Six people for having me in today...here's a photo of my CBC Prize Pack, with some careful product placement, bookwise. First person to name all books & authors pictured gets my Mike Finnerty pinup magnet (must say, Mr. F is looking pretty buff in this photo...)"

Here's a better shot of Mr. F, slightly fuzzy, but what can you do (maybe he was unclear on some concept or other when the photo was being taken):
 
In any event, all are cordially invited to listen to my conversation with Jeanette Kelly, tomorrow (SATURDAY) on Cinq a six! (show is 5 to 6 pm), 88.5 FM or live streamed at http://www.cbc.ca/cinqasix/ 
Sign up on Facebook--I'd love to know you'll be listening! Here's hoping I sound half-way intelligible...


(Here's the link, in case you'd like to forward it to someone:
http://www.facebook.com/events/415324261815476/).
The event blurb: 
"Listen up, starving authors. The revolution, she is HERE!" In which I (try to) explain to Jeanette Kelly why I GAVE away 120 copies of the Kindle version of The Meaning Of Children last Saturday, March 24th (and will do it again!).
One writer, desperate to control of brilliant career, lol, while living to enjoy the process!

Give a listen, I hope it doesn't sound too totally weird. (But weird can still be fun, can it not? Witness the career of Steve Buscemi...)"


The guns for teenagers advice comes from Canada's answer to Charlton Heston, Gary Breitkreuz, Member of Parliament from Outer Boondocks, Saskatchewan (with apologies to his constituents, I know that's not where YOU live...but I think it's where HE lives. Metaphorically speaking. Or maybe more like outer space...in terms of understanding gun crime in Canada). 

A pithy quote from my piece: 

"Though our Prime Minister may refuse to face it, rifles and shotguns are the firearms used most often to threaten women and children, and the weapons of choice in the murder of police officers."

Okay, so that's guns, the CBC...I am running out of steam here.



Gay sex: my interest was piqued by a Salon piece (sorry!) praising roadside rest stop sex...


Don't forget, possums,  


THAT'S 75 % OFF THE PAPERBACK PRICE!!




Ta ta for now...

Monday, 14 November 2011

Akerman shortlisted for Aesthetica Creative Works Competition






Beverly Akerman's story "Spilt Milk," a more compact version of her "Sea Of Tranquillity," has made the short list for Aesthetica's Creative Works Competition. "Sea of Tranquillity" has won several other prizes and appears in Beverly's 2011 collection, The Meaning Of Children (see here for highlights of some rave reviews!).


"Spilt Milk" was also shortlisted for The Writers' Union of Canada's 2007 Short Prose Competition for Developing Writers.

Beverly received a Commendation for "Pie," the winner of Gemini Magazine's first flash fiction contest, in last year's ACW competition (read the story or listen to Bev read it).



Aesthetica is a UK arts and culture magazine published bimonthly and read by 60,000. The Creative Works Competition showcases outstanding artists, photographers, writers and poets from around the world. The prize is £500; finalists are also published.

Results for the 2011 contest will be announced in early December (http://tinyurl.com/dkn5fa).

The Meaning Of Children, published by Exile Editions, is available in fine bookstores including Chapters/Indigo, KidLink, Nicholas Hoare, and by all the major online purveyors.

Beverly seeks an agent or international publisher to bring the book & e-book beyond Canada's borders.

Thursday, 30 June 2011

The Meaning of Children under consideration for The Giller Prize



I'm honoured to announce that my book, The Meaning Of Children, has been submitted by my publisher, Exile Editions to be considered for The Giller Prize, Canada's "richest literary award for fiction."
You can find the listing for The Meaning of Children and the other submitted books at this page on The Giller website!
For a "taste" of The Meaning Of Children, please try my "Pie."

Long list announcement: September 6, 2011.

Short list to be announced: October 4, 2011.

Winner to be announced: November 8, 2011.

Friday, 20 May 2011

As RT by Margaret Atwood: A Writer's Gratitude, Part 2, or Toronto Launch of The Meaning of Children (and others!)





I'm thrilled to announce the Toronto Launch of The Meaning of Children! May 31st at the Dora Keogh Irish Pub, 141 Danforth. Part of The Exile Writers Series, we will also be toasting the launch of Claude Tatilon's A Pinch Of Time (David Homel's translation of the original French novel, La soupe au pistou). The book has won many honours and sold 20,000 copies in France.

Jesus Hardwell's story collection Easy Living will also be featured, along with Ann Elizabeth Carson and Claudio Gaudio, from Exile Quarterly's 34.3 and 34.4 issues. Music by bass musician Grant Curle.


All in all, an incredible week for Exile Editions, which on May 28th will be presenting:

Exile’s Short Fiction Awards ~ $8,000 to Canadian writers!

Saturday, May 28

6:30 – 10:30 PM

Presentations by the awards’ Sponsor and Host, Ms. Gloria Vanderbilt.

$95.00 per Person ~ Advance Tickets Only / Reservation Only

Price includes assigned Table Seating and Dinner, a copy of the Carter V. Cooper Anthology that features the 10 finalists’ stories, the all-new Exile Quarterly 35.1 (plus a one year subscription), and five $2.00 “free” bets and race guide per guest to play the horses. We will also have available Gloria Vanderbilt’s new collection of stories The Things We Fear Most.

We Honour the Three Winners:

$3,000 ~ Frank Westcott for The Poet

$3,000 ~ Silvia Moreno-Garcia for Scales as Pale as Moonlight

$2,000 ~ Ken Stange for The Heart of a Rat


Click here for a PDF of the Invitation in full, and Complete Menu:

May 28 2011.

To make your Reservation, or for additional information, email us at: Event Information and Reservations (the.exile.writers@gmail.com)


Way to go, EXILE!