Hello from SiWC Central!

 

This email is for everyone, whether or not you're attending this year's conference. Please feel free to forward it to anyone who might be interested. Those of you attending SiWC this year will receive your first pre-conference newsletter around the middle of the month. 

 

We're about six weeks away from SiWC 2024, which runs October 25-27 with virtual master classes on October 23 and in-person and livestreamed master classes on October 24. This year, we're offering a total of 88 in person and/or virtual workshops and panels, six keynote speakers, 17 pre-conference master classes, plus social gatherings, karaoke, and more. This year our keynote speakers will be Kim Spencer, Eliana West, Leah Henderson, Pedro Mendes, Andrew Buckley, and Finnian Burnett. 

 

Currently, we have space in all registration packages and master classes, so you still have time to register. Don't leave it too long! Full conference packages are 90% sold out as I write this. Register at www.siwc.ca/registration. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year, our bookstore partner is Vancouver's Iron Dog Books. They're continuing the SiWC tradition of holding a pre-conference signing event with a few of our authors, this year on the evening of Thursday, October 24. The event will feature Diana Gabaldon, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Premee Mohamed, and will take place at the Guildford Library in Surrey. We'll send out a reminder closer to the date with more details of the time and location. If you're going to be in the Lower Mainland and are not taking a master class that evening, please consider attending to support our indie bookstore and meet some great authors.

 

 

 

The deadline for entries for our Jack Whyte Storyteller's Contest for short stories AND for our adult scholarships is September 15. The deadline for our young writers scholarship is September 30.

 

 

Our short story contest for stories of 2500-4000 words in any genre is an SiWC tradition. You DO NOT need to attend the conference to enter the contest. People enter from all over the world every year. First prize is $1000CAD and publication, subject to editorial review, in Pulp Literature. The contest entry fee remains as low as it has always been at $15CAD per story. Every penny goes to support the contest and our not-for-profit conference. Details at https://www.siwc.ca/writing-contest/.

 

 

SiWC offers scholarships for young writers, Black writers, Indigenous writers, and writers from any underrepresented group. Both full and virtual scholarships are available. If you qualify, please don't self-reject! There is no cost to enter, so you have absolutely nothing to lose. Details of each scholarship is available on our website https://www.siwc.ca under the News and Community menu.

 

If you know someone who might qualify for one of our scholarships or who might be interested in entering our contest, please pass this information along. 

 

 

Registration for this year's conference will close at 5:00 pm (Pacific time) on Thursday, October 17.

 

 

 

We will be holding an in-person silent auction at this year's conference. If you have a business or know a business who might like to donate products or services to our silent auction to help support our not-for-profit event, we'd be delighted to accept. We're also happy to accept new items from individuals, so if you've been wondering what on earth you're going to do with that totally-not-your-taste gift you received that someone else might love, our silent auction could be your answer! The SiWC will provide donor recognition on the Silent Auction table and verbal recognition at our conference. If you are interested in an even greater involvement as a conference partner orsponsor, we will be happy to provide more details. Please email [email protected] to donate to the silent auction.

 

That's it from us for now. More soon!

 

Kathy

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Surrey International Writers' Conference Society
Suite #544 | 151-10090 152nd St | Surrey BC V3R 8X8 | Canada