Short Stories: Call for Submissions

Rainbow Caterpillar Bookshop calls for submissions for

2013 Mother Language Kid Lit Award

Competition open to short stories for young children, aims to support the preservation in Canada of mother languages

 Toronto, Ontario, March 27, 2013 – Submissions are currently being accepted for the second annual Rainbow Caterpillar Mother Language Kid Lit Award. The Award aims to reward writing excellence and support authors who want to write in their mother languages other than English.

“By encouraging authors to write in their mother language, we want to help create a vibrant literary production for children in foreign languages, but with a uniquely Canadian perspective,” says Happie Testa, co-owner of Rainbow Caterpillar Bookstore.

 The competition is open to Canadian residents, submissions are due on April 30^th and the guidelines are available online at www.rainbowcaterpillar.ca/kid-lit-award.html. The winning story will receive the Rainbow Caterpillar Kid Lit Award in the amount of $750. Other deserving submissions will be recognized with an Honourable Mention.

“We hope this award also encourages parents to pass their mother language on to their children raised in Canada,” says Hanoosh Abbasi, co-owner of Rainbow Caterpillar. “We feel that it is important for parents to have access to good books from their countries of origin. We also think parents want to put their ancestral culture in the context of our shared Canadian culture where many often have more than one background and speak more than one language hanoon a daily basis.”

The Award will be presented at the Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA) 35th Annual Awards Gala to be held in Toronto on Multiculturalism Day June 21, 2013. CEMA is an organization dedicated to the promotion of ethnic media in creating an understanding of Canada and the retention of cultural links with countries of origin. http://canadianethnicmedia.com

 

Submission guidelines click: http://www.rainbowcaterpillar.ca/kid-lit-award.html#_Toc302978909

The Write Place

Tonight I attended the launch of the Canadian Writers Society newspaper, The Write Place. Rosalie Avigdor, Founder and Publisher, of the quarterly newspaper welcomed writers and readers alike. She said that her vision started with the founding of The Canadian Writers Society (CWS) in 2004. The purpose of this newspaper, in addition to entertaining the reading public, is “to benefit fledgling writers, by publishing their work and giving them tips on how to improve their writing.”

In this issue there’s an interesting and inspiring article titled, The Art and Business of Mentoring, by author Steven Manners. Montreal author David Reich (who’s also a great story teller) shares his short story, The Almost Perfect Crime. Christina Manolescu, Founder of Invisible Cities Network, wrote a wonderful article on how to self-publish your book. These are only a few examples of Volume 1, Issue 1 of The Write Place.

They are now accepting submissions for their December issue:
Short stories: 500-2000 words
Postcard stories: 250-500 words
Poetry: 3-50 lines
Book Reviews: 500-525 words
Articles (by experts in the field): 500-1000 words
Letters to the Editor: 50-250 words
Advertisements: increments of 1/8 page (contact them for rates)

You may submit by:
e-mail: the.write.place@hotmail.com (Subject line: Submission)
fax: (514) 383-6683 (with a cover page)
snail mail: The Write Place, c/o 9770, boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec H3L 2N3

For more information visit: http://www.canadianwriterssociety.com/

This is a great opportunity to publish your work and/or to improve your writing. Whether you’re a reader or a writer, you’ll benefit the same. Enjoy this altruistic community-oriented newspaper and be part of it.