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Creative nonfiction
Harry Thurston
University of King's College
Writers Union of Canada
Nova Scotia native overcomes a damaging revelation
Showing posts with label Writers Union of Canada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writers Union of Canada. Show all posts
What we need here in Canada is a Confederation of Canadian Writers.This is not my idea, but I like it. Merilyn Simonds, chair
of the The Writers’ Union of Canada, has been marking TWUC’s 40th anniversary
by meeting union members across the country. In Toronto the other night, she
mentioned that Calgary authors have voiced the idea of “one big union” comprising
writers’ groups. I’m calling it a Confederation.
Why do we need it? Because there are any number of issues
that effect not just book writers, like those represented by TWUC, but
freelance writers of all kinds. And in Ottawa, nobody is listening. They can’t
hear us.
Writers used to be able to spread their taxable income over
a period of years. That is long gone and should be brought back. In the House
of Commons recently, a private member’s bill to make a certain amount of royalty
income tax free -- something the province of Quebec already does -- went down in
flames. Look at copyright legislation. Look at freelance rates. Nobody wants to
pay the writer. On almost every issue, writers are getting killed.
Maybe if we spoke in one loud, clear voice, we could make
things change.
Think about it. Every year, more than 17,000 writers receive
cheques from the Public Lending Right Commission -- and those are just authors
who have published books. How many writers produce other kinds of works: plays,
filmscripts, travel articles, ebooks, make your own list.
Maybe it’s time for a Confederation? The Writers’ Union of
Canada. The Canadian Authors’ Association. The Canadian
Association of Journalists. The union des ecrivaines et ecrivains
quebecois. Crime Writers of Canada. The League of Canadian Poets. The
Playwrights’ Guild of Canada. The Professional Writers’ Association of Canada.
The Writers’ Guild of Canada. This list is not exhaustive. Add your own names.
Think about it. The Federation of
B.C. Writers. The Alberta Writers’ Guild. The Quebec Writers’ Federation. The
Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia. The
Manitoba Writers’ Guild. You get the idea. At a wild guess, the writers’ groups
and organizations across this country must represent at least 40,000 or 50,000
writers. What if we could channel that concentrated energy through a single,
articulate entity -- a Confederation.
Could we make a difference? If you think so, spread the word: Confederation.
Controversy erupted Saturday at the annual general meeting of The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) when members were urged to seek the attention of book clubs and reading groups with a bad poem. The motion that sparked a spirited debate was the second of two involving Canada’s Public Lending Right Program (PLR), which reimburses authors for the presence of their books in libraries.
The first PLR motion, decidedly serious in tone, noted that digitization is revolutionizing the world of books, and urged the federal government “to demonstrate its commitment to Canadian culture by providing funds to enable the PLR Program to include eBooks.” The PLR Commission, which is co-sponsoring a study of eBooks and libraries, was a main focus of the four-day gathering.
The second motion, noting that the PLR Program is celebrating its 25th anniversary, called on TWUC to urge book clubs and reading groups to open each meeting with a solemn reading of the following poem:
Happy Birthday, PLR!
We borrow books and, yes, you are
The way we show appreciation
To the authors of our Nation.
The nay-sayers argued that the poem is so awful that TWUC could not endorse it. But David Waltner-Toews – who presented the motion while disavowing authorship of the poem – argued that the badness of the poem was necessary: “If it was a serious poem,” he said, “there would be no joke. These people have no sense of humour!”
The nay-sayers carried the day by four votes – the narrowest margin of the afternoon. One GG-award-winning novelist hollered for a recount, and a nonfiction prize-winner muttered darkly about revisiting the matter next year. The author of the poem has yet to admit he wrote it. But he does believe strongly that book clubs and reading groups should solemnly intone the poem when they gather, even without official endorsement.
The first PLR motion, decidedly serious in tone, noted that digitization is revolutionizing the world of books, and urged the federal government “to demonstrate its commitment to Canadian culture by providing funds to enable the PLR Program to include eBooks.” The PLR Commission, which is co-sponsoring a study of eBooks and libraries, was a main focus of the four-day gathering.
The second motion, noting that the PLR Program is celebrating its 25th anniversary, called on TWUC to urge book clubs and reading groups to open each meeting with a solemn reading of the following poem:
Happy Birthday, PLR!
We borrow books and, yes, you are
The way we show appreciation
To the authors of our Nation.
The nay-sayers argued that the poem is so awful that TWUC could not endorse it. But David Waltner-Toews – who presented the motion while disavowing authorship of the poem – argued that the badness of the poem was necessary: “If it was a serious poem,” he said, “there would be no joke. These people have no sense of humour!”
The nay-sayers carried the day by four votes – the narrowest margin of the afternoon. One GG-award-winning novelist hollered for a recount, and a nonfiction prize-winner muttered darkly about revisiting the matter next year. The author of the poem has yet to admit he wrote it. But he does believe strongly that book clubs and reading groups should solemnly intone the poem when they gather, even without official endorsement.
Public Lending Right Program
Toronto Public Library
Writers Union of Canada
The Tribe Invites You to Party at the Toronto Public Library
It did not officially launch the annual general meeting of The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC). But last night’s Toronto event, a literary cabaret mounted by the Creative Nonfiction Collective, drew a star-studded, standing-room-only crowd to Harbord House. This preliminary event left no doubt whatsoever: The Tribe is gathering in force at the Centre of the Universe.
Some 150 writers from across Canada, all with at least one published book to their credit, will participate in TWUC events over the next four days. Tonight, May 26, is the official launch – an open-to-the-public celebration of the 25th anniversary of Canada’s Public Lending Right Program. That happens in the splendid Appel Salon at the Toronto Public Library, Yonge and Bloor, starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free, and you can reserve tickets here: http://www.
Did I mention that last night's cabaret was standing-room-only? Performers included Maggie Siggins, Merilyn Simonds, Wayne Grady, Marni Jackson, Don Gillmor, Rosemary Sullivan, Anthony Westoll, and Yours Truly. But the real story, and the hint of things to come, was the audience. It included Toronto writers Susan Crean, Erna Paris, Leon Rooke, Christopher Moore, James Adams, Ted Barris, and Brian Fawcett, as well as Albertans Brian Brennan and Myrna Kostash, and from British Columbia, Rhona MacAdam, Michael Elcock and Andreas Schroeder. OK, I’ve missed people -- for example, Trevor Ferguson (Montreal) and Susan Olding (Kingston). But you get the idea. Maybe see you tonight, when Schroeder tells The Untold Story of Canada’s PLR Program? Oh, yes, a cash-bar reception will follow.
Some 150 writers from across Canada, all with at least one published book to their credit, will participate in TWUC events over the next four days. Tonight, May 26, is the official launch – an open-to-the-public celebration of the 25th anniversary of Canada’s Public Lending Right Program. That happens in the splendid Appel Salon at the Toronto Public Library, Yonge and Bloor, starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free, and you can reserve tickets here: http://www.
Did I mention that last night's cabaret was standing-room-only? Performers included Maggie Siggins, Merilyn Simonds, Wayne Grady, Marni Jackson, Don Gillmor, Rosemary Sullivan, Anthony Westoll, and Yours Truly. But the real story, and the hint of things to come, was the audience. It included Toronto writers Susan Crean, Erna Paris, Leon Rooke, Christopher Moore, James Adams, Ted Barris, and Brian Fawcett, as well as Albertans Brian Brennan and Myrna Kostash, and from British Columbia, Rhona MacAdam, Michael Elcock and Andreas Schroeder. OK, I’ve missed people -- for example, Trevor Ferguson (Montreal) and Susan Olding (Kingston). But you get the idea. Maybe see you tonight, when Schroeder tells The Untold Story of Canada’s PLR Program? Oh, yes, a cash-bar reception will follow.
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