ottawa small press book fair, 20th anniversary edition: some reports,

[blurry photo of Stuart Ross at the pre-fair reading, with jwcurry and Nina Jane in the background, listening] There were a couple of responses to our most recent edition of the ottawa small press book fair (including my own, here), which celebrated twenty years of activity on November 7 and 8, 2014. Pearl Pirie (exhibiting her phafours) was good enough to write up a little report on the fair itself on her blog (with photos a-plenty!), Stuart Ross (pre-fair reader and publisher/editor) posted a short report on the event, and Brandon Crilly not only wrote a report on the fair, but on the pre-fair reading as well! Thanks incredibly much for everyone who participated! And of course, we are already starting to think about spring...

Cascadia Poetry Festival Small Press Fair, May 1-3, 2015 in Nanaimo

WHAT: Small Press Fair at 3rd Cascadia Poetry Festival ~

WHEN: May 1-3, 2015 ~

WHERE: Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC ~

COST: $100 full table; $50 half table ~

Cascadia Poetry Festival founder Paul Nelson (left) with George Bowering
at 2014 Festival in Seattle. (Photo by Linda Crosfield)

MORE DEETS: Join us for the Small Press Fair at the 3rd Cascadia Poetry Festival happening in Nanaimo, BC, next spring. The 4-day festival runs from April 30-May 3, 2015. And the Small Press Fair will begin on Friday, May 1 and continue throughout the festival. The festival will be held at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo and at various downtown locations. The Small Press Fair will be staged at the University, adjacent to the auditorium used for morning panel discussions and mainstage poetry presentations in the evenings.

See our 4-day schedule here:

http://cascadiapoetryfestival.org/schedule

COST: For $100, each participating organization (not limited to small presses) will receive a 4-foot-long table and have its logo featured in our printed program and on the website. Participants receive 4 Gold Passes valued at $25.00 each, granting admittance to all events with the exception of the writing workshops.

For $50, micro-presses and others will receive half a table and have their logo on the website, plus 2 Gold Passes.

REGISTER ONLINE: http://cascadiapoetryfestival.org/contact

(Scroll down to Small Press Fair Table or Half Table)

Or contact: flyingmermaids@shaw.ca

George Stanley and Joanne Kyger at 2014 Festival in Seattle
(Photo by Linda Crosfield)

The Cascadia Poetry Festival is an international event that seeks to bioregionally animate and culturally construct Cascadia bioregion by gathering writers, artists, scientists and activists to collaborate, discover and foster deeper connection between all inhabitants and the place itself. Over four days the festival features Academic, Democratic and Performance components, late night readings, a Small Press Fair and several workshops. Some of the best poetry minds in the bioregion will gather, discuss this place and begin to better understand Cascadia and our role here. The festival was founded by SPLAB, Seattle Poetics Lab. 

The first two Cascadia Poetry Festivals were held in Seattle where the 2014 Festival attracted 400 participants.

The 40 poets to be featured at the 2015 Festival in Nanaimo include Sam Hamill, Brenda Hillman, Susan Musgrave, Robert Bringhurst, Barry McKinnon, Sharon Thesen, George Stanley, Stephen Collis, Joanne Arnott, Peter Culley, Amber Dawn, Garry Gottfriedson, Robert Lashley, Christine Leclerc, Paul Nelson, Sebastien Wen, Rita Wong and so many more! See the full list here.

See photos from the 2014 festival here.

Dig us on Facebook

Or Twitter: @cascadiapoetry

The Factory Reading Series pre-small press book fair reading, November 7, 2014: Baker, Dolman, Boyle, Currie + Ross

span-o (the small press action network - ottawa) presents:

The Factory Reading Series
pre-small press book fair reading

featuring readings by:

Jennifer Baker (Ottawa)
Anita Dolman (Toronto)
Frances Boyle (Ottawa)
Dave Currie (Ottawa)
+ Stuart Ross (Coburg)

lovingly hosted by rob mclennan
Friday, November 7, 2014;
doors 7pm; reading 7:30pm
The Carleton Tavern,
223 Armstrong Street (at Parkdale; upstairs)

Jennifer Baker was raised in Exeter, Ontario, where she divided her time between town and her grandparents' farm. She is currently a part-time professor and PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa. Her new chapbook, her first, is Abject Lessons (above/ground press).

Anita Dolman is an Ottawa-based writer and editor. Her poetry and fiction have appeared throughout Canada and the United States, including, most recently, in On Spec: the Canadian magazine of the fantastic, Grain, Bywords.ca, The Antigonish Review, ottawater and Geist. Her short story “Happy Enough” is available as an e-novella from Morning Rain Publishing (2014). Follow Anita on Twitter @ajdolman. Her second poetry chapbook is Where No One Can See You (AngelHousePress, 2014).

Frances Boyle is originally from Regina, and maintains a yearning for both the prairies and the west coast where she lived for a number of years. She is the author of Light-carved Passages (BuschekBooks, 2014) and the chapbook Portal Stones, winner of Tree Press’s chapbook contest. Among other awards, she’s received the Diana Brebner Prize, and first place in This Magazine’s Great Canadian Literary Hunt for poetry (with third place for fiction in the same year). Her poetry and short stories have appeared in Canadian and American literary magazines, both print and online, and anthologies on subjects from Hitchcock to form poetry to mother/daughter relationships. She serves on Arc Poetry Magazine’s editorial board.

Dave Currie’s [pictured] Birds Facts is forthcoming from Apt. 9 Press, a sentence that fill him with bashful joy and quiet disbelief. His plays have been produced at the Ottawa Fringe Festival, Carleton University, Algonquin College and at small venues across the province. His origins in theatre transitioned into opportunities in television and film, most of which he accepted, performed adequately and then squandered.

He is currently working on a new play entitled “Clone-Hitler Goes To The Beach” set to be performed in 2015 and a film script simply entitled “Women.” His fiction will be available in magazines – some day.

Dave Currie is not now nor has he ever been a dog.

Stuart Ross published his first literary pamphlet on the photocopier in his dad’s office one night in 1979. Through the 1980s, he stood on Toronto’s Yonge Street wearing signs like “Writer Going To Hell,” selling over 7,000 poetry and fiction chapbooks. He is a founding member of the Meet the Presses collective, and is editor at Mansfield Press. He is the author of two collaborative novels, two story collections, eight poetry books, and the novel Snowball, Dragonfly, Jew. He has also published an essay collection, Confessions of a Small Press Racketeer, and co-edited Rogue Stimulus: The Stephen Harper Holiday Anthology for a Prorogued Parliament. His most recent poetry book is Our Days in Vaudeville (Mansfield Press), collaborations with 29 other poets from across Canada. Stuart has had three chapbooks published this year: Nice Haircut, Fiddlehead (Puddles of Sky Press), A Pretty Good Year (Nose in Book Publishing) and In In My Dream (Bookthug). Stuart is a member of the improvisational noise trio Donkey Lopez, whose first CD is Juan Lonely Night. He lives in Cobourg, Ontario.

[And don’t forget the 20th anniversary of the ottawa small press book fair, being held the following day at the Jack Purcell Community Centre]

the ottawa small press fair, twentieth anniversary (fall) edition: november 8, 2014

span-o (the small press action network - ottawa) presents:

    the ottawa
    small press
    book fair

autumn 2014 / TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
will be happening Saturday, November 8, 2014 in room 203 of the Jack Purcell Community Centre (on Elgin, at 320 Jack Purcell Lane).

contact rob at rob_mclennan@hotmail.com to sign up for a table, etc.

"once upon a time, way way back in October 1994, rob mclennan and James Spyker invented a two-day event called the ottawa small press book fair, and held the first one at the National Archives of Canada..." Spyker moved to Toronto soon after our original event, but the fair continues, thanks in part to the help of generous volunteers, various writers and publishers, and the public for coming out to participate with alla their love and their dollars.

General info:
the ottawa small press book fair
noon to 5pm (opens at 11:00 for exhibitors)

admission free to the public.

$20 for exhibitors, full tables
$10 for half-tables
(payable to rob mclennan, c/o 2423 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa ON K1H 7M9;

send by November 1 if you would like to appear in the exhibitor catalogue.

note: for the sake of increased demand, we are now offering half tables. for catalog, exhibitors should send name of press, address, email, web address, contact person, type of publications, list of publications (with price), if submissions are being considered and any other pertinent info, including upcoming ottawa-area events (if any).

And don't forget the pre-fair reading usually held the night before, at The Carleton Tavern! (readers tba); also,

BE AWARE: given that the spring 2013 was the first to reach capacity (forcing me to say no to at least half a dozen exhibitors), the fair can't (unfortunately) fit everyone who wishes to participate. the fair is roughly first-come, first-served, but preference will be given to small publishers over self-published authors (being a "small press fair," after all).

the fair usually contains exhibitors with poetry books, novels, cookbooks, posters, t-shirts, graphic novels, comic books, magazines, scraps of paper, gum-ball machines with poems, 2x4s with text, etc, including (at previous events) Bywords, Dusty Owl, Chaudiere Books, above/ground press, Room 302 Books, The Puritan, The Ottawa Arts Review, Buschek Books, The Grunge Papers, Broken Jaw Press, BookThug, Proper Tales Press, Phafours Press, and others. happens twice a year, founded in 1994 by rob mclennan and James Spyker. now run by rob mclennan thru span-o. questions, rob_mclennan@hotmail.com

free things can be mailed for fair distribution to the same address. we are unable to sell things for folk who can't make it, sorry. also, always looking for volunteers to poster, move tables, that sort of thing. let me know if anyone able to do anything. thanks. for more information, bother rob mclennan.if you're able/willing to distribute posters/fliers for the fair, send me an email.

the ottawa small press book fair / june 6-7, 2014‏

this year's spring edition of the semi-annual ottawa small press book fair is shaping up to be one of the biggest ones yet. held on saturday, june 7, 2014 from noon to 5pm in room 203 of the jack purcell community centre (jack purcell lane, right by gilmour street on elgin), the fair contains the best of the small press in poetry, fiction, comic books and original artwork from publishers, presses and authors in and around ottawa, with exhibitors regularly attending from toronto, montreal, vancouver, the united states and beyond.

now in our twentieth year, some of the exhibitors at our spring fair include a number of regulars, as well as friendly faces we don't get to see as often, including: 40-Watt Spotlight, above/ground press, Ankle Bone Books, AngelHousePress, Apt. 9 Press, Arc Poetry Magazine, Cat & Bean Publishing, Black Radish Books, CC Brunelle, Martin Bueno, BuschekBooks, Bywords, Chaudiere Books, Editions du Rognon, Gesture Press, GiddyPigs, The Grunge Papers, Hark! A Raven Little Magazine, Hopelessly Heroic, In/Words magazine & press, Loose Cannon Press, Luis Lama, Mansfield Press, Mary Kritz, Christian McPherson, Nous-zot Press, Ottawa Arts Review, Passion: Poetry Magazine & Press, Pedlar Press, Phafours, Postscripts to Darkness, Proper Tales Press, Puddles of Sky Press, room 302 books, SABL Cartoon Creations, Salgood Sam, Silgerond Press, Sonderho Press, Superandom Comics, Tekst Editions,Trans-Verse Books and WILDWATERS PUBLISHING.

for further information on the ottawa small press book fair, check here:

http://www.smallpressbookfair.blogspot.ca/2014/02/the-ottawa-small-press-fair-spring-2014.html

and don't forget our pre-fair reading the night before, held at the carleton tavern in parkdale market! lovingly hosted by rob mclennan, the event features readings and launches by Marthe Reed, David Menear, Chris Eaton, Renée Sarojini Saklikar and Nicholas Power. for author bios, check here:

http://www.abovegroundpress.blogspot.ca/2014/05/the-factory-reading-series-pre-small.html

for further information on either event (or both), contact book fair organizer and co-founder rob mclennan at rob_mclennan@hotmail.com or 613 239 0337

The Ottawa Zine Off! (Summer 2014 Edition)

The 5th Ottawa Zine Off is 7pm June 22nd! Make a zine quick, bring copies to trade with others to Pressed at 7:00pm, meet people who don't suck, immeasurably improve your life. Invite cool people, because it'll probably be balls hot out!

You don't have to make a zine to participate... but wouldn't it be cool if you did?

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/710558582339143/
Ottawa Zines group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/382123018582469/

Here's all you ever wanted to know about this awesome night!

Question: What's a zine?
Answer: As wikipedia says, "a zine (pron.: /ˈziːn/ zeen; an abbreviation of fanzine, or magazine) is most commonly a small circulation self-published work of original and/or appropriated texts and images usually reproduced via photocopier". Really though, zines are a way of sharing stories, drawings, information, whatever you want with other individuals. Be creative!

Q: What's the Zine Off?
A: The Ottawa Zine-Off is a self-enforced communal deadline. Basically, participants have a little over a month to create a zine. (Most people procrastinate and do it in the last few days, natch) There is no penalty for not making one, but really, the fun in having the night is seeing how many awesome zinesters exist in Ottawa, so get working!

On Sunday June 22nd, those who have made a zine and anyone who would like to come check them out can come hang out at Pressed for a night of trading, reading and camaraderie. 15 - 25 copies is a good number!

Q: What can my zine be about?
A: Anything! Last time, we had zines featuring comix, poetry, stories, how to read tea leaves, psychologically-manipulative office furnishing tips, travelogues, self-care manuals, drawings...

Q: Who can participate?
A: Everyone! Invite your friends, neighbours, family, coworkers, mailperson, favorite barista, etc.

Q: Is there a cost?
A: No! The meetup event costs nothing, but feel free to support our hosts Pressed by buying a drink or delicious sandwich. Participants can ask for for a donation for their zine, but we encourage trading. At the last few zine offs, zinesters traded copies amongst themselves instead of exchanging money.

Q: Can I be fashionably late?
A: Sure, but there won't be any zines left to trade. We strongly recommend showing up at the listed start time, as seating is limited and people usually start trading long before we tell them they're allowed.

If you have any further questions, feel free to post them on the event wall. Poster is coming soon, and we'll make copies available for individuals who would like to promote the Zine-Off at their favourite hang out spots...

Now, MAKE A ZINE!

The NUB: Indie Arts Hub

The NUB: Indie Arts Hub is an app compatible with iPhone/iPad or Android that provides a stream of independent arts and culture content from across North America directly to readers five times per week. Think of it as a a mini-digest of diverse content from participating independent arts and culture magazines.

Each day, you will find in your phone a new column, poem, short story, interview, profile, book/zine review, comic or rant from one of five of North America’s best independent arts and culture magazines.

 

The Nub features content from Broken Pencil: The Magazine of Zine Culture and the Independent Arts; Geist magazine; Subterrain magazine; Matrix magazine; Taddle Creek magazine; and 49th Shelf.

Don't Miss a Thing - updated 5 days a week with work from Canada's best independent arts and culture magazines

 

It Happened Here First - stay up to date with cutting edge culture while you wait for the bus

 

Underground Fiction - the best in radical fiction with stories from Geist, SubTerrain, and Matrix Magazines

 

Best from the Small Press - book and zine reviews plus excerpts and interviews from Broken Pencil and 49th Shelf

 

Poke Your Mind - thought-provoking columns and opinion from underground culture mavens.

 

The Best in Independent Writing from Across Canada - new work from Geist, Broken Pencil, Matrix, 49th Shelf and SubTerrain.

Download Free for your iPhone/iPad or Android Device

Here are some useful links and twitter info: 

The Nub page on the BP website (links out to both iOS and Android versions): http://bit.ly/1i6iCEc

The Nub on iTunes (iOS): http://bit.ly/1i6iK6B

The Nub in Google Play store (Android): http://bit.ly/1i6j2ud

The Factory Reading Series pre-small press book fair reading, June 6, 2014: Reed, Menear, Eaton, Power + Saklikar

span-o (the small press action network - ottawa) presents:

The Factory Reading Series

pre-small press book fair reading

featuring readings by:

Marthe Reed (NY State)

David Menear (Toronto/Montreal)

Chris Eaton (Toronto) [pictured]

Nicholas Power (Toronto)

+ Renée Sarojini Saklikar (Vancouver)

lovingly hosted by rob mclennan

Friday, June 6, 2014;

doors 7pm; reading 7:30pm

The Carleton Tavern,

223 Armstrong Street (at Parkdale; upstairs)

as a preview for the following day’s ottawa small press book fair!

for bios and links check here