April 18 – Thursday at 7 p.m. – Bayside Bistro, #5 – 2760 Cliffe Ave., Courtenay

APRIL IS POETRY MONTH!

This month, at the Bayside, we poets, poetry lovers, and supporters of readers of poetry will gather. All are invited to read poetry they’ve written, or poems they wish they’d written, or simply poems they like and want to share.  It will be a poetry reading for all.

Please come with a poem or two or three to share.

(Note: The Open Mic segment of our General meetings is becoming quite popular. In order for everyone to have their turn, please be kind and make sure your reading will be limited to a maximum of five (5) minutes. Practice what you will be reading at the meeting in front of a mirror, or a loving spouse, and use a timer to determine your reading length.)

As always, our thanks to Ben and Gerri, owners of the Bayside Bistro.

March 21st – Thursday at 7 p.m. – Bayside Bistro, #5 – 2760 Cliffe Ave., Courtenay.

Our guest speaker for the evening will be author Christine Dickinson, who will give a talk on “Not Your Usual Dry Research”.

Christine Dickinson

Christine’s passion is for the regional history of BC. She has co-authored Atlin: The Story of British Columbia’s Last Gold Rush (1996) and Watershed Moments: A Pictorial History of Courtenay and District (2015). More recently, Christine is a contributing author to Step into Wilderness: A Pictorial History of Outdoor Exploration in the Comox Valley. Christine will share several anecdotes about researching her books.

Everyone welcome!

February 15 – Thursday at 7 p.m. – Bayside Bistro, #5 – 2760 Cliffe Ave., Courtenay

Everyone is welcome and be sure to bring your writing project to share during our Open Mic segment.

Apologies! Had the wrong date initially. Correct (cancelled) meeting date now noted.

January 18 – This meeting is cancelled due to our 2024 North Island Writers Conference happening on January 19 through January 21. Come join us at the Conference!!

Full details and registration form for the Conference here. See you there!

December 14 – Thursday at 7 p.m. – Bayside Bistro, #5 – 2760 Cliffe Ave., Courtenay

Come join us for our Christmas Social! Get into the Christmas spirit and mingle merrily with your fellow writers.

You also do not want to miss the entertainment segment either! Our CVWS members have been working on their articles for the writing challenge – to write a contemporary Christmas or Hannukah (or the celebration of your choice) short story in verse, fiction or nonfiction.

With a gambit of making the tone of their articles either funny, heart-wrenching, inspiring…or whatever feels right, the Open Mic entertainment segment of the meeting promises to be…well, entertaining and worth attending.

November 16 – Thursday at 7 p.m. – Bayside Bistro, #5 – 2760 Cliffe Ave., Courtenay

This month’s guest speaker is Margo McLoughlin, Storyteller. She believes “the world is made up of stories.” Margo tells original tales of the BC coast, Buddhist traditions, and the world. As writers, we too are storytellers. Come and bring your curiosity and questions for Margo.

Reminder: Membership fees for the 2023 / 2024 year are due now. Cost is $25.00* and Membership forms will be available at the meeting, or you can pay online through the CVWS website. (*Note: If paying online using PayPal and your credit card, $1.25 is added to cover PayPal fees. There is no extra charge if you utilize the e-transfer option online.)

As always, our thanks to Ben and Gerri, owners of the Bayside.

September 21 – Thursday at 7 p.m. – Bayside Café, #5 – 2760 Cliffe Ave., Courtenay

We are excited to announce that our guest speaker for the evening is Vici Johnstone from Caitlin Press. Vici will speak about “The changing landscape in publishing. Where do we go from here?” Bring your curiosity and your questions. Writer friends who are non-members are welcome to join us for this event.

Membership fees for the 2023 / 2024 year are due now. Cost is $25.00 and Membership forms will be available at the meeting, or you can pay online through the CVWS website.

As always, our thanks to Ben and Gerri, owners of the Bayside.