Diaspora Dialogues

Supporting new fiction, poetry, and drama

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Call for Nominations to the Board of Directors

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Diaspora Dialogues Charitable Society supports emerging writers to turn their craft into a career  through mentorship, professional development and opportunities to publish and present their  work. Founded in 2005, DD runs long- and short-form mentoring programs (drama, fiction, poetry,  creative nonfiction, and children’s lit); professional development seminars; public author talks and  interdisciplinary events; special projects and more. 

More than 800 writers and artists have participated as mentors or mentees, emerging playwrights  or dramaturges, commissioned artists or panelists, readers or performers. More than 550+ new  literary works have been created, 450+ events produced and an audience in excess of 350,000  Canadians has attended those events.  

Diaspora Dialogues is based in Toronto. Our programming is both GTA-specific and national.

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DD seeks nominations for additions to our volunteer Board of Directors. The board is primarily  concerned with governance. As we celebrate our milestone 20th anniversary in 2025 with a major  celebration event planned, and work with a fundraising professional to further diversify our  fundraising base, we ask board members to contribute to those efforts where possible. 

We seek expressions of interest, or recommendations, for individuals who: 

• Are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion; 

• Are passionate about literature, books and/or theatre and the role the arts play in  enriching society; 

• Have previous governance experience as a board director, with registered charities or are  willing learn; 

• Are respectful, positive, pro-active and collegial. 

The DD board meetings 4 times per year, with meetings taking place on Zoom. There are occasional in-person meetings in Toronto as well (with digital livestream available). 

Those elected serve a term of two years and are eligible for three terms for a total of six years,  unless also an officer in which case those can be extended. 

If you think this might be you, please submit an expression of interest with biography to Helen  Walsh, president of Diaspora Dialogues, helen@diasporadialogues.com by Feb 7, 2025. Please feel  free to forward this call to anyone you think may be interested and a good fit for our organization. 

We thank you very much for your interest in DD!

UPCOMING EVENT: How to Substack with Helen Walsh

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February 25, 2025 | 12:30pm EST via Zoom

As social media continues to fragment, and space for authors and books diminish, it’s ever more important to consider starting a newsletter. Unlike social media where marketing experts estimate you retain the attention about 1% of the ‘eyeballs’ that see your posts, the audience who reads your newsletter is captive and exclusive. They’re there only for you – and your writing! Join DD founder/president Helen Walsh, who publishes https://helenwalsh.substack.com/ to discuss If/How to Substack, including an introduction to the platform, tips to build your subscriber base, are Notes really a friendlier alternative to X, suggested resources and more.

Register here.

About the Presenter

Helen Walsh is a writer, editor, publisher and producer. She founded Diaspora Dialogues in 2005 and continues to be inspired by its community of writers. From 1998-2017, Walsh was president of Literary Review of Canada and founding director of the Spur festivals. She has worked as a film and digital producer in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles, and her films have played festivals around the world, and been broadcast on television. Her first novel, Pull Focus, will be published in 2021 by ECW Press in Canada, the US and the UK and Walsh is currently adapting it for television.

ARCHIVED EVENT: Who Ate Grandma? Using Family Mythology to Write Fiction

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December 16, 2024 | 12:30pm EST

In this workshop, through mini-lectures and writing exercises, you will learn to start writing when you’re stuck and draw on personal memory and family lore to craft compelling fiction. We will discuss how one’s cultural mythology and understanding of kinship can shape a narrative, and examine the risks of writing about intergenerational trauma, secret-keeping, and truth-telling.

About the Presenter

LINDSAY WONG is the author of the critically acclaimed, award-winning, and bestselling memoir The Woo-Woo, which was a finalist for Canada Reads 2019. She has written a YA novel entitled My Summer of Love and Misfortune. Wong holds a BFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia and an MFA in literary nonfiction from Columbia University. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of Winnipeg. Follow her on Twitter @LindsayMWong, Instagram @Lindsaywong.M, or visit www.lindsaywongwriter.com.

ARCHIVED EVENT: The Art of the Pitch

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November 29, 2024 | 12:00pm EST

Attention Writers! Have you finished a fantastic manuscript and are looking to sell it? Join us for a workshop on the Art of the Pitch. Come prepared to talk about your project and have your pitch flash assessed during the workshop with other participants.

*NOTE: Please send your pitch to zalika@diasporadialogues.com no later than November 26 at 5:00PM.

Register here.

About the Presenters

Amy Tompkins has worked in publishing since 2002 and has been with the Transatlantic Agency since 2007. She represents children’s authors, adult authors, select illustrators, and is the international rights agent for Islandport Press. Amy is a graduate of the Publishing Program at Ryerson University, and has an MA in English Language and Literature. She is the Secretary of PACLA (the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents), and teaches in the Creative Book Publishing Program at Humber College in Toronto.

Before joining the Transatlantic Agency, Marilyn worked at her own literary agency and consultancy practice for seven years, where she helped launch the careers of début and prize-winning authors. She had previously worked at McClelland & Stewart for twelve years, most recently as Vice President, Director, Rights and Contracts. At M&S, she handled the international rights for many renowned authors, including Leonard Cohen, Alistair MacLeod, and Madeleine Thien.

Marilyn is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, and also holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in English Literature. She has guest-lectured at the publishing programs at Humber College, Ryerson University, Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, and taught a course in the publishing program at Centennial College. She has also mentored many publishers under the auspices of the Association of Canadian Publishers and the Canada Council, and has acted as a juror in literary competitions. She has authored several papers on copyright law; served on the inaugural executive of the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents; and was a member for many years of the organizing committee for the International Visitors Program of the Toronto International Festival of Authors. She also, for many years, served as a member of the Professional Advisory Council for Sheridan College’s Creative Writing & Publishing Program, and as a board member, most recently as chair, of Canada’s dance magazine, The Dance Current. Marilyn is especially proud of her work with the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog program.

PAST EVENT: The World of Self-Publishing

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November 28, 2024 | 12:00pm EST

Whether you’re just beginning your writing journey or are ready to publish, this lunch-and-learn will offer hard-to-find transparency about the publishing industry and expert advice for aspiring authors. Megan seeks to help you find answers to the question “what now?” and offer valuable insight in how you can maintain your creative process and amplify your unique voice.

About the Presenter

Megan Williams is the CEO and founder of the Forbes-featured publishing company, The Self Publishing Agency (TSPA) and the Award-Winning author of Our Interrupted Fairy Tale. With a roster of publishing professionals, including editors, designers, marketers, and project managers, TSPA is known for its ability to uphold trade publishing standards while ensuring authors maintain control of their work and receive 100% of their royalties.   

ARCHIVED EVENT: Publishing for Playwrights

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November 21, 2024 | 12:30pm EST

In this one-hour workshop, we’ll explore the unique world of publishing for playwrights, from understanding the submission procedures to navigating the editorial process. We’ll also discuss various play publishers, including major players and smaller independent presses. Whether you’re a seasoned playwright or new to the scene, this session will equip you with the knowledge to take your script from page to stage and into publication.

Register now.

About the Presenter

Annie Gibson is the publisher at Playwrights Canada Press. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Annie followed her love of theatre and books to its logical conclusion: publishing plays. She’s worked at Playwrights Canada Press since 2005, and as publisher since 2008. She also loves baseball and baking.

Annie is passionate about the book industry and the supply chain that gets books into the hands of readers. A former member of the board of directors of both the Association of Canadian Publishers and eBOUND Canada, Annie currently sits on the board of the Book and Periodical Council. She is an active member of the BPC’s Freight and Distribution Committee and is a co-chair of the ACP’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

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