The saying goes “write what you know,” but writing about your region presents a host of challenging questions. How do you bring familiar surroundings to life on the page? What assumptions exist about your city, province, or territory, and how do they influence what you write? How do you sell your work beyond the borders of your region? Explore these questions and more with a panel of authors whose writing is firmly rooted in Atlantic Canada.

With Shauntay Grant, Theresa Meuse, and Donna Morrissey. Moderated by Sarah Sawler.

This is a hands-on writing workshop for beginning and emerging writers of children’s picture books. You will generate ideas for stories through writing activities, explore writing tools and technique, develop and workshop a new picture book manuscript, and receive feedback on your manuscript from the instructor and workshop participants. While the focus of this workshop is on writing, you will also learn something of the business of publishing picture books. No prerequisites or pre-existing writing are required to participate – come to creatively explore the craft of writing for children.

This workshop will take place at the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia (1113 Marginal Road, Halifax) in three parts over three Thursday evenings:

Thursday, June 13, 6-9 pm

Thursday, June 20, 6-9 pm

Thursday, June 27, 6-9 pm

Visit writers.ns.ca to register.

Shauntay Grant shares her children's picture book Africville at Telling Tales, a festival showcasing Canadian writers, storytellers, and musicians.

Shauntay Grant reads from her work at the Atlantic Edge Conference for Playwrights in Fredericton, New Brunswick.