The Off Topic Conference will take place August 3, 2024, at Lakehead University - Orillia Campus, in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, and online through a livestream.

Keynote: K.R. Byggdin: Write Here, Write Now

4:30-5:30pm

In Write Here, Write Now, author K.R. Byggdin will examine the building blocks of a compelling setting in contemporary literary fiction. We will consider how to make use of careful observation, well-placed research, and artful craft to develop settings that can evoke the senses and immerse a reader fully into a narrative moment. This presentation will highlight the rich storytelling potential that is present in our everyday lives, encouraging emerging writers to experience the beauty of your own backyard and offering practical tips to help you translate the places you know best into vibrant worlds on the page. Bring a notepad or laptop, as we’ll be sure to make time for practicing these techniques together!

BIO:

K.R. Byggdin is the author of Wonder World (Enfield & Wizenty 2022), a ReLit Award finalist and winner of the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award. Their writing has appeared in journals and anthologies across Canada, the UK, and New Zealand. Born and raised on the Prairies, they currently divide their time between Halifax and Toronto as an MFA candidate at the University of Guelph.

The Power of Perspective: Mastering Point of View – Finnian Burnett

9:30-11:00am

Discover the artistry behind storytelling as we delve deep into the nuances of point of view. At the core of every story lies the author's intentional choice in point of view, a choice that shapes the reader's entire experience. Throughout our immersive workshop, we'll discuss each point of view option, exploring their unique advantages and potential pitfalls. From the intimate connections of first-person narratives to the epic landscapes of third-person omniscient, we'll learn about the variety of choices available to authors.

But this workshop goes beyond theory – be prepared to engage in hands-on generative writing exercises. In this workshop, we'll practice various elements of point of view with generative writing prompts that can be applied to any kind of writing.

BIO:

Finnian Burnett’s work explores the intersections of the human body, mental health, and gender identity. They are a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts grant, a finalist in the 2023 CBC nonfiction prize, and a 2024 Pushcart nominee.

Their work appears in Blank Spaces Magazine, Reflex Press, The Daily Sci-Fi, CBC, and more. They have release several novels through Sapphire Books Publishing. Their two novellas-in-flash, The Clothes Make the Man and The Price of Cookies, are available through Ad Hoc Fiction and Off Topic Publishing respectively.

When not writing or teaching, Finnian enjoys walking, Star Trek, and cat memes. Finn can be found at www.finnburnett.com

Self-Navigating the Path of Humour - Drew Hayden Taylor

11:30m -12:30pm

There is Humour everywhere. Some expected. Some not. But it's universal and Drew will talk about some of the secrets and surprises he has come across as a purveyor of humour. Join Drew as he shares how he went from a small boy on a First Nations community to a respected author travelling the world spreading the gospel of Native literature thanks to the power of humour. Always remember, nobody can make you funny, but you can learn to be funnier.

BIO:

During the last thirty years of his career, Drew Hayden Taylor has done many things, most of which he is proud of.

An Ojibway from the Curve Lake First Nations in Ontario, he has worn many hats in his literary career, from performing stand-up comedy at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to being Artistic Director of Canada’s premiere Native theatre company, Native Earth Performing Arts. He has been an award-winning playwright, a journalist/columnist (appearing regularly in several Canadian newspapers and magazines), short-story writer, novelist, television scriptwriter, and has worked on numerous documentaries exploring the Native experience. Most notably as a filmmaker, he wrote and directed REDSKINS, TRICKSTERS AND PUPPY STEW, a documentary on Native humour for the National Film Board of Canada, and for CBC, co-created SEARCHING FOR WINNITOU, an exploration of Germany’s fascination with North American Indigenous culture. 2 years later he followed it up with the documentary COTTAGERS AND INDIANS, about Indigenous/non-Indigenous conflicts over land and water issues. Most recently, THE PRETENDIANS aired, exploring the phenomenon of non-Native people claiming Indigenous heritage.

This fall, the third season of his APTN documentary series, Going Native, will be going into production, expanding production locales to the Yucatan, New Zealand, Australia and the Arctic.

www.drewhaydentaylor.com

Creating Time and Space for Your Writing Practice – Lindsey Harrington

Writing can be all-encompassing, so how can we fit it in amidst all the other things in our life: family, friends, day-jobs, hobbies, and physical and mental health? This workshop will provide practical tips on how to create time and space for your writing practice, whether it be through obtaining grants, attending retreats, building rituals, and/or setting deadlines, priorities, goals, and regular meetings for yourself. It will discuss the balance between accountability and compassion.

BIO:

Lindsey Harrington is a Nova Scotian writer with Newfoundland roots. Six years ago, she found her life’s purpose in writing, and it has consumed her ever since. In 2023, she longlisted for the CBC Nonfiction Award and shortlisted for the Fiddlehead Creative Nonfiction Award. She has previously shortlisted for Nova Scotia’s Budge Wilson Short Fiction Prize and won their Rita Joe Poetry Prize. She has received grants from the Copyright Access Foundation, Arts Nova Scotia, and the Canada Council for the Arts to hone her writing further. In 2022, she completed a mentorship with Guernica Prize Winner, Ian Colford. Her current projects include a short story collection about breakups and a memoir about being childfree.

Find her at www.lindseyharrington.com

Ruminations From 20 Years of Bookselling - Kevin Marusic

In this talk, I would like to speak about how the book industry has grown and changed over the past two decades. I will touch on reading trends, cover design, and things that drive a bookseller to madness. In particular I would also like to share my experience dealing with self-published books. Local and first-time authors are often convinced that once their work is published, that the hard part is over. To the contrary, getting traction as a self-published author in the sea of established books with large publishing companies behind them is much harder than writing and publishing. I have seen authors who have come in for book signings and sold 0 books and authors who have sold more than 100 in a similar time frame. The success of an individual author most of the time has nothing to do with the book itself and everything to do with how the author interacts with the people at the bookstore, both staff and customers. I hope that by sharing my experience I can give you some insight into what may work for book signings and success in your local community.

BIO:

Kevin Marusic is a man who has worn many hats. He has been a bouncer, camp counselor, machinist apprentice, massage therapist, computer network installer, tram driver, and for longer than any of those, a bookseller. For the past 20 years Kevin has been selling books and managing bookstores for Indigo where he is still learning new things on a daily basis. Outside of work, Kevin is a dad to two awesome young men, a carver of wood, maker of tasty food, and roller of multi-sided dice.