Call for Entries: SOGC Journalism Awards

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), in collaboration with the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health (CFWH), is calling for submissions for the 2012 SOGC/CFWH Journalism Awards for Excellence in Women’s Health Reporting. This award, consisting of a $1,000 cash prize per print and broadcast category, recognizes journalists, reporters, and producers who have excelled in communicating information on women’s sexual and reproductive health issues to the public.

To be eligible, publications or broadcasts must have appeared in a Canadian consumer newspaper, magazine or broadcast report in Canada between 1 January and 31 December 2011.  The submission deadline is March 5, 2012.

The full rules and eligibility requirements can be found on the SOGC website (here for the French version).

Workshop: How to be your own publicist

Though this workshop isn’t coming to Montreal, your travel plans might bring you to the right place at the right time. For those not living in those cities, the WUC will offer a webinar.

WORKSHOP ON HOW TO BE YOUR OWN PUBLICIST!

The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is offering the Professional Development Workshop HOW TO BE YOUR OWN PUBLICIST in Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, and Victoria, in February and March of 2012. The workshops take place from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. For those who can’t attend in one of the participating cities, a 3-hour webinar will be offered, distilling the highlights of the workshop.

Authors Elizabeth Ruth and Ann Douglas will present on traditional but innovative book marketing strategies as well as new media opportunities for writers.  Kelly Duffin, Executive Director of The Writers’ Union of Canada, will update participants on the latest evolutions in the publishing landscape.

Whether you are an aspiring writer wanting to develop your audience before publication; an emerging writer who needs to stay visible; or long-published and looking for new tips and techniques, this full-day workshop is for you.

Participants will leave the workshop having gained the know-how and confidence to creatively promote their own future works, and an expanded, inspired sense of what it means to be a writer in the current publishing context.

Most workshops of this calibre charge hundreds of dollars. The price of this symposium is $89.00 and covers costs, including lunch, $75 for members of The Writers’ Union of Canada. For registration information please go to www.writersunion.ca/registration.pdf.  Please circulate this information to writers you think might be interested in coming to this event. Space is limited so register today.

Many thanks for your time and attention.

Kelly Duffin
Executive Director

The Writers’ Union of Canada acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage for these Professional Development workshops.

“The Story of French” wins literary award

The Story of French, co-authored by PWAC Quebec member Julie Barlow and her husband Jean-Benoît Nadeau, has received the Prix de la Renaissance Française. Honoured by l’Académie des Science d’Outre-mer, the book is the first recipient of the  Prix de la Renaissance Française, which celebrates a work that highlights French literature or French culture inside and outside of France.

The Académie’s honorary President, Mr. Jacques Serres, described The Story of French as being, “A scholarly book that provides sound knowledge on a subject of great interest, with the added benefit of stirring up smiles from readers through humorous anecdotes.”

Congratulations, Julie and Jean-Benoît!

Event debrief

Radio Docs – From Idea to Airwaves

On December 6, PWAC members (and the public-at-large) were treated to an evening with David Gutnick, producer of award-winning radio documentaries for the CBC. His work has been broadcast on several programs, including The Sunday Edition. He is also the host of In the Field.

David Gutnick speaks at the Atwater Library, where the audience hangs on to his every word.

Part memoir and part present-tense, Gutnick described his circuitous path to the radio world (he has a degree in African Poetry from l’Université Laval), and how his background has shaped his approach to radio documentary. He believes that being a keen observer and a good listener is more important than a journalism degree. His genuine interest and respect for humanity lie at the center of his work – make people comfortable and they will tell their own stories.  A tall man, six feet at least, he always talks to people at eye level, so his legs get a good workout. Once he gets an idea, it’s all about concision. After hours of recording, he transcribes the material and filters through it, gradually carving away the excess to find its essence – the theme of the story. An aging hat-maker on St-Laurent Boulevard becomes a story about globalization. A group of First Nations teenagers learning French in St-Foy illustrates the history of Quebec’s Cree and Inuit. And two intellectually-handicapped women at the head of a class action lawsuit against the Ontario government reminds us that strength and resilience are not so easily swept under the institutional rug.

PWAC Member Christmas Party

On December 9, members gathered at Kathe Lieber’s house for what’s turning out to be an annual event. As you can see from the pictures, taken by Chapter President Ian Howarth, a good time was had by all!

Job offer: Technicien(ne) en documentation

This comes, courtesy of Jobboom. Click here for the complete listing.

Superbe opportunité : Technicien(ne) en documentation (#207888)

Vous venez de graduer d’un DEC en Techniques de la documentation ou d’un baccalauréat en Gestion de l’information, ou vous avez de l’expérience en gestion d’archives et de documentation? Nous avons un poste temporaire d’au moins 90 jours dans une organisation gouvernementale qui détient 181 ans d’archives. Profitez-en pour gagner une expérience exceptionnelle dans votre domaine.

FONCTIONS ET RESPONSABILITÉS

Le technicien/La technicienne en documentation :

Analyse, codifie, classifie et participe aux activités de préservation et conservation des documents papiers et électroniques à l’aide des solutions technologiques en conformité aux règles applicables.

Collabore à la rédaction de politiques, de normes, de directives et de procédures qui encadrent le déploiement et la maintenance du système de gestion intégré des documents de l’entreprise.

Vérifie l’adéquation des schèmes de classification et des règles de conservation et collabore au transfert, l’élimination, et l’entreposage (ou versement) des documents d’archives et de conservation permanente.

Soutient le personnel des autres services dans la classification et l’utilisation de leurs documents et dossiers à l’aide des solutions technologiques liée à la gestion intégrée des documents de l’entreprise et sous la responsabilité du service des ressources informationnelles.

Collabore avec le coordonnateur à l’accès à l’information dans l’application de la Loi en effectuant les recherches et structurations des informations pour optimiser le processus de consultation.

Visit jobboom for more detail or to apply.

Call for entries: Short fiction for ZenFri Inc.

ZenFri Inc., a small Canadian creative arts company, is publishing an anthology of works titled “Warpaint” in Early 2012 and is now accepting submissions of your boldest, most unusual, and provocative short fiction.

It doesn’t matter how many times your work has been published, or if you’re simultaneously submitting, all we want is your boldest, most unusual and provocative work. Please read the guidelines below, and submit your files to submit@zenfri.com. Once a file has been submitted, you agree to the ‘Terms of Submission’ outlined at http://zenfri.com/terms-of-submission/.

Deadline: Dec 31st

Short Fiction – any piece up to 7,500 words, but you must choose a single work to submit. This work should be submitted as a .doc or .odt file.

Within a single file please include:

• A single written piece, double spaced at 12 font.
• A brief biography (up to two sentences).
• A short summary of the plot, characters, and themes in your piece.
• A publication history.
• Your name, mailing address and e-mail on the first page.

It’s our belief that each story has its own appropriate length; if you give us two mind blowing paragraphs, the piece will be weighted similarly to a longer piece with equal ‘mind blowing’ qualities.

Compensation

At ZenFri we believe in equality among publishers and contributors, therefore we’re committed to compensating the authors and artists whose work we publish. To us your work is as important as our own, which is why every contributor published by ZenFri will be paid an equal share of the revenue as ZenFri itself receives.

Job offer: French-Canadian Translator

This comes via Jobboom.

Position description :  TransPerfect Family of Companies
www.transperfect.com
www.translations.com

French-Canadian Translator
TransPerfect Translations was founded in 1992 with the following mission: to provide the highest quality language services to leading businesses worldwide. With no external financing, the TransPerfect family of companies grew from its humble beginnings as a two-person company operating in an NYU business school dorm room into the world’s third largest translation and software localization firm and one of the fastest growing, privately-held companies in the United States. With a network of over 8,000 language specialists and over 1,700 full-time employees in over 70 locations throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, we’re continuously ready to meet our clients’ needs, around the clock and around the world. We attribute our growth to the skill, aptitude, and commitment of our high caliber employees. Put simply, we hire the most talented candidates and give them the guidance, resources, and opportunities they need to grow their career in an expanding environment.

Summary: The position of French-Canadian Translator is a key player at TransPerfect. This position reports into the Department Manager. Your particular language skill will allow you to finalize all the end product before it goes to the client. This is a unique opportunity in a financially stable international communications services company. You will be responsible for all aspects quality production within certain language/geographic regions.

Description:
•    Translate documents, mainly branding/marketing and communication
•    Edit jobs by freelance translators
•    Give final approval to any changes to translated documents after they have been proofread and edited
•    Maintain databases and amend translation memories
•    Juggle multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment
•    Establish and maintain excellent relationships with contract translators and proofreaders globally
•    Ensure customer sign-off of end product
•    Demonstrate effective utilization of staff, effectively delegate responsibility
•    Keep clients informed of project progress

Required Skills:
•    Minimum Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent
•    Native fluency in Canadian French and near native fluency in English
•    2-5 years of experience translating or editing documents
•    Ability to support multiple projects by keeping accurate and up-to-date project specs
•    Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills in English and French
•    Exceptional problem solving skills

Desired Skills:

•    Experience in Branding/Marketing or Communication background preferred
•    Prior translation industry experience is a plus

TransPerfect is an equal opportunity employer.

TransPerfect offers a comprehensive benefits package including: medical, dental, vision, 401k, paid time-off, company sponsored life insurance, long term disability, flexible spending account options, and a pro-active and accessible HR department that focuses on the staff’s health and happiness.

To be considered for this position you must provide your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements. Please provide this information in English, and please send your resume (English version) to mcapra@transperfect.com.

Job offer: Communications

There are two communications openings at CAE.

Manager, HR Communications. Click here for the full job description and qualifications.

• Reporting to the Director, Global Communications, the candidate will:
• Manage the development and implementation of internal communications strategies and programs specific to Human Resources.
• Manage global HR communications campaigns.
• Provide strategic communications counsel to internal customers.
• Help enhance the employee experience by developing employee communications and engagement strategies to address multiple audiences and geographical regions.
• Develop and manage various company-wide communication channels and vehicles, including in-person (e.g., executive presentations), online (e.g., intranet), and written (e.g., newsletters).
• Research, write and edit for a wide range of communications material, including: internal  websites  and newsletters, company profiles, speeches, presentations, brochures, etc.

Senior Counsellor, Communications. Click here search for job # 18956 to see the full job description and qualifications.

• Reporting to the Director, Global Communications, the candidate will:
• Research, write and edit for a wide range of communications material, including: internal and external websites, internal and external newsletters, press releases, company profiles, speeches, presentations, brochures and datasheets
• Collaborate and provide support in the development and implementation of communications strategies and plans.
• Provide support in the preparation and coordination of corporate events.
• Provide strategic communications counsel to internal customers.
• Collaborate in some internal communication campaigns.

National Magazine Awards, Writing Workshops

It’s a twofer today.

Call for Entries: National Magazine Awards

The National Magazine Awards Foundation is looking for the best work in Canadian magazine publishing from 2011. The submissions process for this year’s awards will open on December 1 at www.magazine-awards.com. Magazines and freelancers are invited to submit their work in one or more of our 45 written, visual, integrated and special categories. Review the NMAF’s Eligibility & Rules before you submit. You may also want to review our FAQ. The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 13, 2012 at 5pm ET. All submissions must be received in their entirety to be eligible.

Blue Met Online Writing Workshops

For 2012 Blue Met offers two online writing workshops focusing on the works of two renowned French writers who will participate in the 2012 Festival. The workshops will be led by professional writing expert and Blue Met Programming Consultant Annie Heminway, professor at New York University.

Works from the two authors will form the basis for the content in the coursework and Ms. Heminway will comment on written pieces by participants, offering individual feedback. At the end of the workshops, participants can choose to have their pieces featured on the soon to be launched new Blue Met website.

These workshops are offered to all those who love literature and who wish to express themselves in French, whether they are professionals or amateurs, and whether French is their mother tongue or not. FSL students welcome!

The authors featured in the workshop are:

• Ananda Devi, Mauritian author of Les hommes qui me parlent (Gallimard, 2011) and Le sari vert (Gallimard, 2009); online session will take place from January 30 to February 12, 2012
• Léonora Miano, Cameroonian author of Blues pour Elise (Plon, 2010) and Les Aubes écarlates (Plon, 2009; online session will take place from February 13 to 26, 2012

To register or for more information, contact Blue Met’s Gregory McCormick.

Registration fee per workshop: CA$120
Registration deadlines are January 23, 2012 for the Ananda Devi workshop; February 6, 2012 for the Léonora Miano workshop. Space is limited.
www.bluemetropolis.org

Children’s Poetry Anthology – update

There are some changes to the children’s poetry anthology call for submissions.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS – CHILDREN’S POETRY ANTHOLOGY
NEW Submission Deadline: March 31st, 2012

On your marks, get set, write!
An independently published ebook anthology of children’s poetry dedicated to the wide world of sports is in the works.

We’re looking for original, unpublished poems aimed at 5- to 12-year-olds that deal with various aspects of athletics:

• Olympics and other major international sports events (i.e., FIFA World Cup)
• winter/summer, individual/team sports
• winning and losing
• amateur/professional athletes
• sports fans and those behind the scenes (coaches, refs, etc.)
• equipment/uniforms and places where sports are played
• sports history and other miscellanea (halls of fame, records, trivia, etc.)

We are interested in receiving poems written in a variety of forms including but not limited to the following: couplet, triplet, limerick, haiku, tanka, cinquain, diamante, mask poem, apostrophe poem, list poem, etheree, palindrome, etc.

Only adults who write children’s poetry are invited to submit their work. Emerging children’s poets are strongly encouraged to send their work.

Poets whose work is selected for the collection will receive a small honorarium.

Authors will be notified in May 2012 if their work(s) are selected. A portion of the anthology’s proceeds will be donated to Right to Play, an international organization that promotes sport and play to enhance child development in some of the world’s most disadvantaged areas.

Please email poems to Carol-Ann Hoyte at kidlitfan1972@yahoo.ca.