Horseshoe Festival aims to grow the literary community

A well-attended reading event at the Corner Brook Rotary Arts Centre.

From children's literature to poetry to prose, the second annual Horseshoe Literary Festival, held last October at had a wide variety of offerings for all writers, regardless of their levels of experience.

The festival, founded by Grenfell English professor Adam Beardsworth, featured published writers — from within and beyond the province — who offered free workshops, sharing their expertise with participants. The two-day festival, which ran at locations such as the Corner Brook Rotary Arts Centre and the Corner Brook Public Library, also provided a stage for readings from various writers, both merging and established. The featured writers included Ottawa poet and editor rob mclennan, Nova Scotia-based novelist Leo McKay, Jr., young authors Karen Kelloway and Jiin Kim, St. John's poets Matthew Hollett and Maggie Burton, St. John's fiction writer Allison Graves, Corner Brook novelist Aley Waterman, and children's author Amanda Bulman.

Leo McKay, Jr., novelist and short story writer from Stellarton, Nova Scotia

"The main goal of the festival is to grow the literary community on the west coast," said Dr. Beardsworth, adding that in addition to getting as many people as possible involved in the workshops, the other aim is to "give a space for newer voices, writers who are perhaps less established."

Learning from established authors directly through workshops and providing networking opportunities created a sense of community among writers in the area, as well as among the Grenfell student body.

Graduate students in Grenfell's master of applied literary arts (MALA) program helped organize and run the festival.

"An important component of the MALA program is helping students make connections and build relationships in the community — to get hands-on experience, which is the 'applied' aspect of the program," said Dr. Beardsworth.

The festival is interrelated with a journal he established, called Horseshoe Literary Magazine. The journal is edited by MALA students with supervision from Dr. Beardsworth; the fourth issue is currently nearing completion. The magazine is open to writers in all stages of their careers.

The name of the magazine and the festival comes from an annual horseshoe tournament, originally spearheaded by the late Al Pittman, a member of Grenfell's English faculty and great supporter of emerging artists.

rob mclennan of Ottawa, author of more than thirty trade books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction

For more information about the Horseshoe Literary Festival, email adamb@mun.ca.