» Fall Conference/AGM

Each fall, the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild hosts its Fall Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Fall Conference/AGM alternates between Regina and Saskatoon. In even numbered years, the Fall Conference takes place in Saskatoon and in odd years it takes place in Regina. In 2013 it will take place in Regina.

The Fall Conference takes place on the Friday and Saturday and the AGM takes place on the Sunday. Starting in 2012, the Annual Conference and AGM will take place during the first weekend of November. If there is a problem in securing a hotel to hold the event on that date, it will be on the last weekend of October.

Caroline Heath Memorial Lecture

This memorial lecture series, named after a beloved editor, publisher and poet, features senior writers and publishers as guest lecturers. Promoted to the public and the membership, the lecture is the keynote address at the Fall Conference. This series brings to writers and the public contemporary issues on writing and publishing.

You can read here the first Caroline Heath lecture given by John Newlove in 1989.

Biography of Caroline Heath

Caroline Heath was born and educated in Oregon and lived in England and Germany before settling in Saskatchewan in 1966.

A writer, editor, and teacher, she was best known as the founder of Saskatoon’s Fifth House Press, for which she edited numerous books. She also published her work in several periodicals, and served as editor of Grain from 1973 to 1979. Anne Szumigalski, one of her assistant editors at Grain, said that “(her) long term as editor of certainly established the magazine as one of Canada’s leading literary periodicals.”

She served on the Canada Council Explorations Program jury (1978-80), on the Saskatchewan Arts Board (1980-82), and as a judge for the 1982 CBC Literary Competition. She taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts as well as Cypress Hills Community College.

Caroline Heath died in April 1989 after a long battle with cancer. In 1994 Coteau Books published her collection of poetry titled Why Couldn’t You See Blue?

List of Previous Speakers:

2012: Sylvia Tyson
2011: Guy Gavriel Kay
2010: Don McKay
2009: Drew Hayden Taylor
2008: Warren Cariou (in lieu of Tomson Highway)
2007: Susan Musgrave
2006: Denise Chong
2005: Alberto Manguel
2004: George Elliot Clarke
2003: Daphne Marlatt
2002: Sean Virgo
2001: Bonnie Burnard
2000: Maria Campbell
1999: Aritha van Herk
1998: Janice Kulyk Keefer
1997: George Melnyk
1996: Patrick Friesen
1995: Gail Bowen
1994: Daniel David Moses
1993: Peter Gzowski
1992: Dave Godfrey
1991: Smaro Kamboureli
1990: David Arnason
1989: John Newlove

2013 Conference Information

November 1-3, 2013

In Partnership with Ânskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival

Travelodge Hotel & Conference Centre | 4177 Albert Street, Regina, SK

REGISTRATION

To register for the conference, please fill out the registration form and submit it to the SWG office with your payment. Please use one of the following payment methods:

PayPal
send a cheque or money order made payable to the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild to the SWG Regina office (Box 3986, Regina SK, S4P 3R9)
drop off cash at the Regina office: we are located at Suite 100, 1150 - 8th Avenue, Regina SK

For more information contact the Program Manager at (306) 791-7743 or programs@skwriter.com