The Apt613 Local Ottawa Writers Book Fair: Book Sale and Signing

November 23, 2013 – 11 am to 4 pm
Main Branch, Ottawa Public Library (120 Metcalfe)

Come and purchase books from local authors who write in English, French and Spanish.  Books will include fiction, non-fiction, YA novels, poetry, mystery, children’s books and comics.  This event is part of Support Local Month in November that is organized by Apartment613.  Special thanks to the Ottawa Public Library and Ottawa International Writers Festival for co-sponsoring.  Participating bookstores are Kaleidoscope Kids (1018 Bank), Perfect Books (258 Elgin) and Octopus Books (116 Third Ave. and 251 Bank).

The following authors will be present to sign copies of their books:

Peggy Blair (mystery)                                 
Katina Michelis (pregnancy and parenting)
Mike Martin (mystery)                                 
Tudor Robins (YA novels)
Rita Donovan (fiction)                                
Jeff Ross (YA novels)
Deborah Jackson (science fiction)             
Kate Jaimet (YA novels/middle-grade books)
Victoria Dunn (fiction & fantasy)                  
Pierre-Luc Bélanger (YA novels – F)
Christian McPherson (fiction/poetry)             
Rachel Eugster (children’s books)
Chris Jennings (poetry)                               
Christiane D'Aoust (children’s books – E & F)
Shane Rhodes (poetry)                               
Alberte Villeneuve-Sinclair (novels/children’s books – E & F)
Camila Reimers (fiction – E & S)                  
Caroline Frechette (fiction/comics – E & F)
Gabriela Etcheverry (fiction – E, S & F)         
Mirror Comics (comics)
Jorge Etcheverry (fiction/poetry – E & S)

All books are in English unless noted otherwise: E=English  F=French  S=Spanish

Hosted by Apartment613 / see the facebook event here.

For information: Alejandro Bustos at abustos2@hotmail.com

the ottawa small press book fair, autumn 2013: some reports,

[Jenn Huzera, sitting at the Apt. 9 Press table] Another season, and another edition of the ottawa small press book fair is once again behind us; as such, there are more than a couple of reports from the fair, including one from audience regular Pearl Pirie, and others from participants Jessica Bebenek, Cameron Anstee, Amanda Earl and myself (in two parts), as well as a series of Polaroid shots Ottawa designer and photographer Charles Earl took during the course of the day, of rob mclennan and Christine McNair, Brian Mikok and Jeannie Hoag, jwcurry, Jenny Haysom sitting at the Arc Poetry Magazine table, and Jessica Bebenek.

Thanks to all for another amazing fair! Hopefully we see you again in the spring.

twenty-nine interviews posted online from this past autumn's ottawa small press book fair,

During the nineteenth anniversary edition of the semi-annual ottawa small press book fair, Liana Voia spent the day conducting an incredible twenty-nine interviews with participating exhibitors, all of which have now been posted to YouTube. Thanks, Liana! Click on the links to see interviews with Adam Thomlison, Kristen Groulx and John David Hickey, Mandy DeGeit, Grant Wilkins, Lydia Peever, Jennifer Arbour Saint-Saens, Dalton Derkson, Matthew Thomson, Kimberly Dawkins, Jessica Bebenek, David Anderson, Andrew Simpson, Monty Reid and Jenny Haysom, Amanda Earl, Jeannie Hoag and Brian Mihok, Stanley Wany, Sheree Bradford-Lee, Claudia Coutu Radmore, John Buschek, Mike Montreuil, Mary Kritz, Christian McPherson, Sheena Swirlz, Carline Frechette, Chris Johnson and JM Francheteau, Cameron Anstee, Michael e. Casteels and myself.

Meet the Presses Indie Literary Market: November 16th

Call for Vendors: Toronto Indie Arts Market Small Press & Literary Fest - Sat Dec 14th 2013

The Toronto Indie Arts Market (TIAM) - a monthly marketplace event at Toronto's Gladstone Hotel featuring the work of local artisans in various mediums - will be presenting a special Small Press & Literary Fest edition on Saturday December 14th 2013 featuring small/micro press publishers, indie magazines & zines, Canadian authors, etc.

The vendor call is open until October 30th, and we are accepting applications from the following:

• authors, selling their own work – any content/topic, any size imprint – from self-published works to major publishers, as long as it’s your own or co-written
• micro press – up to 10 titles total
• small press – up to 10 titles per year
• zines
• indie magazines or journals – circulation up to 10,000 copies per issue
• comic artists selling their own work
• small distributors – may bring items that fall into any of the above categories
• creators of paper goods (blank journals, books, cards, or other stuff to write in)

For more information and to apply to take part, see the event page on the TIAM website.

two articles anticipating this weekend's 19th anniversary ottawa small press book fair,

Two articles have posted this week, in anticipation of this weekend's ottawa small press book fair (I'm sure a dozen exhibitors are folding, stapling and/or sewing as we speak), including one by Alejandro Bustos over at Apartment613, and another by V. Rachel Weldon at WeirdCanada. The pre-fair reading occurs on Friday night at The Carleton Tavern, and the fair itself runs from noon to 5pm on the following day, over at the Jack Purcell Community Centre. Can you believe it's been nineteen years already?

The Factory Reading Series pre-small press book fair reading, October 11, 2013: Douglas, Bebenek, Manner, Mihok + Hoag,

span-o (the small press action network - ottawa) presents:

The Factory Reading Series
pre-small press book fair reading

Rhonda Douglas (Ottawa)
Jessica Bebenek (Toronto)
Mark Jordan Manner (Toronto)
Brian Mihok (Buffalo) [pictured]
+ Jeannie Hoag (Buffalo)

lovingly hosted by rob mclennan
Friday, October 11, 2013;
doors 7pm; reading 7:30pm
The Carleton Tavern,
223 Armstrong Street (at Parkdale; upstairs)

Check here for author bios and links;

check here for information on the 19th anniversaary edition of the semi-annual ottawa small press book fair, happening from noon to 5pm on Saturday, October 12, 2013 at the Jack Purcell Community Centre;

Tonight! The Ottawa 'Zine Off

Come out to Pressed tonight at 8pm to check out the work of dozens (with or without the plural 's') of Ottawa zinesters! So many beers, sandwiches and dead trees.

The Ottawa Zine Off

The third Ottawa Zine Off is coming up soon! If you're unfamiliar with this free event, the concept is simple:

• Create your own handmade "zine" (think, lil' magazine) on any topic you desire
• Photocopy it 15 - 25 times
• Come to Pressed (750 Gladstone) at 8pm on September 11
• Swap copies with other zinesters over drinks, coffee, sandwiches etc.
• Improve your life immeasurably

The idea here is to get something done in a limited time frame without the second-third-fourth-guessing that accompanies most creative projects. Zines have a rough, ready, handcrafted quality that most other formats lack, and they lend themselves to raw expression. For more information about the nature of zines and this event, check out the Facebook page and/or get in touch with organizers Maxx Critical and JM Francheteau.

Fisher Small Press Fair at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto, September 7, 2013

To celebrate the small and fine press publishers whose work is represented in the current exhibition A Death Greatly Exaggerated, the Fisher Library is holding its first-ever small press fair. We're extending the exhibition for an extra week into September and holding the fair on the first Saturday of the month.

Featuring many of the publishers represented in the exhibition, the fair will provide visitors the opportunity to meet these talented and dedicated publishers, chat with them about their work, and to purchase their books and items. It will be a special event that you won't want to miss! Cover of Shanty Bay's Circus

Confirmed publishers include: Coach House Press, Porcupine's Quill, Ewa Zebrowski, George A. Walker, Shanty Bay Press, Alan Stein/Church Street Press, above/ground, Greyweather's Press, Thee Hellbox Press, John Grande's Go If Press, Imago Press, Thomas Dannenberg, Pas de Chance, Lindsay Zier-Vogel's Puddle Press, above/ground press and Chaudiere Books.

Watch this space for more information, and for more publishers as we confirm their participation.

The details:
Date: Saturday September 7, 2013
Time: 10 am-5 pm
Location: Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto, 120 St. George St. (corner of St. George and Harbord)

Hope to see you there!

the ottawa small press fair, 19th anniversary/autumn 2013 edition: october 12, 2013

span-o (the small press action network - ottawa) presents:

    the ottawa
    small press
    book fair

autumn 2013 edition
will be happening Saturday, October 12
in room 203 of the Jack Purcell Community Centre
(on Elgin, at 320 Jack Purcell Lane).

contact rob at rob_mclennan@hotmail.com to sign up for a table, etc.

"once upon a time, way way back in October 1994, rob mclennan & James Spyker invented a two-day event called the ottawa small press book fair, and held the first one at the National Archives of Canada..." Spyker moved to Toronto soon after our original event, but the fair continues, thanks in part to the help of generous volunteers, various writers and publishers, and the public for coming out to participate with alla their love and their dollars.

General info:
the ottawa small press book fair
noon to 5pm (opens at 11:00 for exhibitors)

admission free to the public.

$20 for exhibitors, full tables
$10 for half-tables
(payable to rob mclennan, c/o 402 McLeod St #3, Ottawa ON K2P 1A6;

send by October 1 if you would like to appear in the exhibitor catalogue.

note: for the sake of increased demand, we are now offering half tables. for catalog, exhibitors should send name of press, address, email, web address, contact person, type of publications, list of publications (with price), if submissions are being considered & any other pertinent info, including upcoming ottawa-area events (if any).

& don't forget the pre-fair reading usually held the night before, info tba! also,

BE AWARE: given that the spring 2013 was the first to reach capacity (forcing me to say no to at least half a dozen exhibitors), the fair can't (unfortunately) fit everyone who wishes to participate. the fair is roughly first-come, first-served, but preference will be given to small publishers over self-published authors (being a "small press fair," after all).

the fair usually contains exhibitors with poetry books, novels,cookbooks, posters, t-shirts, graphic novels, comic books, magazines, scraps of paper, gum-ball machines with poems, 2x4s with text, etc, including (at previous events) Bywords, Dusty Owl, Chaudiere Books, above/ground press, Room 302 Books, The Puritan, The Ottawa Arts Review, Buschek Books, The Grunge Papers, Broken Jaw Press, BookThug, Proper Tales Press, Phafours Press, and others. happens twice a year, founded in 1994 by rob mclennan & James Spyker. now run by rob mclennan thru span-o. questions, rob_mclennan@hotmail.com

free things can be mailed for fair distribution to the same address. we are unable to sell things for folk who can't make it, sorry. also, always looking for volunteers to poster, move tables, that sort of thing. let me know if anyone able to do anything. thanks. for more information, bother rob mclennan.if you're able/willing to distribute posters/fliers for the fair, send me an email.

the ottawa small press book fair, spring 2013: some reports,

More than a couple of folk have been good enough to do little write-ups, reports or articles from the spring edition of our semi-annual fair. Thanks so much for reports on the fair itself, the pre-fair reading, or both, from Amanda Earl, Brandon Crilly and Cameron Anstee, a photo-spread by Greg Macdougall up on Facebook, and even an article by Jared Davidson at Jam Jar Words. Christian McPherson built and provided the very attractive signage, photographed by the lovely Christine McNair, outside. I even did two blog posts on items I picked up at the fair, here and here. Might we see you at the fall event in mid-October (watch this space for details, soon), as we celebrate nineteen glorious years?

Meet the Presses (Toronto) All-star Non-Stop Indie-Lit Variety Show!

The Factory Reading Series pre-small press book fair reading, June 14, 2013: Artelle, Worth, Dawson, Sinaee + Casteels,

span-o (the small press action network - ottawa) presents:

The Factory Reading Series
pre-small press book fair reading

with readings/launches by:

Steven Artelle (Ottawa)
Liz Worth (Toronto) [pictured]
Kanina Dawson (Ottawa)
Bardia Sinaee (Toronto)
+ Michael e. Casteels (Kingston)

lovingly hosted by rob mclennan
Friday, June 14, 2013;
doors 7pm; reading 7:30pm
The Carleton Tavern,
223 Armstrong Street (at Parkdale; upstairs)

Check here for author bios and links;

check here for information on the spring 2013 edition of the ottawa small press book fair, happening from noon to 5pm on Saturday, June 15 at the Jack Purcell Community Centre;

the ottawa small press book fair, spring 2013 edition: Saturday, June 15

span-o (the small press action network - ottawa) presents:

    the ottawa
    small press
    book fair

spring 2013 edition
will be happening Saturday, June 15
in room 203 of the Jack Purcell Community Centre
(on Elgin, at 320 Jack Purcell Lane).

contact rob at rob_mclennan@hotmail.com to sign up for a table, etc.

"once upon a time, way way back in October 1994, rob mclennan & James Spyker invented a two-day event called the ottawa small press book fair, and held the first one at the National Archives of Canada..." Spyker moved to Toronto soon after our original event, but the fair continues, thanks in part to the help of generous volunteers, various writers and publishers, and the public for coming out to participate with alla their love and their dollars.

General info:
the ottawa small press book fair
noon to 5pm (opens at 11:00 for exhibitors)

admission free to the public.

$20 for exhibitors, full tables
$10 for half-tables
(payable to rob mclennan, c/o 402 McLeod St #3, Ottawa ON K2P 1A6;

send by June 1 if you would like to appear in the exhibitor catalogue.

note: for the sake of increased demand, we are now offering half tables. for catalog, exhibitors should send name of press, address, email, web address, contact person, type of publications, list of publications (with price), if submissions are being considered & any other pertinent info, including upcoming ottawa-area events (if any).

& don't forget the pre-fair reading usually held the night before, info tba! also,

due to the increased demand for table space, exhibitors are asked to confirm far earlier than usual. i.e. -- before, say, the day of the fair (there might be no space left!).

the fair usually contains exhibitors with poetry books, novels,cookbooks, posters, t-shirts, graphic novels, comic books, magazines, scraps of paper, gum-ball machines with poems, 2x4s with text, etc, including (at previous events) Bywords, Dusty Owl, Chaudiere Books, above/ground press, Room 302 Books, The Puritan, The Ottawa Arts Review, Buschek Books, The Grunge Papers, Broken Jaw Press, BookThug, Proper Tales Press, Phafours Press, and others. happens twice a year, founded in 1994 by rob mclennan & James Spyker. now run by rob mclennan thru span-o. questions, rob_mclennan@hotmail.com

free things can be mailed for fair distribution to the same address. we are unable to sell things for folk who can't make it, sorry. also, always looking for volunteers to poster, move tables, that sort of thing. let meknow if anyone able to do anything. thanks. for more information, bother rob mclennan.if you're able/willing to distribute posters/fliers for the fair, send me an email