NEXT: EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE
TO BECOME GAME CHANGERS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
A future worth shaping starts with a present we want to grow.
Our NEXT program put some weight behind that bit of wisdom.
WORKING FICTIONS
Ecology, sustainability, social inequalities, age and time wearing on—a few important subjects. And to address them, original short stories that combine imagination and intuitions, invention and the music of language. And just as many indispensable literary perspectives. Literature, here, gets the last word. With Working Fictions, imagination takes on urgent explorations, and reality gets a little brighter. It becomes a bit more singular, a bit more puzzling, a bit more joyous, a bit more worrisome. Fodder for more stories, more listening.
DISCOVER OUR NEW LITERARY WALKING TOUR: TIO:TIA’KE/MONTREAL
Tio’tia:ke, meaning “where the rivers meet” in Mohawk, has had many names, been a gathering place for many First Nations, and is now a point of confluence for Indigenous people and many other peoples alike. And yet, the history of Tio’tia:ke/Montreal most of us know is a white settler story—an often selective, sometimes doctored, at best incomplete account. In Tio’tia:ke/Montreal, Indigenous and settler of colour authors, members of communities underrepresented by the telling of that story, begin to contribute necessary perspectives, personal records, and missing chapters to the history of the place they’ve called home.
STORY TIME WITH ALIYA
Find out more about Aliya Bartmon, our storytelling apprentice, and the fun, educational activities she proposed back in spring 2023.
INTERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Recruitment is no longer available. See you next year !
OVERVIEW OF THE NEXT PROGRAMMING AT THE 2023 FESTIVAL
LITERARY WALKING TOUR – TIO’TIA:KE/MONTREAL
Available online (click here)
Tio’tia:ke, Mooniyang, Montréal. In the wake of past and ongoing stages of colonialism, Tara McGowan Ross, Cason Sharpe and Symon Henry find themselves, like many of the rest of us, turning toward the decolonial, the postcolonial, and the ante- and para-colonial in an effort to shed light on tucked-away places, histories, communities and realities which have also defined the richness of Montreal. This city of ours, your city, my city, the gathering place for many Indigenous peoples that long precedes either—there comes a time for more voices, difference voices, to speak in its name. Part of the Foulée|Strides walking tour series, these Tio’tia:ke/Montréal podcasts make a small gesture to that effect, bringing together the places and words that define this project for three exciting authors. The result: an Indigenous writer’s pensive stroll through Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, a trans and Egypto-Canadian settler’s look at Ville Saint-Laurent, and a personal reminiscence about a storied Black protest in the city’s downtown core. Together, they help tell the ever-changing, ever-growing tale of a city made richer by its polyvocal histories. An invaluable gift for Montreal’s future.
LITERARY WALKING TOUR_online
Participants: Tara McGowan-Ross, Cason Sharpe, Symon Henry, Darby Minott Bradford
FREE / ENGLISH
ATELIER 1 : L’EUGUÉLIONNE – PASSER DE LA MARGE AU CENTRE
Cette discussion organisée à l’Euguélionne en présence de plusieurs contributeur·rices de l’ouvrage Il y a des joies dont on ignore l’existence et animé par Karine Rosso visera à aborder les expériences auteurices minorisé·es sur le plan du genre, de la race, de la langue, etc. dans le monde littéraire. Durant cette discussion, les panelistes seront encouragé·es à parler de leurs expériences du monde du livre (maisons d’édition, librairies etc.), des obstacles rencontrés ou encore des facteurs ou personnes qui facilitent leur parcours. Et bien évidemment, nous aborderons l’expérience particulière de création dans l’ouvrage collectif choisi, dans ce contexte « entre marginalisé·e ».
ATELIER_120 minutes
Participants : Sayaka Araniva-Yanez, Cato Fortin, Madioula Kébé-Kamara, Karine Rosso
Date et heure: Jeudi 16 mars 2023, 17h30
Lieu: Librairie L’Eguélionne
GRATUIT / FRANÇAIS
WORKSHOP 2: DARBY MINOTT BRADFORD & AND TAWHIDA TANYA EVANSON – WRITERS IN CALQ
In this hybrid workshop, Tawhida Tanya Evanson and Darby Minott Bradford provide an overview of best practices for writers with projects for print, spoken word, or storytelling looking to write strong literary arts grant applications for the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ).
WORKSHOP_120 minutes
Host: Darby Minott Bradford, Tawhida Tanya Evanson
Date and time: Saturday March 18 2023, 10h00
Venue: Quebec Writers’ Federation offices and online
FREE / ENGLISH
WORKING FICTION – PRATHNA LOR
Available online (click here)
An unpublished work of fiction on the themes of ecology and climate changes, by one of the rising voices of Montreal’s young literary scene.
PODCAST_online
Participant: Prathna Lor
Date: Starting March 30 2023
Duration: 20 minutes
FREE / ENGLISH
WORKING FICTION – SRUTI ISLAM
Available online (click here)
An unpublished work of fiction on the theme of social justice, by one of the rising voices of Montreal’s young literary scene.
PODCAST_online
Participant: Sruti Islam
Date: Starting March 30 2023
Duration: 20 minutes
FREE / ENGLISH
WEIRD ERA: NAVIGATING ONLINE SPACES, LITERALLY
Sruti Islam (Producer of the Weird Era podcast as well as Editor of the Weird Era magazine) and Alex Nierenhausen (Co-Host of the Weird Era podcast, and Store Manager of Librairie Saint-Henri Books) join collaborator James Resendes (founder of Gaywrites) in conversation about the ways they aim to use their individual literary platforms to better support the community at large. Moderated by Arizona O’Neill, this event is presented as part of the NEXT series of the Blue Metropolis Festival.
PANEL_60 minutes
Participants: Sruti Islam, Alex Nierenhausen, James Resendes
Date and time: Friday April 14 2023, 7:00 pm
Venue: Librairie De Still Bookstore
FREE / ENGLISH
MONDAY BLEU
Author and performer Marilou Craft and bookseller and musician Raphaël Foisy-Couture share a love for poetic performance, musical improvisation, and the undisciplined. The two accomplices have therefore orchestrated a bilingual evening of music and poetry where artists will play their words as well as their instruments, with texts harmonized to music making for a danse in real time. Solo project Skin Tone (James Goddard) will be followed by the AC/CC quartet (Sarah Albu, Belinda Campbell, Marilou Craft, Eric Craven), all of whom will then join Xavier Gould (Chiquita Mére) for a sextet finale. Doors open at 7:30pm.
PERFORMANCE_90 minutes
Participant: Marilou Craft, Raphaël Foisy-Couture, Skin Tone, Eric Craven, Xavier Gould, Belinda Campbell, Sarah Albu
Hosts: Marilou Craft, Raphaël Foisy-Couture
Date and time: Monday April 17 2023, 8:00 pm
Venue: La Sotterenea
FREE / FRENCH & ENGLISH
WORKSHOP 3: SUSTAINING THE WRITING LIFE
A session with author, editor, translator, and essayist Dimitri Nasrallah to discuss the professionalization of a writing life in Montreal, the values of community, and the importance of mentorship. A casual and open conversation about what (and what not) to do, geared toward emerging writers and their concerns.
WORKSHOP_90 minutes
Host: Dimitri Nasrallah
Date and time: Friday April 28 2023, 10:00 am
Venue: Hôtel 10 – Salle Exécutive
FREE / ENGLISH
WORKSHOP 4: PODCASTING IN A WEIRD ERA
Founder, producer, and co-host Sruti Islam presents a workshop on best practices in the art of the interview process.
WORKSHOP_90 minutes
Host: Sruti Islam
Date and time: Friday April 28 2023, 3:30 pm
Venue: Hôtel 10 – Salle Exécutive
FREE / ENGLISH
WORKSHOP 5: PUBLISHING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Join Ashley Opheim, founder and managing editor of Metatron Press, for a lecture and workshop about the ups and downs of publishing in the 21st century. Opheim will share essential lessons she’s learned over her past 8 years of running Metatron Press and offer attendees tips and tricks to help them with their publishing projects.
WORKSHOP_90 minutes
Host: Ashley Opheim
Date and time: Saturday April 29 2023, 4:30 pm
Venue: Hôtel 10 – Salle Exécutive
FREE / ENGLISH
THE ATWATER POETRY PROJECT AT BLUE METROPOLIS
This special Blue Metropolis festival edition of the Atwater Poetry Project features T. Liem, Kasia van Schaik and River Halen on creative growth, loss, and the forms of fellowship they created in the midst of pandemic isolation. Readings from author’s recent books will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with the audience facilitated by APP curator Faith Paré.
READING_90 minutes
Participants: River Halen, Tess Liem, Kasia Van Schaik
Host: Faith Paré
Date and time: Saturday, April 29 2023, 9:30 pm
Venue: Hôtel 10 – Espace Godin
FREE / FRENCH & ENGLISH
LITERARY ZINES AND THE SMALL PRESS
The editors of Vallum, Contemporary Poetry and Cactus Press discuss their recent literary zine series. Usually presenting a single author or poet’s recent works, literary zines allow the public to discover new and emerging literary voices. Featuring editors Tess Liem and Devon Gallant, and followed by short readings from new literary zines. An Expozine/ ARCMTL co-production.
SHOWCASE_90 minutes
Participants: Tess Liem, Devon Gallant, Samara Garfinkle, Heather White
Moderator: Louis Rastelli
Date and time: Sunday April 30 2023, 11:00 am
Venue: Hôtel 10 – Salle Saint-Laurent
FREE / ENGLISH
PRIX LITTÉRAIRE NOUVEL APPORT METROPOLIS BLEU/CONSEIL DES ARTS DE MONTRÉAL – CONVERSATION
The Blue Metropolis Conseil des Arts de Montréal New Contribution Literature Award aims to draw attention to new literary voices in Montreal with an immigrant background that enrich our literature. Conversation between Tawhida Tanya Evanson, winner of the 2022 Award.
AWARD CEREMONY_60 minutes
Participants: Tawhida Tanya Evanson, lauréat(e) Prix Nouvel Apport 2023
Animation: Darby Minott Bradford
Date and time: Sunday April 30 2023, 4:00 pm
Venue: Hôtel 10 – Salle Jardin
FREE / FRENCH & ENGLISH
ATELIER 6 : ÉCRITURE ET RÉSIDUS, EFFACEMENTS ET EXTRAPOLATIONS
Olivia Tapiero présente un atelier de création littéraire qui s’appuiera sur la notion de résidu, ainsi que sur des interventions dans des livres imprimés.
ATELIER_120 minutes
Animation : Olivia Tapeiro
Date et heure : Lundi 20 mai 2023, 18h30
Lieu : Librairie La Livrerie
GRATUIT / FRANÇAIS
VÉHICULE PRESS 50TH ANNIVERSARY GALA
Come celebrate 50 years of publishing with Véhicule Press! This event will feature readings and reflections by authors and editors, past and present, co-hosted by Nyla Matuk and Mark Abley.
LAUNCH_120 minutes
Participants: Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay, Tawhida Tanya Evanson, Susan Glickman, Kaie Kellough, Dimitri Nasrallah, Michael Prior, Andrew Steinmetz
Host: Nyla Matuk and Mark Abley
Date and time: Saturday, June 17 2023, 7:00 pm
Venue: Casa d’Italia
FREE / ENGLISH
HOPE TO REMEMBER
The fight against racism and exclusion is indeed a lasting struggle faced by our societies. Presented by Blue Metropolis, Hope to Remember Days took place during the Salon du livre de Montréal in 2020.
RELIVE OUR NEXT 2021 PROGRAM
For this latter celebration of the 2021 edition of the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival, we presented 4 events from Montreal’s burgeoning literary community leaders. A showcase of recent and upcoming releases from Metonymy Press, a revisiting of Kama La Mackerel’s Gender B(l)ender events with librairie L’Euguélionne, a celebration of emerging talents in translation with Metatron Press, and an afro-futurism spotlight with librairie Racines. All representing a world of hybrid possibilities—an effervescent mix of refreshed digital formats and safe in-person experiences.
THANKS TO THE BLUE METROPOLIS FOUNDATION’S MAJOR PARTNERS WHO SUPPORT THE 2023 FESTIVAL AND OUR 2022-2023 EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS
MERCI AUX PARTENAIRES MAJEURS DE LA FONDATION METROPOLIS BLEU QUI SOUTIENNENT LE FESTIVAL 2023 ET NOS PROGRAMMES ÉDUCATIFS ET SOCIAUX 2022-2023
