Port Alberni writer Vicki Drybrough will be headlining the next virtual Alberni Valley Words on Fire open mic event.
The event will be held live via Zoom on Wednesday, Sept. 30, and the public is invited to tune in at www.charslanding.com. Doors open before 6:45 p.m.
Drybrough’s work was first published in her local newspaper when she was 14. Since then, her poetry and short stories have been published in a variety of anthologies and literary journals. She is a member of the Federation of British Columbia Writers.
Stuart McLean read her short story, “Macaroni and Cheese,” on CBC Radio in October 2011 and published it in his book, Time Now for the Vinyl Café Story Exchange in 2013. In 2014, Mark Forsyth included two of her articles, “My Mother’s War” and “A Boy Soldier’s Diary” in his book, From the West Coast to the Western Front. She was a finalist in the 2016 Cedric Literary Awards for her story, “Access Road.” Vicki is a founding member of Words on Fire and has read at The Fat Oyster, Wordstorm and 15 Minutes of Infamy. She is a co-author of the recently-published collection of short stories, Both Sides Now, and is currently working on her first novel.
Warren Dean Fulton will be the second feature reader on Wednesday night. Warren is one of the hosts of Poetic Justice / Poetry New West in New Westminster, B.C. He works in the film and TV industry as an assistant location manager. When he can, Warren enjoys traveling to distant lands with his partner Dana.
Alberni Valley Words on Fire moved online when the pandemic started, with the help of Char’s Landing host Charlene Patterson. Attendees now tune in from the Alberni Valley and from as far away as Yukon and Ontario.
Alberni Valley Words on Fire is now held the second and last Wednesdays of the month at 7 p.m. Mic host for the event is Alberni Valley poet Stephen Novik. To sign up for a five-minute read, writers can contact Karl Korven at kkorven@shaw.ca.