How can I participate in this year’s conference?
Our 2022 conference includes in-person events and limited livestreamed events. Attendees can register for the full in-person conference, an online pass for limited livestreamed events, or individual events. You can choose the best option for you.
How much are registration fees and what is included?
A full conference pass includes includes all in-person events and access to the recorded livestreamed events for 30 days post-conference. The full pass is a $270 value for SWG members and $315 value for non-members, available for the price of $200 SWG members, $245 non-members, $100 students (post-secondary/high school/elementary).
The full pass includes these events:
- Preparing Your Manuscript for Publication with Elizabeth Philips
- Creating Sacred Spaces in Urban Centres with Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway
- My Writing My Work (Heath Memorial lecture) with Dr. Norma Dunning
- Lunch & Conversation with Joan Thomas and Elizabeth Philips (including a meal)
- Storytelling and Art panel
- SWG AGM
- 2022 John V Hicks Long Manuscript Award in Fiction ceremony
- Community Stage Open Mic & Social
AND your choice of the following concurrent events (choose one in each time slot):
Friday 10:00-11:15 am Workshop
- Writing Your Way into Prairie outdoor workshop with Trevor Herriot
- Fold and Live to Fold Again: How (and Why) to Write a Fold-In Poem with Daniel Scott Tysdal
Friday 2:45-4:15 pm events
- Write, Print, Fold and Staple: On Poetry Chapbooks with Jim Johnstone (note this ends at 4:00 pm)
- Writing Queerly: Workshopping LGBTQ+ Characters and Settings - workshop with Jes Battis
Friday 4:30-5:30 pm panels
- Poetic Memory
- Agents for Fiction Writers
Saturday 9:00-10:30 am workshops
- Taking it On with Joan Thomas
- The Young Adult Voice with Kagiso Lesego Molope
Saturday 10:45 am – 12:15 pm workshops
- How to Observe with Tolu Oloruntoba
- The Fundamentals of Creating a Character with Dr. Norma Dunning
Online Pass includes the livestream and recording of the following events via Zoom webinar:
- Preparing Your Manuscript for Publication with Elizabeth Philips
- Penned Up with Jes Battis (1 hour)
- Poetic Memory panel with Tolu Oloruntoba, Medrie Purdham, Diana Hope Tegenkamp and host Carol Rose GoldenEagle
- Creating Sacred Spaces in Urban Centres with Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway
- My Writing My Work (Heath Memorial lecture) with Dr. Norma Dunning
- Lunch & Conversation with Joan Thomas and Elizabeth Philips (including a meal)
- Storytelling and Art panel with Tonia Laird, Kagiso Lesego Molope, Lara Stoudt and host Carla Harris
- 2022 John V Hicks Long Manuscript Award in Fiction ceremony
The recorded videos of these events are available online for 30 days post-conference. The cost of an online pass is $55 SWG members / $75 non-members / $25 students.
Are there bursaries or subsidies available to cover my registration costs?
The SWG has three $100 bursaries available to emerging writers purchasing full conference passes based on financial need on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to apply for a bursary, please indicate this on your registration form.
Please note that the SWG considers writers who have not yet published a full-length book to be emerging.
Can I access any of the online offerings after the conference?
If you have purchased a full conference pass, or an online pass, you will be able to watch our livestreamed events for 30 days after the conference. Registered participants will receive links and more information during the week of Oct 24th.
Livestreamed events will include:
- Preparing Your Manuscript for Publication with Elizabeth Philips
- Writing Queerly: Workshopping LGBTQ+ Characters and Settings - workshop with Jes Battis
- Poetic Memory Panel with Tolu Oloruntoba, Medrie Purdham, Diana Hope Tegenkamp and host Carol Rose GoldenEagle
- Creating Sacred Spaces in Urban Centres with Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway and host Melissa Worme
- My Writing My Work lecture with Dr. Norma Dunning
- Conversation with Joan Thomas and Elizabeth Philips
- Storytelling and Art Panel with Tonia Laird, Kagiso Lesego Molope, Lara Stoudt and host Carla Harris
- 2022 John V Hicks Long Manuscript Award ceremony
Do I have to be a SWG member to attend the conference?
No. Our conference is open to anyone interested in attending, although our members enjoy a discounted rate.
Are there any free events?
We’re pleased to offer the following events free and open to the public. Three events will be recorded and shared on our public YouTube channel post-conference.
Friday Oct 21 from 7:00-9:15 pm
- Creating Sacred Spaces in Urban Centres with Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway and host Melissa Worme
- My Writing My Work lecture with Dr. Norma Dunning
Saturday Oct 22 from 7:00-11:00 pm
- 2022 John V Hicks Long Manuscript Award in Fiction ceremony
- Community Stage Open Mic and Social (please note this will NOT be livestreamed or recorded but all are welcome to attend in-person).
Can I buy books at your conference?
The SWG will operate a book table during the conference, where you can browse and purchase books written by our presenters or members.
If you are a SWG member attending the conference, you are welcome to drop off your authored books for the Guild to sell on consignment. Book drop offs can be made between 9:00-10:00 am Fri Oct 21, or at the SWG Office on Thursday Oct 21 between 8:30-4:30 pm. Unsold books must be picked up by Saturday Oct 22 (time TBD).
If I would like to stay at the Atlas Hotel, how do I book a hotel room?
Hotel rooms are available for conference guests to book directly with the Atlas Hotel (4177 Albert Street, Regina) at our conference rate of $130/night (+tax). This special rate is available until September 30, 2022. Rooms may be available after this date but availability and this rate cannot be guaranteed.
Please contact the Atlas Hotel at 306-586-3443 or 1-844-586-3443 to book your room and quote code 102122SWG.
Accessibility at the Conference
The Atlas Hotel venue is wheelchair accessible. Our events will take place on the 2nd floor, which is accessible via elevator and wheelchair lift, or by stairs. The rooms will be set up with moveable tables and chairs. All presenters will use a microphone and may have AV props (like powerpoints).
The Atlas Hotel (4177 Albert Street) is on the #40 City of Regina bus route.
Please note that the outdoor workshop with Trevor Herriot may not be physically accessible to all; it requires travel to White Butte Recreational Centre and the ability to walk for 90 minutes on potential uneven ground/grass. Please contact the SWG if you would like to attend this workshop and require transportation.
Livestreamed and recorded events will include auto captions.
To ensure that the SWG conference is financially accessible to our members and the public, we are offering 4 free evening events (see list above in “Are there any free events?”) as well as three $100 bursaries to emerging writers purchasing full conference passes based on financial need on a first-come, first-served basis.