The Royal City Literary Arts Society has announced the winners of its 2017 Write On! contest, and some familiar local names are among them.
The contest awards prizes of $150, $100 and $75 for the top three entries in each category: poetry, non-fiction and fiction.
For poetry, Sylvia Symons captured first place for Bible Camp, with Annette LeBox capturing second place for Place of My Body and Celeste Snowber third for Hymn to a Mountain Ash. Honourable mentions went to Clara A.B. Joseph and Jude Neale (in fact, Clara received two honourable mentions for two of her pieces).
For non-fiction, Grayson Smith took first place for Traffic Cop and Marylee Stephenson second for Private Dancing. Neil McKinnon took third for Time Travel in Lantian. Honourable mentions went to Lozan Yamolky, Margaret Lynch and David J. Delaney.
In the fiction category, Clara Cristofaro won for The Mending, with Tatjana Mirkov-Popvicki taking second for My Burka Girl and Claire Lawrence placing third for Pruinescence. Honourable mentions went to Franca Angelis and Margo Prentice (with Margo also taking two honourable mentions).
Congratulations to all the winners.
BIG BAND BIG BANG
Fans of big band music, check it out: the AROKIS Centre of Music Society is raising money with its Big Band Big Bang on Saturday, May 13.
The event will feature the group’s two big bands, Impressions and Urbana, and it’s designed to help raise money for the AROKIS Society’s mission of preserving and promoting live big band music.
The concert is set for the Columbia Theatre – which the group points out is an ideal location for its performance, since it dates back to 1927.
The night is set to run from 8 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $20 general admission, or $15 for students and seniors. Buy through www.eventbrite.ca or check out www.arokismusic.org for more details.
THE ART OF MOTHERING
Van Dop Gallery is celebrating Mother’s Day with an exhibition celebrating women.
The exhibition features sculptural work by Elaine Brewer-White, along with other female artists.
“Elaine represents women that are at once whimsical and humorous, bold and unapologetically themselves,” said a press release. “You connect to these real characters, and it inspires you to celebrate who you are – accept the reality with pride, and laugh.”
The gallery is open for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 14 from noon to 4 p.m. It’s at 421 Richmond St.
The exhibition is underway until May 20. To arrange another viewing, all 604-521-7887 or email trudy@vandopgallery.com. Check out www.vandopgallery.com for more details.
SUNDAYS WITH SONDHEIM
Musical theatre fans have a couple more chances to catch the Sundays with Sondheim series at Anvil Centre.
Patrick Street Productions – which is bringing Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music to the stage May 11 to 21 – is offering a series of Sunday chats about the composer.
On Sunday, May 14 at 12:30 p.m., you can drop in to the Anvil Centre lobby for Singing Sondheim. Peter Jorgensen, co-artistic producer of Patrick Street Productions, will join a local actor-singer to help illuminate Sondheim’s choices as a composer and how he uses music to create a story to be told and behaviour to be expressed.
On Sunday, May 21 at 12:30 p.m., local playwright-director Amiel Gladstone will be on hand for a look at Sondheim and Lapine, exploring Sondheim’s collaborations with James Lapine – with whom he created Into the Woods, Passion, and Sunday in the Park with George.
All the chats will be free, 45-minute presentations, followed by Q&A sessions. You’re invited to bring along coffee or tea and join in the fun. Patrick Street’s A Little Night Music will be onstage at the Anvil Centre May 11 to 21. Check out www.patrickstreetproductions.comfor all the details.
MUSIC AT QUEENS
Music lovers, be sure to jot down these dates in your calendars.
The Music at Queens concert series is offering two more concerts this month: the West Coast Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, May 13, and the Lady Larks on Saturday, May 27.
The West Coast Symphony Orchestra, in a by-donation concert, will feature the husband-and-wife duo of oboist Mark McEwen flautist Linda Toote in Cimarosa’s Concerto for Flute, Oboe and Strings. The program also includes Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 3 and Jean Sibelius’ En Saga. Check out www.westcoastsymphony.cafor details.
The Lady Larks, meanwhile, offer up swinging harmonies and choreography with a vintage flair, with arrangements of works by the Andrews Sisters, Manhattan Transfer and greats such as Gershwin, Berlin and Porter. Tickets for their concert are $20 regular, $15 for seniors and students, or $10 for children. Check out www.ladylarks.comfor more about them.
Both concerts are set for 7:30 p.m. at the church, 529 Queens Ave. See www.queensavenue.org.
WORLD POETRY
World Poetry is celebrating Asian Heritage Month with a gathering on Wednesday, May 24.
Ariadne Sawyer and Kagan Goh will host the evening, which features Qayqayt Chief Rhonda Larrabee, Alan Hill (the city’s new poet laureate), Laifong Leung, Lausanne Yamolky, Candie Tanaka, Anita Aguirre Nieveras, Sattar Saberi, Synn Kune Loh, Sophia Zhang and dancer Koyali Burman.
The night also includes an open mike, plus a free raffle and refreshments.
It all takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the New Westminster Public Library, 716 Sixth Ave. Contact 604-526-4729 or see www.worldpoetry.ca.
Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, jmaclellan@newwestrecord.ca, or find her on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
