WCDR BREAKFAST: FOOD FOR THOUGHT FROM AUTHOR RABINDRANATH MAHARAJ

Saturday, December 11, 2010 - 8:30am

Ajax Convention Centre
550 Beck Crescent
Ajax, ON
L1Z 1C9

Avid readers who have been following the fascinating career of Rabindranath Maharaj will want to be sure to attend the breakfast meeting of The Writers’ Community of Durham Region (WCDR), to be held on Saturday, December 11, 2010.

This well-loved, award-winning novelist, short-story writer and reviewer will be the featured speaker for this popular event. His first novel, Homer in Flight, is the “Reading as Writers” book club choice for December.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

In the early 1990s, Maharaj immigrated to Canada, and in 1993, he completed a second M.A. at the University of New Brunswick. In 1994, he moved to the Town of Ajax, where he taught high school for several years. In 1998, Maharaj, along with three other Durham Region writers (WCDR’s own Gwynn Scheltema, Ruth Walker, and Steven Laird), founded and co-edited the literary magazine LICHEN, which was launched in May 1999. Since then he has, among other posts, been a Writer in Residence at the Toronto Reference Library, a mentor for young writers with Diaspora Dialogues, and more recently an instructor with both the Humber School for Writers and the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.

He has also published in various literary journals and anthologies; written reviews and articles for The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, and others; written the play “Malcolm and Alvin” for CBC Radio; and co-written a screenplay for the film “Malini.” Maharaj’s latest novel, The Amazing, Absorbing Boy (Knopf Canada) ,is a comic fantasy that offers a fresh take on the immigrant experience in Toronto.
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After the breakfast meeting, for an extra fee of $10 per person, breakfast attendees can take part in a mini-workshop entitled “So You’ve Got Your First Assignment.” Facilitated by WCDR member Valerie Mutton, this workshop is aimed at those who have queried a publication and had the unthinkable happen – their first assignment! This workshop will provide a step-by-step guide to writing the piece that will make the editor happy ... and happy editors assign writers more work. Mutton still remembers the thrill of her first assignments—and the panic. She got over it, and has been writing features for magazines and legal trade publications for years.

At The WCDR monthly breakfast meetings, experienced and aspiring writers gather, learn and connect. Everyone is welcome. The December meeting will run from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Registration fees include a hearty breakfast. Fees are $20.00 for members who pre-pay, or $25.00 at the door. The non-member rate is $25.00 and MUST be pre-paid or WCDR cannot guarantee guests a seat. Ask how you can save by becoming a member!

Pre-registration for the December 11th breakfast meeting and mini-workshop is required. Register online at www.wcdr.org, by phone at 905-686-0211 or by email at breakfast@wcdr.org, no later than noon on Wednesday, December 8.