What is the Writers in the Schools Program?
An enrichment program funded by the New Brunswick Department of Education, WiSP was created to encourage active writers and illustrators to collaborate with teachers and students. The guidelines below, reviewed and endorsed by the board of directors and executive of the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick, were implemented September 2013.
What do writers and illustrators do when visiting schools?
Some bring an established presentation; others work closely with teachers to devise lessons suited to specific needs. Activities include reading aloud; discussing how the author’s work was written; discussing history, culture, and the publishing business; conducting workshops at all levels; demonstrating how books are illustrated; and speaking about the editing process, effective writing, and a host of other topics.
Guidelines for Inclusion in the NB Dept. of Education WiSP Database
In order to qualify, a writer must have at least ONE of the following:
- A book of prose (fiction or non-fiction) published by a commercial, university or educational press;
- A full-length play or five one-act plays professionally produced or broadcast by a national or regional network broadcast medium;
- A book of poetry published by a commercial, university or educational press;
- A collection of columns, reviews, features, fiction, radio or film scripts of approximately 30,000 words that has been professionally published, broadcast or anthologized.
An up-to-date Criminal Records Check is required. Participants must accept responsibilities outlined in Policy 701, New Brunswick’s Pupil Protection Policy.
Diane Reid, BA, BEd, DUT, MA
Region & Grade Levels: NB Anglophone West or South, Grades 5-12
I help students decide how best to tell their stories, show how to take control of punctuation, and teach how to revise with the aim of producing publishable work.
Background: A poet, editor, freelance writer, and writing/reading coach, I reviewed books for the Canadaeast dailies for several years. An English Language Arts specialist by training, I have substitute-taught in New Brunswick schools (1992 to present) and tutored for UNB’s Writing Centre, St. Thomas University’s Writing Centre, and UNB’s Student Accessibility Centre. My public presentations include Guiding Underachievers: Interventions for Student Success (Kaleidoscope Teaching Showcase ’08) and Collaboration in Public Education (McKee Task Force on Mental Health).
Recognition – Finalist, WFNB Creative Nonfiction Prize (2012), Finalist x 2, WFNB Individual Poem Competition (2012); Finalist, WFNB Alfred G. Bailey Prize (2011); Arc Poem of the Year shortlist x 4; ArtsNB creation grant; Nominee (Atlantic Canada), Sr. Women Academic Administrators of Canada Award of Merit; M.A. graduate assistantship; Nominee, UNB Reisterer Prize for graduate students; three nominations for UNB’s Douglas Gold Medal; Fredericton Foundation scholarship (Maritime Writers’ Workshop, Feature Writing); 2 Bliss Carman Memorial prizes; 2 Lord Beaverbrook Bicentennial scholarships.
PUBLICATIONS / INTERVIEWS / PHOTO CREDITS
Books, Chapbooks & Anthologies - The Common Sky: Canadian Writers Against the War (2003), The Ezra Pound Encyclopedia (2005), Summer Preserves (Breton Books, 2012), Turkey and Verse: The Season of Fowl Play (2007).
Academic Journals, Literary Journals & Newsletters - Atlantis (MSVU), Arc: Canada’s National Poetry Magazine (Ottawa), English Studies in Canada (ACCUTE), The Fiddlehead (Fredericton), Grain (Saskatoon), The Kingsclear Clarion, The Malahat Review (Victoria), NB Ink (Fredericton), QWERTY (Fredericton), Word Reader (Toronto)
Broadcast Media - “A Poetic Affair.” The Live Poets Society Series (1998), CBC Radio One. Many radio and television interviews.
Online Journals, Newspapers, Newsletters & Zines – Atlantis (MSVU), The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton), The Fiddlehead [http://www.unb.ca], NB Ink (Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick), Times & Transcript (Moncton), The Telegraph-Journal (Saint John), Word (Toronto)
Newspapers & Magazines – L’Acadie Nouvelle (Caraquet), agelessNB (St. John River Valley), The Brunswickan (Fredericton), The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton), The London Free Press (London, ON), The New Brunswick Reader/Salon (Saint John), Our Times: Canada’s Labour Magazine (Toronto), The St. Croix Courier (St. Stephen), Tableau (Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton), The Telegraph-Journal (Saint John), UNB Alumni News (Fredericton)
Photography – "Today's Pick," The Great Canadian Postcard (CBC Literary Awards, August 2011), The Top 100 Canadian Singles by Bob Mersereau (Goose Lane, 2010), The Daily Gleaner, Kingsclear Local Service District [www.kingsclear.org/photo.html], NB Ink, UNB Alden Nowlan Archive [secure site].