First-ever Authors’ Marketplace coming to Alton Mill Arts Centre

By Constance Scrafield

Dana McCauley is taking steps toward creating a community of authors.

Part of that plan is to offer emerging authors a seat at the table in the first-ever Authors' Marketplace event.

The Authors' Marketplace is part of this year's Authors' Afternoon, which will end off Headwaters Arts' 28th Fall Festival Show and Sale, running from September 18 to October 6.

The Authors' Marketplace runs from 1 to 4 p.m. on October 6.

“We decided the authors tables can be $50 this year,” she told the Citizen. “We're excited to be offering this opportunity to writers.”

“We really want to get back to the ethos of Headwaters Arts, to stay engaged with artists and emerging artists and with their arts,” said McCauley.

Writing is hard, McCauley acknowledged, and writers are not necessarily good at self-promotion.

The highlights of the Authors' Afternoon are three well-known local authors taking part in a panel discussion. They will talk about their writing process and their approaches to creating vibrant characters and “crafting compelling novels and short stories.”

“Mairlyn Smith, Canadian actress and author of a number of cook books, critic, TV show host and more, will moderate the panel, with lots of questions about their books,” said McCauley, who noted that Marilyn Smith is trying to write a novel.

Smith claims she is the only professional home economist in the world who is also an alumnus of the Second City Comedy Troupe. Nice dishes and lots of laughs – terrific.

From Guelph comes Greg Rhyno whose debut novel, is a coming-of-age story, loosely based on his own youthful past as an indie rock musician. He has moved on to mystery. His second novel, Who By Fire, entangles Dame Polara, herself a former detective, once again in the chase of a murderer who evaded her during her career.

Kath Freedman has penned a collection of short stories that handle the themes of migration and identity in Toronto's Jewish South African community.

Deepa Rajagopalan writes about the diaspora, McCauley said. She has a lot to say with her debut collection of “sharp, poignant” short stories. These offer a new perspective on old stereotypes.

Last year, Nancy Frater of BookLore brought in the authors and their books. 

McCauley did a rebooting this year. She found the authors and the books. The only difference this year is the Authors' Marketplace which she wants to promote, to encourage authors to come – to the Authors Afternoon, to engage visitors to check out what the authors in the Marketplace have brought with them. 

“I am going to schools to talk to teachers and students, to reach out to students to come to the Authors Afternoon,” she added. “The tickets are $35 but for students, we will offer a $20 special ticket price to them.”

For tickets and more information, go to www.headwatersarts.org and Eventbrite.

To book a table in the Authors' Marketplace, email hello@danamccauley.com