Muskoka Literacy Council
|
Muskoka Literacy Council
|
|
|
TOPMuskoka Novel Marathon 2009 Well Done Writers,
At 8 p.m. on Friday, July 17, 2009 an eclectic group of people put fingers to keyboard to begin the 8th Annual Muskoka Novel Marathon in Huntsville. Save for a few breaks to eat and sleep, these committed writers remained mostly sequestered until the closing bell rang at 8 p.m. on Monday, July 20. Each writer was allowed only a 1-page draft going in. What came out in those 72 hours is often a manuscript well in excess of 100 pages.
What motivates writers to participate in such an ordeal? There are as many reasons as there are participants; for example: the chance to write uninterrupted by the demands of daily life, to devote an entire weekend to what feeds their souls, to reap the benefits of quality time spent with like-minded individuals, to have their work critiqued by a panel of renowned judges, to win a review of their manuscript by a publishing professional, and to support a program that will enable others to enrich their lives through the written word.
The Muskoka Novel Marathon has been organized by the Muskoka Literacy Council for the past five years, but it began as the brainchild of writers Martin Avery, Mel Malton, Christina Kilbourne and Ann Vaughn-Evans. Each year the group’s numbers have swelled, from the original four to 27 last year. The camaraderie is infectious and any new recruit doesn’t feel that way for long.
The winners in the three categories Adult, Young Adult, and Juvenile win the opportunity to receive feedback about their manuscripts from a Canadian publishing professional. Many now-published works began their life as entries into the Muskoka Novel Marathon. Although it is impossible to produce a fully crafted novel in 72 hours, several writers have revised and re-written their skeleton MNM manuscripts and seen them published.
Besides the writers, who benefits from this event? The students at the Muskoka Literacy Council. For, although the marathon is all about writers and their craft, it is also about fundraising for literacy-disadvantaged adults in Huntsville. Over the past seven years, writers have gathered almost $30,000 in pledges to support the MLC. The pledges have gone to improve computer learning opportunities through the purchase of hardware as well as software resources to support the many academic and employment-based programs offered at the MLC.
Adult students of the MLC can access free upgrading in reading, writing and math from very basic levels up to and including GED preparation and college entry programs. Since partnering with Georgian College to offer a new ACE program in January 2007 and co-locating with the Employment Resource Centre last August, the MLC has seen a marked increase in the number of individuals accessing our services. Funds raised during the novel marathon will ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of everyone who accesses our services.
To find out more about the programs or volunteering opportunities at the Muskoka Literacy Council, contact Pat Peat, Program Coordinator 789-1850 or, literacy@vianet.ca
Susan Susan Lowe Chair, Muskoka Novel Marathon 2009 Committee President, Board of Directors Muskoka Literacy Council
|
|
|
