Personally, I’m a lit nerd. Give me a rainy fall day, a book and some tea and I’ll be in total bliss. This has just always been who I am. When I was in high school though, there weren’t really any clubs or even many individuals who were interested in literature the way I was. This doesn’t seem like it’d be a big issue but it left me feeling like I would never get to discuss what I loved the most, books, with people who felt the same. And this was a sort of lonely feeling.
But University is a place to connect with the people who like the same things you do and I’ve been able to do just that. So if you, too, are a lit nerd like me, I’ve compiled a list of some of the university’s favourite hot spots of literature.
1) blUe MOndaysblUe MOndays is a reading series hosted by the Undergraduate English Students Association (the UESA.) They happen every third Tuesday (it’s ironic, okay?) of the month in Café Nostalgica and throughout the years I’ve been here there’s no event that I frequent most often and most happily. It’s the perfect place if you want to try out your poetry on the open mic or just hear others try out theirs. You can grab a beer with friends and just listen to the stories of people who love writing. There’s also featured poets and musicians, which makes the nights even more magical. It’s a dreamy sort of event and I really urge you all to check them out.
2) The Ottawa Arts ReviewThe Ottawa Arts Review, or OAR, is a campus publication of submitted art (mostly poetry and short stories but visual art as well) that is produced bi-yearly coupled with a monthly newsletter. You can participate in OAR either by submitting, which you can do on their website, or by picking up their publication. I would recommend doing both. Personally, I’m an avid reader but have yet to submit anything. Recently though, I’ve been contemplating just that. Let’s do it together!
Photo by LM Chabot
3) UESA Writing CirclesI know, I know, I’m bringing up the UESA again. But honestly they’re the people to go to if you want to talk books. And word on the street is that the lovely VP Literary, Ciara Loader, is starting up Writing Circles. If you have creative writing that you’re unsure about and want advice/compliments/constructive criticism, you can bring them and everyone will meet up and talk about their process of writing and it’s one of those cozy, inclusive lit spaces that all lit nerds long for. Or at least that I always longed for.
4) uOttawa BookwormsThis is a lit group that I’ve recently stumbled upon that I’m really excited to spread the word about. The uOttawa Bookworms is a book club that was founded back in 2009 by a couple of friends who just wanted to be in a book club and since then has grown. The group is free and there’s no registration, they put up a poll on their blog and vote on a book and then you just need to read the book and come to the meeting. From what I understand it’s low commitment and high enjoyment of awesome books. They’re currently not running this semester but hope to be in the winter semester so I would highly suggest you guys shoot them an email or checkout their blog if you’re interested.
5) Get Creative!Literary circles, like anything in life, are not one size fits all. If the above don’t interest you, then the best thing to do is get creative and perhaps take note from the creators of the uOttawa Bookworms – start your own club, group, writers circle, poetry reading, etc. Or perhaps you want to explore outside the campus life. Get in contact with the hosts of the above listed groups and see if they know if any more that would suit you. As a book nerd, I know how important it is to find a group that gets it, so don’t stop trying to find that group until you do.
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