Canadian Authors Association - West Coast Branch - Annual General Meeting 2013

The Canadian Authors Association,West Coast Branch, could well be said to have it's Annual General Meeting solely for  their Christmas Social.  As writers we do socialize.  The Canadian Authors Association motto is "Writers Helping Writers." Quite the verbose lot for pen pushers and keyboard beaters.  All story tellers, they love to rap.
This years venue was the Old Spagetti Factory in Gastown.  Vancouver Poulos Brothers made this a national hang out for artists and families more than a  quarter of a century  ago.
President Margo Bates opened the evening with "PS Don't Tell Your Mother."  The business passed rapidly as everyone enjoyed wine, water, bread, soups or salads, and a variety of specialty pastas with Spumoni Ice Cream for desert.   Old Spagetti Factory made sure there were no starving writers there this evening.
Three large tables full of genius, banter and charm.  Nearly 40 writers had gathered. Finally Jean Kay introduced the winners of the 2013 Fiction Contest.  Carol Tulpar won third place.  She read  "Dangerous Crossing", a story of her brother and her childhood river wading.  Second prize went to Charlene Kwiatkowski for "First Impression' an insiders look at internet dating.  Alfred Cool of Campbell River took first prize with "When the Truth Won't Do", a fishing tale of north Vancouver Island.
Next year's CAA, West Coast writing contest will be for Short Stories, 1-3000 words, opening Feb. 12 to End of June, further details to be found in the CAA monthly newsletter 'newsyoucanuse'.
We all applauded each writer  appreciating the work and talent.  A warm event indeed for a cold Vancouver night.