Once the 2017 San Mateo County Fair literary contests close, we get to work judging the entries. We've established an enthusiastic team to evaluate every submission and they will use the new judging rubrics set up by Michele Jessen. Thank you, Michele!

Between the literary arts and the fine arts galleria, we offer a total of $20,000 in contest prizes and services. Once the awards are determined, the winning submissions will be sent to Tory Hartmann of Sand Hill Review Press. She will give her two anthology contracts for free to an entrepreneur looking to get into the publishing business and mentor this lucky person to take over publication of our fair's Carry the Light, now in its sixth year, and our CWC San Francisco Peninsula branch's Fault Zone.

This training begins in April with helping her format and produce Carry the Light Vol. VI, and will continue into the fall doing the same for Fault Zone, Vol. 7. Email her at [email protected].

Laurel Anne Hill is working on the Literary Stage schedule, so if you are interested in creating a workshop or participating in an event on the literary stage contact her at [email protected]. It's a fun and productive way of sharing your literary expertise while adding a new professional accomplishment to your bio.

I always say it takes not one but two villages to produce our fair's literary events. That means we need YOU! As mentioned last month, all volunteers will receive a raffle ticket for every three hours you put in, whether you work from home or onsite. You could win a year's membership, which includes state fees as well as ten monthly meeting dues, to the CWC San Francisco Peninsula branch. Such a deal!

Aside from the usual daily volunteer coordinators, fair greeters, literary department docents, flyer passer-outers, audience participants, and transcribers to take notes during our literary events so we can post the contents online, I have three special requests this year.

Bardi's Wish List for 2017

 

1)      Ever since the Literary Stage was just a concept in my mind in early 2009, I have hoped for a volunteer videographer to film some of our mini conference presentations. Vital information, freely given to our audience by seasoned professional writers, would cost hundreds of dollars in any other setting. How great it would be to document these presentations and have a video archive for writers from all over the globe to access online. We have a professional sound system; lighting might cause a few concerns. We could pay for supplies but not an hourly wage. It would be a true labor of love for someone to commit to even a few events.

 

2)      We are in dire need of a volunteer Social Media Coordinator. We offer wonderful events but we can't always reach the maximum number of people who could benefit from our talented presenters. I am woefully inadequate when it comes to posting online; for instance, I am still waiting for a blurb I sent out two days ago. Where is it? Floating somewhere in Cyberspace?

 

3)      We could always use a volunteer photographer. We've had great shots taken by contestants and presenters over the years but it would be lovely for someone to actually take charge, organize them, and name the folks in the photos, etc.

 

Contact Bardi Rosman Koodrin  [email protected]