Writers Helping Readers for 24 Years
by Christina Kilbourne
2003 Winner
November 10
Dear Diary;
Everything is black, so black I can’t see through it. When it first started closing in around me, I thought I’d be okay, that I’d let it creep in a little way and then fight it back when I had the energy. The thing is, I didn’t realize it was stronger than me and now I’m afraid I won’t ever win. [Read more…]
by Christina Kilbourne
2002 Over-all Winner
After Hamar died, I took the kids into town for pizza. Gunner had been to the pizza restaurant lots of times before, but the other kids never had. So we dressed up in our best clothes, the same we wore to the cemetery for Hamar’s funeral, and piled into the truck. Gunner drove with the twins and me in the front seat: the boys sat in the truck bed with their backs against the cab and their arms hugging their knees. It was a warm day and the sun was burning strong. I felt good with a bit of Hamar’s money tucked in my pocket and my kids smiling and chattering with excitement. Gunner looked proud to be driving us, going out to dinner like a family from a TV show, and I was proud of him, my eldest. I knew I wouldn’t often spend the money on stuff like this, but now and then I thought we deserved it.
by Sharon Frayne
2019 YA Winner Excerpt
Mama’s voice trails off as I stare at a crack in the sidewalk and imagine myself fall and smash my face on the concrete.
“You need to read his letter,” she says and hands me a sealed white envelope with my name in Papa’s handwriting. I grab it, shake my head and stuff it down into my leather bag with my epi-pen and sketchbook.
“I hate him. He’s dead to me.” [Read more…]
Dear Writers and Friends of the Muskoka Novel Marathon,
We invite you to join writers – from all over – on our new Forum! The MNM spirit can now live all year around. [Read more…]
The Muskoka Marathon is pleased and excited to announce that Latitude 46 Publishing, through the assistance of Heather Campbell, will be walking through the publishing process with our 2019 winner, Jennifer Turney and both our winners for 2021, who will be announced later.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 3, 2020 – In a year that has seen the majority of events cancelled due to a global pandemic, the committee of Muskoka Novel Marathon has been actively working to ensure their event doesn’t have to follow suit.
After much thought, careful discussions, and a fair amount of painful emotion, the MNM Organizing Committee has decided not to attempt a live Novel Marathon this year. We will continue the live event in July 2021, when Covid-19 is much less likely to be a danger.
We are erring on the side of caution, but there are multiple good reasons to do that. We have considered many different angles, including: the risk to writers who fall into the high-risk category; the risk of spreading the virus to high-risk associates of writers; the difficulty of fundraising during a pandemic-caused economic downturn; the difficulty food sponsors (mostly restaurants) and prize sponsors (all small local businesses) might have donating; the fact that Ontario has not yet begun its planned eight-week process of re-opening, which would take us into July if started now; the preparation time required for a Novel Marathon; and a few others.
Like everyone else organizing an event in which a group of people are in close proximity to each other, the MNM 2020 Committee has been learning fast and thinking hard about the coronavirus, aka Covid-19.
Because new cases in Canada, including in Ontario, are now increasing sharply, Ontario has ordered a lockdown – all non-essential businesses are closed and gatherings of more than 50 people prohibited, until March 31 (as of now). [Read more…]
Update: This position has been filled!
Dear Friend of the Muskoka Novel Marathon:
So as to inspire those to excel at raising funds for our beneficiary, YMCA Literacy Services in Muskoka, we offer prizes donated by local businesses to our writers. We are currently in need of a person to contact these donors and organize the prize gathering and awarding. This is a key role in our committee, and integral to the success of each Marathon. [Read more…]
Huddlestone notes that literacy challenges in adults are accompanied by an unfortunate stigma. “The Muskoka Novel Marathon writers are highly literate lovers of words and they get it,” she says. “They get how important literacy is: how much it drives community and economic success, how much it contributes to feelings of self-worth, and how much it adds to quality of life. Their passion has been and always will be what makes this event so successful. We also receive tremendous support from Muskoka’s business community and a raft of volunteers who help us pull this event together. To all of our writers, sponsors and volunteers—thank you for helping us change lives.”
The marathon, which took place July 12-15 in the Huntsville Civic Centre, has raised close to $83,000 since it began in 2002. These funds have enabled the Y to initiate new programs including its Computer Savvy Seniors classes, according to Nancy West, who is team leader for the Y’s Employment and Literacy Services in Huntsville. When she found out this year’s take was more than $18,000, she was, in her own words, “floored. I thought that the goal of $15,000 was very ambitious – I never thought that they would surpass it by such a definite margin!”\
Now, West says, it’s time for the Y to roll up their sleeves. “The YMCA is discussing where the money will be best spent so we can meet the literacy gaps in our local community,” she says. “So many people don’t know that literacy is even an issue in Canada – we need to get the word out that the need is there, the people are real, and that this is a safe and welcoming place to come.”
Contacts:
Karen Wehrstein – Co-Convenor, Muskoka Novel Marathon: 705 789-7497
Dawn Huddlestone – Co-Convenor, Muskoka Novel Marathon: 705 380-2537
muskokanovelmarathon@gmail.com ~ www.muskokanovelmarathon.com