ONLINE - Diverse Voices Roundtable
3rd Mondays of the month
6pm-7:30pm PT | 7pm 8:30pm MT | 8pm-9:30pm CT | 9pm-10:30pm ET
with Cecilia Ortiz Luna
Please note, the Diverse Voices Roundtable is taking a break over the summer and will return in September. Check back to see updated schedule.
MEMBER PRICE: FREE
NON-MEMBER PRICE: $12
Welcome to Diverse Voices! This monthly roundtable includes a combination of focused discussion on published literature by writers who are Black, Indigenous, and Peoples of Colour, as well as opportunities to create new writing in response to the works and topics covered in the sessions.
This is a space for you to share your stories and perspectives, if you are a writer who belongs to Indigenous, Black, Asian, Latinx, Arab, African communities.
Writing discussed in this session may include poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, and there will be a strong focus on Canadian content. Register in advance to receive pre-reading, although preparation and pre-reading is not required to participate. The goals and interests of participants will shape the sessions, so we always appreciate your suggestions for improvement. Facilitated by Cecilia Ortiz Luna.
The access link will be sent to participants within 24 hours of the course date.
(Please list which dates you would like to join. If you want to attend regularly, please type 'ALL'.)
Upcoming 2026/2027 dates:
September 21
October 19
November 16
December 21
January 18
February 15 - Family Day, registrants will be contacted for potential reschedule
March 15
April 19
May 17
June 21
About our facilitators
Alison McBain is the writer behind Author Versus AI. She writes fiction, nonfiction & poetry, ghostwrites & edits books. For a more information, visit http://www.alisonmcbain.com
AND
Cecilia Ortiz Luna, a writer of novels, flash fiction, poetry and short stories, lives in Calgary with her husband, three kids and a Samoyed rescue dog. In her previous lives, she’s been a journalist, an English teacher, a preschool/SPED school owner and a small-town criminal lawyer.
A momentous event in her writing life was being chosen as one of the BIPOC mentees in the inaugural Borderlines Writers Circle administered by ACWS in 2019. So when the ACWS team asked if she would be open to assuming the moderating duties for the Diverse Voices Roundtable, Cecilia accepted. There is no saying no to ACWS which she credits for jumpstarting her literary citizenship and for introducing her to her tribe of fellow BIPOC creatives in Calgary. She is mindful (and a bit intimidated) that it is the illustrious Sam Jones whose stewardship she would be taking over. She hopes that the DVRT regulars will help her continue Sam’s exemplary work.
Cecilia is also a dancer, a singer, and a novice watercolor painter. She collects giraffe stuffed toys and fridge magnets. She is bad at tech stuff, indoor gardening and parallel parking. She has a burning need to tell the world about Filipinos and how cool they actually are through her writings.
