The wayzgoose tradition dates back to seventeenth century England when the menu item of choice at a printer's dinner was the wayz- (or stubble-) fed goose, hence wayz-goose. These days the word is used to describe gatherings of book artists. The Gaspereau Press wayzgoose in Kentville in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley has become an annual public event to celebrate the process of creating books, from authors and writing, to typesetting, printing and binding. For the information of our readers, we are reproducing a press release about this year's event.

Sixth Annual Wayzgoose
A Release from Gaspereau Press

KENTVILLE (22 September 2005) -- On October 21 & 22, 2005, Gaspereau Press will hold its sixth annual Wayzgoose weekend in Kentville, Nova Scotia. This year's event will include a round-table discussion, a printing and engraving shop talk with George Walker and Tim Inkster, bookbinding, calligraphy and writing workshops, public readings and the launch of several new Gaspereau Press titles. Come and join us for a celebration of book arts and literature. The schedule of events is as follows:

Friday evening, October 21
POETRY READING AND MUSIC-- 7:30 p.m. at the Cornwallis Inn Dining Room. Enjoy readings by poets Jan Zwicky (Thirty-seven Small Songs & Thirteen Silences), Ross Leckie (Gravity's Plumb Line), Harry Thurston (A Ship Portrait) and Michael deBeyer (Change in a Razor-backed Season), with music by Canadian folk legend, Bob Snider. Free admission. Cash bar.

Saturday morning, October 22
WRITING WORKSHOP -- 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Kings Courthouse Museum. Poet and creative-writing instructor Ross Leckie will facilitate a poetry workshop for 10 writers. Applicants will be selected on the basis of their publication experience and a sample of their work. To apply for this workshop, please send us a letter with your name, mailing address, telephone number and email, along with a brief c.v. of your publication credits and a five-page sample of recent work. Participants will be selected by Gaspereau Press and the facilitator. $30 registration fee.

BOOKBINDING WORKSHOP -- (now, fully booked) 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Cornwallis Inn Diningroom. Book artist Ruth Legge will facilitate a bookbinding workshop for 10 people. During the three-hour workshop, participants will have the opportunity to Îcase bind' their own blank book. No previous experience is required. Materials will be supplied. To apply for this workshop, please send us a letter including your name, mailing address, telephone number and email. Participants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting list will be kept in case of late openings. $30 registration fee.

CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP (NEW!) -- 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Cornwallis Inn Ballroom. Illustrator and lettering artist Jack McMaster will facilitate a calligraphy workshop for 10 people. During the three-hour workshop, participants will be introduced to the basics of calligraphy and hand lettering. No previous experience is required. Materials will be supplied. To apply for this workshop, please send us a letter including your name, mailing address, telephone number and email. Participants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting list will be kept in case of late openings. $30 registration fee.

SHOP TALK -- 10:00 a.m. to noon at Gaspereau Press, wood engraver George Walker and printer-publisher Tim Inkster will discuss the tricks of their trades and give hands-on demonstrations. This is also a good opportunity to meet the people and metal parts involved in making books at Gaspereau Press. This is a drop-in session with free admission.

Saturday afternoon, October 22
PROSE READING -- 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Cornwallis Inn Dining Room. Enjoy readings by Don McKay (Deactivated West 100), Peter Sanger (White Salt Mountain), John Terpstra (The Boys) and Harrison Wright (Probing Minds, Salamander Girls & A Dog Named Sally). Free admission.

OPEN HOUSE -- 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. Gaspereau Press will host an open house at its printing works. Join us for demonstrations of modern and antique printing methods. Meet with artists, authors and presenters, feed the hungry Albion hand press, purchase books and offcut paper. Special guests George Walker and Tim Inkster will be on hand to discuss their work. Light refreshments will be served. Free admission.

Saturday evening, October 22
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION -- 7:30 p.m. at the Cornwallis Inn Dining Room. Join us in exploring the state of the literary press in Canada. This year's public round table will include panelists Andrew Steeves (Gaspereau Press), Tim Inkster (Porcupine's Quill), Don McKay (Brick Books), David Caron (ECW Press) and Melanie Rutledge (Canada Council for the Arts). Come and take part in this informal and engaging conversation. Free admission. Cash bar.

_ Please note that there are no Sunday events scheduled for this year's wayzgoose.

Background
Gaspereau Press is a Nova Scotia owned and operated trade publisher based in Kentville, Nova Scotia. Gaspereau Press produces quality short-run paperbacks and limited edition hardcovers of both literary and regional interest. The press was established in 1997 by Gary Dunfield and Andrew Steeves, and is one of the few publishers in Canada that publishes its books in-house, using a combination of antique and modern production methods.

Contact: Beth Crosby at booksales@gaspereau.com

Contact for workshop information and registration: Kevin Estey at info@gaspereau.com

Gaspereau Press
47 Church Avenue, Kentville
NS B4N 2M7

902-678-6002
http://www.gaspereau.com

Gaspereau Press gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage and the League of Canadian Poets.