Sonia Saikaley

I am so honoured to be nominated under the category of Music & Art (Author) in the 2021 Ottawa FACES Magazine Awards.

Thank you to Faces Magazine for this wonderful opportunity. What a lovely way to begin the New Year!

Thanks so much to my family, friends, publisher and readers for making this possible! Voting ends January 30, 2021. Thank you for your support and here’s to a better and brighter 2021. Stay safe everyone! With love and gratitude.

 Inanna Publications Editor-in-Chief Luciana Ricciutelli

(19 February, 1958 – 14 December, 2020)

http://www.inanna.ca/about/honouring-luciana-ricciutelli-editor-in-chief/

I am so sad and shocked about the passing of the brilliant, beautiful and kind Luciana Ricciutelli. I still remember the last time I saw my beloved publisher and friend ...

I am so thrilled to announce that my poem “Afternoon Baklava” was an honourable mention in the 2020 John Newlove Poetry Award. Many thanks to the lovely Amanda Earl, Dina Del Bucchia and Bywords for this wonderful opportunity! Huge congrats to Megan Misztal, this year’s award recipient, and to the other honourable mentions Ken Marchant and Judy Marks. If you missed the live event, check it out here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af5xWLIL7pI&feature=yo...

Congratulations to Henry Beissel and his publisher Guernica Editions for the 2020 Ottawa Book Awards win! Well-deserved. It was an honour being a finalist and being part of this year’s celebrations during these unusual times. Thank you to the City of Ottawa, the Cultural Funding Support Unit, the Ottawa Public Library and the judges. Thanks to my dear family, publisher, friends, fellow writers and readers for cheering me on! ❤️ Congrats again to Henry!

This lovely surprise arrived in the mail. I am so grateful to the IPPY Awards and to my wonderful publisher Inanna Publications. And, as always, thank you to my family, friends, fellow writers, bookstores and readers who have supported me over the years. Stay safe and be well. 

On this Valentine’s Day, I think it is appropriate to share my love of books and, in particular, to share my admiration for the novel Secret Lives of Mothers & Daughters by the talented Anita Kushwaha. Anita is a brilliant author whose prose is lyrical and moving. I was fortunate that our paths crossed years ago and it is an honour to host Anita on my blog today. She was gracious and generous and I thank her for her time and support. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Enjo...

Many thanks to the wonderful Amanda Earl and her colleagues for including my poem “Afternoon Baklava” in the latest issue of Bywords. Check it out:

http://www.bywords.ca/

So honoured to have my poem in such great company. If you are an Ottawa writer, please consider submitting your work to this fine publication. Thanks so much!

New Year’s Eve 2018, I was in the ER with one of my sisters who had become very ill and it would take her several months to recover and, fortunately, she did. I remember the snow/freezing rain that came through that evening as 2018 was ending. I also left a position I had been at for five years and was trying to balance being a caregiver to my sister, elderly mother and beginning a new job and, of course, squeezing in some writing time. As this year comes to an end and although 2019 did...

Many thanks to the wonderful rob mclennan for giving me the opportunity to talk about my writing process. Check it out if the spirit moves you:

http://ottawapoetry.blogspot.com/2019/12/talking-poetics-5-sonia-saikaley.html?fbclid=IwAR3wU6mjvpXf1mR6KWo2nG_BxRVy_Ghnj1OBXdQVRQfMKJyDKtQOfNIpLh4

Thank you so much to all those who attended the Art in the Neighbourhood Fall Show 2019. It was lovely meeting new readers and chatting with fellow artists. Special thanks to Barbara for all her hard work in organizing this amazing event.