Who We Are
Synopsis
The Tree Reading Series is a literary reading series based in Ottawa, Ontario. On the second and fourth Tuesday of each month we meet to enjoy a reading of poetry or prose from one of Canada’s many talented writers. Each Tree evening also includes an Open-Mic segment where local writers read their own works-in-progress.
Tree offers a one-hour poetry workshop starting at 6:45 every Tree evening. The workshops are open to everyone and are offered free of charge. Tree also offers emerging writers a stage upon which to present their work through its Open-Mic sets, individual readings for writers with their first publications and the innovative addition of a night celebrating “ Hot Ottawa Voices ” – promising Ottawa writers who have not yet published a full collection.
Featured Readers
Featured readers at Tree are mostly published Canadian poets, although short story writers, playwrights and novelists sometimes appear at Tree. These writers help expose new and aspiring local writers, as well as a ‘general public’ audience, to current themes and trends in Canadian literature. This process fosters an appreciation and understanding of the works of modern Canadian writers while establishing a high artistic standard to which developing writers can aspire.
Funding
Tree is funded by the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Ottawa, the League of Canadian Poets and the Writers’ Union of Canada – as well as by contributions made by those who attend Tree events.
Who’s Who at Tree
The Tree Reading Series is run by a volunteer Executive Committee comprised of a Director, Rod Pederson, Co-Director, Rona Shaffran, and Secretary-Treasurer, Joanne Steadman. A recent addition to the team is Aaron Kozak, who will act as our PR Administrator.
Director
Rod Pederson is an Ottawa poet. He retired from the Canadian Air Force in the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1998 and has been pursuing a passion for the arts ever since. He was born in Edmonton, and has lived in towns and cities across Canada and Europe. Rod arrived in Ottawa in 1981 and considers himself a citizen of Ottawa, Canada and the World, in that order. Rod has been writing and reading poetry for many years. In 2008, he published his first chapbook, entitled “Loving Her”.
Co-Director
Rona Shaffran is a resident of Ottawa, originally from Montreal. In her working career, she was a Director at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada and before that was a management consultant. Rona has also served in leadership roles on the boards of many non-profit and community organizations. She has been published in Bywords.ca and won Honourable Mention in the John Newlove Poetry Award 2006, for her poem Burnt Forest.
Rona has studied at the Humber School for Writers and is completing her first collection of poetry.
Co-Director
Claudia Coutu Radmore writes prose, lyric poetry and Japanese-form poetry. She is on the editorial board of Arc Poetry Magazine and on the selection committee for the Bywords journal. Claudia is the author of Arctic Twilight: Len Budgell and the Changing North , (Blue Butterfly Books, 2009), the bilingual Your Hands Discover Me/ Tes mains me découvrent , (Les Éditions du tanka francophone, 2010), and a minute or two/ without remembering , (Two Cultures Press, 2010). She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Queen’s University.
Secretary-Treasurer
Joanne Steadman has returned to Ottawa after completing a contract at Huron University College, London and is the former Administrator of the Financial Management Institute of Canada. She has served in various capacities on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Girl Guides of Canada, the National Arts Centre Orchestra Association, Women of the Well, and the Couchiching Institute of Public Affairs. Joanne was the Executive Director of the 1998 Ice Storm Relief Program of Ontario and worked previously in the Office of the Comptroller General, Treasury Board Secretariat.
PR Administrator
Aaron Kozak has recently joined Tree as its PR Administrator.
