Readers and writers in Meaford can look forward to some literary events over the next month.

Writers have until October 13 to get their entries in to the Third Annual Short Story Contest held by Friends of the Meaford Library. The contest is open to Grey County residents 16 and over, and judges will consider original, unpublished works of up to 2,500 words in their quest for the best.

Cash prizes totalling $800 are on offer, along with bonus prizes, including a $100 gift certificate from Georgian College. And the winning entries will be published in The Meaford Independent.

There’s a registration fee of $20, which goes directly to Meaford Public Library resources and programs. The Friends of the Meaford Library are considering purchasing early literacy stations for the children’s department.

Then, veteran broadcast journalist and Giller-winning author, Linden MacIntyre, will take the stage at Meaford Hall on October 2 as special guest for the library’s annual fundraiser. MacIntyre is well-known as a host of CBC’s The Fifth Estate, and his 2009 novel, The Bishop’s Man (the second in his Cape Breton trilogy) won the Scotiabank Giller Prize that year. His most recent work is Why Men Lie, which takes place two years after the events in the previous novel and completes the trilogy with a poignant portrait of the relationship between a middle-aged professor and an old friend who rekindles her affection.

Host Christopher Thomas will talk to MacIntyre about his writing and his career as an author and a journalist.

Tickets are $23.50, available at Meaford Hall, and the library is selling a limited number of VIP tickets which include front row seats and an autographed copy of Why Men Lie for $50. These VIP tickets are only available at the Library.