Contact
Work with Nadine.
Tell us the moment you need to mark, and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right hands for it.
How it works
From first inquiry to unveiling
Inquiry
You tell us the occasion, the audience, the date and the constraints. We respond within two business days.
Brief and quote
A short conversation to understand what the moment means to your institution, followed by a written scope and fee.
Writing and review
Nadine writes. You see the work in draft, with a defined round of review before anything is finalized or fabricated.
Delivery
Performance, installation or unveiling, with press materials and photography arranged where you need them.
Inquiry
Tell us about the occasion
The more you can tell us now, the more useful our first reply will be.
Before you write
Questions we are asked often
How far ahead should we book
For a commemorative commission, six months is comfortable and three is workable. February and August fill first, because Black History Month and Emancipation Day draw on the same weeks every year. If your date is inside four weeks, telephone rather than write.
What does a commission cost
Fees depend on the scope of the writing, whether fabrication and installation are included, whether the work is delivered in more than one language, and what rights your institution needs afterwards. We quote in writing after the first conversation.
Can the work be delivered in more than one language
Yes. Apology Accepted is delivered in English, French and Spanish. Multilingual delivery is priced into the commission from the outset rather than added afterwards.
Who owns the finished work
Copyright in the writing remains with Nadine Williams. Your institution receives defined rights to display, reproduce and publish the commissioned work, and the exact terms are set out in the agreement before writing begins.
Do you travel outside Ontario
Regularly, within Canada and internationally. Travel and accommodation are quoted separately at cost.
We are a school with a small budget
Ask anyway. The Nadine Williams Pen Foundation exists in part to place work in classrooms that cannot fund it, and some school engagements are supported through the Foundation rather than billed.
May we reproduce one of your poems
Permission requests are welcome. Send the poem, the intended use, the print run or audience, and the date you need an answer by.
