Cumulus Press publisher, David Widgington, opens bed & breakfast, Au Contre-Temps, and moves its publishing operations into ground floor office.

Widgington is offering a discount to authors/publishers/literary types who come to Montreal for the Salon du Livre, or to festivals like Blue Metropolis, Expozine, Voix d'Amérique, Le Festival littéraire international.

"I hope to attract artist types: authors, painters, dancers, videographers, to make b&b breakfasts an outlet of creative conversation," says Widgington. He wants to develop a place where creative minds can meet, discuss issues of the day, get inspired by the energy of the place, and possibly encourage collaborative projects.

Widgington has plans for the bed and breakfast. "I'm considering hosting writing workshops in the b&b during the winter season with a writer-in-residence. Out-of-town attendees can stay here too," he adds.

A social justice/environmental mandate also anchors the b&b. Cumulus Press offers complimentary copies of "Montreal Up Close: a pedestrian's guide to the city" in exchange for a donation which will be given to a local homeless youth program. The entrance hall will soon exhibit a series of posters that portray the past 25 years of popular social movements in Québec. The exhibit materials have been curated from Widgington's private collection as well as from the Centre for Research in Popular Imagery at Université du Québec à Montréal. To encourage resource sustainability and discourage wasteful overproduction of goods, the b&b is furnished with second-hand furniture donated or loaned by supporters of the initiative. Natural, biodegradable and non-toxic cleaning products are used throughout the house for cleaning, laundry and dishes.

Further details and photographs of the b&b are available here.

Source: Cumulus Press

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