Literary arts

This self-directed writing residency supports new writers of young adult and children’s books at varying levels of accomplishment—from not-yet-published writers to those with one published book—to improve their writing skills and expand their practice, taking it to the next level. 

Participants in Early Career Writers of Young Adult and Children's Books will have the opportunity to work closely with faculty Jordan Scott, Jen Ferguson, and Tanya Boteju, and professional guest David Robertson (Tundra Books) as well as a community of artistic peers. With one-on-one mentorship sessions, faculty talks, and public events, this energizing and transformative residency will help writers build critical vocabulary as well as community, making them better critics of their own and others’ work. 

Description

This two-week residency has a flexible format that allows participants to choose the amount of programming and support they are looking for.

Optional elements include:

• thematic talks from specialist faculty and guests.
• one-on-one mentoring sessions with faculty to discuss ideas, experiences and obstacles.
• Q & A sessions.
• workshops to explore techniques, aspects, and devices writers may find useful in their practice.
• public reading opportunities.

All participants will have individual accommodation and a small private studio where they can focus on their writing practice. 

The residency is designed to cater to any new writer of young adult or children’s books interested in mentorship, public reading opportunities, and feedback from faculty and fellow participants. 

The residency will provide participants with tailored opportunities for professional development and creative growth and is open to writers with:

• no publications
• a few publications, or 
• a first book for young adults or children. 

Participants will benefit most if they are comfortable working autonomously in an unstructured environment. The program suits those focused on:

• working on a specific project.
• creating new works.

This program is run in English and only accepts projects that are being written in English. English is the language of Banff Centre correspondence.

Application Deadline: June 4, 2025
Program Dates: Nov 24, 2025 - Dec 5, 2025

For more information and to apply: bit.ly/3QHTDkN

Comics and Graphic Novels is a self-directed residency that considers how creatives use this unique media as a place for personal narrative, memoir, and exploration. The residency provides writers with the time and space to delve deep into their creative project away from the constraints of everyday life, take advantage of an artistic community of peers, and consult with experienced faculty. 

Residency faculty and guests specializing in comics, illustration, publishing, and writing include Matt Madden, Bishakh Som, Tom Hart, and professional guest Michel Vrana (Black Eye Books). Participants can take part in individual mentoring sessions with faculty as well as group sessions to discuss their work and project. 

This two-week residency has a flexible format that allows participants to choose the amount of programming and support they are looking for. 

Optional elements include:

• thematic talks from specialist faculty and guests.
• one-on-one mentoring sessions with faculty to discuss ideas, experiences and obstacles that participants may be encountering in the genre of comics and graphic novels.
• Q & A sessions.
• workshops to explore techniques, aspects, and devices writers may find useful in their practice.
• public readings where writers can share their work.

All participants will have individual accommodation and a small private studio where they can focus, reconnect, and re-energize their writing practice. 

The program is designed to cater to experienced writers, graphic novelists/cartoonists, writer/illustrators, or writer and illustrator pairings looking to explore the future of visual and literary techniques and focus on works in progress.

Participants will benefit most if they are comfortable working autonomously in an unstructured environment. The program suits those focused on:

• working on a specific project.
• creating new works.

While this program is run in English, it will accept projects that are being written in English, French, Bengali and Spanish. English is the language of Banff Centre correspondence.

Application Deadline: May 21, 2025
Program Dates: Oct 06, 2025 - Oct 17, 2025

For more information and to apply: bit.ly/41jAdaL

The Writers’ Guild of Alberta Annual 2025 Spring Conference will explore major influences on genre and form through time. We will look at how writers continue to be inspired and influenced by those before them, and how we shape the landscape for those who come after us. Workshops, masterclasses, and panels will also delve into the business of writing and how to strengthen craft skills. 

Proposed pathways will guide participants — novice, intermediate, and established — on ideal offerings according to where they feel they are on their literary journeys. However, all sessions are open to everyone in attendance; there is no right way to attend the conference. The weekend will be self-directed, and participants are encouraged to attend any sessions they desire.

Most importantly, come prepared to connect and network with other local writers. 

Learn more and register: writersguild.ca/wga-2025-conference-genre-and-form-through-time-june-7-8/ 

Unleash Press

Deadline to submit: July 15, 2025

The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to support the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Writers will receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit.

Guidelines

Submit up to the first 25 pages of your WIP (.DOC, .DOCX) and answers to the following questions in the same document:

• Who are you as a creative person, and what is your creative vision? (No CV or resumes here)
• Who is your intended audience for this project, and why?

Entries will be judged on originality, emotional resonance, and the author’s vision of the work they’d like to create. Please keep your name off all attachments. Share who you are as a creative, without disclosing your name.

Submissions will be accepted until July 15, 2025.

For more information and to submit visit unleashpress.submittable.com/submit/279757/work-in-progress-contest.