This 12-day writing residency supports new writers of poetry at varying levels of accomplishment — from not-yet-published writers to those with one published book. In this self-directed residency, authors will work closely with faculty Dr. Tyler Mills, Dr. Vik Shirley, and Joyelle McSweeney, and professional guest rob mclennan (above/ground press), to expand your practice and focus on improving writing skills.
The Early Career Writers of Poetry Residency is an energizing, transformative experience, designed to help you take your writing to a new level. This residency offers early career writers the opportunity to work directly with faculty and peers. With one-on-one mentorship sessions, faculty talks, and public events, this residency will help you build both your critical vocabulary and artistic community, making you better critics of your own and others’ work. This flexible, self-directed program allows you to choose the amount of support and programming you are looking for as all literary program elements are optional.
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.
- public reading opportunities.
All participants will have individual accommodation and a small private studio where they can focus on their writing practice.
Residency Eligibility
Residency Experience Summary
Application Information
The residency is designed to cater to any new writer of poetry 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 of poetry.
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.
Total Fee Before Scholarships for tuition, accommodation and a meal plan
$3 602.55
Scholarship Amount Applied*
$1 892.89
You Pay After Scholarship
$1 709.66
Application Fee
$65 for individuals, $35 for applicants who identify as Indigenous.
The application fee is non-refundable. 100% of this fee goes towards the cost of administering the application in SlideRoom.
We are pleased to offer a range of scholarships to support participants in our programs. Details are outlined below.
- Banff Centre Arts Scholarship: All arts participants receive a scholarship covering 100% of tuition and 25% of meal plan and accommodation costs, made possible through generous endowments and donations.
- Canadian Indigenous Scholarship: Canadian Indigenous applicants receive support covering 100% of tuition, meal plan and accommodation costs.
To be considered for Banff Centre scholarships, please complete the Financial Aid section when uploading your supporting materials.