Literary Readings and Author Residencies Program: Author Residencies
Deadline
1 March 2011 – For residencies taking place between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2012.
If this date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. Your completed application and all required support material must be postmarked on or before the deadline date.
The Canada Council will not accept applications postmarked after the deadline date, incomplete applications, or those submitted by fax or email. You will not be contacted if your application is incomplete.
Program Description
The Literary Readings and Author Residencies Program increases knowledge and appreciation of Canadian authors and writing by providing opportunities for authors to read from their works, be in contact with an audience or public, and contribute to the quality of life of a community by their presence.
The program has two components:
- Literary Readings, and
- Author Residencies.
These guidelines describe the Author Residencies. (There are separate application guidelines and form for Literary Readings.)
Author Residencies provides financial assistance to organizations that wish to retain the services of a writer-in-residence and are able to match the contribution made by the Canada Council. The purpose is to encourage exchange between the author and the community, and to enable the author to work on a writing project.
This Canada Council for the Arts program is accessible to Aboriginal arts organizations and to arts organizations from diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
Eligibility
Hosts of Author Residencies
Applicants must demonstrate that they have the organizational and financial capacities to host a professionally published Canadian writer in an effective and professional manner. Hosts are encouraged to develop public lecture series or innovative ways of fostering public appreciation for Canadian writing as part of the activities planned for the writer-in-residence. Innovative residencies that involve communities not typically exposed to Canadian literature are particularly encouraged. Residencies involving writers from outside the host’s city are also strongly encouraged.
Before applying to the program, host organizations must contact their proposed author to obtain his or her agreement to fulfil the terms of the author residency. A written agreement between the host and the author must be signed and included in the application. Authors do not have to be selected through a call-for-proposals process.
Hosts must also determine whether the writers are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and whether they have been published professionally before the application deadline.
Duration of Author Residencies
The duration of author residencies must be a minimum of two months and a maximum of 12 months.
Invited Writers
Hosts are strongly encouraged to invite writers from distant communities or remote parts of Canada.
Invited writers must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and must have been published professionally at least once before the application deadline. Eligible publications include a complete book of fiction, short stories, poetry, drama, children’s literature or literary non-fiction that lends itself to a public reading.
Writers-in-residence are expected to devote a minimum of 60 percent of their time to their writing. They should not be assigned any regular teaching duties. Hosts may invite the same author only once every two years.
Writers selected for Author Residencies may also apply to the Canada Council’s Creative Writing Grants program, as long as the two applications apply to different periods.
Ineligible Requests
Requests for authors of travel guides, bibliographies, cookbooks, exhibition catalogues, instruction manuals, self-help books, scholarly books, textbooks, chapbooks and specialized reference works are not eligible for support from this program. Authors whose publication lists include only self-published books, or works in anthologies, literary magazines, web publications, community newspapers, free or student newsletters, or newsletters of associations or other organizations are also ineligible.
Grant Amount
Grants may range from $3,000 to $20,000. Hosts are expected to provide a cash contribution that matches the level of support of the Canada Council. In-kind contributions do not apply to the writer’s salary. The grant can be used to pay the author’s salary. A maximum of 5 percent of the Canada Council’s total contribution can be used toward the author’s travel expenses.
Retroactive funding is not available.
Application Form
Author Residencies (PDF format)
This form can only be printed and cannot be filled out on-line.
Further Information
Marcel Hull, Program Officer
Writing and Publishing Section
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, ext. 4016
TTY: 1-866-585-5559
Fax: 613-566-4410
February 2010