City : Hamilton

Category : Other

Industry : Education

Employer : McMaster University

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY in partnership with the HAMILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Mabel Pugh Taylor WRITER IN RESIDENCE POSITION

September 1, 2026-April 30, 2027/September 1, 2027-April 30, 2028/September 1, 2028 – April 30, 2029

The Department of English & Cultural Studies at McMaster University, McMaster University Library, and the Hamilton Public Library invite applications from Canadian creative writers for the position of Mabel Pugh Taylor Writer in Residence. At this time, we are calling for applicants for three, non-renewable positions, one in each of the next three years. Applicants may indicate their preferred year(s) of residency in their application and the Selection Committee will assign successful candidates to one of the three positions.

This residency involves work with the McMaster and Hamilton communities through public readings, individual consultation with creative writers, classroom visits (including courses associated with McMaster’s Creative Writing and Narrative Arts Certificate), group workshops, seminars, and/or activities to promote the residency. The Writer in Residence will have an office in both the Department of English & Cultural Studies and the Hamilton Public Library where regular meetings with apprentice writers will take place. Duties of the position will average the equivalent of 2 days or 16 hours of work per week, leaving the remainder of the week for the candidate’s own writing.

Applicants must:

• have a minimum of 2 books in print with a professional publishing house, or equivalent
• have made a significant contribution to their area of specialty over a number of years
• still be active in their profession
• intend to work on a new writing project, normally intended for book-length publication
• be legally eligible to work in Canada

Applicants should submit:

• a letter of application addressing:
  • your relevant experience
  • plans for the residency including possible outreach activities
  • details of your intended upcoming writing project
  • how you incorporate equity, diversity, and inclusivity in your own work and in work with other writers, community partners, etc.
• a curriculum vitae indicating publication history in fiction, poetry, children’s literature, literary non-fiction, or drama; awards received for literary work; and any professional experience in teaching, consulting, mentoring, residencies, and publishing
• contact information for two referees (reference letters will be requested for shortlisted candidates)

Remuneration:

$40,000 total for an eight-month term (September to April) with 16 hours per week dedicated to residency activities. Writers may also apply directly to Canada Council for additional funding during their residency period.