The Creative Writing Program in the Department of English is seeking funding to support a Writer in Residence program. Storytelling is a universal phenomenon that has persisted throughout human history. A powerful force that promotes human flourishing, storytelling is crucial in dealing with the social fragmentation and loss of connection in contemporary life. By inviting a professional writer to mentor students and host community events, the WiR program will help students to cultivate their skills as empathetic readers and writers, and transform Carleton, moreover, into a vibrant creative hub.
One of the biggest challenges we face today is social fragmentation. People feel disconnected from one another, from their own stories, and from a wider community. In a world of fast news cycles and endless distractions, everyday voices get lost and the ability to connect is diminished. We risk losing the very narratives that bind us together and help us understand each other’s experiences.
A Writer in Residence steps into that gap by creating space for people to tell their own stories. This process helps writers to clarify their voices, and sparks conversations across generations and cultures. It turns our campus into a living forum where diverse perspectives come alive.
Investing in a Writer in Residence means investing in a more connected, reflective, and resilient community, one that values each person’s story as a vital thread in our shared social fabric.
Funds will be used to support the Writer in Residence for four months, so they can focus on their own creative work and possibly complete a project. A portion of the funds will also be used to support the writer’s community outreach, such as hosting community workshops, lectures, and roundtable discussions with writers, artists, or community leaders whom the writer would invite to Carleton to take part in planned events.
About the Department of English
Our undergraduate English programs include traditional and cutting-edge components designed to ensure a solid foundation in a range of literary periods, genres, and national/global traditions. The Department also offers specialized degree options: a Concentration in Creative Writing, a Co-op option, and a Specialization in Global Literatures within the Bachelor of Global and International Studies (BGInS).
The English Department has offered graduate instruction at the Master’s level since 1960 and at the doctoral level since 2006. Our MA program offers specializations in African Studies, Climate Change, and Digital Humanities. Our PhD program in the Production of Literature is unique in Canada for its innovative conjoining of book history with theoretical questions about the sociology of literary production, circulation, and consumption.