Creative Non-Fiction and Cultural Journalism 2005

The Creative Non-fiction and Cultural Journalism program was established in response to an endowment from the government of Alberta and Maclean Hunter Limited. The program offers eight established writers of non-fiction an opportunity to develop a major essay, memoir, or feature piece. A month-long residency enables writers to work on their manuscript during individual consultations with faculty and during round-table discussions. Participants are able to advance their professional development through work with the program chair, experienced and exacting faculty editors, and through interaction with each other, invited guest speakers, and with artists from other fields.

Applicants are usually accomplished journalists and writers who have been published in national and/or international magazines, newspapers, anthologies, or literary journals. However, writers with less experience have also been accepted to the program based on merit. By placing writers in a situation designed to challenge and stimulate their creativity, the program encourages the exploration of new ways of seeing the arts and culture, and experimentation with writing a piece that might otherwise be difficult to complete.