Literary Arts

Push your creative boundaries

Banff Centre’s Literary Arts programs provide an inspiring space and focused time for emerging and established writers to push the boundaries of their talent and realize their potential. Our programs prepare writers in all genres for literary success on a national and international scale.

Since the first summer playwriting program was offered in 1937, Banff Centre has provided writers with exceptional opportunities for artistic development within a community of supportive peers. Today, our year-round roster of intensive thematic residencies involves many of Canada’s most celebrated writers.

An update on our offerings

With the evolving and ever-changing realities of Covid continuing to impact Banff Centre, we will be offering a smaller palette of Literary Arts residencies for the 2023/24 season. This year’s offering will consist of 6 programs focusing on new and dynamic areas of international writing:  Graphic Novels, Long-form Literary Journalism, Poetry by emerging writers, and new forms in fiction and poetry.

All of our residencies feature individual mentorship, public events, private studios, and mentorship by some of the world’s finest writers – in-person at our beautiful campus in Canada’s oldest National Park, and online using digital technology to meet writers where they are.

Many of our longstanding programs – BILTC, Writing Studio, Spoken Word and Mountain and Wilderness Writing – are on temporary pause this year as we expand our focus to new genre-specific themes widening our reach to artists who may not have had the opportunity to attend before. We expect that each program will return as funding and capacity allow.

Banff Centre remains dedicated to supporting the best in new prose writing, poetry, journalism, memoir, and translation with those topics reflected in our evolving offerings.

If you wish to stay informed about our upcoming programs and Banff Centre news, please subscribe to our newsletter.