CALL FOR WRITER IN RESIDENCE
The Saskatoon Public Library (SPL) would like to share a job posting for the SPL Writer in Residence, Sept 2027-May 2028 term. The position is open to anyone who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
It can be found on their website: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/about/careers/ or via this direct link: https://saskatoonlibrary.ca/isl/uploads/2026/07/Writer-in-Residence-2027-28-Job-Posting.pdf
WRITING COMPETITIONS
McNally Robinson Booksellers & Prairie Fire Writing Contests 2026
$3750 in cash prizes! One cash prize of $1250 in each category
MRB Poetry Contest (up to 3 poems per entry, max. 150 lines total)
Judge: Patrick Friesen
MRB Short Fiction Contest (one story per entry, max. 5000 words)
Judge: Tonia Laird
MRB Creative Non-Fiction Contest (one story per entry, max. 5000 words)
Judge: Rowan McCandless (A former judge of the NB Book Awards!)
Deadline: Nov. 30, 2026
Fee: $34 per entry, which includes a one-year subscription to Prairie Fire.
Complete guidelines at www.prairiefire.ca
For inquiries: prfire@prairiefire.ca
RETREATS AND WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITIES
Go and Write! Retreats created by writers, for writers
Writing retreats offered by award-winning authors and husband and wife team, Dr. Gerard Collins, originally from Newfoundland, and Jane Simpson, from New Brunswick. Participants include emerging and established writers of all genres. For more information, visit www.goandwrite.ca.
Go and Write! Merry and Bright—Christmastime in the Cotswolds
December 8-16, 2026
Our last retreat for 2026 and the only one with spaces remaining—3 rooms left
Small group retreat in the charming village of Broadway, England, at the Abbots Grange, a 14th century monastic manor house. We’ll visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon, the festive dining hall in Oxford, and we’ll roast chestnuts on an open fire at a 16th century pub.
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Springtime Writing in the Cotswolds
May 4-12, 2027
We return to the charming village of Broadway and the Abbots Grange manor house—just 9 rooms for participants. We’ll visit Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, and Stonehenge, all while the flowers are rioting. We’re trying for the rare Stonehenge Inner Circle tickets again—last year, we were able to get up close to the protected stones, long after the crowds of people went home.
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Return to Old Town Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
June 6-15, 2027
Join us for a June writing retreat in a timeless fishing town on Nova Scotia’s south shore. We’ll have 10 days in the pristine, UNESCO World Heritage site of Old Town Lunenburg on the East Coast of Canada, surrounded by colourful 18th and 19th century buildings, quaint shops, and the historic waterfront at your fingertips. Come take a sail on the Bluenose II Schooner with us!
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Retreat to Kingsbrae, St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick
June 21-28, 2027
August 25–September 1, 2027
September 27–October 4, 2027
Micro-group retreats (only 5 rooms) in a seaside town on the East Coast of Canada. Private, ensuite bedroom in a gorgeous, historic mansion, your own private writing studio on the grounds, and the award-winning Kingsbrae Garden at your doorstep.
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Return to the New World: Newfoundland
August 5-18, 2027
We’re returning to Newfoundland, Gerard’s birthplace, for two weeks. With an even greater focus on dedicated writing time, we’ll spend more than a week in the charming fishing outport of Trinity in historic homes, followed by several nights in the province’s vibrant capital city of St. John’s, writing all the way.
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There may be one more overseas retreat location to come for 2027; sign up for our newsletter to be in the loop!
CALL FOR VOLUNTEER JURORS
The Crime Writers of Canada association forms its juries with as wide a geographical spread as possible. Writers are welcome to apply between now and September 30th – writers, librarians, journalists, booksellers, or anyone you know who reads a lot of current crime fiction in any format.
https://crimewriterscanada.com/index.php/en/page/page-content/judging
That's it, folks! See you in October.
