Early Career Writers of Poetry 2026
Banff CentreAbout This Opportunity
“Poetry writing — expanding practice and improving writing skills through one-on-one mentorship, faculty talks, and peer engagement”
In this self-directed residency, authors will work closely with faculty Dr. Tyler Mills, Dr. Vik Shirley, and Joyelle McSweeney, and professional guest rob mclennan (above/ground press), to expand your practice and focus on improving writing skills.
The Early Career Writers of Poetry Residency is an energizing, transformative experience, designed to help you take your writing to a new level. This residency offers early career writers the opportunity to work directly with faculty and peers. With one-on-one mentorship sessions, faculty talks, and public events, this residency will help you build both your critical vocabulary and artistic community, making you better critics of your own and others' work. This flexible, self-directed program allows you to choose the amount of support and programming you are looking for as all literary program elements are optional.
Scholarships are available.
Application Deadline May 27, 2026
Program Dates Nov 23, 2026 - Dec 04, 2026
Eligibility & Requirements
Career Stage
Geographic Eligibility
Disciplines
Age Requirements
18+ years old
Applicant Type
Individual artists only
Additional Requirements
Resume (1-2 pages) describing academic, professional, and other relevant experience. Cover letter (1 page) explaining interest in program and goals. Project proposal (1 page) describing proposed work-in-progress. Portfolio excerpt from work-in-progress (maximum 10 pages). Financial Aid section must be completed in SlideRoom for scholarship consideration.
Note
Early career writers of poetry. Self-directed residency with optional programming elements.
Compensation & Benefits
Overview
Scholarships are available.
Detailed Breakdown
Total fee before scholarships: $3,602.55 (tuition, accommodation, meal plan). Banff Centre Arts Scholarship covers 100% of tuition and 25% of meal plan and accommodation. Canadian Indigenous Scholarship covers 100% of tuition, meal plan, and accommodation. Financial Aid section must be completed in SlideRoom to be eligible.
What's Provided
Housing Provided
Single bedroom on the Banff Centre campus for the duration of the program.
Studio Access
Small private studio for each participant.
Selection Process
Participants are chosen by an adjudication panel comprising internal and external assessors. Selection criteria include quality, originality and artistic merit; required skills and experience; potential for the applicant's work to benefit from the program; Banff Centre's ability to support the project.
Evaluation Criteria
- quality, originality and artistic merit
- required skills and experience
- potential for the applicant's work to benefit from the program
- Banff Centre's ability to support the project
Timeline
Deadline
May 28, 2026
Program Dates
November 23, 2026– December 4, 2026
