Sign up for our newsletter to hear first about program announcements and application deadlines.

2026 Spring Fiction Colloquium

Facilitated by Kevin Chong

Location: In Person at St. Peter’s Abbey, Muenster, SK, Canada

Dates: May 16 – 24, 2026

Application Deadline:
The application deadline for the 2026 Spring Poetry Colloquium has passed. However, as long as the course remains available on the application form, we are accepting late applications.

This is a facilitated, in-person retreat for around nine writers. In this small group context, focus will be on individual manuscript consultations and on seminar discussions dealing with technical, philosophical, or conceptual issues in contemporary writing. Instruction occurs within a deep-immersion setting, with an emphasis on individual writing and manuscript revision.

Successful applicants generally have some publication record, and are working towards completion of a manuscript. Application is open to writers 19 years of age and older from Canada and abroad.

Please click on the headings below to reveal more information.

In Person Schedule Elements

  • Classes typically meet for 1 to 2 hours each day or every second day.
  • Each writer will have a minimum of two 1-on-1 sessions scheduled with their instructor throughout the program.
  • Reading event(s) will occur during the program.
  • Each writer will have plenty of personal writing time.

Application

Applicants will need to provide:
  • Applicant contact information
  • Emergency contact information
  • $30 Application Fee (payable by e-Transfer, Visa / MasterCard, or cheque)
  • Optional: A letter of application for a a bursary or scholarship
  • A brief letter outlining your writing project, including:
    • Goals for your project
    • Where you / your manuscript are in your writing process
    • How you would work on and advance your project while at Sage Hill
    • Any other information that you consider pertinent to your application
  • 12-page sample of your writing including:
    • Five pages of published work
    • Seven pages of the work in progress that you would like to develop at Sage Hill
  • Your literary CV

Note:

  • Writing samples up to the page requirement will be reviewed by the jury. Pages in excess will not be reviewed.
  • Please combine all documents into one file to upload with the online application form.
  • PDF and Microsoft Word documents are accepted.
  • If you have trouble when attaching your application materials to the online form, please contact us.
Adjudication process:

All applications go through a competitive, independent jury process to maintain a high level of artistic merit in programs. Jury members weigh applications against set criteria to assess the quality of writing and readiness for the experience.

Acceptance is determined by:

  • Quality of work submitted
  • Project description
  • Experience and ability to carry out the proposed project
  • Literary CV and publication history
  • Which applicants would most benefit from attending Sage Hill at this point in their development

This adjudication process is usually completed about one month after the application deadline. You will be contacted with results after the jury has come forward with its decision.

Tuition

Application Fee: $30
In Person Program Tuition: $2445 (includes accommodations, meals, and snacks)
In Person Program Shuttle Service (1.5hr drive between Saskatoon airport and retreat venue): $70 one-way; $140 two-way

What is covered?

  • Accommodation at St. Peter’s Abbey in your own private room
  • Three buffet-style meals per day, and snacks
  • Writing retreat as part of a small group, led by program faculty
  • 1-on-1 conferences with your instructor
  • Critical feedback on your writing
  • Seminars / discussions on the craft of writing
  • Private meeting spaces for group meetings
  • Printer and office supplies
  • Wi-Fi access
  • Writing desk and chair in your room
  • Most rooms have a private ensuite bathroom (a few do not – see Accommodations section for details)
  • Access to St. Peter’s College library
  • Comfortable lounge areas
  • Coffee and tea station available all hours
  • Access to shared microwave and fridge
  • Free laundry facilities
  • Games room
  • College fitness centre
  • Book table to sell your works and buy the works of others
  • Arranged trips to nearby towns and other programmed events
  • Additional amenities as listed on the Accommodations section

When and how to make a payment:

Application fee payments can be made at the time of application.

After the jury has reviewed applications, you will be notified via email to let you know whether or not you have been accepted. Tuition payment deadlines / payment plan options will be expressed at that time.

If you are taking the Sage Hill shuttle, shuttle fees will be due two weeks prior to the program start date (you will be provided instructions on booking a shuttle and making shuttle payments.

Payments can be made by:

  • E-transfer to (preferred)
  • Cheque mailed to: Sage Hill Writing, PO Box 1273, Saskatoon PO Main, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3N9
  • Visa or Mastercard (no Amex) at https://sagehillwriting.ca/writing-retreats/tuition-payment/ or by calling 306-537-7243. Please note that tuition and shuttle fee payments made by credit card are subject to a 2.4% processing fee.

Cancellation Policy:

  • There will be a $100 cancellation fee if you withdraw after accepting a spot in a course.
  • If you cancel 14 days or more prior to start date: 50% of tuition is due to Sage Hill. If your tuition has been paid, we will issue a refund of the amount paid less 50% of the total tuition amount.
  • If you cancel 7 days prior to retreat start date: 75% of tuition is due to Sage Hill. If your tuition has been paid, we will issue a refund of the amount paid less 75% of the total tuition amount.
  • Cancellations within one week of program start dates are non-refundable. However, if it is possible to fill your spot in the program, some refund will be available. 
  • Please note that credit card processing fees are non-refundable.

Sage Hill reserves the right to cancel upcoming or in-process programs due to unforeseen and unmitigable circumstances (e.g. public health and safety issues or mandates). If a program must be cancelled, payment will be refunded accordingly.

Accommodations

For more information on venue and accommodations, click here.

In-Person retreats occur at the peaceful St. Peter’s Abbey and St. Peter’s College.

Participants will stay in Severin Hall, one of the college’s student residence buildings.

The facility has the following amenities:

  • Your own private room
  • Writing desk and chair in your room
  • Space for 1-on-1 instruction and workshops
  • Comfortable lounge areas
  • Shared fridge & microwave
  • Coffee and tea station available at all hours
  • Laundry facilities
  • Games Room
  • Book table for selling your works and buying the works of others
  • Library
  • Wi-Fi access
  • Fitness centre
  • Treed grounds, walking trails, gardens
  • Outdoor soccer pitch

Each bedroom at the venue is unique in size and furnishings. Most bedrooms have a private ensuite bathroom with shower; on occasion, room availability is such that some rooms instead share a bathroom in the hall (this typically only occurs during our summer programs). With the exception of accessibility/medical requests, rooms are assigned randomly.

St. Peter’s Abbey is an active Benedictine monastery, and the oldest one in Canada. St. Peter’s College is an off-campus, affiliated college of the University of Saskatchewan. Our venue welcomes all faiths and beliefs.

The venue is located on 500 acres of mixed forest and farmlands in East Central Saskatchewan, on Highway 5 in the quiet village of Muenster, SK. Muenster is 120km east of Saskatoon and 230km north of Regina, and only 9 km from the City of Humboldt.

Muenster is walking distance from the venue, and has a small grocery store and a few other services. Humboldt offers a fair number of restaurants and shops, from liquor stores to pharmacies. Should you want a brief reprieve from writing, Sage Hill staff can drive those without vehicles into Humboldt for supplies.

For directions to St. Peter’s, visit their website. You can find a campus map here.

Instructor

Kevin Chong is the author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction, most recently the novel The Double Life of Benson Yu, which was a finalist for the 2023 Giller Prize and named a Best Book of Canadian Fiction by the CBC. His creative nonfiction and journalism have recently appeared in TimeLiterary HubMontecristo, and the Globe and Mail. An associate professor at UBC Okanagan, he lives in Vancouver with his family.

(Photo credit: Iris Chia)

Back to Writing Retreats.