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2026 Nonfiction Course

Facilitated by Jenna Butler

Location: Online via Zoom

Dates: June 30- July 9, 2026

Application Deadline: April 20, 2026

This is a facilitated, online course for about nine writers of creative nonfiction and memoir who have begun to publish in journals and want to go beyond the basics of the genre. Participants may or may not have published a full volume of work.

The Nonfiction Course focuses on works-in-progress and offers writing time, individual one-on-one meetings with the instructor, and group discussions / seminars on technical, philosophical, or conceptual issues in contemporary writing.

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.

Online schedule elements

  • Classes usually meet for 1 to 2 hours each day, though they may meet every second day depending on the number of one-on-ones offered by the instructor.
  • Sessions will likely take place in the late morning / early afternoon, to accommodate the various time zones of the writers taking each course. 
  • Each writer will have at least two 1-on-1 sessions with their instructor during the program.
  • With online retreats, we understand that writers may continue to have responsibilities at home. We’ve found that the more time writers put into the program, including time set aside for personal writing and working with feedback received on their writing, the more they get out of the experience!

Application

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 peer 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 four weeks after the application deadline. You will be contacted with results after the jury has come forward with its decision.

Tuition

Application Fee: $30
Online Program Tuition: $895

What is covered?

  • Writing retreat in a small group format, led by an accomplished writer and program facilitator
  • 1-on-1 conferences and course time with your instructor
  • Critical feedback on your writing
  • Group sessions and discussions on the craft of writing
  • Access to programmed online readings and other community events
  • Invitation to online social activities with other writers

When and how to make a payment:

Please pay your application fee when you submit your application. Instructions will be provided.

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.

Tuition 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) by calling 306-537-7243. Please note that credit card payments 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.

Instructor

Dr. Jenna Butler (she/her) is an award-winning writer, teacher, and editor. She is the author of three books of poetry, an Arctic travelogue, and two collections of ecological essays. Revery: A Year of Bees, essays about beekeeping, climate grief, and trauma recovery, was a finalist for the 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award in Non-Fiction and a longlisted title for CBC Canada Reads 2023. A professor of creative and environmental writing, Butler currently teaches for Sage Hill Writing and the University of Victoria, and serves as editor for Barbour Books (NeWest Press) and Arc Poetry Magazine. She works on the land between an off-grid organic farm in northern Treaty 6, Alberta, and a small flower farm on the unceded traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples of southern Vancouver Island.

(Photo credit: Prairie Living Magazine)

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