Sign up for our newsletter to hear first about program announcements and application deadlines.
2025 Emerging Writers’ Courses
Facilitator TBA
Location: TBA (course will either be online OR In Person at St. Peter’s College, Muenster, SK, Canada
Dates: June 30- July 9, 2025 if Online; July 2 – 11, 2025 if In Person
The 2025 Emerging Writers’ Course will be divided into two groups of writers. to provide a smaller learning context.
- Emerging Writers’ Course A
Focus on Prose - Emerging Writers’ Course B
Focus on Poetry
Emerging Writers’ Course A
Focus on Prose
This online course is designed for writers in any genre who need a nudge or to take the leap of faith that will lift their manuscript to new levels. Part workshop, part discussion group and part assignment writing, participants will learn the tools and techniques for mastering the mechanics of rewriting, rethinking, and revising. A practical, hands-on course for those who want to develop better writing, editing and self-editing skills. This course is meant to enhance your work, and strengthen your writing towards a publishable state.
Emerging Writers’ Course B
Focus on Poetry
“Poetry,” writes Dionne Brand, is “wrestling with how we live…something dangerous, something honest.” How can we push ourselves to write poems that are dangerously honest, surprising, risky, imaginative, memorable, and evocative? What does it mean to be a “poet in the world” and live the writing life? In this ten-day generative workshop, we will explore these and other questions, read a broad range of poems and mixed-genre writing that open up new possibilities and try our hand at writing our own. Through daily craft talks, group discussions, curated readings, writing experiments and/or assignments, one-to-one mentoring, and compassionate, constructive feedback in a supportive setting, participants will hone their writing, editing and revising skills. By the end of the workshop, participants will walk away with a stack of new drafts, an expanded toolkit for generating new work, and be part of a vibrant artistic community.
Application
Applicants will need to provide:
- Applicant information
- Emergency contact information
- $30 Application Fee (payable by e-Transfer, Visa / MasterCard, or cheque)
- Optional: A letter of intent towards a bursary or scholarship
- A one-page letter including:
- Statement of interest
- Current projects
- Goals for the workshop
- Any other pertinent information
- Five-page sample of your writing. Note: You do not need to be published in order to apply for the Emerging Writers’ Workshop.
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 a rubric of 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.