Well, it looks like the official announcement has been made: I’m going to be writer-in-residence at the Regina Public Library this September 1 through the end of next May. The Regina LeaderPost has the story here.
I’m very excited about it. It’s a paid position, $35,000 over the nine months, and 70 percent of my time remains my own for my own writing projects, with 30 percent going to writer-in-residence projects. Those will include meeting with anyone who wants to talk about writing with me one day a week at the library’s main branch (looks like that day will be Wednesday), conducting school readings, and holding at least one free workshop at the library.
The Regina Public Library was the first public library in Canada to offer a writer-in-residence program, back in 1978 I’ll be the 24th writer to hold the position. You can read more about the program here. My precursors in this position are an awfully talented bunch. Hope I can live up to their standards!
Here’s the complete list:
1978 Eli Mandel, poetry, Toronto, ON
1979 John Newlove, poetry, across Canada
1980 Andreas Schroeder, prose, Mission, BC
1981 Maria Campbell, prose, Edmonton, AB
1982 Janet Lunn, children’s literature, Hillier, ON
1983 Sean Virgo, prose, Salt Spring Island, BC
1984 Lorna Crozier, poetry, Regina, SK
1985 Edna Alford, prose, Livelong, SK
1986 Sharon Pollock, playwright, Edmonton, AB
1987 Mary di Michele, poetry, Toronto, ON
1988 Kristjana Gunnars, poetry/prose, Iceland, Oregon, SK, MB, AB
1989 Wayne Johnston, prose, St. John’s NFLD
1991 Celia Lottridge, children’s literature, Toronto, ON
1992/93 John Sorrell, poetry/prose, Vancouver, BC, SK
1994/95 Dianne Warren, fiction writer, Regina, SK
1996/97 Myrna Kostash, creative non-fiction, Edmonton, AB
1998/99 Tim Lilburn, poetry, Regina/Saskatoon, SK
2000 (Sept. – Dec.) Sandra Birdsell, fiction, Winnipeg, MB, Regina, SK
2001 (Jan. – June) Ven Begamudré, fiction, speculative fiction, Regina, SK
2002/03 Alison Lohans, young adult and childrens author, Regina, SK
2005/06 Mansel Robinson, playwright, Saskatoon, SK
2007/08 Ibolya Kaslik, young adult writer, Toronto, ON
2009/10 Terry Jordan, fiction writer, essayist, dramatist, Saskatoon, SK
2011/12…me!
If you’re in the area and interested in writing, I hope you’ll make an appointment to come chat with me sometime during my term. I’ll do my best to be helpful!
