The Mentorship program is an initiative of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta designed to help promising emerging writers make the transition to the next stage of their careers. Over a period of four months, mentors will be expected to devote 50 to 60 hours to reading and responding to their apprentice’s work and giving guidance.
The program will take place from January through April 2025.
Both mentors and apprentices will be selected by an independent jury. Apprentices will be selected before mentors. There is no guarantee that all genres will be included in the final pairings. Depending on geographical location, some mentorships may be conducted primarily by email and telephone.
Decisions for the mentor application will be made on the basis of the best match between the apprentice and the mentor. Individuals who have participated in this program as mentors in the previous year (2024 program) are not eligible to apply. Adjudicators will consider writing experience, teaching/editing/mentoring experience, overall suitability, and potential suitability to chosen apprentices.
Criteria
Candidates must have professional publication credits, including published books and/or credits in literary anthologies, journals or magazines. Candidates must have demonstrated ability and/or prior experience in manuscript review, editing and peer consultation.
All successful candidates must be active members of the WGA or become members prior to the start of their contract.
Application Process
Please submit the online application form [BELOW], a current CV (up to 5 pages max), and a cover letter explaining your interest in the program and a short description of your approach to mentoring.
Deadline: Applications must be received by 4:30 pm MT on October 25, 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.
Successful applicants will be notified in November 2024.
Payment: Mentors will receive $2800 for their participation in the program
IMPORTANT NOTE: If your application has been successfully submitted, you should receive an automatic confirmation email. If you do NOT receive an email and it is not in your spam folder, we may not have received your application, so please try again or let us know so we can make other arrangements for your application.
The WGA gratefully acknowledges the support of the RBC Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Government of Alberta, City of Edmonton, City of Calgary, Calgary Arts Development, Edmonton Arts Council, and the John Gillese Fund.
Mentor Application Form
Applications for the 2025 Mentorship Program are now closed.