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The Writers’ Guild of Alberta is pleased to share that we have now matched the mentors and mentees for our 2026 Mentorship Program! As always, there was a wide and deep pool of applicants for both mentors and mentees, and we encourage those who were unsuccessful this year to apply again next round. Thank you to everyone for their continued support. You can learn more about the mentorship program here, and follow for new intake next fall. Mentor Mentee Genre
WestWord invites members to answer the following: Most writers work (night shifts, multiple jobs) to supplement their writerly income. What else do you do outside of your writing hours (raising a family, elder care, hobbies) and does it help or hinder your writing? Please send your answers (100 words or less) to WestWord editor Raymond Gariepy at: [email protected]. In the heading, include: Question to Members. The deadline is February 13th for publication in the Spring 2026 issue.
The WGA needs your support! And best of all, it only takes a few seconds of your time. The WGA has been selected to compete for community votes to win funds for the Preservation of Culture: Multi-Lingual Writing Program through the Field Law: Community Funding Program. Voting Closes on November 22, 2025. Cast your vote here! Our IdeaWe are looking to raise funds to host a year-long writing program for Spanish writers, including one virtual craft talk with an established
The Olive Reading Series returns November 12th for another night of features, open mic readings, and time to chat and connect with local writers. Wednesday, November 12th, 20257:00 PM – 9:00 PM MTRooster Bar & Kitchen 10732 82nd Ave (Whyte Ave)FREE The November reading will feature author of ROUTINE MAINTENANCE (2025), Marco Melfi, and multidisciplinary artist, Sara Campos-Silvius. As always, an open mic will follow. Remember to grab a chapbook of the featured works as well. The Olive Reading Series
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Wednesday, November 26, 202512:00 PM – 1:00 PM MTOnline (Registration Required) Free! Publication is often the goal for most writers: We want our hard work published and available to the greater literary community, to the world at large (and receiving compensation for doing the thing we love doesn’t hurt). But, like writing, publication — and life after publication — isn’t always what we think it will be or what we’ve prepared ourselves for. Our November Controversy @ Noon panel will
2026 Mentorship Program – Call for Applications 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. The program will take place from January through April 2026. We will accept up to seven apprentices to work with mentors this year, including one pairing for the Mary Bell Mentorship Scholarship, (awarded to an emerging woman writer 50 years of age or older), and
The WGA is proud to announce that six writers have been selected as the 2025 Regional Writers-in-Residence (RWiR). This program provides WGA members access to the services of a virtual Regional Writer-in-Residence with priority given to those who cannot easily access an existing writer-in-residence service. Consultations are now open to ALL WGA members. Fill out the RWiR form and include your 10-15 page writing sample and one of the Regional Writers-in-Residence will contact you to set up a time for
On August 28, an internal Edmonton Public Schools memo was leaked to the public. It contained the list of more than 200 books that the Edmonton Public School Board will be pulling from K-12 school libraries as a result of the Government of Alberta’s ministerial order regarding book collections in school libraries. On that list are acclaimed novels that have often been taught in schools, including The Lesser Blessed by Alberta writer Richard Van Camp, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret
The Writers’ Guild of Alberta (WGA) is preparing to celebrate another successful year with the 2026 Alberta Literary Awards. Writers from across Alberta and their publishers are invited to check out and submit to this year’s award categories. The deadline for submissions to the Alberta Literary Awards is December 1, 2025. *Update: During the Canadian Union of Postal Workers strike please make other arrangements to send in your books by courier or drop them off in-person at the WGA offices. Our fall office hours are 10:00 AM –
The WGA Offices will be closed for Labour Day weekend. We will return to the office on September 2nd, 2025 with our regular schedule. Please note that office visits are currently by appointment only. In the meantime, you can email our office and we will do our best to reply in a timely fashion when we return. Have a great weekend, and see you in September!
Wednesday, September 24, 20255:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Workshop 1)6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Workshop 2)Ortona Armoury9722 102 St NWEdmonton Join the Horizons Writers Circle in Edmonton this fall for one (or both!) of our back to back workshops with writer and community member Ryan Lacanilao! There are more workshops to come this fall, so if you can’t make it be sure to check back again in the future. Workshop 1: The Lost Art of Letter Writing Let’s write letters!
Deadline: September 19, 2025 The Writers’ Guild of Alberta is calling all readers and writers to join our awards juries this season. This is an opportunity to be “in the room” when the 2026 finalists and winners are chosen. The awards season is an important time on the literary calendar. In 2026, the WGA will present awards in ten categories, plus the city book prizes. We could not do this without the hard work and deliberation of our jurors. We
