News

The Writers’ Guild of Alberta Announces the 2024 Golden Pen Award Recipient

The Writers’ Guild of Alberta Golden Pen Award is presented to acknowledge the lifetime achievements of outstanding Alberta writers. Past recipients are W.O. Mitchell, Grant MacEwan, Rudy Wiebe, Myrna Kostash, Robert Kroetsch, Merna Summers, Aritha van Herk, Fred Stenson, George Melnyk, Alice Major, Betty Jane Hegerat, Greg Hollingshead, Candas Jane Dorsey, Cecelia Frey, Bob Stallworthy, Vivian Hansen, Chris Wiseman and Joan Crate. For over 40 years, Marty Chan has contributed to theatre, radio, television, and kids’ fiction. His playwriting career began

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2024 WGA Mentorship Program Participants Announced

2024 WGA Mentorship Program  Meet the Participants! The WGA is thrilled to announce the participants for the 2024 Mentorship Program! In January 2024, fourteen Alberta writers will begin their participation in the WGA’s annual mentorship program. 2024 marks the thirteenth year of the program, which pairs emerging writers with established Alberta authors to develop the emerging writer’s literary work, and also to provide support and encouragement. This program has seen many of its participants grow and succeed as published authors.

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7th Annual Kemosa Scholarship Winners Announced

Winners of the 7th Annual Kemosa Scholarship for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Mothers Who Write The Writers’ Guild of Alberta and Nhung Tran-Davies are pleased to announce the winners of the 7th Annual Kemosa Scholarship for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Mothers Who Write. First established in 2017 by Dr. Nhung Tran-Davies in partnership with Tlicho Dene author Richard Van Camp, the Kemosa Scholarship offers an opportunity for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Mothers to obtain resources to help

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SAVE THE DATE – WGA 2024 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE WGA 2024 ANNUAL CONFERENCE June 7 – June 9th, 2024Edmonton Planning has begun for the 2024 Annual Conference: No Place Like Home. We’ve already started confirming exciting keynotes, and we cannot wait to share more details with you. Mark the dates on your calendars, you’re not going to want to miss this one!

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Important Update: Transition to Appointment-Only Office Hours

We are excited to announce a positive change to the Edmonton WGA office. Starting today, we will be shifting to appointment-only office hours to better cater to your needs and provide a more personalized experience. To schedule an appointment, you can either: Please note that the WGA reserves the right to schedule appointments based on the need for in-person assistance. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we implement these changes. We look forward to serving you with an enhanced, personalized experience.

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Horizons Writers Circle 2024 Participants Announced

Horizons Writers Circle The Writers’ Guild of Alberta is proud to announce the participants for the 2024 Horizons Writers Circle. Horizons Writers Circle is a program that provides support and mentorship for writers within the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) community, ESL, and underrepresented writers who live in Edmonton and are at the beginning of their literary journey. The following ten Alberta writers will begin their participation in the WGA’s Horizons Writers Circle. The program will run between January

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Member Books Forms

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2020 Books Author Name*Please enter your name as it will appear on your book. First Middle (Optional) Last Is the name on your book a pen name? Yes No NamePlease enter the name you use for your WGA membership. This is used only so we know which of our members the book belongs to and will not be shared. First Middle (Optional) Last Email* Location* City AlbertaBritish ColumbiaManitobaNew BrunswickNewfoundland and LabradorNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaNunavutOntarioPrince Edward IslandQuebecSaskatchewanYukon

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Horizons Writers Circle 2024

Horizons Writers Circle Program period: January 2024–May 2024Horizons is now closed to applicationsDeadline: December 19th Horizons Writers Circle is a program that provides support and mentorship for writers within the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) community, ESL, and underrepresented writers who live in Edmonton and are at the beginning of their literary journey. The program runs for five months and is fully subsidized, making it cost-free for successful applicants. Call for Mentees The Writers’ Guild of Alberta (WGA) with

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Update Book Listing Information

Use the form below to send us updates to your pre-existing book listing. This form is for updates only, not new book listings. New listings submitted to this form may not be added to the website. Click HERE to submit a new listing. **Please note, you only need to fill in the information to be updated. Updates will be made to the online book listings as time permits. Update Book Listing Information

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THIS HOLIDAY SEASON CONSIDER GIVING

This holiday season, let’s celebrate the spirit of giving by supporting the W.O. Mitchell Scholarship! Your contribution can make a lasting impact on aspiring writers, helping them find their voices and follow their creative journeys. W.O. Mitchell was a renowned Canadian writer and instructor dedicated to nurturing new writers. You may know him by his iconic Jake and the Kid radio stories on CBC radio. You can donate on our website here. Let’s come together and honour W.O. Mitchell’s legacy

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7th Annual Kemosa Scholarship Now Open for Submissions!

7th Annual Kemosa Scholarship for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Mothers Who Write The Writers’ Guild of Alberta and Nhung Tran-Davies are happy to announce the launch of the 7th Annual Kemosa Scholarship for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Mothers Who Write! Because of the generosity of sponsors like Author Jeananne Kirwin, we will award three scholarships this year: 1st place $3000, 2nd place $2000, 3rd place $1000.   Our vision is to effect positive changes in our community through stories. We are so

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Tell Us About Your 2023 Books

We would love to know what our members are publishing in 2023! If you have a book slated for publication in 2023 and would like to tell us about it, please do so via the form below. All books by WGA members that are commercially available in 2023 are welcome, including self-published and ebook or audiobook exclusives. At the moment we are collecting upcoming releases for informational purposes, but we may pursue initiatives in the future to let readers know about

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Golden Pen Nomination Form

The Golden Pen Award We cordially invite WGA members to submit nominations for the 2026 Golden Pen Award. Nominations for the 2026 award will be accepted until December 1, 2025. The Golden Pen Award is presented to acknowledge the lifetime achievements of outstanding Alberta Writers. Past recipients are W.O. Mitchell, Grant MacEwan, Rudy Wiebe, Myrna Kostash, Robert Kroetsch, Merna Summers, Aritha van Herk, Fred Stenson, George Melnyk, Alice Major, Betty Jane Hegerat, Greg Hollingshead, Candas Jane Dorsey, Cecelia Frey, Bob

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WELCOME TO NEW STAFF

We are happy to welcome Christyn Carter to the WGA staff as our new Communications Coordinator. With nine years of experience in professional writing, coupled with a background in administrative assistance and social media coordination, Christyn brings a multifaceted skill set to the workplace. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree with a minor in Creative Writing from The University of Western Ontario. Originally from Ontario, she planted roots in St. Albert in December 2022 and quickly discovered Alberta as

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