July 8, 2015: Whistler, B.C. – The Whistler Readers and Writers Festival is thrilled to announce that this year’s Writer in Residence is award-winning Canadian author and former Scotiabank Giller Prize judge Michael Winter.
Originally from Newfoundland and Labrador, Winter’s contributions to Canadian literature have been a tour de force since the publication of his short story collection Creaking in Their Skins in 1994. His celebrated novels and short stories have received multiple awards and honours, including the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist for The Architects are Here (2007) and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize for This All Happened (2000) and The Death of Donna Whalen (2010). In 2006, Winter was appointed to the judging panel for the Giller Prize, alongside Alice Munro and Adrienne Clarkson.
“I am very much looking forward to working with Whistler’s range of writers to explore words and the structure and technique behind stories,” said Winter. “Mentorship can play such an important role in a writer’s evolution, and I personally have had some incredible mentors during my career. Fostering the knowledge and delight of the narrative form is fundamental to all writers, whether they are just starting out or already published.”
As the community’s Writer in Residence, Winter will move to Whistler in September to mentor 12 writers and poets over a two month period. Program participants will receive four one-on-one sessions with the author as well as attend group lectures on aspects of the writing craft. The program is designed for writers of all levels and genres, including novice, emerging and established writers.
“It is an honour to welcome Michael to Whistler,” said Stella Harvey, Director of the Whistler Readers and Writers Festival. “Michael’s writing is known for its originality and sharp dialogue, and his vast experience with Canadian fiction will be invaluable to the residency’s participants. A big thank you as well to the Resort Municipality of Whistler and the Canada Council of the Arts for once again making this program possible.”
The residency fills up every year, so interested writers are encouraged to register as soon as possible by emailing Harvey atstella25@telus.net. Once accepted, writers will submit a short synopsis of the project they plan to work on during the residency as well as a manuscript of no more than 20 double-spaced pages by August 10 to allow Winter to review their work before the first meeting.
The Writer in Residence program is made possible through grants from the Resort Municipality of Whistler Community Enrichment Program and the Canada Council of the Arts Author Residency Program. The residency forms the manuscript-intensive component of the Whistler Readers and Writers Festival.
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ABOUT THE WHISTLER READERS AND WRITERS FESTIVAL
The Whistler Readers and Writers Festival runs October 16 to 18, 2015. Now in its fourteenth year, the festival brings together the very best Canadian and international authors for a weekend packed with readings, workshops, speaker panels, spoken word events, music and more. The festival lineup will be released in July, and tickets go on sale August 10, 2015. For more information, visit www.whistlerwritersfest.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Stella Harvey
Director of the Whistler Readers and Writers Festival
E: stella25@telus.net
P: 604-932-4518