Whistler Writer in Residence
The Whistler Writer in Residence program (WIR) is back and better than ever. We’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Whistler Writers Festival, so it seems fitting to welcome festival founder and author, Stella Leventoyannis Harvey as our 2026 Whistler Writer in Residence.
The WIR is an intensive workshop program for emerging or established writers seeking to raise the level of their writing craft, while working on a specific writing project.
Stella Leventoyannis Harvey is a fiction writer whose short stories have appeared in The Literary Leanings Anthology, The New Orphic Review, Emerge Magazine and The Dalhousie Review. Her non-fiction has appeared in Pique Newsmagazine, The Question, the Globe and Mail and CBC. Signature Editions published her first novel, Nicolai’s Daughters, in 2012 and Psichogios Publications of Athens published the Greek translation in 2014. The Brink of Freedom was published by Signature Editions in 2015. Finding Callidora is Stella’s third novel. Stella makes her home in Whistler, BC. where she founded The Whistler Writing Society, which each year produces the Whistler Writers Festival and other literary programming. The festival continues although Stella has retired from her role as Artistic and Executive Director. She won the Whistler Champion of Arts and Culture award (2015) and the Whistler Citizen of the Year Award (2022) for her efforts to promote the literary arts in Whistler, and the Rotary Foundation’s Paul Harris Fellow award. She has mentored students in The Writers’ Studio at Simon Fraser University for the past nine years and volunteers in various capacities in Whistler and Vancouver.
Open to residents of the Sea to Sky Corridor, participants receive feedback on their manuscripts from our WIR guest author during three one-on-one sessions, and at three group lectures focusing on various aspects of the writing craft, writing life or publishing industry.
The program is held at the Alta Lake Artists’ Cabin on the shores of picturesque Alta Lake, next to The Point Artist-run Centre. This year, the program takes place from September to November (dates tbc). We offer an in-person program with online options as needed, on a case-by-case basis.
Participants submit manuscripts by August 1st, (up to 15 double spaced pages, size 12 font, approx. 4000 words), in the genres of fiction or non-fiction—although other genres will be considered depending on the background of the guest author. There is some flexibility with the critique of submissions, and writers can choose to submit one piece and re-write it over the period of the residency based on feedback from the WWR guest author or receive feedback on multiple submissions.
The cost of the program is $450. Applicants are enrolled in the Whistler Writer in Residence program on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Recent Whistler Writer in Residence guest authors have included: Chelene Knight, Cody Caetano, Susan Juby, Caroline Adderson, Shaena Lambert, and Jennifer Manuel.
One scholarship is available for Sea to Sky Residents as part of our equity initiative program. The Amplifying Voices Scholarship supports underrepresented voices in Canadian publishing, particularly those who are Indigenous, racialized, Deaf or hard of hearing, living with a disability, and/or LGBTQ2S+. Click here for more information on how to apply for this scholarship.
“In the one-to-one, Cody [Caetano] helped me find the voice of one of my protagonists–makes all the difference. Cody also enlightened me about where I’m going wrong in querying. In the workshops I learned to eschew the verb ‘to be’ (so static) and invent fun new custom verbs. That’s how it helped my writing. As to how it helped me, it brought the joy of collaboration, and it led to the formation (I think) of a little writers’ community.”
“I enjoyed the group aspect of the craft sessions and being engaged in the “writer community.” Caroline [Adderson] has a great, “see the essence,” way of assessing writing and providing feedback – she has helped move my manuscript along in a significant way.”
“I like the content of the workshops, the input and comments of the instructor, having deadlines to submit work, opportunity to hear a professional advice on my work. The Writer in Residence, Susan Juby, was a wealth of information and support and a wonderful person to converse with.“
We are grateful for the funding assistance from the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s Community Enrichment Program and the BC Arts Council.
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