BIPOC Writers Connect 2024
BIPOC Writers Connect is back!
BIPOC Writers Connect: Facilitating Mentorship, Creating Community is a virtual conference for Black, Indigenous, and racialized emerging writers to connect with industry professionals, established authors, and fellow emerging writers — all in one place! Presented by The Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC) and the League of Canadian Poets (LCP). TWUC and LCP are committed to cultivating space where BIPOC writers can share tools, strategies, feedback, and knowledge.
This virtual one-day event includes:
One-on-one time for feedback with a professional writer who has reviewed your work in advance
Workshop on query letter-writing
Industry panel discussion
Plenty of networking opportunities
BIPOC Writers Connect is a free event, with no application fees, but advance application is required. We welcome applications from emerging writers across Canada. Applications are open until July 15, 2024 at 11:59 pm PDT. Successful applicants will be notified by September 2024. This year's conference takes place on October 17, 2024 on Zoom. Read on for more details.
Eligibility
Open to Black, Indigenous, and racialized writers in Canada who have a minimum of one published piece of writing (e.g., an article or short story in an online newspaper, school paper, or magazine), and who currently have a work-in-progress (10-20 pages of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, YA, or children's writing) to submit for manuscript evaluation. Writers who have one or more full-length published book (traditional or self-published) or contract offer, and staff of The Writers' Union of Canada or the League of Canadian Poets are not eligible to apply. Previous BIPOC Writers Connect mentees are not eligible to reapply. Applicants must be 18 or older by application deadline.
Land acknowledgment
BIPOC Writers Connect is hosted by TWUC and the LCP, whose staff are based in Tkaronto, a Mohawk word which translates to “Where The Trees Meet The Water,” or “The Gathering Place.” Tkaronto is bound by Dish With One Spoon, a treaty between the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee to share the territory, promote peace and protect the land. We acknowledge them and any other Nations who care for the land — recorded and unrecorded — and we pay our respects to Canada’s first storytellers.
Important dates
Applications close: July 15, 2024
Successful applicants notified: September 2024
Conference: October 17, 2024
Program
Icebreakers
Mentees will convene for moderated icebreakers to freely share writing challenges, conference goals, and tips for success.
Query writing intensive
In this workshop, attendees will be provided with tips and tricks for writing a compelling query letter to a publisher or literary agent.
Virtual networking
Connect with writers and industry professionals from across the country during facilitated networking sessions throughout the conference. This is always a highlight for BIPOC Writers Connect participants!
Manuscript evaluation & mentorship
Each successful applicant will be paired with a professionally published Black, Indigenous, or racialized writer, who will have an opportunity to read 10-20 pages of their submitted work-in-progress in advance of the virtual conference. At BIPOC Writers Connect, writers take part in a one-on-one discussion with their mentor for feedback on their submitted work-in-progress.
Closing panel with industry professionals
Join us for a closing panel, featuring literary industry professionals and a moderated discussion on some of the challenges, pressures, and opportunities that come with immersing oneself in the world of writing.
Important dates
BIPOC Writers Connect is a free event, but advance application is required. Applications are open until July 15, 2024 at 11:59 pm PDT. Successful applicants will be notified by September 2024.
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Program Manager, Kristina Cuenca at [email protected].
Find out more about accessibility, mentors, presenters, and sponsors
BIPOC Writers Connect: Facilitating Mentorship, Creating Community is presented by The Writers’ Union of Canada and the League of Canadian Poets. This event is funded by Presenting Sponsor Penguin Random House Canada, as well as The Writers’ Trust of Canada, and Kids Can Press. Our thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario, and all the funders, sponsors, and donors who support our work on behalf of all writers.