The Department of English annually sponsors a writer-in-residence, both to offer support to Canadian writers and to give students direct access to the writer's advice and experience.

What is the writer in residence program?

The writer-in-residence holds regular office hours for students who wish to discuss their own work, visits classes upon invitation, gives public readings, and on occasion teaches a course.

The program is funded jointly by the Faculty of Arts and the Canada Council. 

To apply: This is an invitation-only program. Interested writers (of prose & poetry) may submit themselves for inclusion in the invite pool for the forthcoming year by sending a cover letter & sample writing (20 pages or less) to [email protected] from January 1 through April 30 of the year prior.

Our current writer in residence

Emily Austin

Emily Austin

Emily Austin (she/her) is a bestselling queer Canadian author of six books across fiction and poetry, including the instant bestsellers, Is This a Cry for Help? (2026) and We Could Be Rats (2025). Her next novel, Garbage Girl, is forthcoming in 2028. Previous books include Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead (2021), Interesting Facts About Space (2024), and the poetry collection, Gay Girl Prayers (2024), all of which have garnered her various accolades. Her writing centres lesbian and queer characters and explores themes of mental health and neurodivergence. She was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, and has a background in libraries and information architecture. She currently resides in Ottawa in the territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.  

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Writers In Residence podcast

Listen to our latest episode of the English department’s podcast. Enter our intimate world of writing and reading with the award-winning writers, scholars, and creatives in our community.

Past writers in residence

Phil Hall

Phil Hall

2014-2015
Nancy Richler

Nancy Richler

2013-2014
Erín Moure

Erín Moure

2009-2010

More past writers

2009-2010: Erin Moure
2008-2009: Steven Heighton
2006-2007: Allan Cumyn
2004-2005: Gary Geddes
2002-2003: Charles Gordon
1992-1993: David Adams Richards
1990-1991: Jane Urquhart
1989-1990: Carol Shields
1987-1988: Janette Turner Hospital
1984-1985: Guy Vanderhaege
1981-1983: Jack Hodgins
1978-1979: Irving Layton
1977-1978: Joy Kogawa
1976-1977: Dorothy Livesay
1974-1975: Miriam Waddington

Contact us

Department of English

Hamelin Hall, room 338
70 Laurier Avenue E.
Ottawa ON Canada K1N 6N5
Map

Tel.: 613-562-5764
Fax: 613-562-5990
[email protected]

Office hours

Monday to Friday
From 8:45 a.m. to 12 p.m.
From 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(June to August: closed at 4 p.m.)