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We know they are out there. Brilliant ideas, amazing stories — known unknowns, so to speak. How do we help unsung creators get new knowledge into the world when there are fewer and fewer places for writers to find enough financial support and respite to get important work done?
As writers and journalists who happen to run the Vancouver literary arts studio, Upstart & Crow, we know that stories aren’t just entertainment — they can be life or community changing.
We love stories and we exist to share them. We also want to help find new stories that otherwise might not see the light of day, often due to a lack of resources for their creators. With that in mind, we’re delighted to announce a paid opportunity for writers in our Granville Island studio space. It’s called the Upstart & Crow Writers Residency.
At a time when social media tends to drown out new ideas, we want to promote and present stories with creativity, quality and passion.
We’re seeking to support the creation and publication of a work that pushes boundaries in form or content; a piece that sparks conversations or actions that should be happening right now in a world that seems to be coming unstuck. Why not a work bright with possibilities? A jury of exceptional minds has agreed to help us with this initiative: The Tyee’s publisher Jeanette Ageson; Jorge Amigo of the Vancouver Public Library; bestselling author and UBC professor Billy-Ray Belcourt; Am Johal of the Simon Fraser University Vancity Office of Community Engagement; and Zoe Grams of Upstart & Crow.
So: are you a writer with a powerful story or a bold idea that could benefit from a writers’ residency to bring to life? Check out the opportunity here.
We’ll accept applications from those who wish to work in fiction or non-fiction, poetry or an oral project. The form is less important to us than the originality and energy of a story or idea itself, as well as your demonstrated ability to convincingly explore it.
The residency is designed for emerging and established writers who need space, time and resources to start and/or complete a finished project. And it’s open to anyone based in British Columbia, whether you want to spend a full month in our studio or work remotely.
It’s a chance to bring something brilliant into the world.
The details
The selected writer will receive a $4,000 stipend, be granted use of our beautiful mezzanine workspace, and receive editorial support from the Upstart & Crow team. At the end of the residency, we will work with the writer to get their work published either in-house or with a publishing partner. The writer will hold the rights to future publication.
Their mezzanine writers’ studio is a peaceful space, looking out over the bookshop. Their operations director, Robyn Smith, has a decade of experience as an editor (most recently as editor-in-chief of The Tyee) and will offer editorial support for the project. Their team is well connected in the literary landscape, they're holding this residency to provide a stepping-stone in a local writer’s journey.
The residency will begin between May and July, at the writer’s discretion.
We welcome applications from writers who wish to solely use the mezzanine space for their work, or work remotely, or a combination of both. We expect the project to be completed within three months. The location of the writer during this time is optional.
Read the full details on the residency, including how to apply. Applications are due April 14.
About Upstart & Crow
Upstart & Crow Literary Arts Studio exists to share stories and to support the literary arts in Vancouver and beyond. Located on Granville Island, one of Vancouver's cultural hubs, they host live events and storytelling workshops, arrange conversations and collaborations between writers and sell books from independent presses and under-discovered voices.
The Upstart & Crow Writers Residency is made possible thanks to funding from the City of Vancouver. They are grateful for their support. ![[Tyee]](/design-article.thetyee.ca/ui/img/yellowblob.png){kind=small}
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