Are You the Next ‘Upstart’ Resident Writer?

Sometimes getting an ambitious work of writing done requires a cozy nook and some extra coffee money. We can do you one better. How about studio space overlooking walls of books at Upstart & Crow on Vancouver’s Granville Island, $4,000 and knowing your finished piece can be published on The Tyee?

That’s what’s on offer to the winner of the 2025 Upstart Writers’ Residency in partnership with The Tyee.

The residency, which is made possible thanks to funding from the City of Vancouver, is open to emerging or established writers who need space, time and resources to produce a non-fiction project. Perhaps you have an idea you want to start and finish. Or maybe you’ve begun writing and need to push through. You’ll have what you need to succeed, including editing notes, if you’d like, from Tyee editor David Beers.

The recipient must be based in or have ties to British Columbia. Applications opened on April 4 and close on Friday, May 16.

Are you a good candidate? Yes, if you will craft a non-fiction work that pushes boundaries in form or content. One that sparks conversation or action that should be happening right now, in a world of cascading systems failures — but bright possibilities. The judges will value the originality and energy of the story or idea itself, as well as the writer’s demonstrated ability to carry it through.

Those judges are:

Michelle Cyca, a journalist, essayist and literary critic. She is a senior editor with the Narwhal and a contributing writer to the Walrus. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief and co-publisher of SAD Mag. She is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6, Saskatchewan.

Jorge Amigo, head of cultural programming for the Vancouver Public Library. He has served on the boards of the PuSh Festival and the Indian Summer Festival, as a programming advisor for the Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre and sits on the City of Vancouver’s Arts & Culture Advisory Committee. Amigo is also proud to be part of the Upstart & Crow board of directors. He grew up in Mexico City and has lived in Canada since 2007.

Emi Sasagawa, a settler, immigrant and queer woman of colour, living and writing on the traditional, ancestral and stolen territories of the x"mak"aýem, Skwxwú7mesh and Selilwitulh Nations. Her debut novel, Atomweight, was published in 2023 by Tidewater Press.

David Beers, a settler living in Vancouver since 1991, is the founding editor of The Tyee and serves as editor-in-chief.

The recipient of the 2025 Upstart Writers’ Residency will have an opportunity to submit their completed piece for publication on The Tyee.

This residency is one amongst many Upstart & Crow is launching in 2025. Others include a forthcoming Climate Writer’s Residency, Parent Writer in Residence, BIPOC Writer’s Residency and six poetry micro-grants. All of this programming (including workshops, talks, and other events) aligns with Upstart & Crow’s five core pillars — Climate, Translation, Poetry, Community & Skills and Civic Dialogue.

Have questions? Get in touch with Upstart & Crow via hello[at]upstartandcrow.com, 604-558-1124, or visit the Vancouver store at 1387 Railspur Alley on Granville Island.

Don’t delay. Send your application today!