Apply to be Writer-in-Residence

Call for Cartoonist-in-Residence 2015-16: University of Windsor

The University of Windsor seeks to fill a four-month residency position for a Canadian Cartoonist-in-Residence as part of our Writer-in-Residence program. The candidate must provide proof of Canadian citizenship. The position runs from September through to December of 2015, and is co-funded by The Canada Council for the Arts in association with the Department of English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing, and the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Windsor. The writer is selected by departmental faculty committee and approved by departmental council.

The purpose of the Writer-in-Residence (WIR) programme is to give the Writer-in-Residence time to write while publicly involving the writer in consultative and facilitative capacities with students and other members of the campus and the local community. 60% of the writer’s time during this tenure is allotted to his or her own private writing activities, and 40% to consultation and related public activities. This coming year we seek an author who specializes in short and/or long-form comics such as the graphic novel, the graphic memoir, or comics journalism. Some demonstrable connection to the region of Southwestern Ontario and/or its culture is an asset. The WIR position comes with an office in the department equipped with internet access, phone, mail, printer, and some secretarial assistance.

Public highlights of the WIR calendar of events have included a well publicized inaugural reading shortly after arrival, a reception in the Department to introduce the WIR to Heads of cognate Departments and other interested members of the campus community and the city, and a farewell reading and reception. We expect the WIR to participate in BookFest Windsor, a major literary event for the region, that takes place in late October or early November.

Over the course of the residency, the WIR is involved in ongoing individual manuscript consultations (arranged through the Department Secretary’s office). The WIR will likely also be invited by creative writing faculty to participate (as reader, presenter, facilitator) in creative writing classroom workshops (from introductory through to graduate levels), and may occasionally be invited to do presentations by faculty in other departments. In addition, the WIR is expected to initiate and take part in literary events and/or artistic collaborations both on campus and within the City of Windsor, which include, for this residency, a comics art exhibit at the Art Gallery of Windsor.

Past writers-in-residence include Nino Ricci, David French, Daphne Marlatt, NourbeSe Philip and Christopher Dewdney.

The stipend for the position is $20,000, payable monthly, although alternative arrangements can be made if needed. Candidates willing to relocate to the Windsor region are preferred in this search. Candidates should include a letter of application along with 20-30 pages of work, and an up-to-date C.V. Upon completing this residency, the WIR is expected to prepare a short report summarizing his/her activities. DEADLINE for applications for 2015-16 is November 30, 2014. Electronic applications are accepted – please put WIR in “subject heading” and send to: mmurray@uwindsor.ca  Or, if mailing via the postal system, please send application to:

WIR c/o Dr. Carol Margaret Davison
Department of English, University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4

For further information contact: mmurray@uwindsor.ca