The afternoon of Friday, February 5, 2021, the Creative Writing Group in the Graduate Department of English at the University of Toronto will host a colloquium on Zoom for postsecondary educators to discuss the online teaching and learning of Creative Writing in Canada.

We invite proposals for 7-10 minute presentations, each addressing a particular challenge and/or opportunity that accompanies teaching and learning Creative Writing online in this country. Presentations focused on examples from people’s own teaching are encouraged, as are broader reflections. Presentations in the form of creative works on the colloquium’s topic are also encouraged. We are inviting short presentations to maximize the time for discussion on the day.

Anyone who has taught or is teaching Creative Writing with an online component at a college or university in Canada is welcome to submit a proposal, as are teaching assistants in courses with online elements.

To be considered, please send a proposal of up to 200 words as a .doc/.docx file to creativewriting.utoronto@gmail.com by Monday, December 14, 2020. The file should also include a biographical statement of up to 100 words.

Presentation topics might include but are not limited to:

• the virtual workshop
• alternatives to the workshop
• equity issues
• accessibility issues
• decolonizing pedagogies online
• connecting students to writing communities
• professionalization
• duties of care
• protecting student privacy
• fostering community and student engagement
• institutional supports and pressures
• burnout, anxiety, and/or Zoom fatigue
• addressing the pandemic
• born-digital, multimedia, and/or collaborative writing
• using online platforms and tools