The purpose of our commissioning and mentoring programs is to encourage and help foster a literature as diverse as the city itself. Each year, Diaspora Dialogues commissions established writers to create fiction, poetry, or drama set in the greater Toronto region while offering free mentoring programs for emerging writers to develop plays and full-length work.
Commissioning & Mentoring Programs
The purpose of our commissioning and mentoring programs is to encourage and help foster a literature as diverse as the city itself. Each year, Diaspora Dialogues commissions established writers to create fiction, poetry, or drama set in the greater Toronto region while offering free mentoring programs for emerging writers to develop plays and full-length work. First- and second-generation immigrants and First Nations writers are especially encouraged to apply.
What past participants say
I couldn’t have ever imagined that I’d become a fiction writer. I’d never have even attempted doing something as foolhardy in India. Immigrating to Canada and living here for the last year has changed me. In no small measure, Diaspora Dialogues has contributed to this change. By selecting me for the mentoring program, it opened a new path of creativity for me — a path that gives me tremendous joy and satisfaction.
The mentorship program gave me great confidence... the opportunity to share my writing with an internationally decorated poet AND have her offer me direct and positive feedback was something that I will always see as a key stepping stone in my writing career.
DD gave me a sense of belonging, of having a place to let my voice be heard. Connecting with other DD writers gave me as a writer great support. In the group, I was the most recent newcomer and was still getting used to speaking and expressing myself in a language that was not native to me. Having the support, opportunities, exposure and appreciation from DD was an amazing experience. Seeing how my words and the words of other immigrants are not being marginalized but even the opposite, being valued and treasured for what we can give back to enrich the culture of our surroundings. This gave me validation of how open and receptive this country can be. Many times I found myself being inspired by the experiences I had with DD and writing poems as a result of that. All of this gave me the stepping stone I needed to continue my career on my own.
I felt so encouraged that I sent a proposal for a short fiction collection to a small publisher, along with a sample story (the one I worked with Rabindranath [Maharaj] on). To my surprise, the publisher liked the sample story so much that she asked to see the full manuscript. The collection is presently under consideration. I would heartily recommend this program to any writer serious about getting published. It is certainly a leg up on a path that is often steep and slippery.
The great thing about this program is precisely that it gives you time. It gives you time to come back and rewrite and then it gives you another opportunity and it really is, especially in this day and age where everything is in flux, really incredible and I think it was something that was very beneficial and it's very special to be able to do that.
I feel that Diaspora Dialogues played a key role in helping me realize my dream of becoming a writer. The mentorship programme offers an amazing resource to emerging writers. I would encourage any aspiring writer, who has ever dreamed of developing her voice and telling her own distinctive story, to apply.
When you’re my age, 59, being included in the Diaspora Dialogues literary mentorship program is the most rewarding experience imaginable. Robin Maharaj is my mentor and his editorial comments have been so helpful.
