Our annual long form writing program for alumni matches emerging writers with an established writer to develop a full-length novel, collection of short stories or full length poetry manuscript.
Long Form Mentoring Program
Diaspora Dialogues' long form creative writing program for alumni of its main mentoring program. Through an adjudicated process, one to two writers will be chosen for the opportunity to work for an 8 month period with a mentor via correspondence. The program is free and matches emerging writers with an established writers to develop a full-length novel, collection of short stories or full length poetry manuscript.
How to Apply for Long Form Mentoring
*Diaspora Dialogues' Long Form Mentoring program will be accepting submissions again in the summer of 2012. Sign up for our mailing list to be the first to find out about our program deadlines here.
Diaspora Dialogues invites submissions of original full length novels or collections of short stories up to 85,000 words or 300 double-spaced pages; or full length poetry manuscripts of up to 25 poems (no more than 50 pages maximum) from emerging writers who have previously completed our publishing/mentoring program.
Diaspora Dialogues is committed to supporting a literature of Toronto that is as diverse as the city itself. Writers are encouraged to keep this mandate in mind, but addressing this theme directly is not essential in the submission. The setting of the works must be, at least in part, the greater Toronto region.
Through an adjudicated process, one to two writers will be chosen for the opportunity to work for an 8 month period with a mentor.
Submission Guidelines
- The greater Toronto region must exist in each novel or collection. This can mean using the city as a physical setting. It can mean exploring what the city means to you in a psychological or metaphorical way. It can mean writing about a person, issue or geographic location that is Toronto-specific. The definition is broad, but Toronto must be somehow present in the work.
- The work must be original and not previously published.
- Submissions must be in English.
- Submission writing samples can be one chapter of a novel or one short story from a collection up to but not exceeding 6000 words; poetry can include 10-12 poems but not exceed 15 pages.
- Submissions must include a one-page description of the novel or collection.
- Submitted work must be in a full draft or near full draft stage.
- A completed submission form must be included.
- Submissions will not be accepted electronically or by fax.
- If you would like your submission returned, please include a self-addressed envelope with correct postage.
- Commentary/feedback is not available on submissions.
Eligibility
- Writers must not have a previously published full-length manuscript (although appearances in magazines and/or anthologies are acceptable).
- Writers must have participated in the Diaspora Dialogues mentorship program in the past.
- Writers must be living in the greater Toronto region, which includes York, Halton, Peel and Durham.
We look forward to reading your submission!
Please mail or drop off submissions to:
Diaspora Dialogues
170 Bloor Street West, Suite 804
Toronto, ON
M5S 1T9
Questions? Contact Jordan Tannahill at jordan@diasporadialogues.com or 416-944-1101, ext 277.
What to Expect
The writer(s) chosen will have a complete or near-complete draft of a novel, collection of short stories or poetry manuscript and will be mentored via correspondence (either email or post). A portion of the emerging writer’s manuscript will be submitted to the mentor for feedback each month over the 8 month period. If a manuscript exceeds the length limit (see above), the emerging writer will be asked to omit chapters, poems or stories of their choice and submit brief bridging material where necessary. The mentoring process will address character, story, structure, pace, writing style and substantive aspects of the work, and no copy editing (ie, spelling, grammar, word usage etc.) will be provided.The Long Form Mentorship program takes place via correspondence over several months.
The idea behind this program is that writers will complete it with a strongly developed full-length novel or collection of short stories, ready for submission to publishers and agents.
