Our Mentorship Programs
We support new voices from Canada’s diverse communities through our one-on-one mentorship programs.
Long Form Mentorship – GTA + National
WE ARE CURRENTLY OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO BE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT WRITER OPPORTUNITIES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS.
Diaspora Dialogues invites submissions from emerging writers in both the GTA and across Canada who currently have a full or near-full draft of a manuscript. We accept novels, short story collections, creative non-fiction/memoir, works intended for young adults and poetry. Complete or near complete means that the writer has up to 85,000 words or 300 double-spaced pages of prose; or up to 25 poems (50 pages maximum). Submissions will consist only of excerpts from these works (see guidelines below).
Diaspora Dialogues is committed to supporting a literature that is as diverse as Canada itself. Writers are encouraged to keep this mandate in mind, but addressing this theme directly is not essential in the submission.
Notifications will be made at the end of December. The mentorships will begin in early 2025 and run for six months. Assigned mentors are at the discretion of Diaspora Dialogues.
The deadline to apply is 11:59 on November 29, 2024.
Please read all of the guidelines carefully and email your submission to
Zalika Reid-Benta at zalika@diasporadialogues.com.
Submission Guidelines
- Work from which the excerpt is submitted must be in a full draft or near-full draft stage.
- Excerpts submitted can be one chapter or one short story from the collection up to but not exceeding 5,000 words; poetry can include up to 10 poems but not exceed 15 pages.
- Submissions must include a one-page description of the project.
- Submissions must include a short biography in paragraph form (no more than 250 words.)
- The work must be original and not previously published.
- Submissions must be in English.
- Each writer may submit only one manuscript.
- A completed submission form must be included.
- Submissions will be accepted by electronically.
- Commentary/feedback is not available on submissions.
- Applicants who live in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area must submit to the GTA Long Form Program.
Formatting Your Submission
- All prose submissions should be double-spaced, Times New Roman font size 12.
- Please do not adjust the margins.
Eligibility
- Writers must not have a previously published full-length manuscript (although appearances in magazines and/or anthologies are acceptable).
- Any writer of any age can apply.
- Writers must be citizens or permanent residents
Kid Lit Submissions – National
WE ARE CURRENTLY OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO BE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT WRITER OPPORTUNITIES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS.
Diaspora Dialogues invites picture book submissions from emerging writers for ages 3-7 and 4-8 between 500-1000 words in length.
Selected writers will receive feedback from a writer-in-residence at Diaspora Dialogues, over the course of a month, and will be invited to attend professional development workshops throughout the year.
The writer-in-residence will address issues of story, character, structure, pace, writing style, structure and substantive aspects of the work. No copy or line editing will be provided until the time of publication.
The deadline to apply is 11:59 on November 29, 2024.
Submission Guidelines
- The work must be original and not previously published or produced.
- Submissions must be in English.
- Submissions must be between 500-1000 words.
- Submissions must include a one-page description.
- Submissions must include a short biography in paragraph form (no more than 250 words).
- Each writer may submit only one piece.
- A completed submission form must be included. Submissions will be accepted by email.
- Commentary/feedback is not available on submissions.
Formatting Your Submission
- All submissions should be double-spaced, Times New Roman font size 12.
- Please do not adjust the margins.
Eligibility
- Writers must not have a previously published full-length manuscript, although appearances in magazines and/or anthologies are acceptable.
- Any writer of any age can apply.
Please read all of the guidelines carefully before submitting. If you have questions, email: zalika@diasporadialogues.com
Short Form Mentorship
WE ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS.
DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
Diaspora Dialogues invites submissions from emerging writers across Canada including short stories or creative nonfiction less than 3,000 words in length; or up to 5 poems, with each poem being no more than 75 lines. (See below for definition of “emerging.”) Applicants are welcome to enter more than one category, but no more than one submission per category, please.
We have four rotating deadlines a year: March 31, June 30, September 30, Dec 31. Submissions received between those dates will be considered for the next deadline. Through an adjudicated process, selected writers will receive feedback from a rotating writer-in-residence at Diaspora Dialogues, over the course of a month. Once completed, pieces can be submitted for consideration to TOK, DD’s online magazine.
The writer-in-residence will address issues of story, character, structure, pace, writing style, structure and substantive aspects of the work. No copy or line editing will be provided until the time of publication (for those ultimately featured in TOK).
Please read all of the guidelines carefully and email your submission to
Zalika Reid-Benta at zalika@diasporadialogues.com.
Submission Guidelines
- The work must be original and not previously published or produced.
- Submissions must be in English.
- Fiction or creative nonfiction must be 3,000 words or less.
- Up to 5 poems may be submitted, with each poem being no more than 75 lines.
- Submissions must include a one-page description.
- Submissions must include a short biography in paragraph form (no more than 250 words).
- Each writer may submit only one piece in each category.
- A completed submission form must be included. Submissions will be accepted by email.
- Commentary/feedback is not available on submissions.
Formatting Your Submission
- All prose submissions should be double-spaced, Times New Roman font size 12.
- Please do not adjust the margins.
Eligibility
- Writers must not have a previously published full-length manuscript, although appearances in magazines and/or anthologies are acceptable.
- Any writer of any age can apply—alumni of Diaspora Dialogues’ short-form mentoring program, as well as past unsuccessful applicants, are eligible. Those who have taken part in Diaspora Dialogues’ Long-Form Mentoring Program are not eligible.
Submissions requested for the Carol Shields Prize Foundation Fellowship at Diaspora Dialogues
WE ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS.
DEADLINE: 11:59 ON NOVEMBER 29, 2024
Diaspora Dialogues and the Carol Shields Prize Foundation are delighted to announce the Carol Shields Prize Foundation Fellowship at Diaspora Dialogues, a $10,000 opportunity for a woman or non-binary BIPOC writer who is a refugee or new immigrant to Canada.
This stipend is intended to provide the opportunity for a writer to create in fiction or creative non-fiction, as free as possible from financial constraints. As part of the Carol Shields Prize Foundation Fellowship at Diaspora Dialogues, and in alignment with Diaspora Dialogue’s role as a literary mentoring organization, Diaspora Dialogues and the Carol Shields Prize Foundation will provide the fellowship recipient with the support of a mentor to provide structured feedback.
Additionally, the fellowship recipient will have access to all of DD’s traditional suite of professional development training and networking events as well as chances to connect with fellow writers through our social networks of alumni and mentors.
The Carol Shields Prize Foundation Fellowship at Diaspora Dialoguesis intended for those already committed to a serious writing practice, although it is not a requirement to finish a manuscript for publication during it. For those emerging writers who are nearer the beginning of their writing journey, DD runs short-form mentorship programs.
For further information, please contact Zalika Reid-Benta, DD’s Program Manager, zalika@diasporadialogues.com.
Submission Guidelines
- We welcome applications to the fellowship from either interested qualified writers or nominees. Applications should be sent to Zalika Reid-Benta zalika@diasporadialogues.com
- Samples submitted can be one chapter from the novel or work of creative non-fiction, or one short story from the collection (up to but not exceeding 5,000 words). It must be in English.
- Submissions must include a one-page description of the work as well as a CV/biography that includes full contact information.
- Each writer may submit only one manuscript.
- Submissions will be accepted by email. Deadline is November 29, 2024.
- Commentary/feedback is not available on submissions.
Formatting Your Submission
- All submissions should be double-spaced, Times New Roman font size 12.
- Please do not adjust the margins.
Eligibility
- The work must be original and not previously published.
- Any woman or non-binary BIPOC writer who is a refugee or new immigrant (within 5 years) of any age may apply.
Playwrights in Residence
At this time we do not have any openings for our Playwrights in Residence program. Please reach out to Zalika Reid-Benta at zalika@diasporadialogues.com for any questions.
