Diaspora Dialogues welcomes six emerging writers to the 2015 edition of its long-form mentorship program. From January–July 2015, mentees Amina Farah, David Huebert, Dianah Smith, Shawn Salik, Nadja Lubiw-Hazard and Aaron Kreuter will respectively polish their manuscripts with mentors Pasha Malla, David Layton,Martin Mordecai, Catherine Graham, Andrew Borkowski, and Lauren Kirshner.
program
Open Call for DD Mentoring Program
Applications are now being accepted for the 2015 mentoring program, focusing on the creation of long-form manuscripts and offering emerging writers an in-depth opportunity to hone their craft and prepare a book-length project for publication. Application deadline: October 31, 2014.
For more info and to download guidelines and submission form, visit here.
Emerging Playwright’s Residency Program
DD’s inaugural Emerging Playwright’s Residency Program is currently under way. In partnership with select Toronto theatre companies and under the guidance of experienced dramaturges, emerging playwrights from diverse backgrounds will develop a full-length play over the course of one year, at the end of which there will be workshop readings of each playwright’s script at their respective host theatres. Congratulations to the playwrights who have been chosen to participate in our free residency!
The 2014–15 Diaspora Dialogues’ Emerging Playwrights-in-Residence are:
- Meghan Swaby (Obsidian Theatre Company. Dramaturge: Mel Hague)
- Jo Simalaya Alcampo (Cahoots Theatre Company. Dramaturge: Marjorie Chan)
- Shaista Latif (Buddies in Bad Times. Dramaturge: Evalyn Parry)
Let the dialogue begin!
Meet Our New Class of Mentees
Each year, we hold two sessions of writer’s residencies where we pair an established writer with a promising new writer. We invite writers who live in the GTA to apply and select the best applicants to be part of our free mentoring program. Meet our first group for 2014: Alvis Choi, Hawa Yusuf, James Papoutsis, Jane Bao and Mehrdad Koohi.
Open Call for Spring Mentoring Program
Calling all writers, we are now accepting submissions to our mentoring program for the Spring session.
Do you have a complete or near-complete manuscript lying around or are you working on something you’re really excited about that you want to get off the ground? No need to look any further, we may be able to help!
DD offers a free mentoring program pairing aspiring authors with established writers to help ready a manuscript for publication. In addition, we will also help facilitate a plan to submit the work to publishing houses and offer opportunities to network with industry professionals.
To learn more about the program and download the guidelines and submission form, click here.
Deadline: November 22, 2013
Second Session of the Mentoring Program Is in Full Swing!
Whereas our original program mentored one short story or up to five poems, the new program focuses on mentoring and developing full-length manuscripts, including novels, short story collections and poetry.
Our inaugural participants—writers Sheila Murray, Pratap Reddy, Adam Elliott Segal, Sanjay Talreja, Julia Zarankin, Marni Van Dyk, Becky Blake, and poets Anya Douglas and Yaya Yao—spent six months working intensively, one-on-one, with their mentors via correspondence. Their trusty mentors were Cynthia Holz, Shyam Selvadurai, Moez Surani and Olive Senior.
By the end of the session, each had completed one full new draft. This is no small feat!
The latest session has just started with a brand-new crop of emerging writers, including Manini Sheker, Joanne Vannicola, Mia Herrera, Derek Mascarenhas, and Deepa Shankaran. They are working with mentors Martin Mordecai, Cynthia Holz, and David Layton.
We’re pleased to have them join the program, and we can’t wait to see what great work they’re going to produce . . .
To see more of Toronto’s best emerging writers, go here.
Interested in the mentorship program? Read more about it here. The next call for submissions will be going out soon. Sign up for our newsletter to receive it directly, or keep watching this space!