University of Guelph Creative Writing MFA

[Descriptive text: A two-slide graphic announcement from The Ex-Puritan. The first image shows a portrait of Madeeha standing outdoors, looking directly at the camera, overlaid with text reading “Announcing the Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence. Fiction Winner: ‘Thousands of Longings Like These’ by Madeeha Hashmi.” The second image displays a quote block on a blue background praising the winning story and crediting Iryn Tushabe as the 2025 Fiction Judge, with The Ex-Puritan logo at the bottom.]

We’re proud to congratulate Guelph MFA candidate Madeeha Hashmi, winner of the 2025 Austin Clarke Prize in Fiction for her short story “Thousands of Longings Like These.” We’re thrilled to see her writing receive this well-deserved attention!

A large group of MFA students sit around a long wooden table at Paradise Café, smiling toward the camera. Plates, drinks, and cutlery are scattered across the table.

Another wide shot of the group seated at the same long table, taken from the opposite end of the café. Students smile and lean toward the camera. Natural light from large front windows brightens the space.

Our last day of the semester was spent sharing a long table, good food, and conversation at Paradise Café on Bloor. Here’s to rest, writing, and the work ahead! 📚✨

[Image description: A promotional graphic featuring the book cover of WONDERLAND ROAD by Carrianne Leung. The background is a blurred, neon-lit cityscape in shades of blue and pink. At the top, large text reads “AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER.” The book cover shows a row of streetlights glowing against a teal and pink sky, with silhouetted leaves hanging above. Below the cover, the text reads “OUT 14/04/26.”]

Course instructor and MFA faculty member @cleung.bsky.social’s forthcoming novel #WONDERLANDROAD is now available for preorder and will be released on April 14, 2026. We’re proud to share news of her latest work and look forward to celebrating its debut! 📚✨

[Image description: A promotional graphic for Bookends with Mattea Roach. At the top, the text reads “This Sunday on… BOOKENDS with MATTEA ROACH.” Below, a framed photo shows Canisia Lubrin standing beside Mattea Roach. Canisia wears a black cap that says “Poetry,” dark glasses, and a zip-up jacket. Mattea wears round glasses, an and a striped shirt. At the bottom left is an image of the book cover for THE WORLD AFTER RAIN, a textured blue design with a pale arch. A gold banner on the right reads “The World After Rain by Canisia Lubrin.”]

Plenary instructor and program coordinator Canisia Lubrin will be appearing on Bookends with Mattea Roach this Sunday to discuss her new book, THE WORLD AFTER RAIN. You won’t want to miss it! ✨☔️📚

[Image description: A promotional graphic with a beige patterned background made up of scattered, semi-transparent letters in various sizes. At the top is the U of G logo with the text “MFA CW.” Below, in large black lettering, it reads: “FALL 2026 APPLICATION DEADLINE:” followed by a gold banner that reads “DECEMBER 1, 2025.” At the bottom, black text reads: “Learn more at tinyurl.com/uofgcwmfa.”]

Applications for the Fall 2026 cohort of the University of Guelph Creative Writing MFA are now open. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2025. Learn more about the program, faculty, and application process at tinyurl.com/uofgcwmfa.

[Image description: A promotional graphic for the Thrive Art Exhibit in Toronto features a red background with the word “Thrive” in large, white, handwritten-style font and “Art Exhibit” in smaller outlined letters below it. At the top right, a red banner reads “Toronto.” Below, there is a circular photograph of Alya Somar, a Guelph MFA alum, in a cream-colored sweater, standing in front of vibrant autumn foliage. The text beneath the image reads: “Reading with Guelph MFA Alum Alya Somar. November 29 | 1:00 PM | 1357 Dundas St. W.” The bottom line adds, “More Info & Tickets at tinyurl.com/thrivetoronto.”]

MFA alum Alya Somar (Class of 2024) will be reading at the Thrive Art Exhibit in downtown Toronto on November 29, part of a three-day celebration of Indo-Caribbean artists featuring film, visual art, author readings, and more.

Tickets at tinyurl.com/thrivetoronto.

Image description: A graphic from the CBC Poetry Prize announcing the longlist. The background is dark with small stars and teal design elements. Circular portrait photos of the longlisted poets are arranged in three rows, each labeled with their names. Em Dial’s black-and-white headshot appears in the second row on the far left, showing them smiling.

Current Guelph MFA candidate Em Dial has been longlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize! We are thrilled to celebrate this recognition of their work and presence in our writing community. Congratulations to Em and to all of the writers longlisted this year.

[Image description: A collage of five photos from the Toronto International Festival of Authors. One shows students seated in a classroom listening to a speaker; another captures a panel of writers onstage under blue lighting; another shows Canisia Lubrin in conversation during her book launch; another shows a second panel of writers; and one shows MFA students smiling as they walk down the steps of Victoria College.]

Some of our favourite moments at TIFA this past weekend!

[Image description: A group of smiling University of Guelph MFA students pose together in front of a red wall with white text arranged in circular patterns. The group includes nine people dressed in fall clothing, standing closely and facing the camera.]

Students from the University of Guelph MFA in Creative Writing attended #TheAlchemyLecture at York University.

We’re proud that our program coordinator and plenary instructor, Canisia Lubrin, was among this year’s featured speakers, alongside Glen Coulthard, Madeleine Thien, and Immanuel Wilkins.

[Image description: A vibrant poster with neon pink and blue text reading “AS THE EARTH DREAMS Book Launch.” Behind the text is an illustration of a glowing beetle. The event details appear below: “Thursday, November 13. Doors @ 6 | Event @ 7. 745 Queen Street West.” Featuring Zalika Reid-Benta, Chinelo Onwualu, Trynne Delaney, Terese Mason Pierre, and DJ Myles. Logos of partner organizations appear at the bottom.]

We’re thrilled to celebrate MFA alum @teresempierre.bsky.social at the launch of #AsSTHEEARTHDREAMS!

The event takes place Thursday, November 13 at Harlem Restaurant (745 Queen Street West) and features Zalika Reid-Benta, Chinelo Onwualu, Trynne Delaney, Terese Mason Pierre, and DJ Myles.

[Image description: A celebratory poster with a gold and black speckled background. At the top, large grey text reads “Congratulations to Guelph MFA alum Shane Neilson.” Below are two images side by side: a circular photo of Shane Neilson wearing a beanie and jacket, and the yellow cover of his book. At the bottom, text reads “2025 Governor General’s Literary Award Finalist.”]

Congratulations to Guelph MFA alum Shane Neilson, whose book WHAT TO FEEL, HOW TO FEEL (@palimpsestpressbooks) has been named a finalist for the 2025 Governor General’s Literary Award!

[Image description: The book cover of AS THE EARTH DREAMS: BLACK CANADIAN SPECULATIVE STORIES is centered against a vibrant purple background with bees decorating the corners of the image. At the top, turquoise text reads “OUT NOW WITH HOUSE OF ANANSI.”]

Congratulations to Guelph MFA alum @teresempierre.bsky.social on the release of #ASTHEEARTHDREAMS (House of Anansi), out now!

Edited by Terese Mason Pierre, this groundbreaking anthology of speculative fiction uplifts the spectacular imaginings, reflections, and hopes of Black writers in Canada.

[Image description: A beige background poster titled “Spoken INK with Aiden Chafe, Lisa Richter & Katherine Lawrence.” Below are three side-by-side author portraits: Aiden Chafe in a yellow jacket, Lisa Richter wearing a blue and purple scarf, and Katherine Lawrence in glasses and a white blouse. Text below reads: “Sunday, October 19, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (PST). Email info@bws.bc.ca to register.”]

Guelph MFA alum @lisarichter.bsky.social will be participating in the #SpokenINK series this Sunday.

This event coincides with the five-year anniversary of Lisa’s award-winning collection #NAUTILUSANDBONE (Frontenac House, 2020).

To receive the Zoom link, email info@bws.bc.ca.

[Image description: The book cover of THE WORLD AFTER RAIN by Canisia Lubrin is displayed against a misty blue background textured like rainfall on glass. The title appears in white text down the center, and above the book the words “Out Now with McClelland & Stewart” are written in large white letters.]

Out now from #McClelland&Stewart: #THEWORLDAFTERRAIN by #CanisiaLubrin. ☔️

Canisia Lubrin, poet, program coordinator, and plenary class instructor for the #UniversityofGuelph CW MFA program, delivers a radiant elegy for her mother.

Congratulations, Canisia, on this stunning new collection.

[Alt text: Two event posters. The first poster, titled “Poetry @ Silence,” features photos of Charlie Petch, Anna Swanson, Lisa Baird, and Ziyash von Bieberstein over a teal underwater background. The second poster promotes a Brick Poetry Double Launch for Anna Swanson and Charlie Petch, showing the covers of The Garbage Poems and Infinite Audition, along with circular photos of the authors and guest readers, set against a black background.]

Join us in celebrating MFA alum #AnnaSwanson (@annapandamonium), who will be launching her new poetry collection #TheGarbagePoems this month with #BrickBooks!

KJ Aiello: A smiling person with glasses and shoulder-length hair, wearing a mustard-yellow top. Text introduces them as an award-winning writer whose debut book The Monster and the Mirror is shortlisted for the Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writers Prize (2025) and a CBC Best Nonfiction pick (2024). Their essay Who Gets to Be Mentally Ill? won Gold in the 2023 Digital Publishing Awards.

Tessa Fleming: A smiling person with brown hair wearing a dark button-up shirt. Text describes her as a writer, workshop facilitator, teacher, and filmmaker whose thesis is a hybrid project of essays, poetry, and prose. She collaborates with her partner, cinematographer Daniel Grant, to bring creative work to the screen.

torri blue: A person with short hair and round glasses, smiling while wearing a teal T-shirt. Text introduces them as an autistic writer and lyricist focused on autistic and poetic embodiment. Their work has been published in The Journal of Autistic Culture, and their poems have been set to music and used in short films.

Lawson Hannaford: A smiling person wearing a bucket hat and sleeveless top, outdoors with trees and buildings in the background. Text describes them as a multidisciplinary creator whose work explores queerness, transness, mental illness, and queer history. They are also an award-winning playwright.

Meet some of the talented writers in our Creative Writing MFA program (part one)! ✨📚✨

#CreativeWriting #MFA #UofGuelph #Poetry #Fiction #nonfiction #HybridWriting #Playwriting #CanadianWriters #writingcommunity

Image description: An orange poster with the Type Books logo at the top and the text “Junction Reads: a prose reading series” in white. It features headshots of Catherine Bush, Caitlin Galway, and Michelle Winters in circular frames. Event details are listed below, with the Junction Reads logo in the bottom right corner.

Faculty member #CatherineBush will take part in @junctionreads.bsky.social, a reading series at #TypeBooksJunction (2887 Dundas St. W, Toronto) on Sunday, October 5th at 3:00 PM. Catherine will be reading alongside #CaitlinGalway and #MichelleWinters. You won’t want to miss it! 📚✨

[Alt text: Poster for the launch of Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross’s book The Longest Way to Eat a Melon at Type Books, Toronto, on September 26 at 7PM. Includes event details, the book cover, and photos of Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross, Lee Suksi, and Cason Sharpe.]

Tomorrow night (Friday, September 26th)! Join Guelph MFA alum Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross at Type Books (883 Queen St. W., Toronto) for the launch of her debut, THE LONGEST WAY TO EAT A MELON. With featured reader Cason Sharpe and a conversation with Lee Suksi.

Exciting news! Our own MFA student #EmDial will be participating in @pencanada.bsky.social’s “Drawn to the Page” webinar series this October!

Join Em and other talented writers as they explore craft, purpose, and how writers can respond to the social and political challenges of our time.

It is September 24. This is today. It is September 24. This is today. It is September 24. This is today. It is September 24. This is today. It is September 24. This is today.

[Image description: A collage-style graphic featuring torn paper elements with colorful tape. Shows a laptop displaying The Walrus article “What Christian Pop Taught Me about Salvation and Shame” by Joelle Kidd, alongside promotional materials, including a photo of Joelle Kidd and the cover of JESUS LAND, which features a retro TV set design.]

New publication by MFA alum @joellekidd.bsky.social! Her article “What Christian Pop Taught Me about Salvation and Shame” is now live on @thewalrus.ca.

Joelle is the author of #JESUSLAND: STORIES FROM THE UPSIDE DOWN WORLD OF CHRISTIAN POP CULTURE.

[Image description: A classroom scene where Zalika Reid-Benta sits at a table signing a book. Several students wait in line holding books.]

[Image description: A close-up of Zalika Reid-Benta signing a book at a table. Next to her is a copy of her short story collection FRYING PLANTAIN and a phone.]

We were honoured to welcome award-winning author Zalika Reid-Benta to our Creative Writing MFA plenary class for a reading and Q&A this week. She spoke about craft, the writing process, and her publishing journey, and ended the visit with a book signing.

Ladies and gentles, animals and machines, and everyone in-between . . . . we are ONE WEEK away from the launch of NMLCT! I'd love it if you could join me to celebrate!
Wed, Sept 24, 2025
at The Piston
937 Bloor Street West,
from 7 to 10pm
[festivities included]

[Image description: A promotional graphic for Vancouver Writers Fest 2025 featuring a headshot of Canisia Lubrin labelled as Guest Curator. The graphic also includes green design accents and the covers of two books by Canisia Lubrin—THE WORLD AFTER RAIN and CODE NOIR.]

Exciting news! Our program coordinator and plenary class instructor #CanisiaLubrin is the Guest Curator for the 38th annual @writersfest.bc.ca, taking place October 20-26, 2025.

See the full schedule and get your tickets here: writersfest.bc.ca/2025-festiva...

Greatl day at the Mississauga Literary Festival! I did a talk on reading poetry and helped with the launch of Issue No. 8 of the @theampersandreview.bsky.social. Great people, great venue, great sense of community, all sorely needed in these brutish times. Thank you, @mississaugalib.bsky.social !!!

[Image description: Black and white portrait photo of Jedidiah Mugarura. Text overlay announces “Jedidiah Mugarura wins 2025 Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets” with the colorful African Poetry Book Fund (APBF) logo visible.]

Congratulations to #UniversityofGuelph CWMFA alum #JedidiahMugarura on winning the 2025 #SillermanFirstBookPrizeforAfricanPoets for their collection #NYAMUTEZA! The prize includes $1000 USD and publication through University of Nebraska Press. 📚✨

Photo from @africanpoetrybookfund.

[Image description: A vibrant promotional graphic featuring a microphone against a cream background with decorative paper elements. Bold red text announces “SPEAKEASY READING SERIES RETURNING IN OCTOBER” with social media handles listed at the bottom.]

Mark your calendars because our beloved monthly #SpeakeasyReadingSeries will return this October!

You can follow the series on Instagram and Facebook for more updates. We can’t wait to see you there! 🎤✨

Our MFA students had a lovely time reading at the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival yesterday alongside the Read at the Fringe winners!

Check out this list of new and upcoming releases! We’re proud to celebrate the creative work of our talented community. ✨📚

#guelphcwmfa #mfa #authorcommunity #writingcommunity #readingrecommendations #amreadi̇ng #bookworm #poetry #fiction #nonfiction

Hi everyone! We’re back to celebrate the start of the new school year and hope you’ll continue to follow along as we bring you the latest updates.