Call for Applications: year-long online writing workshops for PEN Writers in Exile
February 18, 2026 | PEN Canada
Advocacy & Aid
PEN is seeking 12 writers to join a year-long series of free online writing workshops designed to offer structure, purpose, and connection.
Starting in April, twelve writers in exile members—in two groups of six—will take part in monthly workshops over the course of one year. In these small, supportive groups, participants will share their current work, listen deeply to each other’s stories, and reconnect with the reasons why they write.
About this Workshop Series
Start and end date of the workshops: April 2026 – March 2027
Deadline to submit: Friday, February 27, 2026
A daily writing practice can be daunting. It requires resilience and self-belief. If you are also learning a new language, or adapting to a new culture, the support of a creative community can make all the difference.
The workshop series begins in April 2026, and will be held on weekday mornings and/or afternoons. Each session will last two hours, offering space for encouragement and exchange, along with a flexible monthly assignment to help establish focus, and maintain momentum and curiosity for the weeks ahead.
Over the course of the year, the workshops will help each writer complete their individual projects and learn the fundamentals of a lifelong writing practice. This is an invitation to write alongside others who understand the journey—and to make space for your voice, month by month, together.
The workshops are facilitated by Chris Fraser and Britt Smith of Firefly Creative Writing—writers with more than a decade of experience leading writing groups, and with a deep respect for the creative process, group care, and the quiet magic that emerges when writers gather with intention.
How to Submit
To apply, you must be a member of the PEN Canada Writers in Exile program.
If you would like to be considered for one of the 12 openings in this course, please send a 1,000-word writing sample to tjohnson@pencanada.ca by Friday, February 27th.
If you have any questions, please email us at queries@pencanada.ca.
About Firefly Creative Writing
We are a small crew of word-loving creatives in Southern Ontario, passionate about community and writing.
Writing can be complicated, overwhelming and scary. It can also be joyful and liberating and hilarious. We’re here for all of it.
We’re all writers ourselves, which means that that we love to write, long to write, and struggle to write. We support each other along the way because we know that everything is easier when we are supported and seen.
Learn more about your instructors, Chris Fraser and Britt Smith.
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