Six nights on Salt Spring Island. Accommodation provided.
One community event in return.Writer-in-Residence
Writing residency on
Salt Spring Island
Paper Covers Rock’s Writer-in-Residence program offers Canadian writers a one-week self-directed residency on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia: space to write, rest, read, research, and reconnect with your creative practice while becoming part of a small but engaged literary community.
Residents stay at a private cottage located just ten minutes from Ganges Village and are surrounded by the landscapes that have drawn writers and artists here for generations.
What’s included?
Six nights’ accommodation at the Blue Ewe guest house on Salt Spring Island
A curated local guide with swimming spots, walking routes, cafés, bookstores, and favourite places to think
Coordination and promotion of your community event, with venue booking and ticketing support through Paper Covers Rock
Connection to the local literary and creative community
What we ask in return
Residents are asked to lead one public event during their stay (approximately 60–90 minutes). This could take the form of a writing workshop or reading and conversation. We’re interested in any format that invites participation and creates meaningful connection between writers and readers.
Travel, meals, and all expenses are the sole responsibility of the resident.
Writers are to indicate preferred time slots at the time of application. Even if a date is already booked, please note if you would like that week in case we have a cancellation. Additional dates will be added here as they become available.
Available dates — 2026/2027
October 4–10, 2026 (booked)
November 1–7, 2026 (booked)
December 6–12, 2026 (booked)
January 10–16, 2027 (apply by November 10, 2026)
January 31–February 5, 2027 (booked)
February 21–27, 2027 (apply by December 27, 2026)
April 4–9, 2027 (booked)
Residencies will resume again in October 2027.
FAQs
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No. Eligibility isn't based on citizenship status. Writers who live and work in Canada — including citizens, permanent residents, and those on valid work permits — are welcome to apply, as are Canadian writers currently living abroad. What matters most is a genuine connection to Canadian literary life.
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The residency accommodation is intended for the resident writer only. Part of the value of the residency is stepping away from daily responsibilities and family life to focus fully on the work, so we're not able to accommodate guests during the stay.
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Yes, in some cases. Two creative partners can share a single residency week and work out the public event together. We're not able to offer two writers back-to-back weeks with separate public events — the residency is one slot, one week, one shared community contribution.
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It depends on the work. The Writer-in-Residence program is centered on a literary practice, and the resident will lead a public reading or talk that is rooted in the practice of writing. If songwriting or lyric-writing is part of your work, we'd love to hear from you.
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No. Any language project is welcome. The public workshop or event itself should be delivered in English, given our local community demographics.
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Really, any genre is eligible as long as it intersects with the practice of writing in some way.
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Six nights' accommodation on Salt Spring Island in exchange for one public community event. There’s no additional stipend or honorarium at this time.
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When you apply, you can identify your preferred week. All applicants are reviewed against all available weeks, with priority in each cycle given to those who asked to be considered for that specific week. We do our best to match successful applicants with their preferred dates.
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Applications are reviewed for fit — between the writer, their project, the Salt Spring community, and the residency dates. A review committee assesses all applications against this criteria each cycle. All applicants who are not selected for one cycle are automatically considered for the next one, for one year from their application date. If your project materially changes during that time, we invite you to re-apply.
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It's a collaborative discussion. We'll work with you to shape a public event — whether that’s a reading, workshop, or talk — that fits your work and the community.