Call for Applications: 2026 QWF Writing Mentorship Program

Call for Applications from Emerging and Established Writers and Dramaturgs in Quebec

Deadline: Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 4:59 pm ET

The 2026 QWF Writing Mentorship Program is now open to applications from prospective mentees and mentors based in Quebec.

The QWF Writing Mentorships are designed to help promising emerging writers transition to the next stage of their careers. Over a period of four months, from February to May 2026, each mentor will devote 35 to 40 hours to reading and responding to their mentee’s work and to giving guidance towards the goal of publication or production. Mentees are expected to commit a minimum of 15 to 20 hours per month to the program. A public reading featuring the mentees’ works in progress will be held in Montreal in June 2026, at the end of the mentorship program.

Remuneration for mentors is $2000. The only cost to mentees is a $30 non-refundable application fee ($40 if submitting by mail instead of online). There is no application fee for prospective mentors.

Both mentors and a shortlist of potential mentees will be selected by an independent jury. The mentors will choose the person they work with from the shortlist. Depending on geographical location, the mentorships may be conducted primarily or exclusively by email and Zoom.

The 2026 QWF Writing Mentorships are open to applications from prospective mentors and mentees working in English in the following genres:

• Fiction (including graphic novels)
• Non-Fiction (including graphic novels)
• Poetry (including spoken word)
• Children’s Literature
• Young Adult Literature
• Playwriting
• Screenwriting

Not all genres will be included in the final pairings.

Call for Mentees

Eligibility Criteria

Aspiring or emerging writers working in English are invited to apply. In addition,…

• Applicants must live in Quebec.
• Applicants must be able to devote at least 15 hours a month to their writing during the months of February to May 2026.
• There is no age or publication requirement.
• Authors working with a professional editor or publisher, or those who have already had a QWF mentorship, are ineligible.

These mentorships are intended for emerging Quebec English-language writers who do not have other resources at hand for professional mentorship. As such, priority will be given to those not currently enrolled in a writing program.

Prospective mentees must pay a $30 non-refundable submission fee ($40 if submitting by mail instead of online) and, if selected, must be members of QWF throughout the mentorship period.

Applicants should be available for a public reading in Montreal in June at the end of the mentorship period.

How to Apply

To apply for a mentor, prepare the following as a single PDF or Word document (do NOT put your name on this document or anywhere in it):

1. A one-page pitch telling which genre you are applying in, where you are in your development as a writer, and how your writing will benefit from a mentor’s guidance at this time;
2. An eight- to ten-page sample, double-spaced if prose, from the project you wish to work on. No more than ten pages will be forwarded to the jury.

Reminder: Do not put your name on this document or anywhere in it.

Next, go to Submittable to submit your application online. Be prepared to pay the submission fee by credit card or PayPal.

Follow the directions on Submittable to set up a free account if you don’t already have one. Then, complete the online form and upload the document you have prepared.

If you cannot submit online, you may mail a copy of the document described above, along with your contact information on a separate sheet and a $40 CAD cheque made out to “Quebec Writers’ Federation” to:

Mentorship Program
Quebec Writers’ Federation
1200 Atwater Ave., Suite 3
Westmount, QC H3Z 1X4

Cheques must be made out to “Quebec Writers’ Federation,” not “QWF.”

All mail submissions must be in the QWF office by 4:59 pm ET on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by December 19, 2025.

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Call for Mentors

Eligibility Criteria

To apply to be a mentor, you must…

• Be an established professional writer of English-language works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry (including spoken word), children’s literature, or young adult literature with at least one book published by a recognized professional publisher or an equivalent professional level of achievement;

OR

• Be a playwright, dramaturg, or screenwriter with at least one full-length professional production (dramaturgs do not need to have a play published but must have professional credentials);

AND

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Live in Quebec

Teaching or mentoring experience is a significant asset.

Mentors must be professional members of QWF throughout the mentorship period. Remuneration for mentors is $2000.

How to Apply

To apply to be a mentor, prepare the following as a single document (PDF or Word):

1. A one-page bio listing your publications/productions, outlining your teaching experience, and listing the genres/disciplines on which you are qualified to advise;
2. A short description of your approach to mentoring;
3. A declaration of your availability during the period November 15, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
   
   If selected for the program, you will receive applications from the shortlisted candidates in your genre and be asked to rank your choices within a short timeframe, by no later than December 12. The actual mentorship takes place from February 1 to May 31, 2026, with a public reading to be scheduled in Montreal in June 2026.

Next, go to Submittable to submit your application. There is no fee to apply.

Follow the directions on Submittable to set up a free account if you don’t already have one. Then, complete the online form and upload the document you have prepared.

If you cannot submit online, you may mail a copy of the document described above to:

Mentorship Program
Quebec Writers’ Federation
1200 Atwater Ave., Suite 3
Westmount, QC H3Z 1X4

All mail submissions must be in the QWF office by 4:59 pm ET on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.