Creative Writing (BA)
in
Note:
Ours is one of only a few creative writing degree programs in the country.
When you commit your stories to paper you enter the realm of creative writing. Your portfolio of writing may take many forms — novels, short stories, plays and screenplays, comic books, interactive stories, hypertext documents to name a few — and involve elements that are fictional or imaginative.
The program emphasizes literary writing rather than formula writing, and aims to introduce you to the forms and styles of writing which authors, past and present, have created and explored in their works. It will expose you to the history of formal experimentation and growth in particular genres.
As you advance, you’ll be encouraged to explore specialized study in one or two genres such as fiction, poetry and playwriting.
Many of our alumni have gone on to very successful writing careers and include novelists and poets such as Sonnet L’Abbe, Lorna Lush and Jason Guriel. Our graduates also pursue careers as journalists, editors, translators, teachers and advertising writers.
Important eligibility information: This program is intended for students with a year of undergraduate studies and is not direct entry from high school. Students may apply after completing their first 48 credits and before completion of their first 78 credits by presenting a portfolio containing work in both poetry and prose fiction as evidence of writing experience. Mature and college/university transfer students are encouraged to apply.
What makes this program unique:
- Study with professors who are accomplished and published poets, novelists and short-story writers including Rishma Dunlop, Michael Helm, Patricia Keeney and Priscilla Uppal.
- You can also gain practical experience through our links with TVOntario and York’s literary journal, Existere, and the online poetry journal, Studio.
- Learn more about writing by attending the "Creative Writing Series," which provides an opportunity for you to meet and hear contemporary Canadian writers read or perform their own prose or poetry. Instructors have included W.O. Mitchell, Bill Bissett, Anne Michaels and Rachel Wyatt.
- Graduates of the program include Nino Ricci, Governor General's Award for Fiction, Eliza Clark, shortlisted for the Giller Prize, Selvadurai Shyam, winner of the W.H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award, Jason Sherman, winner of the Governor General's Award for Drama and the Chalmer's Award for Drama, and poets such as Lorna Lush and Michael Redhill.
- BP Nichol Award – annual award given to an exceptional undergraduate student writer for his or her achievement in creative writing. BP Nichol was a winner of the Governor-General's Award, Fellow of Calumet College and professor emeritus of York's Creative Writing Program.