“Imagination is everything. It is a preview of life’s coming attractions.”
–Albert Einstein
Whether you’re interested in taking individual courses or pursuing a creative writing diploma/degree, Selkirk College welcomes you. Join Renée Jackson-Harper, Almeda Glenn Miller and Leesa Dean, the program’s core faculty, as well as guest speakers and visiting writers who will take you on an exciting journey designed to immerse you in creative processes and help you find your voice.
What defines our creative writing program is a community of writers composed of small class sizes and intimate workshops. Gain confidence in communicating your ideas in a truly magical setting. Imagine sitting by the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers to draft a poem, or walking along the Castlegar campus trails - a significant gathering place for Indigenous peoples - to conjure the final scene in your short story. In Nelson, classes are held at the Tenth Street campus, also home to Selkirk's renowned Music and Digital Art programs.
Situated in one of the most beautiful regions on earth, Selkirk College offers a safe, peaceful and vibrant sense of place for writers to explore their imaginations in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. Our creative writing classes are fully transferable to universities across Canada. Take your first two years with us and you’ll be set for success to complete your third and fourth year of a degree program elsewhere.
Creative Writing 101 - Studies in Writing II
Discover the power of your voice through diverse styles such as radio plays, fiction, lyric essays and travel writing. Be inspired by the magic offered by a room full of writers, attend literary events, and gain expert feedback on your work by an experienced editor and peers. Students enrolled in this class will also be instrumental in developing a bi-weekly literary podcast, Night Growlers.
Classes begin January 8, 2020.
- Wednesday 6 to 8:45 p.m. at Nelson's Tenth Street Campus (Instructor Leesa Dean)
- Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30 to 3:50 at Castlegar Campus (Instructor Almeda Glenn Miller)
Creative Writing 201 - Manuscript Development
Working on a book? You're not alone! This class meets online every week and in person every second Thursday in either Castlegar or Nelson. Partake in lively discussions on craft, seminars with local and visiting writers, workshops, plus one on-one coaching sessions and professional editing by the course instructor Leesa Dean. Students enrolling in this course should have some experience providing peer feedback or working with an editor.
Classes begin January 9, 2020.
- Thursday 1-3 p.m. (Castlegar) OR 5 to 7 p.m. (Nelson)
For more information or to confirm your eligibility for CWRT 201, please email instructor Leesa Dean.
To register for CWRT 101 or 201, call 1.888.953.1133 ext. 21233.
Essential Skills
Creative Writing students will develop the following essential skills, transferable to any career:
- Critical reading
- Concise writing
- Research
- Diagnosis
- Creative solutions
- Synthesizing ideas
- Revision
- Analysis
Career Pathways
Many modern workplaces prefer hiring creative individuals who pay attention to detail. Below is a list of common jobs for creative writers:
- University or College Professor
- Magazine or Literary Quarterly Editor
- Publisher
- Journalist
- Poet
- Novelist
- Freelance Writer
- Screenwriter
- Political Activist
- Citizen Journalist
- Theatre Director
- Fundraiser/Grant Writer for NGOs and NPOs
- Proposal Writer for Arts Organizations, Engineering Firms, Marketing and Web Developers
- Speech Writer for CEOs, Keynote Speakers, Politicians
- Science Journalist
- Technical writer
- Marketing/Communications Manager
- Copywriter
Program At-A-Glance
In the News
Love of literature united writers from both sides of the border as Eastern Washington University’s (EWU) graduate students recently returned to Selkirk College for the third annual A Stone’s Throw Writing Symposium.
Getting the right start at Selkirk College is exactly what Haley Seven Deers accomplished over the last two years in the School of University Arts & Sciences where she arrived as a 16-year-old who was homeschooled. In September, the young scholar will move to Kelowna where she will have the opportunity to complete her undergraduate degree with help from a $20,000 entrance scholarship.
Selkirk College students have collaborated on a print magazine – Black Bear Review, which showcases the unique creative talents of story tellers and illustrators who are part of the campus community. Created by Creative Writing and Digital Arts & New Media students, Selkirk College students were invited to submit their original words for inclusion in the second issue of the magazine.
What Students Say
