Bookstore residency for writers

Who is eligible to apply?

The program is intended for professional writers (including comic book artists) who have published at least one book. The Conseil des arts de Montréal (CAM) has partnered with the Association des libraires du Québec (ALQ) to offer one residency in bookstore to writers of literature intended for adults, starting in winter 2023. The residency will run concurrently in the following bookstore:

• Librairie La Maison des feuilles, located in the Rosemont  borough.

What are the program objectives?

The creative writing residency is combined with a cultural mediation project. The program was developed with the following objectives:

• Help a writer develop a personal creative writing project
• Carry out a cultural mediation project to support this creative endeavour through meetings with the public and the community
• Get the local bookstore’s customers acquainted with the writer’s creative process and with their perspective
• Offer an opportunity for a writer to be available to the public
• Strengthen the role bookstores play in their communities as conveyors of culture

What type of assistance is provided?

In addition to a $7,000 grant from the Conseil des arts, recipients will receive promotional assistance and logistical support from the Association des libraires du Québec and the host bookstores.

What is the duration of the support?

The residence will take place over a three-month period from March to May 2023.

More details about the program

The writer must be available eight (8) hours per week, and some of that time must be spent at the host bookstore. Their activities may vary based on their areas of expertise and interests. At the same time, they must develop a cultural mediation project in the community. As such, this residency aims to allow the writer to draw inspiration from the community while also giving back. The writer’s project can also involve artists from other disciplines, depending on their inclinations.

With the support and expertise of bookstore staff and based on the types of activities already in place, the writer could also propose readings or talks intended for various audiences and covering all aspects of their creative work, depending on their interests. The writer could offer coaching, or literary mentorship, by putting their writing skills toward helping the community directly.

The themes proposed by the bookstores are as follows:

La Maison des feuilles proposes “Montréal réenchantée ,” a theme reflecting the bookstore and the favourite reads of its team who cultivate a curiosity for the unique and extraordinary and have a distinct fascination with magical realism. The bookstore will offer a writer space to meet and mix with an enthusiastic readership and to use as a laboratory for literary experimentation, a workshop of wonder in which they can explore their creativity and imagination and push the boundaries of various literary genres. In such disenchanted times in which the war and the pandemic dominate the news, we could all do with some re-enchantment.

What do the partners provide?

This residency is a partnership between the Conseil des arts de Montréal (CAM) and the Association des libraires du Québec (ALQ), in charge of administering the program. The CAM will offer the writer a grant of $7,000. The ALQ and the host bookstore will help promote this project and provide the necessary logistical support. A budget of $1,000 will also be granted to compensate guests, purchase materials and cover other expenses.

What are the general eligibility conditions?

Writers of literature intended for adults, including comic book artists, wishing to apply for the residency must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be a professional writer who has published at least one literary books (Regardless of gender, including comics) with recognized and established publishers
• Reside on the Island of Montréal
• Have not been granted a writing residency in this program in the past three years

When must the project be carried out?

The residences will run from March to May 2023.

How many applications will be approved?

One project will be accepted.

How can I submit an application?

Visit the Association des libraires du Québec website to learn more and submit your application (French only).

How are applications evaluated?

The ALQ, in collaboration with the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the the participating bookstore, will evaluate the applications.

What are the evaluation criteria?

• The artistic and educational quality of the proposed cultural mediation project and its relevance to the proposed theme
• Contribution to the community and the bookstore
• The writer’s ability to complete their project

What is the response time?

Applicants will receive the decision no later than December 2022.

How will the artist grant be paid?

The grant offered by the Conseil will be paid through the ALQ.

Commitments

Accepting payment of the grant constitutes, for the writer, an undertaking to complete the activities covered by the grant and to comply with the accompanying conditions, which will be communicated upon selection of the application.

The writer agrees to:

• Carry out the project as planned
• Notify the Conseil as soon as possible if unable to carry out the project in the fiscal year for which the grant was awarded. Depending on the situation, a full or partial refund may be requested
• Write a report outlining the cultural mediation project at the bookstore (process and results), the host library team’s involvement and the host library’s contribution to the writer’s individual creative process. The report must be submitted by August 2023. Those responsible for the project will also ask the writer to assist in evaluating the experience.
• If applicable, include in the report photographs, videos or any other relevant, royalty-free visuals that the Conseil may use for promotional or archival purposes