NEO•GRIOT

Call for Applications:

Diaspora Dialogues 2013

Emerging Writers Mentoring Program

(Toronto, Canada)

Deadline: 16 November 2012

Diaspora Dialogues is excited to announce the 2013 spring mentoring program, focusing on the creation of long-form manuscripts and offering emerging writers greater in-depth opportunity to hone their craft, and prepare a book-length project for publication.

Through an adjudicated process, the most promising emerging writers will be chosen for the opportunity to work over a six-month period with a mentor.

These Writer’s Residencies will take place by correspondence between January and June 2013. In addition to the mentoring process, each emerging writer will get a specialized professional development program, as well as targeted introductions to agents and/or publishers.

Diaspora Dialogues is inviting submissions of original full-length novels or collections of short stories up to 85,000 words or 300 double-spaced pages; or full-length poetry manuscripts of up to 25 poems (no more than 50 pages maximum) from emerging writers. Some of the Writer’s Residencies will be reserved for youth writers aged 16 to 25.

Note: these Writer’s Residencies are open to all emerging writers who fit the eligibility requirements below, regardless of any previous participation in Diaspora Dialogues programs.

Diaspora Dialogues is committed to supporting a literature of Toronto that is as diverse as the city itself. Writers are encouraged to keep this mandate in mind, but addressing this theme directly is not essential in the submission. The setting of the works must be, at least in part, the greater Toronto region.

The writers chosen will have a complete or near-complete draft of a novel, collection of short stories or poetry manuscript and will be mentored via correspondence (either email or post.) If a manuscript exceeds the length limit (see above,) the emerging writer will be asked to omit chapters, poems or stories of their choice and submit brief bridging material where necessary. The mentoring process will address character, story, structure, pace, writing style and substantive aspects of the work, and no copy editing (ie, spelling, grammar, word usage etc.) will be provided.

After the mentoring process, DD will meet with each of the writers, to create and facilitate a plan for manuscript submission (publication, however, is not guaranteed), leveraging our relationships within the Canadian publishing community.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• The greater Toronto region must exist in each novel or collection. This can mean using the city as a physical setting. It can mean exploring what the city means to you in a psychological or metaphorical way. It can mean writing about a person, issue or geographic location that is Toronto-specific. The definition is broad, but Toronto must be somehow present in the work.

• The work must be original and not previously published.

• Submissions must be in English.

• Submission writing samples can be one chapter of a novel or one short story from a collection up to but not exceeding 6,000 words; poetry can include up to 10 poems but not exceed 15 pages.

• Submissions must include a one-page description of the novel or collection.

• Submissions must include a short biography in paragraph form (no more than 250 words.)

• Submitted work must be in a full draft or near full draft stage.

• A completed submission form must be included.

• Submissions will not be accepted electronically or by fax.

• If you would like your submission returned, please include a self-addressed envelope with correct postage.

• Commentary/feedback is not available on submissions.

• Each writer may submit only one manuscript.

FORMATTING YOUR SUBMISSION:

• All submissions should be on standard, white, 8.5x11’’ pages.

• All submissions should be in a type face size 11 or larger, no particular font style preferred.

• Please do not staple or bind any pages of your submission (paper and binder clips are acceptable.)

• Please do not double-side print your submission—print on one side of each page.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Writers must not have a previously published full-length manuscript (although appearances in magazines and/or anthologies are acceptable.)

• Any writer of any age can apply—alumni of Diaspora Dialogues mentoring program are eligible.

• Writers must be living in the greater Toronto region, which includes York, Halton, Peel and Durham.

Submissions will not be accepted after the deadline (they must arrive, and not just be postmarked by November 16th.) Decisions will be made by and mentoring will begin in mid-January 2013. Please read through all of the guidelines carefully before submitting.

Download: open call application form

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries: contact Fanny Martin at fanny@diasporadialogues.com or 416-944-1101 ext 277

For submissions: mail or drop off submissions to Diaspora Dialogues, 170 Bloor Street West, Suite 804, Toronto, ON M5S 1T9

Website: http://diasporadialogues.com