Alumni

Our students make our name

Since the founding of the Writing department in 1973, we've seen some outstanding alumni emerge from our program. From household names like W.P. Kinsella to bestellers like Steven Erikson and Can-lit favourites Gail Anderson-Dargatz and Esi Edugyan, our alumni authors have been nominated for or won nearly every major Canadian literary prize — and a few international ones as well.

From fiction and poetry to creative nonfiction, journalism and both playwriting and screenwriting, so many Can-lit stars got their start in our department: Eden Robinson, Billeh Nickerson, Mark Leiren-Young, Aislinn Hunter, Carla Funk, D.W. Wilson, Richard Van Camp, Steven Price and many, many others.   

Many of our alumni retain strong ties to the department, while some — like Joan MacLeod, Lorna Jackson and Shane Book — have become mainstays of our teaching faculty.

And we're already seeing the next generation of literary mainstays on the rise, thanks to critically acclaimed alumni like Eliza Robertson, Yasuko Thanh, Marjorie Celona, Arleen Paré, Erin Fisher, Jennifer Kinsgsely, Judy LeBlanc, Garth Martens, Frances Backhouse and many others.

But whether you're winning awards or simply putting your writing skills to work in your career of choice, be sure to let us know what you're up to.