Toronto MFA meet and greet ‘inspiring’

Close to four dozen faculty, mentors, alumni, current students, publishing industry professionals and friends of King’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction program gathered in Toronto November 20, 2016, to meet prospective MFA students.

The annual meet-and-greet event, which took place in the board room at Penguin Random House Canada, gave more than 20 interested students an opportunity to mix, mingle, sample wine and nibbles, and ask questions about the program from those who know it best. 

After having talked with one of the program’s accomplished writer-mentors, one prospective student emailed the next day to report she was already preparing her application: “You’ve inspired me with your enthusiasm,” she wrote. Another called the session “a terrific and timely shot in the arm.” 

This year’s meet-and-greet followed a regular meeting of the MFA’s advisory board. The board, which offers advice on the development of the program and its future, includes notable Canadian writing and publishing professionals and is chaired by publisher Anne Collins, the vice president of Penguin Random House Canada.

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction degree — a joint offering of the University of King’s College’s School of Journalism and Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Graduate Studies — is the only program of its kind in Canada. During the two-year limited residency degree, students attend two intensive summer residencies in Halifax. They also travel to Toronto and New York on alternating years for publishing-focused winter residencies, and they work one-to-one with professional writer-mentors to develop their own book proposals and projects.

Applications for the summer 2017 entry are now open. Follow the links for more information or to apply.