u of guelph creative writing

• Agriculture
• Animal Health
• Environment
• Expert Alert
• Human Health
• Student Support
• Technology & Innovation
• View Events
• Add an Event
• Accolades / News Release

MFA Student Wins National Writing Award

A University of Guelph creative writing student has won the 2021 RBC/PEN Canada New Voices Award .

Deepa Rajagopalan, an MFA candidate in creative writing, won the award for her short story, Peacocks of Instagram . Her submission was selected from more than 130 entries by a jury of PEN Canada members.

The New Voices award supports new Canadian writers of short stories, creative non-fiction, journalism and poetry, and provides $3,000 and mentorship from a Canadian author.

In a PEN Canada news release, the jurors called Rajagopalan’s story “painfully vivid” with “a rich nest of subcultures, traumatic past experience returned to haunt the present, and a protagonist both comical and tragic.”

The jury added: “ Peacocks of Instagram not only questions our stereotypes about the immigrant past, but about the immigrant present as well. This is an original, dynamic voice poised to enrich the culturally varied field of Canadian fiction.”

“I’m honoured to have won this prestigious award and to have my work celebrated by an organization that has done so much for writers and members of the media,” said Rajagopalan, who began writing the story during a fiction class earlier this year taught by author Michael Winter.

She also received advice and encouragement from her summer program mentor and Toronto writer Souvankham Thammavongsa, who won the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize for her own short story collection.

“I want to tell stories about unapologetic characters who don’t feel sorry for themselves, characters you encounter often but fade into the background. I want to examine what it means to be racialized in a North American context and what it means to be marginalized in a more universal context,” said Rajagopalan.

Commenting on the challenge of writing short fiction, she said, “The thing I like is that you can hold a short story in your head while you’re writing. The flip side is that you have to tell so much yet be so economical with words.”

Rajagopalan is an editor of Held magazine , a visual arts and literary journal produced by U of G MFA students. A graduate of the creative writing program at the University of Toronto, she is co-host and curator of the Emerging Writers Reading Series in Toronto. She is working on her first book, a collection of short fiction.

She was born in Saudi Arabia and lived in India and the United States before moving to Canada.

In a Q&A this fall with PEN Canada, Rajagopalan said, “When I write, I am drawn to characters who have a fluid sense of home. Many of them don’t have the luxury to think of things like belonging and are just trying to get by, either financially or emotionally. A lot of writing is about keen observation, and I think it comes with the territory of being the outsider.”

Related posts:

• U of G Launches Certificate Program in Creative Writing
• Guelph Grads on the Go – Writing takes more than talent
• Shani Mootoo Is Writer-in-Residence
• Workshop Helps Writers Find Their Voice

Share this page

Search news.

• Agriculture
• Animal Health
• Environment
• Expert Alert
• Human Health
• Student Support
• Technology & Innovation
• View Events
• Add an Event
• Environment / Top Stories

Environmental Science Students to Explore Creative Writing in New U of G Course

Writing poetry or short stories might seem an unlikely way to tackle climate change or biodiversity loss. But addressing the world’s environmental problems starts with changing lives and minds, says one University of Guelph professor, whose new creative writing course for budding environmental scientists aims to do just that.

The new offering, called “Creative Writing for Environmental Science,” will encourage students to read and write short stories, poetry and essays on environmental science themes or topics.

The first-ever course planned for the 2022 winter semester will mesh science and arts, said course developer and inaugural instructor Dr. Madhur Anand , a professor in the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) whose dual career as an award-winning ecologist and creative writer straddles the disciplines.

Initially, the third-year course will involve up to 10 students in environmental sciences undergraduate majors in hands-on writing and reading of literary works as well as reading scientific research in U of G’s School of Environmental Sciences .

“I don’t know of any Canadian university with a similar course in an environmental science program,” said Anand.

She added that many such offerings are part of environmental studies and environmental humanities programs elsewhere.

Students will have the opportunity to hear from visiting writers from across Canada and visit labs on campus.

Interdisciplinary work, science communication increasingly important

From climate change to the COVID-19 pandemic to threatened biodiversity, Anand said, “numerous science topics are increasingly important to examine through many lenses.”

“This is an opportunity to have our scientific curriculum reflect evolving interests of students and the evolving needs of society. Interdisciplinary work, science communication, knowledge mobilization, holistic understanding – these are all increasingly important as our world becomes more polarized.”

Noting that she lacked access to such a course during her undergrad in ecology and evolution, she said, “I think reading literature and poems, stories and novels can help us with gaining empathy and humility. We read literature to see the world and particularly other perspectives in a new way. I think science students have a lot to gain by reading and writing creatively.”

Anand said straddling arts and science is not unprecedented at U of G, home to a longstanding arts and sciences undergrad program. In the early 1900s, Dr. Joseph Reynolds, a long-time instructor in OAC and, ultimately, OAC president, established a Canadian literature course on campus as head of English.

“Reynolds was a fascinating character,” said Anand. “He had wildly different, passionate interests in mathematics, physics, biology, English. This is very much part of our history.”

Anand also hopes the course will help break down silos between the arts and the sciences. Students may find their scientific understanding increases from reading literary works and vice-versa, she added.

“Hopefully, students will love having read from a diverse set of works that they wouldn’t normally encounter in their undergrad training,” she said.

“My brain has been forever changed by every single literary work I’ve read, perhaps just as much as every scientific paper I’ve read. Both change how we think and behave and what we think is possible.”

Dr. Madhur Anand [email protected]

Related posts:

• U of G Prof Wins Governor General’s Literary Award
• Language Matters When the Earth Is in the Midst of a Climate Crisis
• U of G Grad and Acclaimed Writer Brings Love of Teaching to Faculty Post
• Director of U of G’s Guelph Institute for Environmental Research Reappointed

Share this page

Search news.

Printing, Photocopying and Scanning at the Library

Printing method 1: computers on second floor of the library, printing method 2: computers on the first floor of the library, printing method 3: print from your own laptop.

• How to Retrieve your Print Job
• How to Photocopy and Scan

Ask Us: Chat, email, visit or call

Get assistance

The library offers a range of helpful services.  All of our appointments are free of charge and confidential.

• Book an appointment

Computers on the second floor of the Library require you to log in using the same credentials you use to access your @uoguelph.ca email account and Webadvisor.

• Now that you've got money in your print and copy account, go to a public computer in the library on the second floor and log in using your Single Sign On (SSO) credentials.
• Open the webpage or document you'd like to print and click the print button. 
• The Print screen pop-up will appear on the right side of your document. Select the printer destination "Campus Papercut" from the drop-down menu and press the Print Icon. If needed, change the print settings, for example, double-sided or landscape orientation.
• Your print job is now awaiting release at any one of our printers. See “ Retrieving your Print Job ”.

Computers on the first floor of the Library don't require a login.

• Now that you've got money in your print and copy account, go to any public computer in the library on the first floor (no login required).
• Open the webpage or document you'd like to print and click the print button.
• Click Print.
• Wait about 20 – 30 seconds, a PaperCut login window will pop up asking you to login.
• Login using the same credentials as your @uoguelph.ca email account.
• You’ll see your PaperCut balance appear and your print job will now be sent.

We launched a new way to print in fall 2024: Print from your own laptop! This is in beta and may be a bit buggy. Please let us know how you feel about it!

• Now that you've got money in your print and copy account, go to PaperCut (this link is only available if you’re on University of Guelph WiFi).
• Click Web Print in the left menu.
• Click the green Submit a Job button in the upper left.
• Type in how many copies you want and click the green Upload Documents button in the lower right.
• NOTE: Be sure to note the file types that can be printed indicated beneath the upload box.
• When you’re done adding files, click the green Upload and Complete button in the lower left.
• NOTE: This printing method will print files double sided in black & white only.
• Wait until the screen says your Print job is ‘Held in a Queue’ and your document is now sent
• << Previous: Start Here
• Next: How to Retrieve your Print Job >>
• Last Updated: Aug 29, 2024 10:21 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uoguelph.ca/print-photocopy-scan

Suggest an edit to this guide

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

User account

Primary tabs.

• Central Login ID Help
• Log in (active tab)

Skip to Content

Current Students

Interested in more? Search Courses

• Search Input Submit Search

Admission Steps

English and literary arts - creative writing - phd, admission requirements.

Terms and Deadlines

Degree and GPA Requirements

Additional Standards for Non-Native English Speakers

Additional standards for international applicants.

For the 2025-2026 academic year

See 2024-2025 requirements instead

Fall 2025 quarter (beginning in September)

Final submission deadline: December 16, 2024

Final submission deadline: Applicants cannot submit applications after the final submission deadline.

Degrees and GPA Requirements

Bachelors degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.

Masters degree: This program requires a masters degree as well as the baccalaureate.

University GPA requirement: The minimum grade point average for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver must meet one of the following criteria:

A cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the baccalaureate degree.

A cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree.

An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution or the recognized equivalent from an international institution supersedes the minimum GPA requirement for the baccalaureate.

A cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework completed for applicants who have not earned a master’s degree or higher.

Official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), C1 Advanced or Duolingo English Test are required of all graduate applicants, regardless of citizenship status, whose native language is not English or who have been educated in countries where English is not the native language. Your TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test scores are valid for two years from the test date.

The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:

Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80

Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5

Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176

Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115

Additional Information:

Read the English Language Proficiency policy for more details.

Read the Required Tests for GTA Eligibility policy for more details.

Per Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulation, international applicants must meet all standards for admission before an I-20 or DS-2019 is issued, [per U.S. Federal Register: 8 CFR § 214.3(k)] or is academically eligible for admission and is admitted [per 22 C.F.R. §62]. Read the Additional Standards For International Applicants policy for more details.

Application Materials

Transcripts, letters of recommendation.

Required Essays and Statements

Writing Sample

We require a scanned copy of your transcripts from every college or university you have attended. Scanned copies must be clearly legible and sized to print on standard 8½-by-11-inch paper. Transcripts that do not show degrees awarded must also be accompanied by a scanned copy of the diploma or degree certificate. If your academic transcripts were issued in a language other than English, both the original documents and certified English translations are required.

Transcripts and proof of degree documents for postsecondary degrees earned from institutions outside of the United States will be released to a third-party international credential evaluator to assess U.S. education system equivalencies. Beginning July 2023, a non-refundable fee for this service will be required before the application is processed.

Upon admission to the University of Denver, official transcripts will be required from each institution attended.

Three (3) letters of recommendation are required.  Academic recommendations preferred.  Letters should be submitted by recommenders through the online application.

Essays and Statements

Essay instructions.

Applicants should submit a sample of critical prose (e.g., a seminar paper, scholarly publication, or excerpt from thesis or other longer work demonstrating familiarity with the conventions of academic research and writing) not to exceed 20 pages.

Personal Statement Instructions

Personal statements should be 2 pages maximum and should address the applicant's past academic experience, future scholarly goals, and their suitability for graduate study and research in our program.

Résumé Instructions

The résumé (or C.V.) should minimally include the applicant's educational history, work experience, academic experience (including research opportunities or presentations), selected publications, and/or volunteer work.

Writing Sample Instructions

Applicants must submit representative samples of creative work (for Prose, no more than 30 pages; for Poetry, 5 - 10 poems).

Start the Application

Online Application

Financial Aid Information

Start your application.

Your submitted materials will be reviewed once all materials and application fees have been received.

Our program can only consider your application for admission if our Office of Graduate Education has received all your online materials and supplemental materials by our application deadline.

Application Fee: $65.00 Application Fee

International Degree Evaluation Fee: $50.00 Evaluation Fee for degrees (bachelor's or higher) earned from institutions outside the United States.

Applicants should complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15. Visit the Office of Financial Aid for additional information.

• CourseLink Login

7000019 - Writing Creative Non-Fiction

Course Description

We all have a story to tell: your story might be the tale of how two young lovers tragically parted ways, or it might be the narrative of how your family first came to live in Canada. Ordinary – or extraordinary – it is time to learn how to discover, and tell, the story of your life.

Join this intensive writing workshop in which you will consider the various forms of creative nonfiction: memoir and life-writing, the personal essay and the lyric essay. An experienced writer will help you unearth the story you most need and want to tell. In this class you will also consider some of the ethical issues of writing from life: for example, how does a writer respectfully approach the telling of another individual’s story? As a group we will consider the particular challenges of shaping a story from life material: what to keep in, what to leave out and what we can embellish or change. Together we will read published examples of creative nonfiction and you will also create and workshop your own writing.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Read and respond to a variety of readings from published authors in the non-fiction genre examining some of its forms including short memoirs, humour, personal, lyric, and braided essays.
• Identify the implicit challenges in writing true stories and the ethics of creative nonfiction
• Apply various techniques and styles to frame a story
• Use interviews to develop your story
• Determine the difference between truth and fact
• Appropriately choose what to reveal and what to avoid when writing about the lives of real people
• Identify print and online publications for submitting creative nonfiction writing
• Give and receive effective writing feedback
• Expand your writing portfolio

Job Market Overview

Additional requirements.

Please note that the course assessment is subject to change.

Sponsoring Partner

• School of English and Theatre Studies, College of Arts

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Creative Writing Certificate : Electives

Technical Requirements

You are responsible for ensuring that your computer system meets the necessary system requirements . Use the browser check tool to ensure your browser settings are compatible and up to date (results will be displayed in a new browser window).

*Course details are subject to change.

Thank you for your interest in this course. Unfortunately, the course you have selected is currently not open for enrolment. Please complete a Course Inquiry so that we may promptly notify you when enrolment opens.

Session Time-Out

Privacy policy.

Privacy policy

Open Learning and Educational Support (OpenEd) adheres to the University of Guelph's Policy on the Release of Student Information. This policy outlines the procedures followed by OpenEd with respect to personal information obtained from registered and prospective students.

Student Information OpenEd collects the following information:

• Current and prospective student biographical information including name, address, employer, employee number, email, and contact information
• Student enrolment activities and related grades/marks
• Student financial and payment information, including credit card numbers, bank accounts and financial status
• Student comments through the course evaluation process
• Activities within the online learning environment, including discussions, marks, assignments and quizzes, and the completion of online surveys
• This information is collected in writing, as well as verbally and electronically.

Purpose, Access and Disclosure The above information is collected as necessary to provide the academic services of OpenEd.

Access to student and course enrolment information is limited to officers of the University who require the information in order to perform the duties of their position.

Disclosure to third parties will only occur under one or more of the following conditions:

Upon written request of the student In the event of an emergency Upon the presentation of a court order (to be released to a police officer or officer of the court) For the collection of OpenEd's outstanding accounts (to be released to collection agencies) For the promotion of OpenEd's activities to former, current and prospective students* *OpenEd requires that any mailing agencies used in the distribution of promotional materials and information comply with both the University's privacy guidelines and OpenEd's Privacy Policy.

Individuals who do not wish to receive promotional material or information relating to the academic activities of OpenEd can email our main office or phone us at 519-767-5000 to be removed from the list.

Program evaluations for continuing education activities will follow the guidelines outlined in the Program Evaluation Standards and Policy established in March 2004. Information collected on the departmental academic surveys will adhere to the guidelines established by the University of Guelph Faculty Policies.

Retention of Records Prospective student information - 3 years Student and enrolment information (no final mark) - 3 years Student and enrolment information (with mark) - permanent Continuing education course evaluations - 1 semester Departmental academic surveys - 1 semester Course exams - 1 semester Student activity on the online platform - 1 semester Undergraduate Course Request Forms - 2 years Transcript Request Forms - 1 year Transcripts for other institutions - 1 year Certificate and Diploma Request Forms - 1 year Continuing education registration forms - 7 years Purging of Records Student personal and enrolment activities will be purged after three years of inactivity unless a final mark is associated with the enrolment. Enrolments that include final marks are retained indefinitely in order to prepare official academic achievement reports.

Information collected in courses served on the online learning platform will be maintained for one semester after the subsequent offering. After such time, student names will be removed from discussion postings and will be replaced with unique identifiers in order to protect the confidentiality of students, while allowing for course development and continuous improvement strategies. Student assignments submitted online will be purged at the end of the following semester. All records will be destroyed when they are no longer considered useful.

Violations and Complaints Complaints or alleged violations of this policy will be received and investigated by the OpenEd Director in accordance with the University's guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Access to Information. Complaints or concerns about the application of this policy or the use of student information should be directed in the first instance to the OpenEd Director and subsequently to the Protection of Privacy and Access to Information Officer.

Cookie Policy

Cookie policy

This statement explains how we use cookies on our website. For information about what types of personal information will be gathered when you visit the website, and how this information will be used, please see our privacy policy.

How we use cookies

All of our web pages use "cookies". A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we place on your computer or mobile device if you agree. These cookies allow us to distinguish you from other users of our website, which helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and enables us to improve our website.

Types of cookies we use

We use the following types of cookies:

• Strictly necessary cookies - these are essential in to enable you to move around the websites and use their features. Without these cookies the services you have asked for, such as signing in to your account, cannot be provided.
• Performance cookies - these cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often. We use this information to improve our websites and to aid us in investigating problems raised by visitors. These cookies do not collect information that identifies a visitor.
• Functionality cookies - these cookies allow the website to remember choices you make and provide more personal features. For instance, a functional cookie can be used to remember the items that you have placed in your shopping cart. The information these cookies collect may be anonymized and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them please visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org/ .

Specific cookies we use

The list below identify the cookies we use and explain the purposes for which they are used. We may update the information contained in this section from time to time.

• JSESSIONID: This cookie is used by the application server to identify a unique user's session.
• registrarToken: This cookie is used to remember items that you have added to your shopping cart
• locale: This cookie is used to remember your locale and language settings.
• cookieconsent_status: This cookie is used to remember if you've already dismissed the cookie consent notice.
• _ga_UA-########: These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the website. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the website, where visitors have come to the site from and the pages they visited. This anonymized visitor and browsing information is stored in Google Analytics.

Changes to our Cookie Statement

Any changes we may make to our Cookie Policy in the future will be posted on this page.