This year's gritLIT was a five-day celebration of the excellence, diversity and culture of the city's literary arts community
Originating as a grassroots initiative, the gritLIT literary festival has grown into a five-day celebration of Hamilton's local talent and authors from across Canada. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the festival which took place from Apr 17 to Apr 21.
gritLIT describes itself as an intimate festival with a focus on local Hamilton writers.
“People don't know what to expect, and if it's something you're intimidated by or you haven't really been in that literary world, just the idea of a literary festival can sound kind of snobbish or exclusive. And we're absolutely not that,” explained Jessica Rose, interim artistic director at gritLIT.
People don't know what to expect, and if it's something you're intimidated by or you haven't really been in that literary world, just the idea of a literary festival can sound kind of snobbish or exclusive. And we're absolutely not that.
Jessica Rose
gritLIT, Interim Artistic Director
In addition to gritLIT’s commitment to celebrating excellence in the literary arts and bringing cultural traffic to Hamilton, the festival is focused on promoting a diversity of perspective and experience in their programming.
“We've got some incredible authors coming this year who are sharing their trans experience, their immigration experiences — very much their lived experiences — whether they're telling it through memoir or poetry or fiction,” said Rose.
We've got some incredible authors coming this year who are sharing their trans experience, their immigration experiences — very much their lived experiences — whether they're telling it through memoir or poetry or fiction.
Jessica Rose
gritLIT, Interim Artistic Director
During the pandemic, gritLIT organizers saw the importance of virtual programming, which the festival still continues today through a hybrid format. This year, gritLIT will be hosting their 20th anniversary celebration and writing contest awards online to accommodate viewers and contest participants from across Canada.
“Accessibility is really, really important to us. There were so many negative things about the pandemic, but one amazing thing was we were able to have people tune into gritLIT events from across the country,” explained Rose.
Over the 30 events that gritLIT held, the festival drew in thousands of attendees. The larger events included an evening with Margaret Atwood, who was speaking about her latest work Old Babes in the Wood at Theatre Aquarius.
Efforts to engage younger audiences included new events like their flash fiction contest and involvement from the youth committee. Last year, the gritLIT youth committee organized a mixer event for attendees to discuss their favorite books, which was well-received by the younger crowd.
“We find once people come to a gritLIT event, they come back and they come back and they come back. So, we're just excited to see the demographics change a little bit, seeing some of those younger faces,” said Rose
This monthly reading series taking place the Staircase Theatre spotlights diverse creative writers of all literary forms and gives them an opportunity to share their work with the community
The LitLive Reading Series is a local monthly reading series for writers to share their work with the community. Founded by Kerry Schooley in 1995, the series showcases a diverse range of Canadian and local writers. The events takes place on the first Sunday of each month and run from September through June at the Staircase Theatre, located on Dundurn St. N. There is also a livestream option available and admission is on a pay-what-you-can basis.
The series has featured writers who specialize in a variety of literary forms, including poets, short story writers, novelists and non-fiction writers. The range of presenters also adds another unique touch to their events. Each series is accompanied by a specific theme, and writers are encouraged to read their work according to how they believe it fits.
The series is currently hosted by committee members Anuja Varghese and Brent van Staalduinen, both of whom are award-winning writers based in Hamilton. Varghese was recently awarded the Governor General's Literary Award for her debut short story collection Chrysalis, and van Staalduinen has authored five books and was awarded the Kerry Schooley Book Award in 2021. The two writers alternate between hosting the reading series.
LitLive has featured a number of published writers, including award winners, but there is also space for emerging writers who are not published to showcase their work.
Students should check out the next LitLive event for excellent and varied literary work, an opportunity to engage with the community and even an opportunity to connect with established writers. For those with a love for anything literary, the LitLive Reading Series is a great way to further engage with your passion.
The latest issue of online magazine Hamilton Arts and Letters showcased international works to represent the diversity in Canada
Hamilton Arts & Letters is an online magazine that publishes biannually and spotlights emerging writers and artists in addition to already established ones. HA&L showcases a variety of literary works, such as fictional pieces, graphic novel excerpts, exploratory writings, poems and works of literary non-fiction. It also features the works of visual, audio and film artists. HA&L accepts submissions from writers across the country
It was founded in 2008 by Paul Lisson, Fiona Kinsella and Peter Stevens. It is funded by the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, the City of Hamilton, members, sponsors, advertisers and open access subscription.
HA&L is also a recommender for the Ontario Arts Council Grants for Writers program and a co-founder of the Short Works Prize for Hamilton area authors. It aims to reflect the values of Hamilton in all its diversity, as well as other places across Canada in all their diversities.
Every issue of HA&L is different and bears the stamp of its editors. Some of themes past issues focused on, include science, Canadian Mennonites, climate action, creation stories and the parallel universe.
In the most recently published issue My Country is the World, issue 16.1, Guest Editor, Kim Echlin, wanted to centre the theme around Canadian international writing.
“[HA&L is] international. It brings in people from around the world. It's creative. It is a publication that is extremely flexible, because it's online. [Since it’s online,] they can use a lot of visual material, and they can do things like international translation,” explained Echlin.
[HA&L is] international. It brings in people from around the world. It's creative. It is a publication that is extremely flexible, because it's online. [Since it’s online,] they can use a lot of visual material, and they can do things like international translation.
Kim Echlin, Guest Editor of HA&L Issue 16.1
Echlin grew up in Burlington and has an academic background in English. She went on to become a novelist after graduating university, and she has written books such as The Disappeared. She has also worked as an arts producer for CBC Television’s The Journal.
Echlin wanted to represent the diversity of HA&L’s writers. Their editorial team would work together to translate works that were not in English.
“I wanted to include many languages, because so many of our writers work in more than one language,” said Echlin.
Echlin wants to expose the readers to more diverse writing based in Canada.
“Our writing community now represents basically every nation on Earth, so it's really important to find venues for people to publish and then for readers to understand that there's just so much material out there from Canada [that] happens to find its origins in other places,” explained Echlin.
Our writing community now represents basically every nation on Earth, so it's really important to find venues for people to publish and then for readers to understand that there's just so much material out there from Canada [that] happens to find its origins in other places.
Kim Echlin, Guest Editor of HA&L Issue 16.1
In the future, HA&L wants to continue to spotlight new and emerging Canadian writers and to explore different themes. Stay tuned for their 15th anniversary event that will be held on Dec. 7, 2023, in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Hamilton!
A behind-the-scenes look into the publisher giving a voice to Canadian writers
Wolsak and Wynn is a publishing house located in downtown Hamilton on James Street North. They have been in business for over forty years, and they are dedicated to publishing Canadian voices.
The publishing house was opened in 1982 by Heather Cadsby and Marja Jacobs, two poets who believed that Canadian poetry was being neglected in the publishing world and decided to take matters into their own hands. Wolsak and Wynn has since expanded to include literary fiction.
Currently, there are three imprints being handled by the publisher. Imprints refer to smaller publishers under the charge of a large one and usually focus on niche genres and areas of writing. These include Buckrider Books, James Street North Books and Poplar Press.
Noelle Allen is the current owner and publisher of Wolsak and Wynn. Sixteen years ago, she purchased the press from Jacobs after Cadsby retired.
Wolsak and Wynn is a unique publisher due to their size and impact.
“To my knowledge, there is no other publisher like us in Hamilton. There are some other smaller publishing companies coming up, but we've been around for a long time… [Now] we are Hamilton’s biggest literary publisher,” said Allen.
To my knowledge, there is no other publisher like us in Hamilton. There are some other smaller publishing companies coming up, but we've been around for a long time… [Now] we are Hamilton’s biggest literary publisher
Noelle Allen, owner and publisher of Wolsak and Wynn
With their multiple imprints, Wolsak and Wynn can focus on various subjects such as books about Hamilton, cutting-edge fiction and literary nonfiction. It allows for better variety for readers and maintaining Canandian voices in their products.
According to Allen, Wolsak and Wynn’s writers have been received very positively, and many have won awards for their works. For example, one of their books was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize as well as others being awarded multiple Governor General’s Literary Awards. Wolsak and Wynn also published Yardwork, a work of literary nonfiction by McMaster University professor Daniel Coleman, which was shortlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize in 2018.
Allen advised students interested in submitting a manuscript to first have a few writing publications under their belt. She also explained that it's best to research publishing houses to see what they have published and to determine if you have similar tastes. Regardless, Wolsak and Wynn is open to any submissions, and they do not require writers to have a literary agent. They are open from January to March for unsolicited submissions.
For students interested in breaking into the publishing industry, Allen recommended volunteering at literary events, such as the Lit Live Reading Series, to get a sense of authors and their works. Allen also recommended learning editing and copyediting skills.
“I always recommend, if anybody's going to really pursue publishing, to take a copyediting course . . . Taking a copy editing course teaches you to look at words in a different way and gives you a lot of the language for how we look at things in publishing,” said Allen.
Wolsak and Wynn does have internships for students interested in pursuing a career in publishing, though they normally take people from publishing programs, and they only take one person at a time. To see if there is an opening or if there will be one soon, Allen recommended contacting her directly.
Allen also emphasized that students should try to read as many Canadian authors as possible. There are many wonderful works by Canadians out there, with different writing styles than you would find in the US or around the world.
For students who have a passion for books or writing, Wolsak and Wynn could be a great place to find your next favourite read.
The Concurrent Certificate in Creative Writing and Narrative Arts allows aspiring writers at McMaster to hone their craft
The newly introduced Concurrent Certificate in Creative Writing and Narrative Arts at McMaster University first began accepting students to start in the 2022-2023 academic year. It is available to students of any program.
After noticing a strong interest in creative writing among students, the Department of English and Cultural Studies built on its preexisting creative writing courses and Writer in Residence program to create an official certificate program that allows students to improve their creative writing and narrative skills through courses, workshops, projects and writing groups.
Daniel Coleman is an English and Cultural Studies professor at McMaster and the director of the CWNA certificate. Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by Canadian parents, Coleman returned to Canada for university and ended up working for McMaster’s English department. While the program has multiple committee members from the English department, Coleman’s role as director consists of answering emails, putting together course schedules and generally running the program.
Coleman explained that the CWNA certificate has been workshopped in the department for a long time before being officially established. The discussions about a creative writing program had been ongoing for a decade, with multiple proposals for the program’s format, before it finally launched in 2022.
Coleman claimed that reception of the CWNA certificate has been very positive so far.
Coleman also explained that the program is the only one in Hamilton that provides creative writing certification. Beyond this, the program is also unique in that it encourages students to engage with the world around them in a critical and creative way by being more involved with their community. With this approach, creative writing becomes community-embedded, rather than just an individual pursuit.
With this approach, creative writing becomes community-embedded, rather than just an individual pursuit.
Coleman hoped students will be able to explore creative writing regardless of their career field.
“What we want is for people to thrive as creative writers in all fields. So I feel that regardless of your discipline…I hope that people come out confident writers with abilities that put them on the cusp of publishing their work,” said Coleman.
What we want is for people to thrive as creative writers in all fields. So I feel that regardless of your discipline…I hope that people come out confident writers with abilities that put them on the cusp of publishing their work
Daniel Coleman, professor and director of the CWNA certificate, Department of English and Cultural Studies
Beyond the CWNA certificate, Coleman advised aspiring writers to keep writing so that they can find their voice and cultivate the stories that are unique to them. Integrating these personal perspectives into writing makes for powerful and engaging pieces.
“Anybody can be a good writer, but it just takes that kind of dedication and time...you don't need a class to do that,” explained Coleman.
Applications for the CWNA certificate open in the second semester of the school year. Students in their second year or above who have taken three units of a first-year English and Cultural Studies course and three units of a creative writing course are eligible to apply.
To apply, students are required to submit an application form and a 10-page portfolio with original writing from multiple genres. Acceptance is based on the portfolio and the applicant’s cumulative GPA.
Requirements for completion of the certificate include 18 units of courses, including 3 units of a creative writing capstone seminar.
More information about the program can be found on their website.
How the journalism industry has major improvements needed to be made in terms of gender equity
Receiving news is one of the most important and beneficial things for our society, without it we would not know what is going on around us, in our community or globally.
However, being the one to tell it is far more valuable.
I have wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl but knowing the truth of what the journalism industry entailed in terms of the fairness and quality woman journalists received compared to men, I become confused.
Women are told constantly not be bold, confident and demanding, yet having to control one’s behaviour to not contradict expected gender roles, as the exact same behaviours would be accepted, if not rewarded, in male colleagues is misogyny at is finest.
Although numbers are starting to become even in terms of men and female in the newsroom, it is important that individuals do not forget to read in between the lines. Just decades ago, the lack of women being in a newsroom or being a writer was common, but the treatment and podium we get put on is the same as it is today.
Even though women are in the newsroom, they are not seen or taken seriously in many circumstances due to the maltreatment in this work field. And specifically, due to the misogyny that still rules the stories being told.
For example, famous Canadian-writer Margaret Atwood and well-known feminist spoke about this issue, as she has been in the writing industry as a woman for many decades and has experienced it all head on.
Something she found was that while pushing for women authors to have more space and freedom to write, it still had replaced those earlier expectations with demands of its own.
Women have it difficult today as a whole, so taking the reins of a position where your voice is to be heard, makes those who want yours silenced to be fuelled with envy.
For example, although women can write now, the only difference that has been made is our deception on it being a “bad” thing to now being something “good”. Yet women still deal with many repercussions today being a woman in journalism.
In a study done in 2020 on the dangers faced in the journalism industry, 73% of female respondents of that survey said they had experienced some form of online abuse, harassment or threats, with 20% facing dangers out of the newsroom.
Women have it difficult today as a whole, so taking the reins of a position where your voice is to be heard, makes those who want yours silenced to be fueled with envy.
Women are told constantly not be bold, confident and demanding, yet having to control one’s behavior to not contradict expected gender roles, as the exact same behaviors would be accepted, if not rewarded, in male colleagues is misogyny at is finest.
Although all of this is daunting, it did not stop me from wanting to pursue the passion. But the reality does settle once you are at the point in your life where you find yourself applying for these roles, seeing the wages and entering the newsrooms filled with white, old men.
The underrepresentation of woman in the media is so small, as women were only 13% of sources and subjects in the television and newscast industry monitored in 2020 as studied by the Global Media Monitoring Project.
It also dawns on you when misogyny is again, so obvious within the journalism industry yet too unidentifiable to others.
Although women are in the newsroom, it does not mean we are seen in the newsroom, are given a chance to speak, move up, prove ourselves, state our opinions boldly and call the shots.
Our society is just giving the mic to female journalists but leaving it on mute as we hope to share our opinions and voice so boldly, yet we are not even given a chance to be listened or to speak.
We need to start being heard and represented in the journalism industry, not just merely existing until a man decides that we are useful.
I never actually applied to be the Arts and Culture Reporter, I got here mostly by accident. I applied to a few other positions on staff, but when I got a phone call from our Editor-in-Chief on a windy summer day to offer me a job, it was for A&C Reporter. I didn’t even know it was a paid position for another month.
McMaster isn’t my first school, I went to Western for two and a half years before coming here. In my first year at Mac I didn’t know very much about the school, and to be honest I still don’t know where Thode is — and at this point I’m too afraid to ask. But the Silhouette gave me a home on campus (our little office in the dungeons of the MUSC basement, untouched by natural light), and a group of friends that I didn’t have before. It made me feel like I was a part of a family, and a part of campus.
As Uncle Ben says, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
One of the best parts of working at the Silhouette is being able to give a platform to community events and organizations that matter to me. I’ve had the privilege to write about sustainable fashion, body positivity, local businesses and charitable organizations in addition to exciting arts initiatives. I was gone from Hamilton for a few years, and the Sil helped me to see my hometown in a fresh light. My magnum opus is my article on a local meme page The Hammer Memer. Don’t let your memes be dreams, folks. If there’s something happening in the arts community in Hamilton, don’t hesitate to contribute something to the Sil. It’s worth it.
I’ve also had the opportunity to write for other sections of the Silhouette. Being able to give voice to my thoughts about the Yellow Vests outside of City Hall was something vitally important to me, and the Sil let me do that. If I hadn’t been a part of the team I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to submit something, but I’m so glad I did.
As I sit at my desk at home, I feel a deep sense of loss. This is my final year at Mac, and I don’t think I’ve entirely processed that it’s over now. I can’t chill on the couches in the office and ask Hannah when the desks for the reporters are going to be built (spoiler alert folks: it didn’t happen). I can’t warm up my lunch in the microwave that can’t be used at the same time as the kettle without blowing a fuse. I can’t chat with my friends about the latest tea while munching on the chicken strips from La Piazza. It feels like just as I was settling in — everything ended.
In grade 12 English I read the book Stone Angel, which ends mid-way through a sentence. That’s how these past few weeks have felt for me; like an unfinished ending. It’s unsettling and unsatisfying, and I think we’re all feeling that way. Zoom calls are fine, but they’re not the same as sitting in your final few lectures and talking to your friends over coffee.
It feels wrong to mourn for this when there are people who have it much worse than me right now, but undergrad has been a long and complicated process for me, and I can’t help but feel sad that our end of year festivities have been postponed or cancelled. This is it, this is our last issue for the year, and we can’t have a last hurrah. Oh jeez, I’m crying a bit just thinking about it.
So here it is, my love letter to the Sil. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this wild ride. Maybe this isn’t an ending, but a beginning. At least I can use the Oxford Comma again, thank the lord. Thank you to everyone on the team for being so kind, and thank you to everyone reading this for getting through to the end of my sentimental ramble. This isn’t a goodbye, just an until next time.
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Supercrawl is an explosion of creativity, bringing the arts to life for three days every September. With thousands of visitors amongst live music, food vendors calling out orders, and animated art installations, the commotion can be overwhelming. The Author’s Tent provided a haven away from the hustle and bustle of the crowd. The setup was simple; ten chairs, a microphone and a table piled high with books beneath an open tent. The lights inside made it feel intimate and inviting while still giving passersby the opportunity to stay and listen to stories. Here are a few summaries of events that were offered at the tent:
Terrifying reads
The first reading was on the evening of Friday the 13. The moon was almost full and the sky threatened rain. A cool breeze drifted through the tent, enough to make someone’s hair stand on end. It was soon to be a dark and stormy night. This reading featured works — both published and unpublished — from authors Nathan Ripley, C.S. O’Cinneide and David Nickle. Topics ranged from mass shootings and haunted pilgrimages to gin-craving ghosts. Gasps and laughter drifted onto the street and drew a crowd of listeners. Nightmares were promised and delivered.
Writing the city
Saturday afternoon brought about a discussion of writing in Hamilton. The panel included Ryan McGreal, editor of Raise the Hammer, and Taien Ng-Chan, a founding member of the Hamilton Perambulatory Unit as well as a professor at York University. The panel was moderated by Noelle Allen, a publisher at Wolsak and Wynn (280 James Street N.). The panel spoke to the idea of rediscovering Hamilton — seeing something familiar as if it were for the first time. The panel encouraged listeners to take time to notice the city while walking through it. For instance, they suggested that visitors try walking through Jackson Square along where streets used to be.
Women on the poetry mic
Saturday evening featured poets Natalee Caple, Jaclyn Desforges and Julie McIsaac. Both song and spoken word filtered out into the square. A large crowd gathered around the tent and snapping fingers rang out into the night. The poems touched on motherhood and womanhood, amongst other things. Desforges featured a poem from her book, ‘Hello Nice Man’, provoking thought across the audience. ‘Enlightened Witness’, one of Desforges poems, asks the question: “If a man shouts in the forest and there’s no one to hear, who will help him process his emotions?” Poems such as ‘Enlightened Witness’ allowed for a night of tears, a few of which were from laughter.
Epic Books (226 Locke Street S.) had a table set up with books from every writer at the event. If you missed out on the Author’s Tent event, you can pick one up there.
Overall, the Authors’ Tent was both welcoming and a welcome respite from the noise of Supercrawl. The focus on local writers and local stories made it feel like coming home. It is my personal hope that this event returns next year and every year after that, so it can continue to share insight with Hamiltonians.
This time last year, I was contemplating what my future in the sports industry would look like. I had just wrapped up my first year as the Silhouette’s sports reporter and though I gained a ton of valuable skills and experiences, I was really unsure if I wanted to continue as a sports writer.
Though despite my doubts, I saw the doors that opened for me through this job and I decided to give it another shot in my final year.
I took on this role because I knew that if I wanted to find a job in the sports industry, everything that I did outside the classroom would matter the most. Being a multimedia and communications student at McMaster has taught me a lot of the skills I need, but the practical aspects of the sports industry one can get at programs at Ryerson University or Brock University are not offered here.
So along with writing for The Silhouette I took on four major sports-related extracurriculars. From running women’s football on campus, to helping the men’s basketball team figure out their social media presence, I tried to get as much experience as I could.
This, along with my previous internship experience, allowed me to figure out what exactly I had a passion for. I knew that I could write, I had two articles every week for the last two years to prove it, but I also knew that it was not something I was passionate enough about.
Running women’s football gave me a chance to work out my organizational and operational skills. A major part of the sports industry is game operations. Although it is a bit different to what I am used to as a comms and media student, I have always had an interest in planning and carrying out projects.
This role had me overseeing over 150 students, both student-coaches and players, and organizing tournaments; it was no easy task. In my frustration I quickly came to realize although I once had an interest in sports operation, it was not something I envisioned myself doing long-term.
It was not until I was working with the McMaster men’s basketball team creating creative content that I discovered what I was truly passionate about. It combined the media skills I learned in class, my personal interests and my sports media knowledge.
Giving a team who struggled on the court an online presence that did not just reflect their losses was a fun challenge. We immediately saw the positive feedback in an increase in followers and activity.
Now that I figured out my passion, it all began to seem so simple. Apply to social media positions for different sport teams in organizations? I can do that no problem. Although it was not enough.
Part of looking for a job, especially in the sports industry, is through networking. This is something I have always struggled with, so it was something I challenged myself to do this year. I first met with Camille Wallace, digital media specialist for Team Canada, who reminded me how my job as sports reporter already helps me to build these networks.
As I had started the year before, I continued to interview alumni who work in the sports industry and found a mentor in Vanessa Matyas, Marketing and Media Manager at NFL Canada.
NFL Canada’s Marketing & Media Manager Vanessa Matyas on her journey from McMaster to her dream job, and how hard work and perseverance led her there. https://t.co/TiBu0xd8kq pic.twitter.com/Ln8gt6wVRd
— The Silhouette (@theSilhouette) March 11, 2019
Through her advice and help, I have been able to fix up the resume I used to see no flaws in, and even land myself my first dream job interview. Unfortunately for me, due to still being in school, I was unable to move forward in the interview process.
But with positive interview feedback under my belt, I am now ready to take on the job search by storm. I know it will not be easy, but I have been, and I am ready to work hard and use what I learned while at Mac in and out the classroom.
When I look back at the beginning of my journey four years ago, I never would have thought that I would be here today. Although I do not have it all completely figured out, leaving Mac with a sense of what my purpose is something I am grateful for.
As senior year comes to an end, I am extremely grateful that despite my doubts, I gave writing with the Sil another chance. Even though there were many times I felt like I was in over my head, I could not have imagined my senior year any other way.
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By: Elizabeth DiEmanuele
The Student Success Centre is pleased to launch the Undergrad Peer Tutoring Network (UPTN), a new network for students to access affordable, quality student tutors, both in-person and online. The platform is powered by TutorOcean, a relatively new start-up company that was selected in partnership with the McMaster Engineering Society. Differing from other academic services available, this network is a chance to connect with another student who successfully completed the course; tutors must have received an A- to provide services.
“Through the Student Life Enhancement Fund, all McMaster undergraduate students who access the network receive a subsidy for the first seven sessions, meaning they only pay $9 per hour,” says Jenna Storey, Academic Skills Program Coordinator for the Student Success Centre. “Tutors are available from all Faculties and an important part of this service.”
Gina Robinson, Director of the Student Success Centre, adds, “Providing quality and affordable tutoring is an important objective of this initiative. Finding sustainable funding for subsidy will need to be part the plan moving forward.”
Understanding that there are a number of gatekeeping courses (mandatory courses for students to complete their degree), the Student Success Centre continues to work with Faculties to ensure that these courses are available on the network. The Student Success Centre has also incorporated measures to ensure that tutors are well-prepared, offering a number of different sessions for tutors to become “McMaster Certified.”
As Jenna shares, “Students are encouraged to find a tutor who has a ‘McMaster Certified’ badge on their profile, indicating they have completed the tutor training session in accordance with best practices. This training focuses on running an effective session, ethical standards, and communication skills.”
The Undergrad Writing Centre continues to be another support available for students, and can be used at any stage of the writing process. All Writing Tutors have undergone training through the Student Success Centre, which has been externally recognized by the College Reading and Learning Association (CLRA).
Students can book up to ten appointments per semester for free. This semester, new drop-in writing support is also available Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Undergrad Writing Centre is located in the Learning Commons on the second floor of Mills Library.
Jill McMillan, Academic Skills Program Coordinator of the Student Success Centre, shares, “Writing remains is a key academic and life skill requirement. We are thrilled to have received certification recognition that demonstrates the quality of this peer based service. Students are supported in meeting their writing potential.”
Students looking for quick study tips and other academic support can connect with Academic Coaches, located in the SSC Lounge as well as in the Learning Commons on the second floor of Mills Library every Monday-Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Learn more about the Undergrad Peer Tutoring Network here.
Learn more about the Undergrad Writing Centre here.
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