Established in 1789, the University of King’s College is Canada’s oldest chartered university and is associated with Dalhousie University. A small and extraordinarily lively academic community located in Halifax (Kjipuktuk), Nova Scotia, King’s is known nationally and internationally for its highly acclaimed interdisciplinary programs in the humanities, including its renowned Foundation Year Program, its professional programs in journalism and its fine arts programs in creative writing. King’s is a community where students, faculty, alumni and staff work to bring greater understanding, creativity and compassion to the world.
The University of King’s College two-year limited-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction and Fiction programs are seeking applications from writers and/or editors to serve as mentors in the program.
Suitable candidates will have professionally published or edited manuscripts in narrative nonfiction or fiction, and be experienced teachers of writing, preferably at the university level.
Mentors will work one-to-one with five to seven students per semester as they develop book-length manuscripts.
Mentors will also participate in two weeklong residencies (one in-person residency in Halifax in June and a second online residency in January). During the residencies, mentors will conduct writing workshops for their mentor groups (five to seven students) and meet one-to-one with students they’re mentoring. During the in-person June residency, mentors will also participate in classroom sessions and deliver at least one craft lecture. Mentors assist with program promotion and attend webinars and MFA-related events through the year.
Prior to the beginning of each semester, mentors and students will agree to individual “contracts of deliverables.” These agreements will stipulate the number of pages and nature of the work the student will submit over the course of the semester (usually approximately 15,000 words), the number of submissions during the semester and deadlines for each submission as well as the timeliness and nature of mentor responses. These contracts must be approved in advance by the cohort director who supervises the mentors.
At the end of each semester, mentors will submit copies of the student-submitted material and their written responses to them to the cohort director, along with recommended grades.
Mentors will be hired on annual, renewable contracts. They will be paid for their participation in the residencies as well for each individual student they mentor. The current fee structure is:
These positions are subject to enrolment and budgetary approval.
The University of King’s College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We encourage and welcome those who would contribute to the diversification of our staff and faculty including, but not limited to women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, visible minorities and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, priority of consideration will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, but non-Canadians are encouraged to apply.
To apply
If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, please send a copy of your C.V., including publication credits and teaching experience, the names of two referees and an informal letter of interest (no more than 500 words) to:
Gillian Turnbull
Director, Writing & Publishing Program
University of King’s College
6350 Coburg Road
Halifax, NS. B3H 2A1
Or by email to: gillian.turnbull@ukings.ca
The deadline for applications is November 1, 2024.
The University of King’s College is committed to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. We encourage and welcome those who would contribute to the diversification of our staff and faculty including, but not limited to women, people who identify as Black, Indigenous or Persons of Colour, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. In line with the University’s commitments to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and to the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education, the ideal candidate for this position will self-identify as African Nova Scotian or Black.