The University of Guelph Creative Writing MFA

That’s a wrap for the season! We’ll be offline for the summer, but we’re already looking ahead to September. Thank you for following along. ✨

[Descriptive text: A clean, minimal graphic with the University of Guelph MFA in Creative Writing logo at the top reads “SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!” in large bold text. A red banner across the middle states “We’ll be offline for the summer.” The background is softly blurred, showing stationary.]

BECALMING launches in Toronto! Join Aga Maksimowska, a graduate of the program, in conversation with fellow MFA alum Jael Richardson for an evening celebrating this thoughtful and searching novel. Thursday, April 23, 6:30–8:30pm at Queen Books, 914 Queen St E.

[Descriptive text: A blue-toned event poster with a soft cloud background announces the launch of Becalming by Aga Maksimowska. The book cover appears on the left, featuring a cloud motif. Circular headshots of Aga Maksimowska and Jael Richardson are placed above the book. Text on the right lists the event details, including the date, time, and location at Queen Books in Toronto.]

WONDERLAND ROAD launches tonight in Toronto! Please join us in celebrating Carrianne Leung, associate professor and fiction instructor in the program, as she shares her new novel in conversation with Catherine Hernandez, with special guests. Doors at 6:30 PM and the event begins at 7:00 PM at It’s OK Studios, 468 Queen St W.

[Descriptive text: A pink and cream event poster with black leaf accents announces the Toronto launch of Wonderland Road by Carrianne Leung. The poster includes a headshot of the author beside the book cover, which features a stylized night scene with glowing streetlights in teal, pink, and blue tones. Text on the poster lists event details, including a conversation with Catherine Hernandez, surprise guests, and the venue address.]

We hope you’ll join us at the Speakeasy Reading Series later today to hear some wonderful writers! This is the last Speakeasy of the school year. The night will feature readings from Antonio Michael Downing, Kelly Pedro, Desiree McKenzie, Aga Maksimowska, and Jennifer LoveGrove.

[Descriptive text: a promotional poster featuring the five Speakeasy readers: Antonio Michael Downing, Kelly Pedro, Aga Maksimowska, Desiree McKenzie, and Jennifer LoveGrove. The poster says “University of Guelph Speakeasy Reading Series” and lists the date (April 15), time (7:00 PM), and location (Another Story Bookshop) of the event. The bottom reads “hosted by Desiree McKenzie and Brittany Coy-Pinnock.]

BECALMING by Guelph MFA alumna Aga Maksimowska is out now with Dundurn Press!

Aga’s novel follows Gosia, a high school chemistry teacher caught between countries, relationships, and versions of herself. BECALMING tells the story of two people realizing that happily ever after is not something to be but something to continue to explore, through adversity and outrage, tragedy and inspiration, and love.

[Descriptive text:
A promotional graphic for Becalming by Aga Maksimowska. The book is centered against a soft, sky-blue background with faint cloud textures. The cover features horizontal bands of pale blue and white with a cloud image in the center, and the title appears in lowercase lettering. At the top of the graphic, large text reads “OUT NOW,” and at the bottom, “WITH DUNDURN PRESS.”]

WONDERLAND ROAD by Carrianne Leung is now out with HarperCollins Canada!

An associate professor and fiction instructor in the program, Carrianne’s latest novel is an absorbing and heartfelt story about three people looking for a future when the world hangs by a thread.

[Descriptive text: A promotional graphic for Wonderland Road by Carrianne Leung. The book cover is centered against a blurred, neon-toned background of streetlights in teal, pink, and blue hues. The title appears in large white lettering over the image of glowing streetlamps at dusk, with silhouetted tree branches in the corner. Above the book, bold stylized text reads “OUT NOW,” and below it, smaller text reads “WITH HARPERCOLLINS CANADA.”]

A LITTLE FERAL by Maria Giesbrecht is heading on tour this May.

A current MFA candidate in the program, Maria’s debut poetry collection traces a path through faith, family, and rupture. Written after leaving a conservative Mennonite upbringing, A LITTLE FERAL moves between tenderness and defiance, exploring what it means to break from inherited belief systems while still searching for meaning in their wake.

[Descriptive text:
A book tour poster for A Little Feral by Maria Giesbrecht. On the left is a portrait of the author, smiling, with long light brown hair and bangs, set against a brick background. The center and right sections list tour dates and locations in a two-column layout. Cities include Guelph, Toronto, Queens (NYC), Minneapolis, Chicago, Seattle, Victoria, and Calgary, each paired with venues and guest readers. A small image of the book cover appears at the top right, showing a living room scene with birds throughout.]

Join us for the Toronto launch of SUBLUNARY by Lisa Richter, an alumna of the MFA in Creative Writing program. Hosted by Jim Johnstone, with special guests Hoa Nguyen and Cassidy McFadzean, this event brings together an exciting lineup of poets to celebrate Lisa’s wonderful new collection.

[Image description: A promotional poster with a teal and navy layout advertising the Toronto launch of SUBLUNARY by Lisa Richter. The left side features event details, including collaborators Another Story Bookshop and University of Alberta Press, guest readers Hoa Nguyen and Cassidy McFadzean, and host Jim Johnstone. The right side displays the book cover—an abstract, colorful painting of a face with multiple eyes—alongside a portrait of Lisa Richter and smaller circular photos of the guest readers. Event details note the date (April 9), time (7:00 PM), and location (Another Story Bookshop on Roncesvalles Avenue).]

Congratulations to Program Coordinator and Associate Professor Canisia Lubrin on winning the Poetry category of the 2026 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature for THE WORLD AFTER RAIN: ANNE’S POEM. We also warmly congratulate Justin Haynes (Fiction) and Tessa McWatt (Nonfiction) on their category wins. All three authors will now be considered for the overall prize to be announced at the Bocas Lit Fest. 🎉📚

[Image description: A promotional graphic with a bright yellow background announcing “The OCM Bocas Prize 2026 for Caribbean Literature — Announcing the Genre Category Winners!” Logos for Bocas Lit Fest and One Caribbean Media appear at the top. Three book covers are displayed side by side: THE WORLD AFTER RAIN: ANNE’S POEM by Canisia Lubrin (Poetry), featuring a blue-toned design with rainfall imagery; IBIS by Justin Haynes (Fiction), showing a stylized pink bird against a soft gradient background; and THE SNAG: A MOTHER, A FOREST, AND WILD GRIEF by Tessa McWatt (Nonfiction), depicting a green tree illustration on a white background. Text at the bottom notes that the overall winner will be announced on May 2 during the 2026 Bocas Lit Fest.]