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"The Conditions That Foster Creativity": Catherine Bush and Sheung-King Discuss Guelph's MFA in Creative Writing

Imagine having a year or two totally devoted to your writing, surrounded by fellow-minded emerging writers with whom to discuss work and craft, and experienced teachers on hand to guide you and offer feedback. That's the reality for MFA students and, in Canada, The University of Guelph's MFA in Creative Writing  is amongst the very best. Founded in 2006, they've grown leaps and bounds, turning out published and acclaimed writer after writer, including Zoe Whittall , Jael Richardson , and Canisia Lubrin , to name just a few. 

We're excited to welcome Associate Professor and Coordinator of the MFA programme  Catherine Bush , and recent alumnus  Sheung-King (also called Aaron Tang)  to discuss the programme, the MFA experience, and more here today.

And if you're considering taking the plunge and applying to an MFA, Guelph's programme is currently accepting applications until December 7th . Check out the website for full information on how to apply. 

From Catherine Bush:

Sheung-King   is a recent graduate of the University of Guelph Creative Writing MFA (in 2018). He has just published his first novel, You Are Eating an Orange. You Are Naked. ( Book*hug Press).

The novel, which began life as Sheung-King’s MFA thesis, features a young translator who travels abroad, often with an unnamed lover, whom he addresses in the second person. Told in a series of short chapters, the novel offers intimate meditations on love, confronts Orientalism, retells Chinese folk tales, and includes untranslated Cantonese and Mandarin. It’s a beguiling, lyrical work that affords both emotional and intellectual pleasures; it heralds the arrival of an exciting and original new voice capable of grappling with the essential and interstitial in global lives today.

As the long-time Coordinator of the Guelph Creative Writing MFA, I asked Aaron to discuss his time in the program, which has been around since 2006. The Guelph Creative Writing MFA admits 12-14 students into each fall cohort, a culturally diverse group comprising writers across genres, currently including creative nonfiction, drama, fiction, hybrid forms, poetry, and screenwriting. The program, part of the University of Guelph’s School of English and Theatre Studies, is located in Toronto, housed – in non-pandemic times – in the University of Guelph-Humber building on the Humber College north campus. The program’s social activities, such as its monthly Speakeasy reading series (currently online), take place downtown, most recently at the Glad Day Bookshop. 

Interview with Catherine Bush and Sheung-King

You did your undergraduate degree at Queen's University. What attracted you to apply to the University of Guelph Creative Writing MFA?

I did my undergrad a Queen's University, majored in film and media studies. I grew up in Hong Kong and, after living for three years in Kingston, felt the urge to move back to a big city. I had heard about the program from my classmates at Queen's and knew that quite a few of them decided to attend. The MFA at the University of Guelph, located in Toronto, is one of the first programs I reached out to. 

Can you talk about some of the defining features of your time in the program? What aspects of the program stood out for you? 

I was always interested in becoming an educator, worked as a teacher in Japan the summer before attending the MFA. The MFA provided me with teaching opportunities in secondary as well as post-secondary settings. I worked as a tutor at the Humber College Writing Centre throughout my MFA, where I had the chance to work one-on-one with undergraduates. I was also part of the Parkdale Project, which allowed me to work with secondary school students. Besides working with partnering institutions, I also had the chance to work as an instructor at InkWell Workshops through the Guelph MFA, where I held workshops at SKETCH Toronto for the local community. These experiences prepared me to become a lecturer after my graduation. 

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That’s great to hear. As you mention above, four MFA students are selected each year to work as Writing Centre tutors. I’ve also created workshop opportunities both at the Parkdale Public school, where we run a six-week workshop for Grade 7/8 students every winter (in non-pandemic times) in which MFA students team-teach creative writing workshops, and a workshop series at Parkdale Collegiate in which MFA students solo teach two-part workshops, mostly but not exclusively to Grade 12 students.

One of the other features of the MFA is our individual study semester. In their first year, students are involved in choosing a professional writer to work with them one-on-one for the summer semester. Through this program we’ve been able to pair students with writers beyond those immediately associated with our program, including Somali-American poet Ladan Osman and New York-based Latinx playwright Migdalia Cruz. Other recent mentors have included indigenous writers Cherie Dimaline and Waubgeshig Rice, also Montreal-based novelist Heather O’Neill, and playwright Sunny Drake. Can you comment on your experience during the mentorship?

I produced most of the chapters in my novel during the summer mentorship. Working out a schedule with my mentor and having regular meetings to review my work gave me the flexibility I needed to realize what my thesis project will be and how to go about writing it. Working with my mentor, Sky Gilbert, allowed me to attend theatre performances that I otherwise would not have, which influenced my dialogue in  Orange .  

Can you talk a bit more about how you developed your thesis project, which became your first novel, while in the program? I know that one section was submitted as a paper in my Plenary class, which focuses on a series of readings by writers, both primary texts and texts about writing and engaging with the world as a writer. In the final assignment, students are asked to respond to one of the readings but are given formal freedom as to how they do so. Students have turned in scripts, fiction, lyric essays and hybrid works, such as yours. What was your experience like writing the novel as your thesis?

Like the final assignment for the Plenary class, my novel is not confined to a rigid set of rules; because of that, I could take the opportunity to write something that responds to the Plenary readings and be part of the larger narrative of  Orange.  Other chapters in  Orange  were developed similarly—they are responses to films or other texts. As long as I read or watch something interesting, making it a part of  Orange  was a natural process. 

Can you speak to the community that you found within the MFA? 

My colleagues in the MFA were very talented and supportive. We keep in touch to this day, will attend each other's events and read each other's work.  

And to your experience as an emerging BIPOC writer within the program?

I came from Queen's, where all of my professors were white, and most of the readings were from white writers. At Guelph, I was able to have a supervisory committee consisting of MFA Associated Graduate Faculty Kyo Maclear and SETS Professor Elaine Chang. They understood and appreciated my work, provided me with valuable feedback and were supportive throughout and after the MFA. 

You entered the MFA as someone with an interest in multiple genres, including screenplay. The Guelph Creative Writing MFA is a program that asks students to take workshops in more than one genre, in the belief that a multi-genre focus can strengthen a writer's craft. Playwrights can learn from studying poetry, fiction writers from writing a play script. The MFA has also developed a new course in Hybrid Forms, which might describe the form of your new novel. Can you speak to the way that the MFA offered you opportunities as a multi-genre writer interested in formal experimentalism and hybrid-form prose?

With a background in film and media studies, I was interested in screenwriting. However, the films I enjoy tend not to have conventional screenplays. I took a screenwriting course in my undergrad, where we learned about the traditional Western narrative arc, where there’s an inciting incident, a climax, and a falling action. We had to follow that structure to write a script. I found following these rules to be very difficult. It was much easier for me (perhaps because of my dyslexia) to write stories without such restrictions in place. Working with and learning about multiple genres throughout the MFA helped me develop a mode of writing I am comfortable with. 

What to you was the value of doing an MFA in Creative Writing?

Perhaps even more so than writing stories myself, I am interested in the conditions that foster creativity. I think, more so than anything, the value of an MFA comes from being in an environment that incentivizes creativity. The MFA program at Guelph, above all else, has such an environment. I was always motivated to write. 

Is there anything else that you'd like to highlight about the Guelph Creative Writing MFA? Anything that you think potential applicants to the program should know? 

I never had a chance to enrol in the aforementioned class, Hybrid Forms, and the course on postcolonial writing, which was introduced after my time in the MFA. I'm am glad to hear that the Guelph MFA continues to innovate. I have heard great things about both of those courses from friends and colleagues, would encourage those entering the program to participate in those courses. 

___________________________________________________

Sheung-King, Aaron Tang  (born 1994, Vancouver, BC, Canada) is a writer and post-secondary educator who grew up in Hong Kong and is currently based in Toronto. His writing has appeared in PRISM International, Puritan Magazine, The Humber Literary Review, among others. In 2019, Sheung-King was nominated for a Pushcart Prize by The Shanghai Literary Review for nonfiction. His debut novel, You are Eating an Orange. You are Naked. , is published by Book*hug Press .  Sheung-King is currently an artist in residence at the ADA-DADA Residency. Visit his website at www.sheung-king.com

Catherine Bush is the author of five novels, including Blaze Island (2020), the Canada Reads long-listed Accusation (2013), the Trillium Award short-listed Claire’s Head (2004), and The Rules of Engagement (2000), a New York Times Notable Book and a L.A. Times Best Book of the Year. She was recently a Fiction Meets Science Fellow at the HWK in Germany and has spoken internationally about addressing the climate crisis in fiction. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph and Coordinator of the Guelph Creative Writing MFA, located in Toronto, and can be found online at www.catherinebush.com .

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MFA Program

Canisia Lubrin, Catherine Bush, Judith Thompson, Carrianne Leung, Michael Winter, Kyo Maclear, Kevin Connolly

The program offers partial funding. All students are granted the Constance Rooke Scholarship, which provides a total of $12,000 in funding over two years. Students are also considered for the McClelland & Stewart Scholarship, the Edward Y. Morwick Scholarship, the Graduate Tuition Scholarship, and Board of Graduate Research Scholarships.

Students can also pursue opportunities to tutor at the Humber Writing Centre, teach creative writing to public school students, TA in creative writing classes at the University of Guelph, and teach creative writing at Guelph-Humber University Continuing Ed.

The program offers concentrations in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama/screenwriting, and hybrid/mixed genres.

The program hosts a reading series, professional panels, semester-long mentorships, and master classes at the Toronto International Festival of Authors. A teaching practicum is also offered in downtown Toronto schools through the Parkdale Project.

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Creative Writing Certificate

Overview 

If you are an aspiring writer looking to get serious about your craft then the Creative Writing Certificate program is designed for you. Take advantage of an opportunity to explore a variety of genres, improve your writing, and develop the tools to master a significant writing project. 

The Creative Writing Certificate offers a series of writing courses in a variety of genres that enables you to focus your learning on the techniques of creative writing. The program offers you practical guidance in how to generate ideas, take that spark of inspiration to the page, advance your writing skills and explore your creativity while offering advice about publishing and being a writer.

Through the program you will:

• Examine the elements of creative writing and practice them through in-class writing exercises and the development of a writing portfolio
• Give and receive effective feedback through workshopping your writing with your peers and with feedback from your instructor
• Build a portfolio of your writing samples and develop a writing practice

The Creative Writing Certificate program consists of six courses: two required courses, a choice of three electives, and a final capstone project. Course activities include peer workshopping, reading, and story revision. All program instructors are experienced writers with published works.

With a total of six courses to complete, this certificate will provide you with the knowledge and skills to create your own literary works.

Learning Outcomes 

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

• Trace the historical development of a genre over time and observe how it has adapted according to social, historical, and literary trends
• Examine and discuss creative writing elements used by published authors across a variety of genres and apply them to your own writing
• Consider the effectiveness of writing from different and varied points of view
• Define what it means to read “closely” and read and respond to close readings of various genres of literature
• Discuss different genres from both a technical and literary perspective
• Receive and give feedback through the workshopping of creative work
• Discuss the challenges inherent in writing true stories and the ethics of creative non-fiction
• Explore creative writing from a Canadian Perspective
• Identify the importance of revision in producing publishable work
• Develop a writing practice
• Identify resources for writing and publishing
• Read aloud for an audience

This certificate will compliment careers and work in the following areas: 

• Content writer 
• Book reviewer
• Copy editor or digital copywriter
• Editorial assistant
• Blog writer
• Technical writer
• Marketing professional
• Communications professional

This program requires the completion of two required courses, three electives, and one capstone project. Required and elective courses may be taken in any order. The capstone project must be taken after completion of five other courses.

remote - synchronous

Enrolment is on a course-by-course basis and there is no application required. This program is intended for adult learners who are at least 18 years of age or have completed Grade 12 or equivalent. Course availability changes each semester. It is recommended you submit notification requests for each course in the program to be informed when registration opens. Course registration closes before the start of the semester.

Complete two required courses, three electives, and one capstone project. Request your parchment through the OpenEd Student Portal once all requirements are met.

You can take up to 5 years from the start of your first course to complete and receive the certificate.

The price per course is currently $549. Course prices are subject to change and are not guaranteed. The total cost of the program may vary.

Additional Information 

If you would like additional information about this program, please contact our  Main Office . 

Sponsoring Partner 

School of English and Theatre Studies, College of Arts  

Required Courses

2 Course(s)

• 7000011 Introduction to Creative Writing
• 7000014 Creative Writing through Reading

3 Course(s)

Students will choose three electives.

• 7000012 Writing Short Stories
• 7000013 Writing Poetry
• 7000015 Writing a Novel
• 7000016 Writing Mystery
• 7000017 Playwriting
• 7000018 Young Adult Writing
• 7000019 Writing Creative Non-Fiction
• 7000020 Writing Dialogue
• 7000022 Writing for Children
• 7000023 Writing Flash Narratives
• 7000024 Writing your own Story

1 Course(s)

• 7000021 Creative Writing Capstone Project

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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:

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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.

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Graduate Admissions

Creative Writing (MFA in English)

The MFA in English with a focus in Creative Writing is awarded by the Graduate College. The Creative Writing Program, also known as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, also offers  Nondegree Course Work . For the MFA in English with a focus in nonfiction writing, apply to the  Nonfiction Writing Program .

Applicants must meet the  Admission Requirements of the Graduate College  and the department offering the degree program (review the department's web site or the General Catalog for departmental requirements).

Tuition and fees vary by degree program and the type of student you are.

• Fall semester—Dec. 15
• Spring semester—not offered

The graduate application process has two steps

• You must first submit the online application to the Graduate College and pay the $60 application fee by credit card ($100 for international applicants).
• Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an email instructing you on how to upload your supporting documents and submit letters of recommendation. A few programs require materials be sent directly to them. However, almost all supplemental material can and should be uploaded from your Admissions Profile in MyUI , our online service center for applicants and students. You can only access this AFTER you have submitted your application.

Degree Program Supplemental Materials

• Mail manuscript of your best work, with a  Manuscript Cover Sheet (PDF) - address listed below Receipt of your manuscript will be noted on your Admissions Profile.
• A Statement of Purpose
• Application for Graduate Awards
• Your General GRE test scores (optional but recommended)
• Supplemental Financial Aid

Recommendations

The application requirement section of your Profile includes an electronic letter of recommendation feature. If your program of study requires letters of recommendation, you will be asked to give the contact information of your recommenders including their email on your Admissions Profile. The recommender will then get an email giving them instructions on how to upload the recommendation letter and/or form.

• Three letters of recommendation

Materials to send to Admissions

• A set of your unofficial academic records/transcripts uploaded on your Admissions Profile. If you are admitted, official transcripts will be required before your enrollment. For international records, all records should bear the original stamp or seal of the institution and the signature of a school official.  Documents not in English must be accompanied by a complete, literal, English translation, certified by the issuing institution.
• Your official GRE scores are not required for admission to this program. However, applications that include GRE scores may be more competitive for a greater range of financial assistance (the University's institutional code is 6681).
• International students may also be required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or DuoLingo scores to comply with the university's English Language Proficiency Requirements .
• Once recommended for admission, international students must send a  Financial Statement .

Apply Online , the $60 application fee ($100 for international students) is payable by Discover, MasterCard, or Visa.

Creative Writing Program The University of Iowa 102 Dey House Iowa City, IA 52242-1000 [email protected] 1-319-335-0416

Enrollment Management The University of Iowa 2900 University Capitol Centre 201 S. Clinton St. Iowa City, IA 52242 [email protected] 1-319-335-1523

Tuition and Fees

Our degree is a full-time program located on the Guelph-Humber campus. According to these specifications, tuition for the University of Guelph Creative Writing MFA is broken down on the main University website by cohort (year of entry). 

For an approximate indication of current fees, by semester, see the following:

2023-24 Graduate Student Tuition Fees: Canadian

2023-24 Graduate Student Tuition Fees: International

**Note that tuition is offset by $1333.33 each semester of study for every enrolled MFA student (in the form of the Constance Rooke Scholarship); any other scholarships are added to this.**  

Fees + Payments

A Note from the University of Guelph's Student Finance Services department—

**Please note that online payments will take three business days to reach our office. Please verify on your WebAdvisor (after 72 business hrs) to ensure payment has been received and keep a copy of your transaction record. We honour the date the transaction was successfully made with your bank.**

Billing and payment are done on a semester basis rather than annually. In an effort to spread out the financial burden, payments are required at the start of each semester instead of the student having to pay the entire amount all at once at the beginning of the school year.

Tuition and fees are calculated based on the selection of academic program, course load, cohort year, citizenship, room and meal plan selection and parking if required. These fees (tuition & fees, registration deposit, meal plan and residence fees - excluding the residence deposit) are due by the deadline date posted. Students' accounts may be viewed through WebAdvisor. The University does not issue printed bills or statements.

For more information, please visit: Link: Student Finance  

Authorization of Settlement

A Note to Current and Incoming Creative Writing MFA students—

Tuition and fees must be paid to the University of Guelph before the *start* of every new semester. As well, each student must complete an "Authorization of Settlement" via WebAdvisor before the *start* of every new semester. 

For those writers who have been admitted to the program, please note that your *base* funding is as follows—

All Creative Writing MFA students are granted a $8,000 Constance Rooke Scholarship when they are admitted to the program. No application is required for this award as it is granted to all students who attend the CW MFA program. 

This award is allocated over two years of study (the duration of the program is two years and the program does not admit part-time students). This particular award is provided to the student in the following manner — $4,000 in year one of study and $4,000 in year two of study (at the start of every semester, $1333.33 is granted to the student: 3 x $1333.33 (Fall, Winter, Summer) = $4,000 per year). This semesterly allocation of $1333.33 is set against the student's tuition, which obviously reduces the overall cost of the course of study. 

The University of Guelph Creative Writing MFA department holds many performance-based internal and external additional awards that are provided to its students based on performance. Please contact Libby Johnstone ( [email protected] )  should you have any additional questions about program cost and funding.

Financial Aid

Link: Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program Link: SSHRC Master's Scholarships

Also, for those students who are admitted to the CW MFA program and who wish to apply for these awards for their second year of study, the program holds an application information session in the early fall of every year.

Link to additional information on Internal Funding and Awards