Department of English Writer in Residence
The Writer in Residence program provides an opportunity for the college community to engage with an established writer. The program allows the Writer in Residence to pursue their own creative projects while being available to Langara students for classroom visits, one-on-one writing consultations, and events—including a public reading for the community. The position runs for three months at the start of the spring term (January to March). The Writer in Residence is hosted by the English department.
2026 Writer in Residence: Madeleine Thein
Langara College is thrilled to welcome acclaimed author Madeleine Thien (external link) as our 2026 Writer in Residence (WiR). Her body of work is celebrated across Canada, and her long-standing commitment to mentorship makes this appointment a perfect fit for students who are building their writing skills and exploring creative careers.
Madeleine Thien is the author of five books, including Do Not Say We Have Nothing, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and the Folio Prize, and won the Governor-General’s Literary Award for Fiction. Her most recent novel, The Book of Records, was named a book of the year by The New Yorker, Time, and others, and included in Barack Obama’s favourite books of 2025 (external link) . Her novels have been translated into twenty-five languages, and her essays and stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Granta, Times Literary Supplement, The New York Review of Books, and elsewhere. As a librettist, she created Chinatown, a full-length opera by Alice Ping Yee Ho and Paul Yee; and collaborates on a range of chamber works. She was a 2021-22 Cullman Fellow at the New York Public Library; and in 2024, received the Writers’ Trust of Canada Engel-Findley Award, honouring a writer in mid-career. Born in Vancouver, Madeleine lives in Montreal and teaches part-time at Brooklyn College at The City University of New York.
One-on-one Consultations
The writer in residence will be available for creative writing mentorship with members of the Langara community (students, faculty, and employees) from mid-January to mid-March. Students can submit fiction or creative nonfiction to the writer in residence and receive free feedback during a one-hour, in-person meeting.
To secure an appointment, students must go to the writer in residence's office (A302) and add their details to the sign-up sheet posted on the office door. After a student signs up, they should send their work to writerinresidence [at] langara.ca (writerinresidence[at]langara[dot]ca), using the following format: Word or PDF format only, 12-point font, double spaced, up to 10 pages. Work must be submitted at least one week in advance, so the writer has a chance to read it and provide thoughtful comments.
Appointments are available on a first come, first served basis.
Events
- Strangers on a Train ft. Madeleine Thein | Jan 27, 2026 at 7pm
- Public reading / conversation | Mar 18, 2026 (details TBA)
Support Literature
For questions about the Writer in Residence program, email writerinresidence [at] langara.ca (writerinresidence[at]langara[dot]ca)
